By Robin Widmar
Following an abnormally dry and warm winter, Colorado is already experiencing large wildfires, such as the recent 24 Fire south of Colorado Springs. Black Forest Fire Rescue wants residents to be prepared for emergencies and to better prepare their properties should a wildfire occur.
Rachel Dunn, Wildland Mitigation Division Supervisor for BFFR, wants to remind everyone to ensure they are signed up to receive Peak Alerts, the emergency notification system used in El Paso and Teller counties. According to its website, public safety agencies in the region issue alerts for a variety of situations, including natural or human-caused disasters, fire and flood evacuations, missing persons and more.
Anyone can sign up to receive emergency alerts or update existing accounts at PeakAlerts.org. Those without internet access can call 719-785-1971 to register. Up to five addresses can be entered to receive alerts for home, work, school or other important locations. Peak Alerts can be received via phone call, text, email, fax and through the Everbridge mobile app. Each person in the home should have their own Peak Alerts account to ensure messages are received.
Emergency notification systems are only as good as their data, so log in regularly to ensure account information is current and correct.
As for wildfire mitigation, Dunn shared information about the Fire Adapted Community Neighborhood Ambassador program, which she called “absolutely fantastic.” Fire Adapted Colorado (https://fireadaptedco.org/) is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting wildfire resilience professionals. The program includes the FAC Neighborhood Ambassadors — trained community volunteers who engage neighbors to conduct mitigation and champion their community’s specific needs. More information can be found on the FACO website.
Dunn is also working on other initiatives to help residents with wildfire mitigation. These include obtaining grants, establishing a community tool cache and hosting an open house tentatively scheduled for May 16. “We really want to support the community,” Dunn said.
Community members can also find information about emergency preparedness and wildfire prevention and protection on the BFFR website (https://bffire.org). BFFR offers free Firewise assessments to local property owners, which include suggestions for making a property more defendable and survivable in the event of a wildfire. Dunn said the website will be updated with information about upcoming events and more, so she invites residents to check back frequently.
