Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County pushes wildfire mitigation: 13 neighborhood ambassadors, three chipping events and growing demand
Summary
OEM reported 13 neighborhood ambassadors and multiple large chipping events as part of a countywide wildfire mitigation effort; volunteers and staff are expanding the program and adapting safety protocols for heat and wildfire risk.
Robin Knappe from the Office of Emergency Management told commissioners the county's wildfire mitigation program is expanding, with 13 neighborhood ambassadors recruited and multiple large chipping events completed.
"We have 13 neighborhood ambassadors, so we've got plenty of mitigation going on now," Robin Knappe said. She described three large chipping events and said one was so popular the county will return for a second trip to finish the work.
Knappe said the program relies on volunteers and a small mitigation crew and that the county follows safety guidelines for operating the chipper in hot weather. "We're working 50 minutes and then resting for 10 according to the humidity and, the heat index," she said, describing the operational safety plan.
The county also is coordinating with the Forest Service on recommended chip depth and material handling; Knappe said the agency recommends not exceeding about six inches of chip depth to avoid creating a fire hazard. The program can accept requests to haul chips for residents, she said, but emphasized correct spreading rather than piling.
Knappe read an emailed note from residents praising the chipping crew's professionalism and said the program aims to make mitigation an ongoing neighborhood activity rather than a one-time event.
The OEM work is being coordinated with Public Health, the sheriff's office and other county partners, and Knappe said she will continue recruiting ambassadors and scheduling chipping events as demand grows.
