What is the Forbes firewise Fire Safety Community?
We are a group of neighbors who, with the help of FIRESafe Marin, have launched an initiative to:
1) make our neighborhood safer
2) educate ourselves and our neighbors about wildfire risks and safety practices
3) build community with our neighbors for fire safety and beyond
4) protect our financial security by positioning ourselves for continued insurance coverage, and
3) win and maintain certification as a Firewise community.
1) make our neighborhood safer
2) educate ourselves and our neighbors about wildfire risks and safety practices
3) build community with our neighbors for fire safety and beyond
4) protect our financial security by positioning ourselves for continued insurance coverage, and
3) win and maintain certification as a Firewise community.
What is a Firewise Community?
Firewise USA® is a national program that certifies communities that have programs to manage vegetation and reduced fire hazards in their neighborhoods. Firewise certification provides recognition from the fire department and other local authorities that we are an active, fire safe community. This certification can be a factor persuading a fire department to defend our community in a wildfire or other emergency situation. In addition, being Firewise may provide certain fire insurance benefits and encourages insurance companies to underwrite in our area. The more participants we have the safer we will be.
Since we live in an area where there are lots of trees and vegetation, don’t we just have to live with the risk?
No. We can significantly reduce the risk if we remove dead vegetation, clean the ground and trim the lower trunks of trees, limit cypress, juniper, broom and other chaparral shrubs, and cut back flammable plants to a safe distance from our homes. There are also certain simple measures we can take to “harden” our homes against wildfire risks.
What area does the community cover?
At launch, we cover 185 homes along the entire length of Forbes Avenue, Culloden Park, Quarry, and much of G Street and H Street, and various blocks of Eye, J and K Streets. See the map ___ for the full scope of our coverage. Even if you do not live within our official area, you are free to join our group and participate in our events. Just give us your email address to stay up to date.
How do neighbors participate?
Participation is optional. We seek to help our neighbors become fire aware, remove dangerous vegetation, create defensible space around their houses, and participate with the group to get to know each other face to face so we can help each other in the event of an emergency. Together, we can identify people with special needs who might require extra attention in the event of an evacuation.
How can I get involved?
If you have any further questions or would like to join us, start by using the form on the __ page to provide us with your email address. This will ensure that you stay up to date as our efforts progress. You can also feel free to your block captain or one of our organizers, as listed on the __.
Are there costs involved?
There is no cost to join us in this effort. As a certified Firewise community, we must spend in the aggregate roughly $4,700 per year (approximately $25 per home) on educational efforts, vegetation removal and home hardening. One of the group’s jobs is to collect information about how much our residents spend so that we can maintain our certification. Your own labor has a value of $25 per hour. Also, any money you spend using landscapers or other outside contractors to clear vegetation or harden your home qualifies against this requirement.
How do I determine if my home has any hazardous conditions?
Our group has completed a neighborhood risk assessment with fire professionals. This did not identify conditions at individual homes but gave us an idea of the things we should all be concerned about. You can work with one of our block captains if you’d like some basic information about what to look for. You can also schedule an individual assessment of your home with the San Rafael Fire Department, at no charge.
If my property is considered to have hazardous conditions, am I required to clear it?
Not unless the City of San Rafael tells you so. There is no requirement, whether or not you join with us in this effort. There is no ticking clock, but the neighborhood would encourage any resident having dangerous conditions to do something sooner rather than later. We know that these efforts take time.