Firewise USA
Aug 23rd, 2019 by Laura Colvin
We out did ourselves this year!!! Again, we invested 7X the required effort in time and money spent making our properties less fire prone. On behalf of the whole community. Thank you. As a result, our community has earned the Firewise Certificate. This certificate can be copied or printed and sent to your home insurance company to see if you are eligible for a reduction in premium.
The Firewise USA recognition program of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has empowered neighbors to work together in reducing their wildfire risk. Using a six-step process Indian Valley developed a strategic action plan that guides and encouraged neighbors to become active participants in building a safer place to live. Benefits include living in a community more likely to survive a wildfire, eligibility for fuel reduction grants, and potential discounts on homeowners’ insurance. Contact your insurance company to see if they offer a Firewise discount for a Firewise community.
Scientific research has shown the effectiveness and benefits of implementing the Firewise USA wildfire mitigation concepts across individual property boundaries and throughout communities like ours.
To keep our Firewise status current; we need to document the time and/or money we spend on our home and property for the purpose of reducing the probability of wildfire loss. Please fill out and email your completed Firewise Activities Form to: Tom Tharsing – (TomonTanglewood@gmail.com)
REFLECTING ADDRESS SIGN
Seconds can make the difference – the last thing you need are emergency responders struggling to find your address. Get your BLUE address sign to keep that from happening. If you’d like a blue reflective sign, go to : SafetySign.com
CHIPPER DAYS
Remaining Chipper days for 2026 are as follows: week of August 10th, week of September 14th, and the week of October 19th. You must register with Marin Wildfire ahead of time to receive a pick up. Whule registering, you will be told how to make your brush pile. chipperday.com/marin
HOW TO QUALIFY FOR A HOME HARDENING GRANT
Call Novato fire at 415-878-2690 and ask for a home FIREWISE inspection or go to their web page stopwildfire.net. The inspector will note where your home could be more fire safe. If you choose to proceed in making it more fire safe, Firewise will reimburse a percentage your costs. The funds budget is available from July 1 through June 30th (Best to plan your home hardening by March or April to assure that reimbursement funds are still available).
Block Captains are part of the Firewise program. A Block Captain is just like it sounds, a neighbor helping their neighbors be organized for an emergency and preparing properties to be fire resistant. We currently have 10 Block Captains and need more. If you are interested contact me at the email address below and I’ll provide you more information. If you don’t know who your Block Captain is contact me and I’ll let you know. There may not be one for your block.
If you’re interested in helping or finding out more about the Indian Valley Firewise Committee or Block Captains, please contact our Firewise board member Tom Tharsing at: TomonTanglewood@gmail.com
