CLASSROOM WORKShOP

Synopsis

FireSmart / Fire Safety Around Home

The 2023 Wildfire season was unprecedented  with wildfires and community destruction. It seems that natural disasters are becoming the new normal. As residents learning from the losses of this season will help us better understand how wildfires impact structures, how we can be better prepared and have conversations with agencies involved in community development and safety. This 90 minute classroom presentation will go over the wildfires timeline and losses and what challenges firefighters faced and how we can co-exist with wildfires in the future. 

We will review  Fire Resistive Home Construction and wildfires, Landscape Practises, Access/Egress and Water Supply. Why Critical Infrastructure is Important, Forest Stand type and Proximity to Homes. Training and Education for Firefighters, Why wildfires are NOT just a Fire Services issue.

Bio

Kara McCurdy has been both a volunteer firefighter and wildland firefighter for over 30 years. She graduated from college in 2001 as a forest technician and has held many positions as wildland firefighter, forest ranger, educator and prevention officer. Throughout her career she has travelled Canada and USA helped other provinces/states in wildfire efforts including roles as a division supervisor, fire behaviour analyst, and fire investigator. As a volunteer firefighter she has been an officer 29 years, the past 14 as deputy chief in two separate stations. On the side she volunteers with search and rescue, the local garden club and does photography. Since Porters Lake wildfire there has been an increase in interest in wildfire mitigation, 2023 no exception being one of the toughest seasons she’s faced.