Firewise Committee is racking up successes
There is a great probability that anyone living in a rural forested area would agree that any measures taken to reduce fire danger is a very good idea.
At the Oct. 15 board meeting of the Hamilton Branch Fire Protection District (HBFP) that probability was confirmed in a report from the Hamilton Branch/East Shore/Seneca Firewise Committee.
Part of being a certified Firewise community is to record and report what your community’s efforts are to reduce the wildfire risk in that calendar year.
Items covered in the report should include any time (hours) spent organizing, training, working or traveling for Firewise events and any actual expenses individuals or your community may incur in the process of reducing its wildfire risk.
The report included the following:
– Educational outreach: Firewise brochures delivered door to door and by mail to all known residences.
– Vegetation Removal: 25 cubic yards of material reported to the committee to date.
– Investment Report: Using Firewise hours to dollars conversion schedule, $437,014 of investment hours and expenses YTD was reported or $619 per residence.
Needless to say that this new committee is off to a ‘blazing’ start.
The Firewise Committee invites all interested residents to join them at its monthly meeting at the Hamilton Branch Fire Station, 3791 Big Springs Road, in Westwood, on the last Monday of each month at 3 p.m.
Fire Chief Gary Pini reported that the successful bidder for the new emergency siren system, West Shore Services, Inc., is confirming site locations for the siren units and anticipates construction to begin very soon.
