16 Fire Safety and Prevention ARROWHEAD COMMUNITIES FIRE SAFE COUNCIL P.O. Box 563 <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Arrowhead</strong>, CA 92352 (909) 337-3383 www.arrowheadfsc.net T he ACFSC is a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and operates largely with fed- eral grant monies, which come from the U.S. Forest Service (U.S. Dept. of Agriculture) and the Bureau of Land Management and are awarded and monitored by the California Fire Safe Council. As a nonprofit organization the ACFSC can accept donations from the public, which are tax deductible and much appreciated. According to its charter, the council serves the communities of Rimforest, Strawberry Flats, Twin Peaks, Agua Fria, Blue Jay, <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Arrowhead</strong>, Deer Lodge Park, Cedar Glen, <strong>Arrowhead</strong> Villas, Skyforest and Crest Park. This area includes approximately 110 square miles of critical wildland-urban interface within the San Bernardino National Forest. The ACFSC works closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Cal- Fire and County Fire, is a participating member of the <strong>Mountain</strong> Area Safety Task Force and <strong>Mountain</strong> Mutual Aid, and supports and promotes the healthy forest initiative Forest Care. Through its area risk mitigation (ARM) concept, the ACFSC, working with County Fire, helped protect Deer Lodge Park during the Grass Valley Fire. A similar effort has been implemented in <strong>Arrowhead</strong> Villas. The ACFSC is also involved in fuels reduction on access roads to make them accessible to emergency vehicles. In this cooperative effort with the <strong>Arrowhead</strong> Woods Architectural Committee, vegetation encroaching access roads is reduced within six to eight feet on either side of the access road. The council holds bi-monthly public meetings at Fire Station 91, in which the fire agencies and the ACFSC present important issues about fire protection and work in progress. These meetings take place on the second Thursday of even-numbered months and start at 6:30 p.m. Board Members and Directors Gerald Newcombe, President Alan Reilly, Vice President Lisa Joyce, Secretary/Treasurer Helen Hausmann, Realtor Relations Virginia Jablonsky, Grant Administrator Todd Schamberger, Grant Administrator MOUNTAIN RIM FIRE SAFE COUNCIL P. O. Box 2582 Running Springs, CA 92382-2582 (909) 867-5833 Toll Free (866) 923-FIRE www.<strong>Mountain</strong>RimFSC.org <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Almanac</strong> • <strong>2012</strong> Anonprofit 501(c)3 California corporation, the <strong>Mountain</strong> Rim Fire Safe Council’s bylaws state its purpose is “to provide education, exchange information and foster fire prevention and safety within the San Bernardino <strong>Mountain</strong> communities.” With our office located in Arrowbear <strong>Lake</strong>, we strive to achieve our mission of serving all mountaintop communities from Crestline to Green Valley <strong>Lake</strong>. As the original fire safe council in the Inland Empire, the MRFSC maintains cooperative relationships with the <strong>Mountain</strong> Area Task Force (which includes the U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, San Bernardino County Fire, local fire departments, Edison, Caltrans), Forest Care, the Burn Institute, and 14 other councils the MRFSC helped establish throughout the San Bernardino <strong>Mountain</strong>s and the Inland Empire. When people live in a high fire hazard environment, the human-built environment becomes an important factor in predicting the loss of life and property. Simple things such as creating defensible space (clearing weeds and debris) and replacing shake roofs can make a significant difference in how one’s property will survive a wildfire. MRFSC is there to answer your questions on defensible space and fire prevention and to provide or direct you to resources to make your property as firesafe as possible. Remember, with regard to the next wildfire, it’s not IF, it’s WHEN! Officers of the Board of Directors Laura Dyberg, President Mike Scullin, Vice President Terisa Bonito, Secretary/Treasurer FOREST CARE P.O. Box 746 Blue Jay, CA 92317 888-883-THIN www.sbnfa.org/forestcare In 2006 a unique effort was created to make the local forest healthier and reduce the fire risk posed by the heavy stands of trees in residential areas. With federal and state dollars, the San Bernardino National Forest Association, the U.S. Forest Service and Cal Fire banded together to offer landowners an economical way to thin their trees. After a professional forester surveys a homeowner’s property and makes recommendations for needed thinning work, the homeowners hire licensed contractors to do the suggested work. The homeowner receives back up to 75 percent of the cost of having the trees removed. Since its inception, the Forest Care program has helped treat more than 2,700 parcels in the mountain communities. The foresters have made many more educational visits in which they advise the property owners on steps they can take to make their homes more fire safe.
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