We know you’re trying to do more with less. Like you, we understand wildland fires don’t observe community boundaries or local, state or federal jurisdictions. So we know mitigating risk and optimizing response requires a more comprehensive attack. We know local departments, regional groups and federal agencies are doing good things that others could apply in their communities.
Connecting these dots and helping you do your job faster, easier and safer is our mission.
Overview
Through our wildland programs, the IAFC raises awareness about wildland fire risks by educating members, residents, land owners and managers, local officials and planners. We support your local outreach efforts with resources and information and serve as the voice for your local government on a national level.
The Wildland Urban Interface is defined as areas where homes are built near or among lands prone to wildland fire. The fire risk in the WUI is one of the fastest growing problems in the United States and as commercial and residential development progresses in at-risk areas, the challenges continue to grow.
The IAFC is a partner in the Fire Adapted Communities Coalition (FAC Coalition) and works with other organizations and departments that help people in the WUI and at-risk areas. The FAC Coalition helps communities understand the threat and adapt while reducing their risk for damage, without compromising responder or civilian safety. Working in cooperation with these partners allows for the promotion of a unified message that ensures all IAFC wildland programs offer the most accurate, innovative and useful information.
In addition to a variety of online tools, the IAFC has specific programs, guidance, education and platforms that can support your prevention, mitigation and response efforts that achieve behavioral change in the face of wildland fire in your community:
Wildland Fire Policy Committee
Wildland Fire Programs
Ready, Set, Go! Program
Fire Department Exchange
Annual Wildland-Urban Interface conference
Policy
The IAFC’s Wildland Fire Policy Committee (WFPC) works to support effective wildland fire response by the fire service by advancing solutions to the challenges outlined in the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy.
The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy is a strategic push to:
- Work collaboratively among all stakeholders and across all landscapes, using best science to make meaningful progress towards managing vegetation and fuels
- Protect homes, communities and other values at-risk
- Manage human-caused ignitions
- Effectively and efficiently responding to wildfire
As local, state and federal governments attempt to address fuel modification in the interface and meet social resistance to a balanced fuels reduction plan, the WFPC serves as the voice of the local fire service. We promote nationwide efforts to reduce wildfire threats through aggressive prevention, public information and education, mitigation, and preparation and response efforts. To do so, the committee keeps ahead of emerging wildland and WUI issues facing the fire service and responds accordingly.
As subject-matter experts who represent the IAFC on national wildland fire leadership groups, committee members also provide oversight to the association’s wildland programs.
In the policy section:
- IAFC position statements on wildland fire
- Updates on current wildland fire issues and a wealth of research and information regarding wildland fire
Fire Adapted
The IAFC’s Wildland Fire Programs address a key component of the National Wildland Fire Cohesive Strategy. We provide the fire service, residents and other community stakeholders with the tools, resources, guidance and support to prepare for the threat of wildfire.
Our resources help community members create a fire-ready community, including mitigating and working to establish a community coalition. This can take place by promoting wildfire readiness through education and providing the community with proper resources to raise awareness on the steps needed to create a fire-adapted community. Through our programs, we’re committed to providing the tools local fire departments, their partners, and residents need to make their communities more fire-adapted.
Ready, Set, Go! Program (RSG)
The RSG Program is one of our fire-adapted the resources that supports developing and improving dialogue between the fire service and the residents they serve. The program helps departments teach individuals who live in high-risk wildland fire areas and the WUI how to best prepare themselves, their families and their properties against outdoor fire threats. Customizable resources allow members to incorporate some familiarity within the program, creating increased buy-in from their local audiences.
Through the trusted voice of the fire service, the program and associated resources encourage residents/property owners to be Ready by taking personal responsibility and action—preparing long before the threat of a wildland fire. RSG provides tips on creating defensible space, assembling emergency supplies, planning escape routes and identifying safety zones.
RSG educates audiences how to be Set with situational awareness by staying up to date on the latest news and information about the fire and the ability to receive local emergency notifications.
The program also encourages those in threatened areas to Go and act early following their Personal Wildland Fire Action Plan. Promoting cooperation and early action not only supports the safety of community members, but allows fire and emergency response agencies to utilize their resources where they are most needed.
In the fire adapted section:
- All of the resources you need to prepare your community and home for the threat of wildland fire.
Resilient Landscape
Managing fuels such as brush, leaves and other debris in the WUI is key to protecting homes and communities from wildland fire.
In the resilient landscapes section:
- Information from the IAFC’s Ready, Set, Go! Program and partners about how to protect your home and other structures from the threat of wildland fire
- Details on creating defensible space
- Actions you can take to prepare your home against wildland fire
- Information about fire resistant building materials
Suppression
Wildland fire risk is one of the fastest growing problems in the United States due to development, climate and stressed vegetation. As this fire risk has increased so has the need for an efficient and effective response to wildland fire.
In the suppression section:
- Information on the equipment, air operations and fire-fighting tactics that are currently being used to combat wildland fires
- Details on the actions that fire departments and other agencies are taking to try and prepare areas for possible wildfires
- Information on controlled/prescribed burn programs where a controlled fire is started in a forest to burn away some of the debris on the ground that could fuel future wildland fires