Glendale (PDF) - Hazard Mitigation Web Portal - State of California

Natural Hazards Mitigation PlanCity of Glendale, CaliforniaSection 7 – WildfiresCalifornia Gas Company.Other Mitigation Programs and Activities:Firewise: This is a program developed within the National Wildland/ Urban Interface FireProtection Program and it is the primary federal program addressing interface fire. It isadministered through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group whose extensive list ofparticipants includes a wide range of federal agencies. The program is intended to empowerplanners and decision makers at the local level. Through conferences and informationdissemination, Firewise increases support for interface wildfire mitigation by educatingprofessionals and the general public about hazard evaluation and policy implementationtechniques. Firewise offers online wildfire protection information and checklists, as well aslistings of other publications, videos and conferences.The interactive home page allows users to ask fire protection experts questions and to registerfor new information as it becomes available.FireFree Program: This is a unique private/public program for interface wildfire mitigationinvolving partnerships between an insurance company and local government agencies. It is anexample of an effective non-regulatory approach to hazard mitigation. Originating in Bend,Oregon, the program was developed in response to the city's "Skeleton Fire" of 1996, whichburned over 17,000 acres and damaged or destroyed 30 homes and structures. Bend sought tocreate a new kind of public education initiative that emphasized local involvement. SAFECOInsurance Corporation was a willing collaborator in this effort. Bend's pilot program included:1. A short video production featuring local citizens as actors, made available at local videostores, libraries and fire stations;2. Two city-wide yard debris removal events;3. A 30-minute program on a model FireFree home, aired on a local cable televisionstation; and4. Distribution of brochures, featuring a property owner evaluation checklist and a listingof fire-resistant indigenous plants.Wildfire Mitigation Action ItemsAs stated in the Federal Wildland Fire Policy, “The problem is not one of finding new solutionsto an old problem but of implementing known solutions. Deferred decision making is as much aproblem as the fires themselves. If history is to serve us in the resolution of the wildland/urbaninterface problem, we must take action on these issues now. To do anything less is to guaranteeanother review process in the aftermath of future catastrophic fires.”The wildfire mitigation action items below provide direction on specific activities thatorganizations and residents of southern California, including Glendale, can undertake to reducerisk and prevent loss from wildfire events. Each action item is followed by ideas forimplementation, which can be used by the steering committee and local decision makers inpursuing strategies for implementation.Short Term – Wildfire #1:Action Item: Enhance outreach and education programs aimed at mitigating wildfire hazardsand reducing or preventing the exposure of citizens, public agencies, private property ownersand businesses to natural hazards.2006 PAGE 7 - 26