California Fire Safe Council – Providing, protecting, and mobilizing California’s communities
with funding, education, and resources to prevent and reduce the threat of wildfires.
CFSC team grew by 200%
In 2021, the California Fire Safe Council team expanded, bringing on new background and unique expertise and specialties. The CFSC is proud to employ a team that is adaptive and responsive in addressing California’s needs in wildfire resilience, education, and mitigation. With three Regional Coordinators guiding FSCs and other mitigation groups with outreach and capacity building support, a new Executive Director at the helm carving a bright path forward for CFSC and its partners, and a new communications team spearheading the conversation around community preparedness and resiliency, the CFSC is poised for remarkable and sustained growth for years to come.
Granted 12 Wildfire Emergency Preparedness Trailers
This past year, CFSC partnered with California Volunteers and the Listos Campaign to outfit and build 12 emergency preparedness trailers and 42 specially equipped emergency preparedness toolkits. With these trailers and toolkits, communities, homeowners, and citizens will be able to access defensible space and home hardening tools, services, and resources.
Hosted more than 40 webinars, workshops & community outreach events
With a growing staff, budget, and grant deliverables, the CFSC created and held multiple workshops, webinars, and outreach events in 2021, including hosting its Inaugural Resilience Brilliance Awards Ceremony and Educational Conference. We had the privilege of hiring 5 AmeriCorps California Climate Action Corps Fellows who put their exuberance, knowledge, and skills to work with three distinct community outreach events in 2021. From Creek Fire community clean-up to community fuel break and fire mitigation efforts in Glendale, we were inspired by our Fellows 2021 cohort.
In coordination with its Regional Coordinators, the CFSC Communications Team conducted two Communications and Outreach workshops which featured media and public relations best practices, social media use and optimization, as well as marketing and branding ideas to build cohesive, branded, communications plans for local fire safe councils, resource conservation districts, and other wildfire mitigation organizations.
Awarded more than 85 grants to increase wildfire resiliency
California Fire Safe Council continued its support of local fire safe councils, resource conservation districts, and other wildfire mitigation organizations with close to $6 million in grants and resources. Some 2021 featured grant opportunities include the County Coordinator grant, which will expand to additional regions in 2022, and the recently announced Evacuation Route grant.
Adopted & implemented GIS technology & built THREE Storymaps
A critical part of creating wildfire safe communities is learning, using, and relying on scientific data to create robust and critical defensible space, community fuel breaks, and other mitigation efforts.
With the partnership of an ArcGIS specialist, CFSC developed and debuted 3 Storymaps with real-time data to easily illustrate the state-wide impact of CFSC projects, initiatives, and grants.
Welcomed 1 Ready Raccoon into the CFSC Family
While communities grapple with the aftermath of wildfires, the mental health and educational needs of the community change. Programs that build resilience and programs that provide wildfire awareness, community outreach, and mitigation practices, and preparedness inspiration become an all-ages, and all-hands-on-deck mission.
Butte County and Paradise Ridge FSC debuted the wildfire awareness inspired mascot, Ready Raccoon. Wildfire Ready Raccoon was created in 2009 by Phil John as a mascot for the Paradise Ridge and Butte County Firesafe Councils as a wildfire education tool. Phil created a story in graphic novel form about fires in 2008 that burned homes and threatened the Community of Paradise.
“Ready” asks, “Is your property fire safe? Have you cleared a defensible space around your property?” The innovative and creative use of a mascot was the perfect opportunity to create a character mascot and materials for wildfire awareness directed at the community’s youth.
2022 Resilience Plans & Projects
As we look back on a successful 2021, we are energized and inspired for 2022. As funding opportunities grow, CFSC is ready to meet the challenges of wildfire awareness, prevention, and mitigation with innovative and creative solutions for community preparedness.
Our local fire safe councils, resource conservation districts, and other wildfire mitigation groups provide critical on-the-ground services and the CFSC is proud to offer funding and collaborate to increase awareness, safety initiatives, and educational opportunities to build capacity.
CFSC is educating, empowering, and mobilizing neighbors to stand shoulder to shoulder against the wildfire threat.
