Firewise Certification

Fire Safe Council: What is a Firewise Community?

Banner Mountain Firewise Community Map boundaries- 01-13-2021

Hazard Assessment and Action Plan 2024 – 2026

Firewise Activity Reporting

Firewise Community Renewal Requirements for Certification

Wildfire Risk Assessment: The risk assessment is the board/committee’s primary tool in determining the risk reduction priorities/focus within the site’s boundaries. Beginning in 2018, sites will have five years to update their current risk assessment, with it updated again at a minimum of every five years.

Board/Committee: Annually the board/committee needs to review and update their site’s risk reduction priorities based on their risk assessment; with the action plan being updated as needed.

Action Plan: Beginning in 2018, sites will have three years to update their action plan. After that, the document will need to be updated at a minimum of at least every three years.

Educational Outreach: Each participating site is required to have a minimum of one wildfire risk reduction educational outreach event, or related activity every year. The program’s portal has ideas and suggestions for planning a successful educational outreach activity.

Examples of Actions to reduce:  Examples of potential actions, activities and expenses that can be used in calculating a sites total investment are listed here.

Here are the reporting categories from the reporting portal at NFPA for our certification. 

Download a fillable form for recording keeping (not required but helps organize)

Hours

Dwelling Unit – Examples include: removing pine needles and leaf litter from roof and gutters, replaced vinyl gutters with metal gutters, ignition-resistant exterior improvements, installing screening on vents, flammable items removed from under decks and porches, inspect roof and replace missing shingles, etc.

Landscaping (0 – 100 ft. from base of Dwelling Unit) Examples include: installation of hardscaping, replacing combustible mulches with stone/gravel options, tree and shrub removal, raking and removal of pine needles, leaves, ground litter/debris, tree trimming/limbing, moving firewood, lawn and native grass maintenance, etc.
Common Areas – (HOA or other Homeowner jointly owned property within the site boundary) Activities include: Tree thinning, mastication and brush removal, grass maintenance, fire break construction, etc.
Miscellaneous – Meetings, presentations, program administration, home site visits etc.


Money Spent

Chipper Costs – (Purchase/Rental, Fuel & Oil, Disposal Fees, etc.)
Equipment Costs – (Chain Saw purchase/rental, Power Equip. purchase/rental, Hand Tools, Protective Equipment, etc.)
Contractor Costs – (Arborists, Landscapers, Professional Forestry Services, Debris Removal, etc.)Home Improvement Costs – (Roofs, Decks, Windows, Vent Screening, Retrofits, etc.)
Landscaping (Do it yourself)
Miscellaneous
Vehicle Mileage – (Slash Drop-off, Rental Equipment pickup, Meetings, etc.)