Firewise USA® is a national recognition program, established in 2001 by the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters.
It’s purpose: reducing the loss of life and property, in terms of wildfires, by providing a collaborative framework to help neighbors in a geographic area get organized, find direction, and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community and to reduce wildfire risks at the local level.
Any community that meets a set of voluntary criteria on an annual basis can get recognition and may identify itself as being a Firewise® Site. Being a Firewise® Site is taken in consideration when our fire district submits in annual ___ and can thus positively influence our insurance premiums.
Why participate
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Meeting the criteria for becoming a Firewise USA® site helps us get organized and have clear direction for our wildfire safety efforts. Like the first rungs on a ladder, the criteria help get our community started toward annual, systematic action to reduce their risks from brush, grass and forest fires.
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DescriptionAs we go through the process together, we learn about the wildfire risks in our community and the simple things we can do to reduce them. We connect with experts – local fire fighters, state forestry professionals, and national researchers – to continue to learn about fire and find resources to accomplish fire-safe actions. text goes here
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People who work with experts to learn about wildfire and take action start to see results quickly. Knowing that we are using the best information available and actually taking steps to reduce the risk of damage from fire will help us start to feel safer in our environment and in our homes. Having a plan for what to do in the event of a fire helps us become calmer and more prepared to act quickly.
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As neighbors get together to do work, often meeting one another for the first time, they build a stronger bond with each other. Activity can help rally people to a common cause for the good of the neighborhood. This strengthening of community ties can benefit us in many ways, and is especially helpful during an emergency. While the work can be fun, it isn’t always easy. Neighbors work very hard to remove brush and debris, clean up common areas, and dispose of green waste. We’ll have every reason to be proud when we achieve national recognition for their efforts.
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Preference is sometimes given to Firewise USA® sites over other candidates when allocations of grant money are made for wildfire safety or fuel mitigation. The reason is that there are invariably more requests than available funds when grants are available through state or federal agencies. If requests are equally worthy, some officials tend to have more confidence in communities that have demonstrated the foresight of becoming a recognized Firewise USA® site.
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Being a Firewise® Site is taken in consideration when our fire district submits in annual ___ and can thus positively influence our overall insurance premiums. Some insurance companies also provide discounts when you live in a Firewise-recognized community. For example, the Oregon Departments of Insurance has approved filings by USAA to give homeowners insurance discounts to USAA members living in communities recognized by the Firewise USA® program.
Criteria that need to be met
Create a board or committee of volunteers to represent your community [DONE!]
Board to conduct a community wildfire risk assessment (every 5 years) [DONE!]
Board uses the risk assessment to create a three-year action plan, broken down by year, that identifies and prioritizes actions to reduce ignition risk to homes. [PLANNED]
Each year, neighbors complete educational and risk reduction actions identified in the plan. These go towards your site's annual reporting efforts. At a minimum, each site is required to annually invest the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit in wildfire risk reduction actions. [IN PROGRESS - PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!]
Track the number of hours volunteers spend on wildfire reduction actions. [IN PROGRESS - PLEASE CONTRIBUTE!]
When the above criteria have been met, the board applies for recognition. (Status application needs to be renewed every year)