May 2016    
 
 
Greetings!  In the May Issue of the Pulse, we review some community events as part of National Wildfire Preparedness Day and Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month and spotlight the Northeastern Nevada Fire Prevention Group (NNFPG). We also introduce our new Living With Fire Program Outreach Coordinator.
Cash Award Turns Project Into a Successful Event

A banner displayed in front of the Palomino Valley Auxiliary Fire Department. Photo courtesy of Cathy Glatthar.

What started as a project, quickly snowballed into a successful fire safety fair for Palomino Valley residents after the volunteer fire department won a cash award in a national contest. The Palomino Valley Auxiliary Fire Department (PVAFD) won $500 from the Wildfire Preparedness Day Project Award for their Reflective Address Number Sign Project. Once they were awarded the prize, members of the volunteer fire department expanded the project and held a Community Fire Safety Fair on May 7, 2016 at the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District's volunteer station.
 
The PVAFDs' Reflective Address Number Sign Project educated residents on the importance of having a visible house number during an emergency and allowed residents the opportunity to purchase a highly visible house number sign and have it installed by a fire volunteer. The $500 prize money was used to purchase reflective sign blanks and numbers, posts, mounting hardware and Fair supplies.
 
The Safety Fair was a success as 57 attendees participated. The Reflective Address Number Sign Project was featured at the event, where 17 orders were taken and two raffle winners will receive free signs. Other activities and information included: distribution of free ash cans with locking lids; a Living With Fire Program table with a variety of educational materials and fire preparedness promotional material; emergency preparedness brochures from Washoe County Emergency Management; Ready, Set, Go Program brochures and Go Kit bags; National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Firewise and Fire Adapted Communities brochures; Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District provided the NFPA TakeAction Program's Wildfire Preparedness for Horses brochures; a children's activity table and an Ember Storm video played for residents to learn about the vulnerabilities of an average home during an ember storm.
 
Cathy Glatthar, Wildfire Preparedness Day Project Coordinator and fire volunteer stated, "Many such projects don't happen due to a lack of funds, so we thank State Farm for this generous award program."
 
The contest was sponsored in collaboration with the NFPA and State Farm Insurance. The contest's goal was to raise wildfire awareness, promote collaboration and bring neighbors together to work on projects for National Wildfire Preparedness Day.
FACt: Clear the Deck!

A firefighter works to extinguish flames ignited by embers blowing in under a deck. Photo courtesy of the Nevada Appeal.

Removing easily ignitable fuel on or within five feet of your house is the first step in defending your home from flames originating from embers or larger pieces of burning material (firebrands). This tinder type material includes leaves and twigs accumulated on your roof or in your rain gutters, dried plant litter piled in a corner against your house's siding, or dead accumulated plants in foundation flower beds. However, one commonly overlooked source of ignition is the dry dead plant material that accumulates under a deck and in the spaces between your deck boards. Wind-blown embers and firebrands can easily penetrate under a deck or fall into the voids between deck boards. Fanned by the wind, embers can smolder until the accumulated litter ignites, ultimately setting the deck and then the house on fire. Cleaning and disposing of this easily ignited fuel is one more step in preparing your home for wildfire and creating a safe environment for firefighters to do their work.
The Trials and Tribulations of Older-Home Ownership
 
In this month's blog, Jamie discusses her process of creating defensible space in a fire prone neighborhood. Follow her journey and participate in the discussion here!

Northeastern Nevada Fire Prevention Group

The Northeastern Nevada Fire Prevention Group (NNFPG) consists of fire prevention staff from all the fire suppression entities located within Elko County, including the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), City of Elko Fire Department, Elko County Fire Protection District, Nevada Division of Forestry, USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs and USDA Forest Service. The group was established in 2015 to provide an interagency approach to communication and coordination for wildland fire prevention and education to the residents of Elko County.

The NNFPG collaborated recently on a great community event on May 7 as part of National Wildfire Preparedness Day and Nevada Wildfire Awareness Month. Held at the Home Depot in Elko and funded partially by a mini grant from State Farm Insurance that was obtained by the City of Elko Fire Department, the annual event has grown steadily with close to 500 participants this year. Another project was the just-released publication called "Fire Adapted Communities - The Next Step in Wildfire Preparedness". University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Living With Fire Program assisted BLM-Elko and Elko County Fire Protection District in customizing this informative publication for Elko County residents. Printed copies can be obtained from any of the NNFPG collaborators or viewed online here.
This newsletter is provided by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, an EEO/AA institution, with funding from a State Fire Assistance grant from the Nevada Division of Forestry and USDA Forest Service. Additional support is provided by the Bureau of Land Management - Nevada State Office.
In This Issue
Introducing... Jamie Roice-Gomes
   
Photo courtesy of Conrad Communications.

Jamie Roice-Gomes is the new outreach coordinator with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Living With Fire Program.  She earned her Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and a Master of Arts in Interactive Environmental Journalism. She enjoys communicating natural resource issues in an interesting and interactive manner. Among other duties, Jamie will send out the monthly editions of The Network Pulse newsletter, coordinate events and write blog posts. Be sure to add her e-mail to your safe sender list to receive future newsletters. Contact Jamie if you would like her to participate in an event in your community at 775-336-0261 or
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