Ready, Set, Go! Program Announces 2016 Award Winners

Fairfax, Va. - The IAFC’s Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program is pleased to announce the RSG! Program 2016 Award recipients. These awards recognize the exceptional efforts and achievements of RSG member organizations and individuals associated with implementing the fire-adapted concept and maintaining a successful RSG! Program in their communities. 

They also honor outstanding efforts by both volunteer and paid/combination departments and state-level agencies for using the RSG! Program to create Community Wildfire Readiness (CWR). CWR is created by supporting mitigation efforts and improving the dialogue on wildland-fire preparedness between fire and emergency services or community organizations and the residents they serve.

The winners have incorporated the RSG! Program into their prefire mitigation or preparedness outreach. They’ve also demonstrated innovation in expanding the program to neighboring emergency service groups to enhance wildfire readiness throughout their communities. These RSG champions have helped their communities become actively engaged in the wildland-fire solution.

The awards will be presented to the winners at the IAFC’s Wildland-Urban Interface Conference  in Reno, Nevada, on March 9. To learn more about the winners and the Ready, Set, Go! Awards, please visit the RSG program website.

The RSG Award for Excellence

• Flower Mound (Texas) Fire Department

The RSG Innovation Award

• Austin (Texas) Fire Department Wildfire Division

The RSG Leadership Award

• Career Department: Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization
• Volunteer/Combination Department: Aubrey (Texas) Fire Department

The Ready Set Go! Program is funded by the USDA Forest Service to promote improved dialogue on wildland-fire preparedness between fire and emergency service organizations and the residents they serve. The program provides the guidance and tools, without charge, to any member organization regardless of size or resource ability. These tools help the departments communicate with residents about what to expect in a wildland fire and how to encourage community members to take personal responsibility in the wildland-fire preparedness effort.

The program also works to help communities become fire-adapted by raising situational awareness and realistic expectations about firefighting resources during an event. For more information, visit the RSG! Program website.