IBHS Announces Funding to Support Wildfire Preparedness Program for Local Fire Departments
Reno, NV (PRWEB) March 19, 2014 -- The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) have announced that IBHS will provide additional funding for a grant program that provides small and rural volunteer fire departments with resources to implement the Ready, Set, Go! wildland fire preparedness program.
Ready, Set, Go! is a program designed by the IAFC that teaches individuals who live in high-risk wildland fire areas how to best prepare themselves and their properties. IBHS made the announcement about the grant funding in Reno, during the IAFC’s Wildland/Urban Interface Conference, which is the largest meeting dedicated to wildland fire issues in the U.S.
“The Ready, Set, Go! Program aligns perfectly with IBHS’ core mission, which is to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses, and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “We are very pleased and proud to be partnering with IAFC to make sure this program can continue to be implemented in as many communities as possible.”
The Ready, Set, Go! tenets help residents to be Ready with preparedness understanding, Set with situational awareness when fire threatens, and to Go, acting early when a fire starts.
“We’re tremendously proud of what the Ready, Set, Go! program has accomplished a mere three years after its inception,” said Chief Bill Metcalf, IAFC president and chairman of the board.
“The message of preparing communities for what may happen in a wildland fire has now reached over a thousand fire and emergency service departments in 49 states. The support that IBHS has provided and will continue to provide will be extremely helpful in further expanding the program’s reach and resources,” Metcalf stated.
The money provided by IBHS funds a grant program to assist small volunteer and rural fire departments that are often strapped for time and resources. Specifically, the grant money provides fire departments with the tools, resources and guidance necessary to deliver these simple, actionable safety messages to residents in wildfire-prone regions.
“Budgets are always extremely tight for small volunteer and rural fire departments,” Rochman said. “We hope this partnership will lead to more opportunities for the fire services and the property insurance industry to work together to make our communities safer.”
The grants are administered by the IAFC according to an established set of criteria. Requests are made through a formal peer-reviewed process to ensure effective use and need. The Ready, Set, Go! Program works in complementary and collaborative fashion with the Firewise Communities Program and other existing wildland fire public education efforts to amplify their messages.
The Ready, Set, Go! Program was developed by the IAFC, with support from IBHS, the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Fire Administration, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Firewise Communities Program.
For more information about the Ready, Set, Go! Program, visit http://www.wildlandfireRSG.org. Find wildfire preparedness resources from IBHS at http://www.disastersafety.org/wildfire/.
About the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS)
IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices. For more information about the IBHS grant program, contact Brent Henzi, IBHS Public Affairs Manager, at (813) 675-1035 or bhenzi(at)ibhs(dot)org. Learn more at http://www.DisasterSafety.org.
About the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders. Learn more at http://www.iafc.org.
Ready, Set, Go!
The Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program, managed by the IAFC in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, seeks to develop and improve the dialogue between fire departments and the residents they serve. Launched nationally in March 2011, the program helps fire departments teach individuals who live in high risk wildfire areas – and the wildland-urban interface – how to best prepare themselves and their properties against fire threats. The RSG! Program tenets help residents be Ready with preparedness understanding, be Set with situational awareness when fire threatens, and to Go, acting early when a fire starts. Learn more at http://www.wildlandfireRSG.org.
Kenya Woodard, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety, +1 (813) 675-1053, [email protected]
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