| This year,
the Southeast Region Fire Management Program distributed
wildland fire education toolboxes with educational resources
and references to education and interpretive staff at
parks with fire management programs region wide. The
regional Fire Education, Prevention, and Information
Specialist also compiled numerous internal resources
to share. These include a list of FIREWISE resources
for the southeast region, an on-line fire information
officer toolbox, and an annotated bibliography of fire
education materials for the southeast region.
Three fire management program displays
and two mannequins dressed in fire gear were circulated
around the region for educational and outreach efforts.
Exhibits were utilized prior to and during planned fuel
treatments or high fire danger periods, as well as displayed
at community events and conferences including the Second
International Wildland Fire Ecology and Fire Management
Congress and an Alabama FIREWISE workshop held in associated
with the Alabama Liveable Cites Conference. A new, more
portable, banner stand display was developed for use
as a traveling resource as well.
In order to share information
with park visitors and the public, numerous parks across
the region have made park fire management plans and/or
fire and fuels management information available on their
websites. Additionally, parks are increasingly using
the National Park Service (NPS) Fire News reporting
system to post updates on active fire management projects
to www.nps.gov/fire.
Parks have also demonstrated inter-divisional cooperation
both in planning and managing active fire management
projects in parks. These cooperative efforts support
the NPS mission and enhance the Service’s collective
efforts towards its number one priority, firefighter
and public safety.
Other park projects also incorporate
opportunities for park visitors to understand and support
the role of fire in ecosystems and the management of
fire and fuels in the National Park Service. These include
ranger-led programs, environmental education programs,
junior ranger activities, signs, brochures, and exhibits.
Parks also work closely with neighboring communities
and the media to share information about their programs.
An example of one such effort was a WKYU public TV broadcast
segment, which first aired in May, featuring the fire
management program at Mammoth Cave National Park. The
fire management programs at Big Cypress National Preserve
and Everglades National Park also received media attention
and were featured in an article in the July/August issue
of the National Fire & Rescue magazine.
This year, projects funded by NPS
as contracts under the National Fire Plan community
assistance program continued as part of ongoing coordination
and collaborative efforts among stakeholders and partners
across the region. This allowed the regional fire program
to leverage a limited supply of federal dollars for
maximum efficiency and effect.
The Southern Area Risk Assessment
is one such example. This interagency risk assessment
for local, state, and federal lands will provide a clearer
picture of the overall potential for wildland fire and
its associated problems. Once completed, fire agencies
will be better equipped to identify communities at risk,
prioritize fuels treatments, and determine the extent
of wildland urban interface issues. This information
is important to have when communicating wildland fire
risks to the public.
In Alabama, the Jefferson-Shelby Wildland
Urban Interface Advisory Council distributed educational
CD-ROMs and Alabama Reader newspaper supplements to
5th grade students. These materials enable students
to learn about the role of fire and fuels management.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission trained representatives
from their districts statewide in FIREWISE principles.
These individuals are now actively developing a collaborative
approach to FIREWISE education and outreach across local,
state, and federal jurisdictions. Additionally, training
for teachers and the distribution of educational CD-ROMs
will benefit students and communities.
The North Carolina Division of Forest
Resources is active in reaching out to communities in
the wildland-urban interface by distributing FIREWISE
newspaper supplements and other educational materials.
The Florida Division of Forestry is
undertaking numerous educational projects to promote
the role of fire in Florida and FIREWISE principles.
These include a statewide prescribed fire awareness
media campaign and the successful Fire in Florida’s
Ecosystems teacher training program. Support is also
provided for bi-lingual outreach to promote the FIREWISE
message in South Florida. Other community projects include
the distribution of fire education, prevention, and
mitigation brochures, as well as newspapers supplements,
mobile displays, education CD-ROMs.
These collaborative outreach
efforts demonstrate the dedication of regional support
staff and wildland fire management programs at more
than 45 parks region wide. The Southeast Region Fire
Management Program is dedicated to collaborating with
stakeholders and partners to promote recognition, acceptance
and support of the role of fire in ecosystems and the
management of fuels in the National Park Service.
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