The Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Prevention For Rural Fire Departments

1. The Fundamentals of Wildland Fire PreventionFor Rural Fire Departments

2. Preface Wildfires continue to burn thousands of acres every year, destroying life, property and natural resources. With this situation it becomes important to develop an aggressive Wildland Fire Prevention program. The Federal, State and Local government can not do the job alone. This orientation program is designed to give other cooperators basic information on how to do the fire prevention job. The Rural Fire Departments, the backbone of fire protection in the United States is considered a primary target for this program.

3. INTRODUCTION This program provides an overview of the Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Prevention. This program demonstrates the activities that can be completed by available fire department personnel. The major areas of emphasis in this program include; • Fire Prevention Public Education • Fire Prevention Risk Management • Fire Prevention Evaluations • Hazard Reduction / Fuels Management • Fire Prevention Enforcement

4. FIRE PREVENTION PUBLIC EDUCATION • Major areas of emphasis include: • Home Fire Safe Evaluations • Fire Prevention Signing • School Programs • Public Contact • Material Distribution • Wildland Urban Interface • Children’s Programs • Exhibits & Displays

5. Fire Safe Inside & Out Survivable Space Wildland Urban Interface Beware & Prepare Campaign Home Fire Safe Evaluations

6. Roadside Trails Businesses Recreation Area Wildland Urban Interface Areas Fire Prevention Signing

7. School Programs

8. Children’s Programs

9. Fire Education Literature /Materials Fire Wise Materials Distribution

10. Public Contact

11. The majority of visitors are thankful for your HOST attitude Be courteous Be professional and neatly groomed. If you have a uniform, wear it Be a good listener, people like to talk Lead into your fire prevention message by establishing a good rapport Be knowledgeable about the area you are operating in Fire Prevention Public Contact Tips

12. Be confident Carry information to hand out to the public, make every contact you can Carry a map of the area to help people and orient them Avoid confrontation Show respect and treat people the way you want to be treated Maintain your professionalism at all times Know the regulations and laws Fire Prevention Public Contact Tips

13. Be accurate with the information you give out. If you don’t know the answer, say so. Point them in the right direction Be safe Maintain radio communications at all times YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Fire Prevention Public Contact Tips

14. Outdoors Fairs Civic Events Malls, Businesses Office Locations Museums Exhibits & Displays

15. Neighborhood Watch Community Meetings Door to Door Campaigns Patrol Home Fire Safe Evaluations Beware & Prepare Wildland Urban Interface

16. No Survivable Space Debris on the roof Overhanging branches No permit to burn Chimney not cleaned or spark arrested Inadequate water supply Flammable building construction No emergency evacuation route No emergency equipment access No spark arresters on equipment The 10 Urban Interface Fire Prevention “Watch-Outs”

17. Wildland Fire Prevention Risk Management • Major areas of emphasis include: • Patrol • Spark Arrestor Inspection • Power lines • Railroads • Industrial Operations • Construction Projects • Recreation Areas. Developed / Dispersed / Resorts • Wildland Urban Interface

18. High Visibility High Risk Areas Increased Public Use Areas of High Fire Hazard Fire Prevention Patrol

19. Spark Arresters Heavy Equipment / Industrial Operations Power Lines Ignition Management

20. Restricted Use Review special orders Patrol Fire Law Enforcement Fire Investigation Warnings Incident reports Notice of violations Law Enforcement activities will only be conducted by authorized law enforcement personnel Fire Prevention Enforcement

21. Area Assessment Training Interagency Cooperation Planning Fire Prevention Administration

22. The 10 Standard Fire Prevention Orders The 18 Fire Prevention Situations That Shout Watch-Out Fire Prevention In the Wildland Urban Interface Tips Fire Prevention Operational Tips

23. Prepare your home – Establish “Survivable Space”…. Recognize fire danger conditions…. Ensure your internal combustion engine has an approved spark arrester Visible identification for your home in case of an emergency… Every campfire needs to be in an approved fire ring… Never leave your campfire unattended The 10 Standard Fire Prevention Orders

24. Total removable of flammable material at least 10 feet from the campfire ring… Is your campfire “dead out”? Make sure before leaving Only You can place matches and smoking materials in a safe place…. Never leave a wildfire unreported, call 9-1-1 10 Standard Fire Prevention Orders

25. Campfire is not dead out Debris burning while windy Equipment with old spark arresters Chimney with un-inspected screen Building a campfire with proper clearance Vehicle parked in dry grass Smoking outside of a vehicle Attempting to light a campfire while windy The 18 Fire Prevention Situations That Shout “Watch Out”

26. Burning without a permit Fire restrictions in effect Wildfire occurrences are increasing Special events are occurring Humidity is dropping Unattended campfires are common Red Flag warning in effect Fireworks available Hazardous fuel conditions exist The 18 Fire Prevention Situations That Shout “Watch Out”

27. Fire Protection • Initial Attack • Initial Observations • Fire Severity Support • Fire Replacement • Logistics

28. “The Cooperators”

29. “The Cooperators”

30. “The Cooperators”

31. Remember “Only You” CanPrevent Wildfires