9:30 – 10:30 am
F01 Integrating Thought Complexity into Forest Management
Track: Research (Physical, Social, Ecology & Environmental)
Presenter(s): Michael Czaja, PhS, Colorado State University
Description: The purpose of the study was to determine respondents’ level of thought complexity toward prescribed fire, and to develop a conceptual model to assist managers in assessing, understanding, and incorporating the public’s thought complexity into the management process. The study’s primary goal was to further validate a recently-developed measurement tool for integrative complexity and apply it to a new research scenario. Integrative complexity measures the diversity of arguments people recognize about an issue. The data came from residents living in three study areas in Colorado and Wyoming. Results suggest that integrative complexity affected the relationship between basic beliefs and attitudes toward prescribed fire. Findings should assist forest managers with developing prescribed fire-related policies, management actions, and communication strategies.
F02 Firewise® in the Classroom – Youth Working with Communities to Adapt to Wildfire
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenters: Dan Douglas, Education Director, Lassen County, California Fire Safe Council; Anna Stephens, Program Facilitator, Butte County Fire Safe Council, Wildfire in the Foothills Program
Description: Around the world, youth are recognized as playing an important role in reducing the risk of disasters and promoting community resilience. Youth are participating in disaster education programs and carrying home what they learn; their families, in turn, are disseminating knowledge into the community. The “Firewise in the Classroom” program consists of a five-lesson 6th grade curriculum provided over a one week classroom environment. The program engages the students in an area of study that has relevance for them and their families. Each lesson requires approximately one hour per day for student presentation and activities provided by the classroom teacher. Interactions between parents and students are encouraged by requiring parents to be involved in homework assignments, family discussions and activities.
F03 Moving Towards Collaborative Forest Fire Management in Portugal
Track: Technology, Policy & Regulations
Presenter(s): António Patrão, Portuguese Forest Services - ICNF
Description: Forest fires represent the main natural risk in Portugal. Since 2003 the territory has been affected by extreme wildfires which have consumed more than 1.2 million ha and destroyed lives, and many tangible (e.g. wood, houses) and intangible (e.g. soil, recreation) resources. Following that sequence of events fire management strategies in our country are changing from a paradigm based on response to wildfires (e.g. combat) to a paradigm based on community collaboration directed to wild fires risk mitigation and prevention.
F04 Wildfire and Your Deck: Exposures and Mitigation Options
Track: Home Construction & Landscape Design
Presenter(s): Steve Quarles, IBHS
Description: Decks are a vulnerable component on a home because, if ignited, a burning deck will result in an extended radiant and direct flame contact exposure to the adjacent siding, windows, doors and under-eave areas of the home, potentially resulting in the ignition and loss of the home. Codes, standards and educational organizations provide guidance on how to build new decks and retrofit existing decks to resist wildfire exposures. The objective of this presentation will be to review common wildfire exposures scenarios to decks, summarize information provided in codes and standards and examine effective ways to reduce the vulnerability of your deck. Discussion by participants will be encouraged.
F05 What’s the Difference Between a CWPP, Firewise® Communities and an HIZ Assessment?
Track: Wildfire Planning, Suppression & Operations
Presenter(s): Faith Berry, NFPA Firewise Advisor
Description: This presentation will provide the differences between the three different types of assessments, how to complete these assessments and the importance of collaboration between fire agencies, communities, water districts and state and federal partners. The presentation will also offer a CWPP template.
F06 Key Elements to Creating, Building and Sustaining a Successful Community Firewise® Program
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenters: Dick N. Hiss, Keowee Key Firewise Committee Chairperson and Michael Bozzo, South Carolina Forestry Commission
Description: Creating wildland/urban interface wildfire danger awareness; developing community wildfire action plans; organizing homeowners and community leaders through motivation and organization are all necessary steps to conduct Firewise activities in a diverse, active, senior community. The South Carolina Forestry Commission partnered with Keowee FD in a key organizational role to initiate and support Firewise efforts, including funding of new equipment and various Firewise projects. Creating an effective Firewise program requires education and action programs to support personal and community property protection. Action-oriented people need motivation, incentives and organization to execute effective programs. This presentation shows how Chipping Days and Leaf Collection Recycling programs successfully involve homeowners and result in the removal of potential “fuel” from resident and community property. Keowee Key’s success has spawned five local Firewise programs.
F07 An Overview of Insurance Resources in Wildfire
Track: Technology, Policy & Regulations
Presenter(s): Clark Woodward, RedZone Software
Description: Insurance companies are playing an increasingly visible part in the wildland fire community. As firefighters, it can be difficult to see the world through the eyes of insurance company executives. Through his experience as CEO of RedZone Software, Clark has worked closely with both fire departments and national property/casualty insurers and can so provide unique insight into both industries. The presentation will examine 4 topics • Underwriting: How insurers use wildfire modeling in deciding whether to insure a home • Accumulation: Using wildfire modeling to model loss exposure to a single event • Home assessments: How home assessments (public and insurer sponsored) are used by the industry • Response programs: motivation and goals of private insurance response programs As part of the presentation, Clark will highlight specific programs and discuss their impact on the industry and relationship between the public and private sectors.
F08 Prescott, Arizona - A Case Study in Community Wildfire Defense
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Hylton Haynes, NFPA Wildland Fire Operations Division
Description: Firewise Communities/USA® is a national program designed to encourage residents of wildfire-prone areas to take action to reduce wildfire risks to their homes and neighborhoods. In 2001, 10 pilot communities were identified nationally and formally recognized. One of these communities is Timber Ridge, located in Prescott, Arizona. This presentation examines how this effective community action movement has evolved in the city of Prescott and how local, state and federal stakeholders are collaboratively sustaining and enhancing community resilience in the wildland/urban interface.
F09 Partnerships in Wildfire Mitigation
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Jerry McAdams, Boise, Idaho Fire Department; Julia K. Grant, City of Boise, Idaho; Brittany Jones, Southwest Idaho Resource Conservation & Development Council
Description: Wildfire mitigation efforts should focus on forming partnerships as well as coordinating resources and strategies to create mutually beneficial outcomes in communities. Longer wildfire seasons and increased development in wildland/urban interface (WUI) areas exemplify the need for new and effective wildfire mitigation ventures. It is not uncommon for stakeholders to work on similar types of projects, unbeknownst to one another, creating a duplication of efforts. In a time when agency budgets are shrinking, the need to identify stakeholders and create efficient cooperative partnerships has never been greater. Boise City staff have successfully partnered with outside agencies, not-for-profits, small businesses, homeowners’ associations and neighborhood associations, to organize and manage multiple wildfire mitigation projects, reducing wildfire risk and increasing community awareness.
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
F10 Using Social Media to Expand Awareness and Engage Communities
Track: Technology, Policy & Regulations
Presenter(s): Lauren Backstrom, NFPA Communications and Michael Hazell, NFPA Web & Internet
Description: Each year, social media grows in popularity across the world. Knowing how to utilize social platforms to spread safety messages and educate the public will aid in the success of any campaign. Social interaction can be applied to any brand’s online presence to help generate a deeper connection with the customer. This session will highlight current trends in social media, tips and strategies for moving beyond a basic social presence, how to connect with your audience and what can be learned from the interactions, as well as several examples of successful social media campaigns or programs.
F11 Loss of Landscape and Community Health: Impacts of the Wallow Fire after One Year
Track: Research (Physical, Social, Ecology & Environmental)
Presenters: Dr. David Eisenman, MSHS is Associate Professor of Medicine and Public Health at UCLA and Sarah McCaffrey, Ph.D., Research Social Scientist for the USDA Forest Service
Description: As wildfires in the United States grow in frequency and size, the number of individuals impacted by wildfire is increasing. Understanding the long-term impacts, if any, a wildfire may have on community members will be important in developing programs that minimize negative outcomes and foster more resilient fire adapted communities. However, to date, scant research attention has been paid to understanding the various impacts that experiencing a wildfire may have on community members. This presentation will discuss findings from a survey of local residents one year after the 2011 Wallow Fire in Arizona. The goal of the study was to identify impacts the fire has had on several aspects of community health. Elements discussed will include physical and mental health outcomes, how household economic factors and fire impacts on the surrounding landscape contributed to more positive and negative outcomes, and differences between permanent and part-time residents.
F12 The Little Things that Burn Structures
Track: Wildfire Planning, Suppression & Operations
Presenter(s): Gary Marshall, NFPA Firewise Advisor
Description: We often think it is the big flames that burn homes from wildfire, but current science, fire modeling and case studies show it is the small flames and embers that damage the majority of the structures from wildfire. This presentation will discuss what residents can do ahead of time to reduce the risk to the home without creating a “moonscape”.
F13 Getting the Most out of Your Firewise® Community Assessment
Track: Technology, Policy & Regulations
Presenter(s): Tom Esgate, Lassen County Fire Safe Council, Inc.
Description: Over the past 10 years, Lassen County Fire Safe Council, Inc. has expanded the use of Firewise Community Assessments. The assessments have been used as environmental compliance documents that help gain required approvals from county, state and federal agencies for grant funded vegetation treatments. Assessments are also included as community chapters in the county Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The session will explain how communities can efficiently expand on their community assessment efforts to cover project environmental compliance required by grantors. Resources and tips will be shared with session participants covering areas such as: Cultural Resources, Endangered Species (including fish & wildlife and plants), Fuel & Severity Models and Mapping Programs.
F14 Reducing Risk from an Invasive Grass on Staten Island, New York
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Heidi Wagner, NFPA Firewise Advisor
Description: Over the last fifteen years, 103 brush fires have occurred along the Eastern Shore of Staten Island. The source of these brush fires is the invasive grass Common Reed (Phragmites australis). Capable of reaching heights in excess of 12 feet, the standing dead stalks are highly ignitable. Large stands of this invasive grass grows close to the back doors of homes along the shoreline, and when ignited can produce flames of 50 feet or more with high rates of spread. Learn how residents and municipal agencies are addressing this unique wildfire threat.
F15 Rewards and Responsibilities of Beverly Hills Becoming a Firewise® Community
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Greg Barton, Beverly Hills, California Fire Department
Description: This session will explore how the community of Beverly Hills, California achieved National Firewise Communities/USA® recognition and the continuing challenges to maintain that status, as well as the process used to create a Firewise/Waterwise Mitigation Demonstration Garden, an Emmy Award Winning PSA, and other public education materials. The session will also discuss how the Firewise Board and local government can work together to develop and implement Firewise based ordinances in the community.
F16 The Social Science of Moving a Woodpile and other Mitigation Tasks
Track: Research (Physical, Social, Ecology & Environmental)
Presenter(s): Pat Durland, Stone Creek Fire, LLC
Description: Understanding the physical science of wildfire hazards is simple compared to the social science of motivating individuals to take action. Nothing will change if woodpiles and other fuel hazards in the Home Ignition Zone aren’t mitigated. This session will present mitigation options that science is providing residents and will discuss techniques to help make them happen.
F17 Genesee, Colorado - Eleven Years as a Firewise® Community; A Look into the Future
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Ryan Babcock
Description: The Genesee community has been active in its fire mitigation and recognized as a Firewise community since 2002. Over the past 11 years, there has been success and some challenges. This presentation will take you through these last 11 years to share how Genesee has evolved and where they look to go in the future.
F18 Developing Local Strength: Partnership Building Between Firewise® Communities and their Local Fire Departments
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenters: Lucian Deaton, IAFC; Todd Chlanda, NFPA Firewise Advisor
Description: Firewise Communities® have long focused on developing an understanding of wildland fire threats and the roles and responsibilities each resident can take to ensure a safer future. Partnership building at the community level is paramount to this effort. This session will explain the important dialogue that should occur long before a fire starts between Firewise Communities and their local fire departments concerning preparedness, situational awareness and response. It will provide examples you can duplicate on connecting with local fire departments and gaining their involvement in Firewise Day activities and other mitigation efforts. The Ready, Set, Go! Program, managed by the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), seeks to develop and improve the dialogue between fire departments and the residents they serve.
3:00 – 4:00 pm
F19 Rebuilding Pocatello: Community Attitudes and Involvement in Managing Wildfire Risk (3:00 – 4:25 PM)
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenters: Ivy Dickinson, Idaho Firewise; Bruce Olenick, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality; Hannah Sanger, City of Pocatello, Idaho; Danny Mann, Three Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Council
Description: In 2012, the Charlotte Fire burned 66 structures in Pocatello, Idaho. This session will feature three panelists who will discuss the current efforts underway to rebuild in the aftermath of this event. The panelists will be sharing their perspectives on how this event has changed local attitudes regarding fire mitigation and preparedness, the progress of restoration and rebuilding efforts, as well as the challenges and roadblocks that the community has faced in getting through this event.
F20 Hunting for Dollars
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Keith Worley, Forestree Development, LLC, Certified Arborist
Description: Grant money is becoming more limited. So how do you find the money and resources to set up and continue your Firewise® community program? Learn alternative ways to sustain your program whether you are in a homeowners’ association, special district or just a loose collection of homeowners. This presentation will include how to identify partnerships and NGOs for funding, grant writing tips and setting up an in-kind tracking program.
F21 Using Goats for Fire Prevention
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Kathy Christensen, Chair, Emigration Canyon Firewise Board
Description: Homeowners either love or hate them…Goats! Emigration Oaks has used goats as a fire prevention technique for 5 years with mixed results. Our community experienced a fire in 2007 that showed goats are useful in prevention. The presentation will explain and show why homeowners and communities have different opinions.
F22 Getting the Shakes Out of Here
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenters: David Yegge, Big Bear Lake Fire Department; Edwina Scott, Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council
Description: This presentation will describe the problem that exists with wood shake shingles, along with the steps that have been taken over the years to remove them. The presentation will also cover passing ordinances to replace wood shake shingles and getting community support, involving stakeholders and successes of the program.
F23 The Napa Communities Firewise® Foundation: Using the Firewise Model
Track: Wildfire Planning, Suppression & Operations
Presenter(s): Stephen Gort, Napa Communities Firewise Foundation
Description: The Napa Communities Firewise Foundation is a community based, wildland fire awareness program designed to provide the residents of high-risk communities with the knowledge and tools they need to establish local community teams to undertake fire safety programs. Attendees will learn about community level needs assessment, planning, funding for initial mitigation projects, grant writing assistance and project management.
F24 Cohesive Wildland Fire Strategy in the West
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Katie Lighthall, Coordinator, Western Regional Strategy Committee, National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy; Ann Walker, Program Director, Forest and Rangeland Health and Western Governor’s Association
Description: Over the last four years, the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy has achieved multiple objectives under the three overarching goals of the Cohesive Strategy: resilient landscapes, fire adapted communities, and wildfire response. This presentation will highlight successful actions in communities around the West that are resulting in on-the-ground improvements under these three national goals. It will also include interactive discussion about audience efforts and plans to implement projects that will improve their landscape resilience, increase fire adapted communities and improve wildfire response.
F25 Fire Weather and the Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Environment for First Responders and Residents
Track: Wildfire Planning, Suppression & Operations
Presenter(s): Kelly Johnston, Wildland Professional Solutions, Canada
Description: This presentation will provide participants with an understanding of how weather, topography and fuels in the wildland/urban interface can change and influence fire behavior, impact your safety, and to understand how to minimize your exposure to these conditions.
F26 From Scared to Prepared: How a School in East Texas Became Firewise®
Track: Community Safety Approaches/Strategies
Presenter(s): Jan Amen, Texas A & M Forest Service
Description: How a small school in East Texas became the first Firewise school in America. These young people are breaking out of the expected and making a difference in their own community and in communities nationwide. Surrounded by dense forest, Etoile Texas residents are well acquainted with wildfire. Etoile School recently built a new facility that replaced the old combustible buildings. Students interested in learning about being safer from the threat of wildfire willingly became involved in Firewise Communities/USA® in 2008.The program is still going strong and growing roots beyond their backyards. With very little guidance, students are building skills in leadership, creative thinking, and communication. Children are encouraged to be innovative in their approach to getting the Firewise word out. These kids revel in the much-deserved recognition they are receiving from local media, their community and peers, and from the NFPA.
F27 Water Spray Protection in the Wildland/Urban Interface: The Successes and Failures
Track: Home Construction & Landscape Design
Presenters: Joseph W. Mitchell, PhD, M-bar Technologies and Consulting, LLC ; Mark Potter, Country Fire Authority, Australia
Description: The use of external water spray systems to protect homes in the WUI has been adopted by many homeowners in the U.S. and Australia. We will discuss how water spray systems can complement traditional WUI design, particularly in situations where ignition resistance cannot be achieved in other ways, as well as the limitations of these systems. The basic science of water spray protection and the design factors required for a reliable and effective system will be explained. Water spray systems were generally found to be of benefit during the Black Saturday fires of 2009, which also provided evidence regarding failure modes, design flaws, and operational errors that compromised safety. We will also discuss the recently released Australian standard for water spray systems, the design assumptions, and opportunities for improvement.