Firewise - Southwest Colorado Council
Monthly Meeting Outcomes
October 18th and November 8th, 2005

October 18, 2005
Present: Dan Ochocki, Kristie Borchers, Pam Wilson, Marsha Porter-Norton, Harry Bruell, Ben Cordova, Dan Noonan, Bob Koenig, Joy Mathis, Nicole Smith, Laurie Robison, Maureen Keilty

Thanks to Harry Bruell for writing and submitting the FEMA grant to fund the ambassador program.

Harry mentioned that Bill Ball and James Dietrich (OCS) are applying for an energy impact grant to fund a mapping project of high-risk areas using the Red Zone software. They wanted to make sure the Fire Council would support this—maybe write a letter of support. SYC crews would do the on-the-ground work. OCS would work with the data. This project would cost about $200,000—needs $100,000 match. Dan Ochocki mentioned a CSFS contact that might be able to donate the software to the project (was able to get Montezuma County a program).

How to write a subdivision wildfire plan—workshop to be held during the November 15th Fire Council Meeting 5:30pm to 8:30pm. We will mail flyers to ambassadors. If anyone would like to help with the agenda or would like to present, talk to Dan O.. Dinner is provided. Flyers are available for posting from Nicole.

Fire Council Visioning Session. . .

Trend Analyses: What is going on locally, regionally, statewide, nationally and internationally that affects our work?

Climate Change
Tight Funding
Other similar organizations
Increasing WUI development (growth)
Fire Occurrence as a motivating factor for fire mitigation
Fire Suppression
Federal, Local, State Policy
Isolation—Front Range dominates
Lack of focus—different messages from various interest groups example: federal agencies vs. environmentalists
Species composition changes
Natural Disasters—funding and raises concerns regarding other disasters
Communications—more competition for getting the word out “Information overload”
Fire Council $ and expertise in getting the word out—less face to face time and more time consuming
Fire is further away in our memories—creating denial
State budget crisis

What are Fire Council’s strengths?

Diversity and expertise of the group
That we even exist
Ambassadors
No ongoing money
Volunteer dependent
Community based
Have done a lot with few resources
Relationship with SJMA
We are our own bosses—autonomous
Dedicated, passionate, believe in what we are doing

What are Fire Council’s challenges?

Getting more involvement
Funding—need for more project money
Sharing a clearer message—customers are confused by the conflicting messages from several different sources
Need a crystal clear message
Getting the word out about who we are—community awareness of our existence and ambassador program
Need more advertising--$$$
Grow to be more regional
Vacant land and second homes
Capacity of volunteers and leader
Chasing money syndrome
Increased volunteerism
Need more or less meetings?
Advocacy or educational?
Piggybacking with other groups is important
Danger of creating new things with no capacity
Long term sustainability
Difficult to sell ‘prevention’ successes to media
Finding media outlets

The message needs to be defined; what is this message???
The message we have been promoting. . .”Promoting wildfire-prepared communities through education and responsible action”

Educational or enforcement message—what is our role and focus
One message versus a forum for all types of messages

Opportunities

Very real past experiences that scared people
We can affect change that results in less property and life losses—which impacts community economics and well-being
Public recognition of subdivisions doing the work
Piggyback with other groups; partnerships
Partnerships with businesses (champion)
Utilize ambassadors to make changes on the individual level—properties, on-the-ground
Speaker bureau
Finding ways for people to listen to us and each other
Funding opportunities
Utilize mitigation companies to fulfill our mission
Regional focus
To involve the ambassadors

Threats

Competition for funding with Fire Departments, non-profits, other natural disasters, other agencies
Wet years creating complacency among public
We are already established—good stuff already going so less chances of money
Perceptions that feds/states should fund you
Finite amount of volunteer time
Confusion—who does what?
Complacency within our group—“Compassion fatigue”
Coverage of more subdivisions
Folks who are against mitigation

Who are the customers of the Fire Council

Counties—entire region
Property owners
Elected officials and policy makers
Agency representatives—different expectations
Insurance industry
Developers
Fire Departments
Community civic groups
Funders
Forest Service, DOW, City Parks and Rec, State Forest Service
Ambassadors
Big Businesses
People living in high risk areas

Next time—customers needs and perceptions, result areas, goals and tasks
We will have a special meeting on Tuesday, November 8; 5:30 to 7:30 at LPEA

Tuesday, November 08, 2005. . . Visioning con’t.

Present: Dan Ochocki, Ron Tyner, Ben Cordova, Marsha Porter-Norton, Laurie Robison, Pam Wilson, Maureen Keilty, Nicole Smith, Harry Bruell, Howard Rachlin, Bob Koenig, Karola Hanks

Small groups were asked to identify needs, interests and perceptions of potential Fire Council customers----
Customer: La Plata County:
Needs: Avoid catastrophe
Safer environment
Interests: Tourism, perception of a safe environment
Perceptions: There is a fire safety issue in the county

Customer: Surrounding Counties:
Needs: Avoid catastrophe
Safer environment
Interests: Tourism, perception of a safe environment
Perceptions: Different counties may not perceive issues as serious as other counties for example different perceptions among Archuleta vs. La Plata vs. San Juan. This might be based on resources, ecology, population. Perception of the Durango “monster” that Durango is trying to take over, force agendas etc.

Customer: Homeowners and Property Owners:
Need: Protection
Interests: Leave me alone while I take care of myself
Someone else do it for me
Money
Perceptions: Won’t happen again
May happen, but I have time
Getting tired of hearing it
Expensive
Won’t look like forest anymore

Customer: Elected Officials:
Need: Need to get reelected
Represent constituents
Interest: Not having fire
Reduce expense to constituent
Support Fire Council—or other organizations
Perception: Can’t win—spend money/no fire—lose
--don’t spend money/fire—lose

Customers: Agencies:
Need: Means of communication
Ability to reach out to more people/groups
More mitigation—protect resource values
Public support
Local government support
Avoid devastating wildfire
Interests: Education, Public Safety, More mitigation,
Perceptions: Very important—invest time/resources into mitigation, personnel

Customers: Local Fire Departments:
Need: Making people more aware
Good access
Avoid devastation wildfire
Public Support
Elected official support
Local gov’t. support
Equipment, public, fire/fighter safety
Interest: Education, public firefighter safety
Perceptions: Good for public education

Customers: Civic Groups:
Need: Members, dues, projects, recognition, public support
Interests: Philanthropy, self-recognition, volunteerism
Perceptions: issues are important but may or may not fit in with their goals

Customers: Funders:
Need: Fundees, appropriate project proposals
Interests: Philanthropy, recognition
Perceptions: Good for the community—issues are important but may or may not fit in with their goals

Customers: Insurance:
Needs: Maintain reasonable premiums, need clients, avoid devastating wildfire, bankruptcy laws in their favor
Interests: Saving money, not having to pay out, having happy customers
Perceptions: “If it helps me reach my goals, then I’m all for it.”

Customers: Developers:
Needs: Money, profit, comply with regulations for permit
Interests: Short term (build-n-go), no money gain building for fire protection, make people perceive that where they choose to live is a safe place
Perceptions: Threatened by fire regulations mainly because compliance=work=loss of money

Customers: Ambassadors
Needs: To get message out
Cooperation with homeowners
Interests: Establish a fire safety program in region and maintain a healthy forest
Perceptions: Issues are important

Customers: Big Business
Needs: Positive publicity and money
Interest: Positive publicity and money
Perceptions: Resource for money; annoyance to placate

Customers: Cities
Needs: Establish fire wise environment throughout the city
Do it within city budgets
Keep a healthy forest attractive for tourist and real estate value
Interest: Establish fire wise environments to keep costs down
Smooth communication between all the agencies
Perceptions: Someone else’s responsibility, it’s not going to happen to us

Key result areas that fire council should be working on . . .Key results=something that we must deliver or else we will go under:

Affect a change in the landscape—private, state and federal
Save and keep homes, properties and lives from being damaged/hurt by fire

Goals:

Make our region as safe as possible
Education—Ambassadors; fire month; publications; linking with fire departments and officials; big business link; speakers bureau; direct mailings; presentations; grassroots support and building capacity
Mitigation—more acres treated on private lands—work days, providing funding, awards/recognition, incentives,
Public will—legislative, driveway standards; marketing plan; advocacy; fire code in count; Wildfire Protection Plans on a community level—Red Zone Software
Protect the local environment from the devastating effects of catastrophic human-caused and other fires
Minimize damage to homes and property
Enhance resident and firefighter’s safety
More people are educated on the healthy forests and ecosystems

Our current statement of purpose is: The purpose of Fire Council is to mitigate the threat of wildfire to homes, lives and properties.