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At Ozark National Scenic Riverways (NSR) in southeast Missouri, communities which surround the park are generally without emergency response systems such as “9-1-1.” Many people do not even know which volunteer fire department serves their area
The lack of information about the location of homes in the Wildland/Urban Interface(WUI)also makes planning difficult for park management. How can the fire program effectively plan its fuel treatment projects to protect the WUI, if it doesn’t know where neighboring structures are concentrated?
To address these issues, Ozark National Scenic Riverways forged a partnership with FIREWISE’ ESRI Software, the Student Conservation Association (SCA), Shenandoah National Park, and local rural volunteer fire departments.
FIREWISE and ESRI contributed ArcView mapping software to the rural fire departments, free of charge, because a local representative attended the FIREWISE Workshop. The Student Conservation Association, under leadership of the National Fire Program in Boise, provided interns skilled in mapping with GPS systems. Alan Williams and Dan Hurlbert from Shenandoah National Park loaned Ozark NSR a fire risk home assessment system they had developed, that ties a Microsoft Access database of FIREWISE evaluation criteria to ArcView mapping capabilities. Local rural fire departments hosted meetings, assisted with community liasions, and committed to maintaining the system once it is complete. Ozark NSR obtained National Fire Plan funding to support the project, and helped the fire departments with the Rural Fire Assistance(RFA) Program process. Fire program staff at Ozark NSR coordinated the project.
Thus far, nearly 1,300 structures in the Van Buren, Jadwin, and Timber (Missouri) rural fire department jurisdictions have been mapped. Homes have also been assessed for adherance to FIREWISE principles, and homeowner assessments are provided to participants interested in improving their home’s "risk meter" rating. Residents are learning about how to reduce their home’s risk of ignition in the event of a wildland fire, and the maps give the fire department s accurate information about where to go once afire is reported. The maps also show the locations of roads, potential hazards, water sources, topographical features, etc., so that fire fighters can be prepared for what lies ahead.
Ozark National Scenic Riverways will use this information to prep are a Wildland/Urban Interface Plan, which will propose fuels treatment projects in accordance with the highest need. Recently, FIREWISE and SCA partners visited the park, to see for themselves the successful implementation of this diverse partnership. Thanks to the National Fire Plan’s Community Assistance emphasis, and a diverse group of concerned people working together, we are making a difference in the Ozark NSR Wildland/Urban Interface.
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