8/31/2016 Spokane Indian Reservation Announces Program

To: All Spokane Indian Reservation Residents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE    

Presentation at Bruce Wynne Room 9/6/2016 @ 5:30 P.M.

Presentation at Westend Community Center 9/7/2016 @ 5:00 P.M.

Presentation at New House Lane 9/8/2016 @ 5:30 P.M.

Fire Management Announces Program to Saves Lives and Property During a Wildland Fire

Fire Management is launching a new program in Wellpinit, Westend, and Ford communities designed to teach individuals who live in high risk wildfire areas how to best prepare themselves and their properties against wildland fire threats.  The Ready, Set, Go! Program works collaboratively with existing defensible space education tools, such as Firewise, and provides the tools for our firefighters to educate individuals on preparedness, situational awareness when a fire starts and to go early for the safety of your family and responding firefighters.  

The Ready, Set, Go! Program is the result of a nation-wide discussion on how to protect homes and lives in what the fire service calls the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI).  The WUI is where development meets natural vegetation and the Ember Zone, an area where the wind driven ember fall-out from a wildland fire can threaten property and lives.  Major wildland fires have impacted the Spokane Indian Reservation heavily each of the last two years. These fires moved extremely fast and left little time for residents to evacuate and put reservation communities at risk each time.

Ready, Set, Go! is a three step process that allows firefighters to teach homeowners to create their own Action Plan of getting their property wildfire prepped and ready long before a fire is upon you; get set to depart from one’s home; and to understand the role of evacuation in our area.  This process significantly increases the safety of the homeowner and family and allows the firefighters to best do their job of extinguishing the fire, thus increasing the chance of saving homes and loves ones.  

Follow the simple steps of the program below:

• Ready – Be ready, be Firewise.  Take personal responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home is ready in case of a fire. Create defensible space by clearing brush away from your home.  Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures.  Assemble emergency supplies and belongings in a safe place.  Plan escape routes and make sure all those residing within the home know the plan of action.

• Set – Situational awareness.  Pack your emergency items.  Stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety.

• Go – Act early!  Follow your personal wildland fire action plan.  Doing so will not only support your safety, but will allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.  

Don’t let the first time you educate yourself on Wildland fire be in the aftermath, join with us and be a part of the wildland fire solution today

Contact your Fire Management for information on the Ready, Set, Go! Program.