Following the
devastating wild land fires and the loss of over 1,400 homes in
California and Florida in 1985, the National Fire Protection
Association (NFPA) and the USDA Forest Service met to help
define the phenomenon that has become known as the wild
land/urban interface. A cooperative agreement was signed in
1986 to shape the national Wild land Urban Interface Fire
Protection Initiative. Part of the mission of this initiative
was to sponsor the development and delivery of numerous
conferences, workshops, publications, and videotapes to address
specific audiences on protecting homes from wild land fires.
Through the efforts of many, the FIREWISE concepts were
developed based on the conviction that wisdom and knowledge are
the prime forces that can help reduce the hazards in the
interface.
The Sarasota County FIREWISE Coalition was
officially formed on Aug. 22, 2001 in Sarasota County by
Emergency Services. Sarasota County took a leadership role in
coordinating and developing a strategic approach to land
management and wild fire mitigation throughout Sarasota County.
The members of the FIREWISE Coalition represent virtually every
area of the community.
The objective of this Coalition was to frame out their
overall objectives, and to determine where we should go as a
community. The use of prescribed fire is considered an essential
tool that has many benefits to a community. From a
multi-disciplined perspective, prescribed fire is conducted to
accomplish three major objectives:
- Mitigate the fire threat within the urban interface
- Mitigate the fire fuel within the wilderness area
- Management and restoration of natural habitat
The Sarasota County FIREWISE Coalition is currently made
up of approximately 50 members from all areas of the
community. This group comes together on a monthly basis to
identify and work cooperatively on the areas of the county
where the highest risks of wild land fire may occur, and to
continually educate the community in the benefits of being a FIREWISE community.
Sarasota County Emergency Services has a fire mitigation
officer and environmental specialist on staff to oversee the
prescribed burn program throughout the county. Their efforts
have been successful in bringing Sarasota County closer to
becoming a FIREWISE Community. The FIREWISE program has been
enthusiastically embraced by this community.
