Marin fire prevention forum draws 200 in wake of North Bay devastation
"Disaster preparedness is at the top of everyone's mind," said
Arnold and Supervisor
NORTH BAY FIRES > MORE COVERAGE
Rodoni added, "While we can lead the discussion around lessons learned it is only with our communities and neighborhoods working together that we can make a real difference and become better prepared."
The two-hour event featured a 15-person panel with representation from first responders, city managers, land managers, insurance professionals and parks officials.
The experts offered tips on fire preparedness, encouraged residents to seek civilian emergency training and to familiarize themselves with their neighbors and to organize. Specifically, Rodoni encouraged residents to investigate how to become a FireWise community.
One focus of the event was to highlight the daunting task of land management and reducing the fuel load that feeds wildfires.
The county's highest risk zones are known as the wildland-urban interface. There are approximately 69,000
The Marin County Parks and
The
There was discussion about climate change and diseases such as sudden oak death and pine pitch canker disease that is prolific throughout the watershed and the Point
Working in Point Reyes,
"We're lucky we didn't lose any lives that year," he said. "But the conditions that existed then up there now are far worse ... and that's unfortunate."
Overall, land managers and fire officials had a message that they need the community's help.
"Fire is a community problem," said
Welch said that while all branches of government have a role to play, "there are responsibilities that you have as well, so I encourage you to get informed on those responsibilities."
The Marin County Community Wildfire Protection Plan suggests collaborating with residents to seek inspections, create 100 feet of defensible space and clear overgrown vegetation on evacuation or emergency access routes.
Among the tips offered were assembling a "grab and go" bag, enlisting neighbors for an evacuation plan, helping older or infirm neighbors to clear brush, signing up for text or phone notifications through AlertMarin.org, obtaining state-sponsored fire insurance and signing up for an evacuation drill with the local fire department.
Attorney
"Seventy-four percent is the percentage of
Larkspur resident
"It was fabulous, well orchestrated, covering a broad range of topics," she said. "Talking about insurance was ingenious, important information."
"The bottom line is that communities need to be aware," he said. "Communities have a responsibility, and they offered a lot of information about how to mobilize and get educated."
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