Firewise Community Program
Updated May 21, 2015
Indian Mountain has been a
Firewise Community since 2013. The
Firewise Community Program is described on its website
http://firewise.org as follows:
“The National fire Protection Association’s (NFPA’s)
Firewise Communities Program encourages local solutions for safety by involving homeowners in taking individual responsibility for preparing their homes from the risk of wildfire. Firewise is a key component of
Fire Adapted Communities – a collaborative approach that connects all those who play a role in wildfire education, planning and action with comprehensive resources to help reduce risk. The program is co-sponsored by the
USDA Forest Service, the
US Department of the Interior, and the
National Association of State Foresters.”
To save lives and property from wildfire, NFPA's Firewise Communities Program teaches people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses later. We all have a role to play in protecting each other and ourselves from the risk of wildfire.
Using a five-step process, communities develop an action plan that guides their residential risk reduction activities, while engaging and encouraging their neighbors to become active participants in building a safer place to live. Over 1000 neighborhoods throughout the United States have embraced the benefits of becoming a recognized Firewise Community – and we did too! Here are the five steps we completed:
- Obtained a risk assessment as a written document with the aid of the Coalition of the Upper South Platte (CUSP) and the Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS). The risk assessment is described in the CWPP, defined below.
- Formed a committee to create a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) that was approved by IMPOA, IMMD, the Fire District, the Park County Board of County Commissioners and the CSFS. It is published on this website. Park County also has a CWPP, but it is not specific to Indian Mountain.
- Conducted Firewise events in coordination with other community gatherings.
- Invested annually more than $2 per property owner in wildfire mitigation efforts. These efforts involve the burn pit, chipping projects and forest clearing by owners, contractors and volunteers. The CWPP contains a plan for these activities and useful information to guide forest management practices in Indian Mountain.
- Submitted annual application to our state Firewise liaison in the CSFS.
The Firewise designation has been helpful in obtaining grants to support wildfire mitigation efforts in Indian Mountain and to plan mitigation efforts in the area. The IMPOA board of directors serves as the Firewise board of directors for Indian Mountain.
