On June 18, Black Forest Fire/Rescue and Falcon Fire Department co-hosted a free Wildfire Preparedness Workshop organized by the El Paso County Office of Emergency Management.About 50 residents attended to learn more about preparing for evacuations, receiving emergency notifications and mitigating properties to reduce wildfire risk. Other agencies represented at the event included CERT (the El Paso County Community Emergency Response Team), El Paso County Wildland Team, American Red Cross, the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region Community Animal Response Team, El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority, the Independence Center and Colorado State Forest Service.In his opening remarks, Black Forest Fire Chief Bryan Jack provided an overview of his department and a summary of the 2013 Black Forest Fire. He discussed some of the changes his agency has made in the wake of the fire:
- Increased public education and awareness about wildfire risk and mitigation
- Updated the BFFR Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan
- Increased BFFRís fleet of fire suppression vehicles
- Hired additional staff
- Increased staffing on Red Flag Warning days
- Increased wildland fire training requirements for firefighters
Additionally, Jack said that mutual aid and automatic aid agreements among agencies in the county have been strengthened. Now, when a wildfire call is dispatched, additional resources from other agencies are automatically dispatched instead of waiting for the lead agency to request their assistance. ìThis county has really come together,î he said. ìWe will continue to make improvements in the county and at the state level.îJack said that May to October used to be considered wildfire season. ìNow, I donít even say ëfire seasoní anymore,î he said. ìIt can happen any time.î He emphasized the need for residents to take some type of action, no matter how small, to help protect their homes. ìThe more steps you take, the more you help us.îFalcon Fire Protection District Deputy Chief Jeff Petersma also provided a brief overview of Falconís fire district, which abuts the Black Forest fire district. He commended those who attended the workshop for recognizing the need for wildfire preparedness and prevention efforts. Since the Black Forest Fire, Petersma said that FFPD developed its own community wildfire preparedness plan, and two neighborhoods within the fire district achieved certification as Firewise communities.Petersma said local fire agencies have seen increased county involvement in major fire incidents and an increase in state level resources, including aerial firefighting resources and increased community education and outreach. He also addressed the year-round wildfire problem, noting that FFPDís first wildfire happened Feb. 14 and the most recent happened just three days before the workshop. Despite rainfall the week prior to that fire, he said, ìThere was plenty of dead fuel among the green.î Bill Mantia of Black Forest Together spoke about the groupís evolution from an organization that provided resources to fire victims immediately after the 2013 Black Forest fire to one that is still actively involved in helping the community continue its recovery. He encouraged residents to help themselves and help their neighbors by volunteering or donating money for mitigation efforts. ìWeíre not going to recover if we donít participate,î he said.Mantia also spoke about an ongoing program called Trees 4 Tomorrow (see Black Forest News, ìRecover, rebuild, restore, reforestî by Leslie Sheley. PAGE NO.County CERT volunteers Doug Higgins and Steve Dennison discussed property ignition zones and structure ignition factors as they relate to wildfire mitigation. Higgins stressed that mitigation does not equate to clear-cutting all vegetation on a property. He also suggested that residents hire out mitigation tasks if they are unable or do not want to do the work themselves. Dennison spoke about structure hardening, which means making a structure less susceptible to ignition by using Class A roofing materials, installing non-combustible siding, and clearing clutter away from buildings ó among other tasks. He encouraged residents to have evacuation plans that include pets and livestock, learn how to shut off utilities in their home, and ensure they are signed up to receive emergency notifications through the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority.David Root, a forester with the Colorado State Forest Service, talked about wildfire preparedness plans and the importance of community-wide mitigation. As an example, he said the Cathedral Pines neighborhood in Black Forest survived the first day of the Black Forest Fire because of its fire mitigation efforts. Root pointed out that ìcommunity effortî is not limited to geographical subdivisions or homeowners associations. ìPeople should mitigate, even if their neighbors donít,î he said.For more information about wildfire preparedness as well as workshop presentations and handouts, visit the El Paso County website (https://elpasoco.com/) and enter ìwildfire mitigationî in the search box.
