Big Islanders are invited to activities Saturday in Waikoloa in observance of the first Wildfire Community Preparedness Day focused on reducing the risk of wildfire damage in Hawaii by encouraging community volunteers, neighborhoods and individual homeowners to join forces in creating safer places to live.
Big Islanders are invited to activities Saturday in Waikoloa in observance of the first Wildfire Community Preparedness Day focused on reducing the risk of wildfire damage in Hawaii by encouraging community volunteers, neighborhoods and individual homeowners to join forces in creating safer places to live.
State Farm, the National Fire Protection Association and Fire Adapted Communities are cosponsoring the event.
From 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m., there will be volunteer gardening and wildfire workshops, field tours and lots of info and tips, plus Smokey the Bear, at the Dryland Safety Park in Waikoloa Village, said coordinator Pablo Beimler, of the Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and natural resources from the devastating effects of wildfire.
For more information, visit www.hawaiiwildfire.org, email Beimler at pablo@hawaiiwildfire.org, or call 885-0900.
On Wildfire Preparedness Day, communities across the nation are rallying to host a variety of events to help raise wildfire awareness, promote collaboration and bring neighbors together to work on projects that protect homes, neighborhoods and entire communities.
“We at HWMO are organizing a Fire Awareness, Prevention &Work Day event at the Waikoloa Dryland Safety Park in Waikoloa Village,” said Beimler. “We will be holding a volunteer work session in the morning followed by a series of wildfire preparedness workshops, field tours and activities. All ages are welcome, and the event is free.”
At HWMO headquarters in Waimea, volunteers recently received 10,000 copies of the first-ever Hawaii version of the “Ready, Set, Go! Wildland Fire Action Guide.”
“Contact us if you would like copies to distribute to your friends, family members, neighbors or anyone else you can think of,” Beimler said. “We are also able to hold ‘Ready, Set, Go!’ workshops upon request. Stay tuned for updates on upcoming workshops and events where we will be handing out the guides. Or come by our office in Waimea, where we have boxes full of the guides.
“Mahalo to the International Association of Fire Chiefs for spearheading the collaboration and arranging for the massive print-job.”
The guide also is available for downloading from the HWMO website.
Features and topics include:
• Hawaii’s Growing Wildland Fire Problem.
• Actions You Can Take Today.
• Defensible Space Creation-Hawaiian Style.
• How to Harden Your Home.
• Ready, Set, Go! Action Guide Checklist for Your House and Family.
• Emergency Preparedness Kit Checklist.
• Ready, Set, Go! Action Guide Checklist for Large Landowners and Land Managers.
• Emergency Contacts and Info Worksheet.
• Our Family’s Home Evacuation Plan Worksheet.
• Residential Safety Checklist.
The guide was produced by Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization (HWMO), made possible through a grant from the USDA Forest Service and with the help of HWMO’s partners from the Pacific Fire Exchange, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources — Division of Forestry and Wildlife, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Hawaii Fire Department, Honolulu Fire Department, Kauai Fire Department and Maui Fire Department, in a cooperative effort with the International Association of Fire Chiefs.