QUINCY, Mass. — Throughout the country, the National Firewise Communities Program is recognizing outstanding individuals and organizations for their leadership in promoting a cooperative approach to reducing the loss of lives, property, and resources in the wildland/urban interface.
The recipients were awarded the national Firewise Leadership Award based on their innovative approach to community wildfire education and preparation in their region. These leaders not only helped their communities reduce the threat of wildfire, but did so using creative strategies and, in some cases, against great challenges.
“Achievements among the Firewise Leadership Award winners this year include operating thriving programs under shoe-string budgets, changing community-wide perceptions, and pioneering original mitigation projects,” said Alan Dozier, chair of the NWCG’s Wildland/Urban Interface Fire Working Team.
Winners of the 2007 Firewise Leadership Awards were announced throughout November and December in their local communities. Winners were selected based on their impact at the local or state-wide level.
State level winners include:
- Randy and Jeanne Crane, Utah Living with Fire/Hi-Country Estates Wildfire Council – Herriman, UT
- Matt Eberlein, Washington State Department of Natural Resources Southeast Region – Fuel Management Division - Ellensburg, WA
- Tony and Patricia Siciliano, Arkansas Firewise/Arkansas Forestry Commission - Holiday Island, AR
Local level winners include:
- Greg Barton, Beverly Hills Fire Department – Beverly Hills, CA
- Flagstaff Fire Department – Flagstaff, AZ
- Ron Garner, San Juan Island Fire Department – Friday Harbor, WA
“Leadership Award winners serve as a perfect example of how communities and homeowners can work together to prepare for the threat of wildfire and their work deserves recognition,” Dozier said. “What makes Firewise work are these individual ‘spark plugs’ who are passionate about the Firewise mission and who are leading the way to getting the work done.”
In addition to recognizing the winners, the Firewise Leadership Awards program helps program administrators capture success stories and share best practices across the country, among all types of interests — public, private, and tribal.
Communities and residents interested in learning more about the Firewise Communities program may visit www.firewise.org.
The national Firewise Communities program is an interagency program designed to encourage local solutions for wildfire safety by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, firefighters, and others in the effort to protect people and property from the risk of wildfire. The Firewise Communities program is sponsored by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Wildland/Urban Interface Working Team, a consortium of wildland fire agencies that includes the USDA Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Emergency Management Association, the US Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, the National Fire Protection Association, and state forestry organizations. For more information, visit www.firewise.org.