Fire Preparedness Day provides “Firewise” materials to homeowners
The Chester Fire Department hosted a Fire Preparedness Day on May 5 outside Chester Holiday Market, providing “Firewise” materials for homeowners detailing ways to mitigate fire hazards around homes during the fire season.
The Firewise goal is to teach people how to adapt to living with wildfire and encourage neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent the potential loss to lives and property later.
Chester Firewise Committee member and CFD Public Information Officer Karen Lichti manned the table during the two-hour display, interacting with any passersby to raise awareness on how to protect homes or businesses from wildfires.
Lichti provided Wildland Fire Home Ignition Safety Check sign ups, along with Defensible Space Time and Expense sheets, plus information on preparing for emergency situations during the upcoming fire season.
Homeowners that wished to participate had the opportunity to test their knowledge on establishing defensible space around their homes.
Everyone who stopped by the Wildfire Community Preparedness Day table left with information that could make all the difference between being prepared for this fire season and risking their home to conflagration.
Free inspections
Homeowners who didn’t make it to the Fire Preparedness Day event can email Lichti for a free Home Ignition Safety inspection, undertaken by fire personnel that is not meant to be a criticism of their property in any way and has no legal aspect; just an opportunity for the homeowner or tenant to receive positive feedback on things to do to make their homes safer in case of wildfire.
As people clean up their yards to prepare for wildfire season, Lichti said she would appreciate it if they call or email her with the number of hours spent on cleanup activities and the amount of money spent for tools such as racks and other supplies like garbage bags used to clear their properties, as well as how many people participated in the yard cleanup, including hired help.
That information is then collected to provide statistical analysis that will be sent to the “Firewise” organization at firewisecommunitiesUSA.com. No names or addresses are needed, basically just the amount of time and materials used.
CodeRED
Lichti is encouraging residents to sign up online for CodeRED at countyofplumas.com. If a customer has a landline, they are already part of the system, but cell phones must be signed up to be included.
Click in the green box “Emergency alert system sign ups.” Once the page loads, click on the “Click here to register your contact info” and follow the directions to complete the sign up.
CodeRED is a service that allows for the county to contact residents directly through the OES by cell phone message or text, or by sending an email during an emergency, to let people know whether there’s an approaching wildfire, flood conditions, downed power lines, lost individuals and abductions, chemical spills, bomb threats, the need to evacuate, or other emergencies.
Anyone seeking assistance to register can call the toll-free number 866-939-0911 from 4 a.m. to 3 p.m. Registration is confidential and free.
More information on protecting your home or business from wildfire can be found at WildfirePrepDay.org.
Lichti can be contacted at [email protected] or by calling 258-2171. Firewise materials are available for free at the CPUD building, 251 Chester Airport Road.
