Chief Roper Honored with Inaugural Ready, Set, Go! Special Recognition Award

Fairfax, Va. - The International Association of Fire Chief’s (IAFC) Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program is pleased to announce that Fire Chief (Ret.) Bob Roper, EFO, is the inaugural recipient of the RSG Special Recognition Award.  

This award recognizes the most influential individuals in the wildland-urban interface arena and their significant contributions to the creation of behavioral change within the fire service and communities, at local, regional and national levels, through education, training and mitigation utilizing the RSG! Program.  

Chief Roper began his career as a volunteer firefighter in Ventura County, California, where he worked his way through the ranks and become fire chief in 1997, a position he held until 2012. Following his time in Ventura County, he served as the administrator of the Nevada Division of Forestry from 2015 to 2016.  

During his nearly four decades in the fire service, Chief Roper has served as a representative on several committees and groups, including the IAFC’s Wildland Fire Policy Committee (WFPC), Firefighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE), Association of Contract Counties, Governor Schwarzenegger’s Blue Ribbon Task Force and the Wildland Fire Leadership Council, to name just a few.  

As chair of WFPC, Chief Roper played a pivotal role in the support and development of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy as well as the IAFC’s Ready, Set, Go! Program. He grew the fire-adaptation concept and was instrumental in the development and implementation of RSG by making it a part of the Ventura County Fire Protection District’s public outreach and education programs to raise awareness about wildfire threat. Through the program, he was able to empower community members to take personal responsibility and action to prepare.  

After local acceptance and success, RSG gradually expanded throughout California, with continuing success and support from wildland fire preparedness advocates. Roper brought RSG to the IAFC to grow the program nationwide. Since 2009, the IAFC’s wildland fire programs has managed and expanded the breadth of RSG messaging, helping fire and emergency response agencies at all levels empower their community members to be proactive against the threat of wildland fire.  

Chief Roper’s passion, dedication and professional positions have allowed him to advocate for wildfire awareness, personal action and preparation for individuals and agencies from local to national and even international levels.  
It’s with great pleasure that we recognize Fire Chief Bob Roper for his unparalleled contributions to community wildfire readiness.  

The award will be presented at the IAFC’s Wildland-Urban Interface Conference in Reno, Nevada, on March 22.