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Officials urge more Firewise outreach and school-based preparedness education
Summary
Council and fire district officials proposed expanding Firewise assessments, school-based education to carry defensible-space messages home, and targeted community assistance programs; district reported Firewise communities rose from 16 to 36 in three years.
Board and council members at the May 13 workshop emphasized outreach as a core mitigation strategy, urging more Firewise assessments, school engagement and neighborhood assistance.
Jeff Tryans suggested a school-based approach: "One of the most effective ways to get households to do something is to have the kid come from school and say, mom, dad, what is what's defensible space?" The fire district said schools already receive fire-safety outreach in October and that adding defensible-space materials and home-assessment handouts could help children bring information home.
The district highlighted measurable progress in Firewise enrollment, reporting an increase from 16 to 36 communities in three years and noting free home assessments and a Fire Corps that conducts assessments. Officials proposed coupling assessments with incentive programs and follow-up inspections to sustain improvements.
