August 2021 | Fire Marshal Meeting for Highland Firewise; Calling all Block Leads; Post-Goat-Projects; More Resources
Santa Cruz, California, August 12, 2021: The Highland Firewise neighborhood efforts are in full swing to map our blocks, determine more block leads, set up communication channels, and prepare our homes and neighborhood.
Please attend our next Wildfire Prevention & Protection at Home Meeting on Wednesday, August 18, 5:30 - 6:30 PM at 256 Meadow Road, Santa Cruz with Guest Speaker Robert Oatey, Santa Cruz Fire Marshal.
Fire Marshall Robert Oatey will provide information on wildfire safety and prevention strategies for your home, how to plan for an evacuation with your neighbors, and what to pack in your emergency “Go-Bag” for yourself, family, and pets. Please R.S.V.P. to dagmar @ highlandfirewise.org
Make sure no one is left behind during an evacuation -
Volunteer as a Block Lead or backup Block Lead for your neighborhood
Block Leads gather important information about people, their pets, emergency resources they are willing to share, and who might need help during an evacuation. In the event of an emergency, your Block Lead or a backup Lead will contact you to make sure you and your loved ones are safe.
Not sure if there’s a Block Lead or backup for your neighborhood?
Want to volunteer as a Block Lead or backup? Questions about Block Leads? Please Email dagmar @ highlandfirewise.org
And fill out our confidential survey! Receive the survey link from one of your Highland FireWise Block Leads. Your information will not be shared with any third-party organizations or vendors.
Goats at work to reduce underbrush at Evergreen Ravine
“Goat Fund Me” Success!
Thank you to all who contributed to the “Goat Fund Me” campaign! With your help, we raised enough money to hire a herd of 400 goats to munch through the Evergreen Cemetery Ravine, which makes all our neighborhoods a little safer from wildfires. Visit www.highlandfirewise.org/news to see goat pictures and news coverage from KSBW TV 8! More pictures also on our Facebook page.
Grab Your Gloves!
Post-Goat Ravine Clearing Party
Contact Kevin Colluhan kevinc@santacruzmah.org to help clear the branches and other debris that the goats could not eat! Clearing begins in mid-August.
Great Resources for Wildfire Information & Planning
The web is filled with all kinds of information and apps to help you prepare for wildfires and stay up-to-date on local emergencies and evacuation orders. Here are just a few of the excellent resources we’ve found:
Mobile Apps
➔ Code RED
➔ Blaze
➔ Firesource
➔ Smoke Spotter
Websites & Online Checklists
➔ Prepared Not Scared: Wildfire Preparation Worksheet and Emergency Evacuation Guide from Fire Safe Council of Santa Cruz County
➔ CalFire.gov has real-time information on fire incidents, tips on how to create defensible space around your home and neighborhood, and home-hardening strategies
➔ Zombie Preparedness from the CDC began as a tongue-in-cheek campaign to engage new audiences with emergency preparedness planning - and now it’s a real website to help parents, teachers, and others introduce emergency topics to kids and adults.
➔ https://www.readyforwildfire.org Web-based app that creates a specific action plan for your zip code and personal situation. Step-by-Step instructions on how to prepare your home and family for wildfire or evacuation.
About Highland Firewise
Highland Firewise is a group of neighbor-volunteers dedicated to protecting our homes, reducing Wildland Fire hazards in the WUI open spaces, and increasing fire-safety awareness in our neighborhood. As a nationally-certified Firewise Neighborhood, the all-volunteer group fosters community involvement by building partnerships and finding resources to mitigate fire danger. Since 2018, Highland Firewise has partnered with local and state fire officials to identify and develop plans to clear fire fuel debris from wildfire-prone WUI areas. On May 1st, 2021, the group hosted the area’s first Wildfire Awareness Day event, providing wildfire safety information to approximately 100 residents living between High Street and UCSC in Santa Cruz. The event was attended by California Representative Jimmy Panetta, who praised the event as “the kind of thing neighborhoods need to do to help each other protect themselves and their homes from wildfires.”www.highlandfirewise.org.
About Firewise USA
The national Firewise USA® recognition program provides a collaborative framework to help neighbors in a geographic area get organized, find direction, and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community and to reduce wildfire risks at the local level. Any community that meets a set of voluntary criteria on an annual basis and retains an “In Good Standing Status” may identify itself as being a Firewise® Site. www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Firewise-USA
Newsletter produced by Highland Firewise Core Team Members Shareen Bell, Tiffany Zachmeier, Dagmar Dolatschko with contributions from others team members and the public