State Fire Education Programs

Alabama

The Alabama Forestry Commission and the Department of Education published an Alabama Reader with funding from the National Fire Plan containing educational information about fire behavior, fire ecology, and fire prevention and protection for high school students. “Firewise Landscaping for the Woodland Home: Fire in the Interface” suggests ways to arrange fuels in relation to flammable structures and natural areas and lists fire resistant plant species.

Alabama Rural Community Fire Protection Institute and the Alabama Fire College provides the “Learn Not to Burn Program” curriculum material at no cost to school teachers. The curriculum has three learning levels with 22 fire safety guidelines and can be integrated into a variety of classroom subjects.

Alabama’s Cooperative Extension Program offers an online prescribed burning certification course. Alabama Cooperative Extension collaborates with other agencies to host the Private Forest Management Team website which has information on prescribed burning. Readers can learn about the history of fire, fire science, fire management, fire behavior, suppression, red flag situations, administration, legal aspects, equipment, certification, liability, glossary, links, rules of thumb, and other topics.

Arkansas

The Arkansas Forestry Commission homepage posts notices about wildfire danger and burn bans, and a link to the Rural Fire Protection division that assists communities and their volunteer fire departments. BROKEN-LINK BROKEN-LINK Arkansas Firewise provides valuable information for homeowners.

Florida

Florida Division of Forestry

The Florida Division of Forestry (DOF) has wildfire mitigation specialists on staff who coordinate fire safety and prevention efforts (Jakes and others 2002). The DOF website has a Fire and Forest Protection page. Several informational brochures and door hangers on good vs. bad fire, prescribed fire, fire safety, highway smoke, arson, and home protection are available for download. Fire in Florida’s Ecosystems is a curriculum, student handbook, and website for educators to teach students about the historical and natural role of fire in Floridas ecosystems, the benefits of prescribed burning, and wildfire prevention. Living on the Edge in Florida is an interactive CD with video, downloadable files, virtual reality graphics, interactive exercises, Internet links, and a companion website to teach people about fire prevention and safety produced by the Florida Division of Forestry with funding from the National Fire Plan. “Protecting Florida homes from wildfire” is a guide for planners, developers, and fire services published by the Florida Division of Forestry.

The Florida Division of Forestry’s Fire Risk Assessment System (FRAS) estimates fire risks by layering wildland fire susceptibility, population density, land value, and fire response accessibility in GIS analyses (Helmers, this volume).

The Wildfire Risk Assessment Guide for Homeowners in the Southern United States includes flammability ratings for home construction materials and plant communities as well as tips to create defensible space (Helmers, this volume).

The Florida Division of Forestry with the help of Space Imaging has identified the potential for wildfire in different areas throughout the State in the Wildland Fire Risk Assessment. Objectives of the assessment are:

• increased dialogue with residents to address community priorities and needs
• foster collaboration and cooperation among agencies to better define priorities and improve emergency response
• identification of areas in need of additional tactical planning
• improved planning for firefighting resources

As part of the Statewide Prescribed Fire Campaign, the Florida state legislature designated March 7^th through March 18^th as Florida Prescribed Fire Awareness Week. This Campaign is a project of the Florida Division of Forestry, the Prescribed Fire Councils, and Tall Timbers Research Station, with funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior and features radio and television public service announcements, billboards and newspaper advertisements, and surveys to determine the public’s attitude towards prescribed burning.

University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service

Florida Cooperative Extension provides online access to information to help Florida’s residents prepare for and reduce the risks of damage from fire disasters. One example is the fact sheet “Landscaping in Florida with Fire in Mind” that provides helpful guidelines for homeowners to determine and reduce the danger that wildfire will damage their property.

Technology transfer specialists at the University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service and School of Forest Resources and Conservation designed a Wildland Fire Education Toolkit to equip Extension agents with the ability to deliver fire education in diverse environments (Monroe 2000). The toolkit is adaptable to audiences with different needs and backgrounds including wildland-urban interface homeowners, developers, and forest owners. Developers of the toolkit conduct needs assessment surveys and provide in-service training for Extension agents. Extension agents receive a toolkit that contains educational materials in a variety of formats:

• videos on wildland fire, prescribed fire, varying perspectives on fire, and fire-prone ecosystems
• fact sheets on air quality, wildlife, prescribed burning, demonstration areas, and designing subdivisions
• slideshows or PowerPoint presentations
• CD-ROM with photos
• roadside signs
• colorful brochures and sticky labels
• a teaching manual, the Wildland Fire Education Handbook

Local governments

Many county governments in Florida have fire education projects. For instance, the Martin County (Florida) Office of Fire Prevention operates a fire education initiative with a Firewise workshop, a homeowner video, and a PowerPoint presentation. Alachua County Florida offers a disaster communication system for small towns to coordinate the flow of information related to fire rescue between towns within and beyond the county (Jakes and others 2002).

Best Development Practices for Wildfire Mitigation in Florida contains guidelines for local governments, planners, fire protection services, builders/developers/architects/designers, and citizens. The Florida Department of Community Affairs produced the book with funding from the Florida Department of Community Affairs and the Florida Division of Forestry. The handbook describes specific development practices for homeowners, homeowners’ associations, neighborhoods, and developers to follow in order to protect their communities from wildfire. The handbook also provides information to help local planners and communities develop and adopt appropriate regulations, including a model ordinance, and guidelines for collaboration and cooperative planning efforts for wildfire mitigation. The handbook describes existing and new programs to assist communities in assessing risk and developing fire mitigation plans.

Georgia

The Georgia Forestry Commission provides access to information about fire-related services, news about fire, fire weather, burning permits, and prescribed fire on their website. Visitors to the site can view the informative video “Working Together for Safer Communities: Prescribed Fire in the Wildland/Urban Interface” about fire danger in Georgia and attempts by federal, state, and local agencies to protect homeowners. The Georgia Forestry Commission received National Fire Plan funding in 2001 and 2002 for the purpose of educating residents about wildfire risk and reducing hazardous fuels in wildland urban interface communities around the state. The Georgia Forestry Commission has completed over 500 Firewise assessments along with supporting GIS information of communities in the wildland/urban interface. One current effort is to provide mitigation options/actions for 4 wildland/urban housing developments under one comprehensive plan to develop a regional fire management plan.

The Southern Regional Forestry Extension (SREF) website has a searchable library with access to many fire-related publications, announcements of new educational literature and projects on fire, and relevant links.

Kentucky

The Kentucky Division of Forestry operates three fire education programs targeting different age groups. For adults, the Division of Forestry and the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service conduct Firewise workshops. They organize Project Learning Tree/Wildland Fire workshops for children in grades 4-12. And for children in grades 4-8, they conduct KY Wildfire Prevention workshops. The Kentucky Wildfire Prevention website answers frequently asked questions and provides useful information for teachers and students.

Firewise Council Programs have been established in Carter County and McCreary County, Kentucky with National Fire Plan funds to educate community leaders, firefighters, teachers, and residents about wildfire hazards and to reduce communities risk should a wildfire occur. As part of the Kentucky Wildfire Prevention project the Kentucky Division of Forestry and Interactive Training Media (ITM) produced several teaching curricula for 4^th-8^th graders that includes the CD-ROM "Living on the Edge in Kentucky," brochures, and activities. The curriculum has been correlated to the state education standards.

Louisiana

The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) has a public education program to raise awareness of the wildfire potential in wildland-urban interface areas. They have created brochures called "Fire Safe Homes in the Louisiana Wildland/Urban Interface" and “Prevention: A Homes Best Defense from Wildfire.” The LDAF incorporates Firewise materials into Project Learning Tree, a training program for teachers, and community workshops put on by the Louisiana Urban Forestry Council. LDAF personnel attend parish fairs and festivals with an exhibit, and give out brochures. They also host prescribed burning and Firewise workshops coordinated with The Nature Conservancy in southeastern Louisiana. Long-range plans include the possibility of two WUI centers at Alexander State Forest in Woodworth, Louisiana and at the LSU Agricultural Center Research Station near Hammond, Louisiana.

Mississippi

The Mississippi Forestry Commission has a downloadable guide for landowners titled “The Role of Prescribed Burning in Managing Your Southern Pine Forest”.

Our major accomplishment for Firewise education is the completion of 4 Teachers Wildfire Prevention Workshops. The 5th and final workshop for the year is scheduled for August 28. We worked with ITM, InteractiveTraining Media - Tallahassee, Fl., to develop the Mississippi specific lesson plan and have trained approximately 110 public / private / home school elementary - high school teachers to date. The workshop evaluations were positive. We are coordinating 12 Firewise Communities Workshops (1 day format) and should begin delivery shortly. We are planning a Firewise Workshop (2 day format) to train 2 VFD personnel from each of the 10 VFD regions in the state. Statewide, we have had the National Display at numerous state fair / wildlife extravaganza type venues. We are customizing a display for Mississippi. We developed 2 Firewise travel trailers and will use them at future outdoor events. We are customizing existing Firewise literature and developing new literature to be Mississippi specific. We have partnered with the Ms. Coop. Extension Service to develop a variety of Ms. radio and TV Firewise PSAs. We have partnered with a retired RC&D coordinator to develop 3 county Firewise advisory councils (not sure exactly about the groups name will be).

North Carolina

The North Carolina Forest Service Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) Fire homepage provides links to educational materials on fire control, prescribed fire, smoke management, landowner hazard reduction techniques, fire weather/fire danger, fire protection, burning permits, and more. NCDFR has operates a North Carolina Firewise Communities program and has fire mitigation specialists on staff who will work with individual landowners to make their property more safe from the threat of wildland fire.

Oklahoma

Oklahoma Agriculture, Food, and Forestry division’s website has information on wildfire protection and fire management with pages about fire in the wildland/urban interface, protecting your home from wildfire, creating defensible space, the benefits of fire, prescribed burning, burn bans and permits, and fire safety and suppression services. Forestry Services has participated in several wildfire risk assessments and used those to formulate specific educational efforts that target specific issues. Forestry Services coordinated a Regional Workshop in Firewise and distributed over 450 Firewise Education Kits to communities at risk throughout the state. Forestry Services Firewise program currently consists of one-day Firewise Home Assessment Workshops, and home and community assessments. Firewise messages have been incorporated into all of the following education efforts.

An Ice Damage Fuels Mitigation effort was conducted throughout the area of the state where ice damage has increased fuels and fire hazard. A fire prevention-education plan was developed for this fuel change. Forestry Services has developed an educational program on Eastern Redcedar as a hazardous fuel that it will deliver at community meetings around the state.

Forestry Services has started a Prescribed Burning Initiative that includes workshops and materials to educate Forestry Services employees in prescribed fire laws and to promote the use and acceptance of prescribed fire in the wildland interface. Additionally, Oklahoma Project Learning Tree, administered through Forestry Services, is conducting workshops with a wildfire emphasis using the “Burning Issues” CD. Another initiative of Forestry Services is the reintroduction of traditional fire prevention programs, featuring Smokey Bear in the developing wildland urban interface. This project is currently under development.

A set of Key Messages was developed for Fire Prevention Education in Oklahoma. These key messages are to be used in all fire prevention/education efforts produced by the state. They are:

1. Fire is a natural process in Oklahoma’s landscape. It shaped most of our plant communities. Most of Oklahoma’s native plant communities are fire dependent. Wildfires ignite and burn easily in these plant communities.
2. Fire suppression resources are limited. On the highest fire danger days, fire response can become overwhelmed, resulting in periods where fires may burn unattended.
3. Oklahoma has one of the longest wildland fire seasons of any state. The peak winter months for fire activity are February, March and April. The peak summer months are July, August and September. However, damaging wildfires can occur in any month. The only months where wildfire activity is not expected are May and June.
4. Oklahoma homes in the wildlands are at a significant risk from wildfire. However, Oklahoman’s living in the wildlands can offset some of the risk to their homes by implementing a few simple guidelines any time fire danger increases.
5. Not all fire is bad. Prescribed burning is an important tool used by land mangers and property owners to control plant communities and reduce fire danger. These fires provide much of the same ecological functions as wildfires under much more controlled conditions.

South Carolina

The South Carolina Forestry Commission website has a variety of fire and burning information for homeowners and the public. One resource is Your Home in the Line of Fire! a tip sheet about construction materials, yard maintenance, road access, signage, and terrain that assists homeowners with protecting their homes from fire.

Tennessee

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Division of Forestry website contains information on creating and maintaining defensible space, firewise landscaping, emergency evacuation tips, and updated reports on fire conditions throughout the state. Tennessee has recently created a video on defensible space for Wildland-Urban Interface residents called The video "Is Your Home Firesafe?" demonstrates the creation of defensible space. Tennessee Division of Forestry contracted with Interactive Training Media (ITM) to produce, "Tennessee Wildfire Prevention", curricula and teacher’s guide for 4^th-6^th grade students. The Tennessee Wildfire Prevention CD discusses the role of fire in ecosystems, the difference between good fires vs. bad fires, and wildfire prevention. Tennessee provides public education materials in many forms to residents of wildland/urban interface areas.

Texas

The Texas Forest Service (TFS) operates several fire education programs. The Texas UWI Community Wildfire Preparedness Program has a five-pronged approach to Urban Wildland Interface (UWI) community wildfire preparedness that uses 1) UWI assessment and GIS mapping, 2) information and education, 3) exhibits, 4) UWI operations, and 5) neighborhood and community planning. The TFS website has a page on fire prevention with many helpful links. The Urban-Wildland Traveling Exhibit is a van and trailer painted with pictures of fire burning through wildland-urban interface areas. The exhibit delivers information about fire prevention, defensible space, and firewise construction to citizens around the state.

The Fire-Citizen’s Advisory Panel (FireCAP) raises awareness of fire and emergency-related issues and engages citizens in wildfire mitigation activities (Helmers, this volume). TFS, with collaboration from the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Fire Plan, manages several community-based initiatives such as the Tahitian Village Wildfire Mitigation Program and the Lost Pines Wildfire Mitigation Program. The TFS has a 6-week citizen training program to train community members to be advocates for fire risk reduction. TFS built a felt-board program for preschool kids on fire fighters and risk. TFS distributes a family program with a coloring book about all the jobs family members can do to clean up.

Virginia

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) produced the Virginia Forest Resource Information Mapper that maps wildfire risks throughout the state and wildland/urban interface areas with data on wildfire suppression resources, woodland home communities, and historical fire incidents. These GIS portrayals will allow VDOF to develop prevention education, resource allocation, and emergency response strategies for the wildland/urban interface. The Wildland Fire Prevention and Education Team in the VDOF, works on projects throughout the state such as ones in the Potomac Watershed and the Shenandoah Valley. The VDOF published a Virginia Reader with educational information about fire prevention and protection for high school students. VDOF’s Firewise Virginia webpage has information on state burn statutes, fire prevention, fire safety, FAQs, directions on creating wildfire defensible space and “How to Become a Firewise Community,” and other useful information.