Fire Safe Council Gets WISE
The Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council received a grant check for $5,000 from State Farm Insurance to assist the Council with Phase 1 development of its Wildfire Information System for Emergencies (WISE) program.
Greg Sherlock, Public Affairs Specialist with State Farm was on hand to deliver the check. "We recognize the importance of local organizations in promoting safety, and we are pleased to support the development of the Fire Safe Council's WISE system through our Good Neighbor Citizenship grant program."
Will Castagna, Grants Manager for the Fire Safe Council, explained the genesis of the WISE program: "During the Day Fire incident, we identified three key problems: 1) many people did not know where to get current, accurate information about the fire, 2) some knew about our website but didn't have computer access, and 3) almost no one knew where to get guidance about what to do, or when and where to go in case of evacuation." The WISE system is designed to address all of these issues.
Castagna said, "Our goal is to eventually build a full-featured, high-tech system that will serve as a reliable information hub during wildfire emergencies. But first, we wanted to be sure that absolutely EVERYONE has access to clear, consistent guidance about what to do, whether they have Internet access or not -- this grant will help us do just that."
The first phase of constructing the WISE system is to develop and publish clear information about what to do in a wildfire emergency, as well as when and where to go in case of evacuation. The idea is to print this information in a local phone book so that virtually everyone will have immediate access to it in an emergency.
Bob Daddi, local State Farm Agent and member of the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council Advisory Council, was instrumental in getting this grant. Castagna said, "It was actually Bob's idea to publish this information in the phone book. Simple, low-tech, and universally available -- an extremely effective idea."
“Last Defense” Fuel Break to Protect Ojai Valley
The Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council has received a grant through the California Fire Safe Council to refurbish and construct a fuel break designed to protect Ojai from wildfire. Called the Ojai Valley Last Defense Fuel Break, the project area stretches 4.7 miles, from the citrus groves north of Meiners Oaks to the eastern end of Gridley Trail. This is an area identified by the U.S. Forest Service and Ventura County Fire Department as a site where firefighters could mount a final defense of structures and orchards on the valley floor.
Will Castagna, the Fire Safe Council Grants Manager, is enthusiastic about the project. “It’s a vital safety project for our town, and a beautiful example of community cooperation -— our Fire Safe council is working with the CREW, Ventura County Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, the City of Ojai, and many private landowners to create a safety zone that will help protect the entire valley floor. In fact, County Fire, the CREW, and the City of Ojai are contributing a total of $50,000 in matching funds to the project.”
Work will be done by the CREW, an Ojai non-profit benefiting at-risk youth, and will be monitored by County Fire. Removal of dead and dry brush has already begun. The completed fuel break will range in width from 20 to 100 feet, depending on the terrain.
Wally McCall, Chief Executive Officer of the CREW, commented on the work. “It’s grueling physical labor in dry, scorching-hot weather. But our crews are making excellent progress at both the Shelf Road and Foothill Road sites. Work will continue several days a week until the project is completed. We are pleased to report that the project is also environmentally sensitive. All of the work is being done by hand crews and will not do any ground disturbance. The fuel break is being cut in a mosaic pattern rather than on a linear path, and will carefully avoid intrusion on riparian areas.”
Castagna also noted that “...the Day Fire was too close for comfort -- I want our community to know that dedicated professionals in many agencies are working hard to do what’s necessary now, to keep our valley safe when the next one comes our way. The support we’ve received from Ventura County Fire, the Forest Service and the CREW has been tremendous. The cooperation we are getting from private landowners is also playing a vital role in the success of this project. The Fire Safe Council is honored to play its part in coordinating this important work.”
Since its inception in 2001, the Ojai Valley Fire Safe Council has provided wildfire safety education programs to most of the schools in the Ojai Valley, published wildfire safety information in the Ojai Valley News, and coordinated free mulch giveaways to help clear out cut brush from ongoing fuel break projects. It has also constructed an award-winning website that offers online wildfire safety education courses for students, homeowners, farmers and ranchers.
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