SC Gardens Firewise Community USA® Recognition
The Firewise program empowers residents with a wildfire risk to work collaboratively with neighbors to take important proactive steps to protect their homes and the community
against the threat of wildfire.
About the program
September 30, 2021, Santa Cruz Gardens was recognized as a Firewise Community USA®.
There are currently over 20 recognized Firewise Communities in SCC, including Santa Cruz Gardens.
Neighbors helping neighbors – this is what Firewise USA® is all about. Residents join together as a Firewise site and take actions to prepare themselves, their homes and their properties against the threat of wildfire. They look out for one another and provide those in need of assistance with help in emergency preparation.
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The Firewise USA® program is administered by National Fire Protection Association (NFPA®) and is co-sponsored by the USDA Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters. While the NFPA® administers this program, individuals and communities participate on a voluntary basis.
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What are the benefits?
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Participation is voluntary.
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Increases good will with first responders, providing safer access Increases community communication, collaboration and emergency preparedness.
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Potential consideration by home insurance companies (USAA and Mercury). Assembly Bill 3074, passed into law in 2020, requires a third zone for defensible space. This law requires the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to develop the regulation for a new ember-resistant zone (Zone 0) within 0 to 5 feet of the home by January 1, 2023. Soon homeowners will be required to create a 5 feet fire fuel reduction from any structure. Home insurance will follow.
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Potential access to grant money for vegetation management and fire fuel reduction.
Watch the short video?
How It Works
We are now a recognized Firewise USA® community, so what's next?
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Through the recognition process, the board/committee developed an action plan - a prioritized list of risk reduction projects/investments for our neighborhood - Santa Cruz Gardens - along with suggested homeowner actions and education activities that neighbors will strive to complete annually, or over a period of multiple years. Action plans should be updated at a minimum of at least every three years.
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Next, we are getting started implementing our action plan in order to maintain our Firewise community recognition.
As a part of the program, each site is required to annually invest the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit in wildfire risk reduction actions. Our site identified 485 homes within our boundary than 485 hours of work or the monetary equivalent based on the independent sector value of volunteer time which is $27.20 equivalent of $13,192 need to be completed for that year.
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In order to stay and maintain our Firewise Community recognition, we need your help
Homeowners can and must take primary responsibility for wildfire safety action around the home.
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The work of a Firewise community is never done. To maintain our active status in the program, we must continue the work throughout the year, documenting all activities, including our Firewise Day, the hours involved, and the volunteers.
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The requirement to maintain our Firewise Community recognition is called Time and Expense Investment.
Investing the equivalent of one volunteer hour (valued at $25.43) per residential dwelling unit within the site’s boundary in annual wildfire risk reduction efforts is a requirement of the national recognition program’s criteria for maintaining an “In Good Standing” status.
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What you need to do is to follow the steps below.
Basically, any gardening activity focusing on cleaning, clearing, pruning, removing trees and vegetation goes toward the Time and Investment required to maintain our recognition. By following the steps below you will get a complete understanding of the process.
But you can also just fill out the Investment Form on Step 3.
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Take Action
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Go to the How to Participate page to LEARN EVERYTHING about how to achieve your Firewise USA investment requirement by following the three steps above.
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