Firewise - Southwest Colorado Council
Monthly Meeting Outcomes
January 17, 2006

 

In attendance: Harry Bruell, Marsha Porter-Norton, Laurie Robison, Pam Wilson, Ben Cordova, Mike Kane Sr., Joy Mathis, Nicole Smith, Bob Koenig, Jack Cannon

Joy Mathis is sitting on the All-Hazard Homeland Security Council composed of several agencies including five county’s public health, OEMs, and Red Cross. Joy is asking if the Fire Council will assist the Homeland Security Council by supporting ambassadors to educate homeowners about avian flu. The Fire Council decided we would help their mission in the following ways: 1) We will share the ambassador model with the avian bird flu group so that they may copy that, and 2) We can use our network of ambassadors to help identify health professionals in their neighborhood that the Homeland Security Council may use as “health ambassadors” to educate neighbors about avian flu.

Strategic Planning was done in October, November and December. Marsha will synthesize the meeting notes and create a plan. She will bring it to the next meeting. The idea is that the “meat” of fire council will occur in the two subcommittees—education and mitigation. For Fire Council members who have not appointed themselves as a member of one of the subcommittees, please call either Marsha (education) 375-0753 or Bob (mitigation) 385-4931 to sign up for a committee.

Education (Marsha is chair) Responsibilities include: outreach, fire month, ambassador program, build in more accountability to ambassador program, use the website more, continuing education, speakers, etc.

Mitigation (Bob is chair) Responsibilities include: encourage and assist with mitigation, advertising private property’s services, seek funding, April event, assist ambassadors with mitigation, signage at demo sites.

Bob Koenig got maps of the subdivisions in La Plata County (over 250), found out homeowner association presidents from a title company. Over 150 hoa’s in La Plata County—we have 9 represented in our ambassador program. We can overlay this map of subdivisions with the risk map at southwestcoloradofires.org Education committee will pursue this. A place to start in the recruitment of more ambassadors—thanks Bob!

The group split into the two committees and brainstormed what each committee would work on during the next year. See notes attached.

SW Conservation Corp is putting in an Americorp proposal for fire mitigation etc. If it is funded there would be a group of folks that could help out with the ambassador program.

Mitigation Committee Notes:
Looking into funding options; mitigation companies working together; Mike Kane would like to get insurance companies involved—someone needs to offset the insurance costs if homeowners do mitigation.

March—invite insurance folks to March meeting for an in-service education so that we may understand the issues more. Bob will contact insurance companies and coordinate this.

Education Committee Notes:
 
1) Do booth at Home Depot during Fire Month. Benny C. is lead. Try to get mobile command center and possibly try to work some type of deal with Home Depot (e.g. if folks pick up literature, they get $1.00 of their purchase).  Advertise in Fire Month publicity. 
 
2) Pam doing article from Fire Council in LPEA's Country Life Magazine during April.   She wants more pictures of the Ambassadors.
 
3) Mitigation event – scheduled for Saturday, May 6. Fire Ready of Durango and Tyner Forest Restoration will donate machinery/tools. The goal is to do a ‘service’ type project using Fire Council members and volunteers.
 
4) Planned an event for the ambassadors on 2/7 at 5:30 PM at which time we will get them jazzed for Fire Month activities. MPN doing an email-able flyer; Nicole and Laurie agreed to call each ambassador; ask them to bring a friend for possible recruitment;  we'll have fun food and work out ways to do April stuff (e.g what do they plan to do; how; what help do they need; etc.) Planned this early in 2/06 to give Nicole time to get Fire Month publicity done and include ambassadors' events.  Also want to do something fun like if you wear your ambassador tee, you get a chance at a raffle item.
 
3) After April, we will work on the recruitment goals for ambassadors and hone in on actions/strategies.
 
4) Marsha will talk to Bill Ball about getting the County subdivision map overlaid with the CWPP fire risk map. This will help target WHERE to recruit ambassadors - in which neighborhoods.
 
5) Will do a May and October speaking engagement. Nicole checking into first one being on drought/climate change.....If we get this together, we can advertise May's engagement in April Fire Month publicity.    Pam is doing a survey to ambassadors about the web site and will include a question on:  what topics would you like for speakers?
 
6) Need to find out if Kristie kept a master list of where all the brochure boxes are. Eventually, we'd like all Firewise members and maybe ambassadors to track on say 1-2 box locations to make sure brochures are re-filled.   Nicole will check Kristie's tomb-like notebook to see a list of locations of the boxes exist.
 
7) Pam and Laurie already met with Bill Ball about updating web site and putting more Firewise and Ambassador stuff on there.
 
8) County policies are on hold. Marsha will call Nancy Lauro to see where the Land Use Code revision stands.  We'll want to get activated around this when the BOCC votes on it -- if this ever happens. Very much on hold for now.
 
9) Need to think of groups to talk to under the philosophy of "taking the table to them." -- Priority after Fire Month.
 
10) Idea was raised about Dr. Julie Korb doing a .2-0 minute inservice at the next Firewise meting around historical pictures of fires/forest in relation to today.

Important Reminders!!!!
Ambassador Rally for April is Fire Education and Prevention Month; February 7, 5:30-7pm at the Public Lands Center
Next Fire Council meeting is Tuesday, March 21
We are switching to an every-other-month meeting schedule with committee meetings in between if necessary. The schedule for Fire Council meetings for 2006 is the following:
Tuesday, March 21
Tuesday, May 16
Tuesday, July 18
Tuesday, September 19
Tuesday, November 21