Within the FAC framework, everyone has a role to play.
When taking on fire adapted communities work, it is important to ask who is at the table, who is not at the table, who you could be working with, and what might be possible if you work together.
There are no constraints on each role – and we can’t do it alone. This effort is large and complex and we need all hands on deck. Let’s tap into our collective creativity, tools, knowledge, and understanding, and listen to a diversity of perspectives to make this work and fit the unique context of our special place.
Here are a few resources for you.
for everyone
There is a lot of information out there. Here are a few helpful links to lists resources for everyone. Stay on top of fire and smoke information, find toolkits, or connect to industry experts who can help you before, during, or after the fire.
Before the Fire
The ready.gov/wildfires website has a tremendous list of resources, checklists, fillable forms, and step-by-step guides for before, during, and after the fire.
Living in Washington means living with wildfire. Your family, home, pets, and property are at the center of your life, and it is up to you to prepare for a broad range of inconvenient, and possibly tragic, outcomes. Whether it’s before, during, or after the fire, we understand that the way forward can be daunting. Take simple steps to get started.
Before the Fire
Watch these videos to learn how to prepare your family for smoke and evacuation.
Read these Fact Sheets to learn about actions that you can take to protect your home and landscape. (NFPA and Insurance Institute for Home and Business Safety)
Contact your nearest fire district or county emergency management office to learn and practice how to evacuate safely, and if necessary shelter in place (the last resort!).
It’s neighbors that count during emergencies. When disaster strikes, “46% percent of individuals expect to rely a great deal on people in their neighborhood for assistance within the first 72 hours after a disaster”. (Source: ready.gov.) So, get connected! Get to know them and how you can help each other during a wildfire.
Here are a few programs to help you get organized and collectively take action.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors
Become involved in the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” leadership and training program to prepare for disaster.
Organizing Your Neighborhood
Get involved before a disaster occurs. (Ready.gov)
Start a Map Your Neighborhood program to help enhance neighborhood communications, improve disaster readiness, and prepare to help each other before emergency responders arrive. (Washington Emergency Management)
Nongovernmental organizations, local leaders, city planners, and elected officials are constantly weighing what programs, projects, regulations, and resources will help our communities withstand wildfire and keep the homeowners’ ability to choose at the center of their decisions.
Community Planning Tools
Use this County Leadership Guide to plan and recover from wildfires. (National Association of Counties)
Partner with state, tribal, and local governments to develop long-term strategies to protect people and property from natural hazards through hazard mitigation planning. (FEMA)
Community Recovery is always done at the local level!
Develop a Community Organization Active in Disaster (COAD) before a disaster strikes so that you are ready to provide assistance to disaster victims. (Extension Disaster Network)
Help your community understand the public alert system, national disaster recovery framework, historic preservation, and more using these Tools for Practitioners! (FEMA)
To connect with other professionals working on fire adaptation in the State, contact WAFAC members.
To learn how other professionals are applying fire adaptation practices and strategies in their place, read inspirational stories from the national Fire Adapted Communities Learning Network blog.
BUSINESSES
Up to 40% of businesses affected by a natural or human-caused disaster never reopen. (Source: Insurance Information Institute) When Washington business owners approach wildfire preparedness as an essential business activity, they protect their livelihoods and support their communities.
Business Continuity Plans
Use the Business Continuity Planning Toolkit to guide you through the creation of a business continuity plan to prepare, respond and recover for all disasters. (Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety)
Small Business Preparedness
Check out this list of resources for business preparedness, recovery, re-entry, training, and partners who can help. (Washington Emergency Management)
Technical and Financial Assistance
The Disaster Assistance Program provides low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes, non-profit organizations, homeowners, and renters to repair or replace real estate, personal property, machinery & equipment, inventory, and business assets that have been damaged or destroyed in a declared disaster. (USA Small Business Administration)
Land owners and Managers
In Washington, forest experts remove brush and vegetation and use controlled burns to mitigate unhealthy forest conditions. It’s technically, physically, and logistically demanding work that ultimately helps everyone live more safely with wildfire.
Sign-up for cost-share opportunities for Central and Eastern Washington to improve forest health and reduce the threats of wildfire. Eligibility: Non-federal owners of fewer than 5,000 acres of forestland. (WA Department of Natural Resources)
Local fire departments and state and federal firefighters navigate the challenging and dangerous frontlines of wildfire suppression, and above all, are charged with public and personnel safety. Because first responders typically experience a high level of community trust, they have a unique opportunity to support their community not only during the fire but before and after, as well.
Engage with your community before a wildfire to help encourage effective preparedness and evacuation by residents when the time comes using the Ready, Set, Go! program.
Communications
Communicate with your community about post-fire flood and debris flow risks using the After the Fire toolkit.
state and federalassistance programs
State and federal entities offer community wildfire assistance programs focused on cooperation and collaboration. They provide funding and technical expertise for hazardous fuel reduction on non-federal lands, Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs), prevention efforts to reduce human-caused fires, wildland fire training for fire departments, and rangeland fire protection associations (RFPAs), business continuity planning, and community recovery efforts. Check-out a few resources available in our State.
Financial Assistance Programs
FEMA grant funds are available for pre and post-emergency or disaster-related projects. These funds support critical recovery initiatives, innovative research, and many other programs.
Washington Emergency Management offers Disaster Assistance for individuals, businesses, government, public assistance, and community organizations and grants for state and local jurisdictions.
Non-federal owners of fewer than 5,000 acres of forestland seeking to improve forest health and reduce the threats of wildfire and bark beetle damage are eligible to sign-up for cost-share opportunities for Central and Eastern Washington.
USDA is here to help you prepare, recover, and build long-term resilience to natural disasters. Visit https://www.farmers.gov/recover for more information and to get started.