Enclosure 3C - Project Summary Form
63
NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Prevention & Education Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Washington Department of Natural Resources
Phone:
Type of Applicant: (enter appropriate letter in box)
A
(360) 902-1300
FAX:
(360) 902-1757
Email:
darrel.johnston@wadnr.gov
A. State
B. County
C. Municipal
D. Township
E. Interstate
F. Intermunicipal
G. Special District
H. Independent School District
I. State-Controlled Institution of Higher Learning
J. Private University
K. Indian Tribe
L. Nonprofit Organization
M. Other (Specify) _______________________
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip):
1111 Washington St. SE, Olympia, WA 98504-7037
Project Coordinator
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Sandy Williams, Wildfire Prevention Education Program Manager
Organization/Jurisdiction:
WA Department of Natural Resources
Phone:
FAX:
Email:
(360) 902-1114
(360) 902-1757
Sandy.Williams@wadnr.gov
Project Information
Project Title: Prevention Education Training
Proposed Project Start Date:
2/01/05
Proposed Project End Date:
9/30/07
Federal Funding Request:
$100,000
Total Project Cost:
$25,500
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please prioritize, and explain if the projects are stand alone, sequential, or other:
Yes. Stand Alone. 3rd Statewide Priority.
Brief Project Summary: Who, What, Where, Desired Outcomes in relation to NFP Goals and Community Risk Assessment and
Mitigation Plans (This should summarize page 2).
The Washington State Department of Natural Resources would like to sponsor several quality, affordable, interagency
fire prevention education training opportunities. One example would be Mitigation University which hasn’t been offered
in the PNW in several years. Trainings would be offered to (federal state, local) staff responsible for fire prevention
education. Reduced budgets have forced many decision-makers into the painful process of identifying “non-essential”
personnel/functions. Prevention education positions tend to end up on the chopping block with the duties added onto
someone else’s already full-plate. People in prevention positions are the front-line service delivery to carrying out grant
activities, e.g., locating, signing-up homeowners associations and communities to implement defensible space projects;
deliver fire wise presentations; write mitigation plans, etc. These Prevention Personnel need the training to do their
jobs well and we need to funds to pay for trainers, facilities, and offer scholarships for those that would not be able to
otherwise attend, e.g., volunteer fire dept. staff.
Project Location (latitude/longitude of project):
County:
Congressional District:
Statewide
Statewide
All
Name of Federal, State or Tribal contact with whom you coordinated this proposal:
Telephone number of Contact:
Washington State Fire Chiefs Association
(360) 352-0161
Enclosure 3C (Page 1 of 3) - Project Narrative Description
Applications for funding must include a narrative response that describes the proposal. Please do not submit responses longer than
one page, single space, and 12-pitch font.
Describe project, including, but not limited to:
 type of project to be delivered
 project location
 method of delivery
 project relationship to community or natural
landscape fire plans
 target audience
 timeliness
 tools and/or skills needed to complete project
 projected timelines and cost estimation
 monitoring and evaluation procedures
For this project, explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning, through a “Local Coordination
Group.” If you haven’t worked with a local coordination group, why not? No, Statewide Project.
Response:
Washington State continues to face rising costs coupled with flattening revenues. This translates to state and
local governments tightening belts often trying to provide the same level of services with fewer people and
less hours. At this time, approximately half of our local fire prevention educators are volunteers and the other
half are finding their paid positions cut and duties shifted to someone in another position. State fire
prevention staffs at the regional level also are finding the help they have come to rely upon is being either
partially or fully cut, placing a greater reliance on local fire department educators. Because these people have
been the front-line resources relied upon to carry out on-site grant activities, e.g., oversight of the on-theground fuels reduction projects; doing a Firewise Workshop for Homeowners Associations; writing
mitigation plans, attending city council meetings, talking with county builders and permit offices, etc. Some
of these same individuals have been the dedicated foundation of our successful local prevention teams.
Training would be offered to state and local firefighters (paid or volunteer) and scholarships would be made
available to pick up the costs of travel and per diem where an entity would not otherwise be able to send their
staff. Funds would mainly cover trainer and facility. All costs associated with the training will be considered
in an effort to minimize the overall cost.
Because we recognize the critical link between a well-trained workforce and excellence in delivery we felt
there was a need to target training efforts. So a Training Needs Assessment was developed in coordination
and cooperation with various fire marshals, fire chiefs, prevention educators (state and local governments).
Once all the Training Needs Assessments are returned, we will take time to chart out the information on
courses, agency, and staff location so we can methodically apply a strategy to get the best bang for our buck
in setting up training location and courses. This approach will help us potentially reduce the amount of time
staff are away from work, and reduced travel and per diem costs.
Throughout Washington, Local Coordinating Groups will be utilized for the purposes of open
communication, prioritization of fuel reduction locations, sharing of resources where feasible, etc. Some
areas around the state have these groups in place and operation, for example the Pacific Cascade (formerly
SW and Central Regions) , NW, SE and NE Washington. The South Puget Sound and Olympic Local
Coordinating Groups are still forming. Included as part of the training opportunities at the local level, we
would ask each area to contact their planning/permit office ask them to hand out packets of materials on
disaster resistant home building put out by the Institute for Business & Home Safety and/or Firewise
materials. The grant could cover the cost of any allowable copying.
Enclosure 3C (Page 2 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
1. Prevention of Wildland Urban Interface Fire (40 points)
Describe how the proposal will lead to:
A. Reduction of wildland urban interface fire
B. Reduction of structural losses
C. Homeowner action and personal responsibility to reduce fire loss of private land.
Response:
Prevention staffs are typically the ones who make the initial one-on-one contact with the public. With the
passing of the 10—Year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan, Washington State adopted the
Firewise Program and places a significant emphasis on fuels reduction and mitigation. Here in Washington
we have adopted the Firewise Program statewide. For the past several years, Washington Department of
Natural Resources has offered 4 – 5 formal Firewise Trainings targeting specific counties around the state
using both state and local firefighting resources. Additionally, staffs participating on the local prevention
teams are also trained and able to present the Firewise Program presentation when on a prevention team
assignment. Like suppression efforts, Washington continues to support the interagency team approach.
Whether the request comes to the local fire or state Department of Natural Resources we want to ensure staff
and prevention team members are knowledgeable in how homeowners can reduce their risk to wildfire.
Prevention staff put on Firewise workshops, help homeowners associations apply for fuel reduction grant
funds, supervise work being done with grant funding, and overall are available to provide assistance to the
communities on risk reduction measures.
Here in Washington we utilize a couple of different techniques to get the personal responsibility message
across. One way is through Wildfire Awareness Week which is always built around defensible space and for
the last two years the theme has been Defensible Space Is Your Responsibility. The other way is when
applying grant funds within a community, that community is required to change their CCRs to ensure
homeowners know they are responsible for the annual maintenance. We are also taking a new approach to
show homeowners that implementing defensible space does not mean your yard will look like a clearcut.
Also, by utilizing the training opportunities we would have individuals meet with city/county staff and ask
them to provide individuals seeking building permits with a packet of information on building for wildfire
and other disasters. Included in these packets would be articles from the Institute for Business & Home Safety
or Firewise, etc. Some of the information could be downloaded from the internet and copied.
For these reasons, we need to keep staff trained and where possible work to minimize staff turnover.
Enclosure 3C (Page 3 of 3) - Project Evaluation Criteria
2.
Community Participation (30 points)
Detail the community participation and collaboration for this project. Define clearly why you believe your group
will be successful in delivering the proposal to the target audience. How will the project be sustained or carried
forward beyond project timelines? How will the project be monitored and evaluated?
Response:
The Department of Natural Resources has a website set up where communities can sign up to attend a
Firewise Workshop. Region Prevention staff, along with the other landowners in their region utilize the
RAMS software to classify the risk of the total land base in that region. With that information in hand, and in
coordination and cooperation with their Local Coordinating Group partners, the high-risk locations are targets
and staff go out and make contact with the homeowners and association groups to provide information and
offer training, e.g., Firewise. Once homeowners understand basic fire behavior and their own risk, staffs help
homeowner associations look and apply for grant funds to begin the initial fuel reduction efforts. To date,
residents have been receptive and willingly change their homeowners’ rules and regulations to ensure the
maintenance will continue on into the future. DNR’s SW Region has developed a follow-up checklist for
questionnaire they will send out with a staff person to do some spot checking on projects completed in prior
years.
3.
Partnerships (40 points)
Detail the level of involvement of any local multi-agency, emergency services, non-profit coordination group, and
provide a list of partners for this project with their current and expected level of involvement, including any kind of
contributions or matching funds. What is the project relationship to a community risk assessment or mitigation
plan? Include the name of the plan, date it was prepared, and local contact to get a copy of the plan if requested.
Response:
While the Department of Natural Resources is taking the lead in securing grant funds, but the Training Needs
Assessment was a mutually developed product. The same multi-agency committee will put plot the responses
to come up with the recommendations on courses, trainers, and locations for training. The recommendations
will be made available to the Local Coordinating Groups for recommendations on scholarships based on
need. (Many of our volunteer fire departments have no way to pay any travel and per diem. Volunteers are
critical to the prevention effort.) Again, because there is a great deal of emphasis, not only through the
National Fire Plan, but also through internal agency performance measures to reduce the number of human
caused fires by 5% each year. In our NW Region, Skagit County was the first to complete a Natural Hazard
Mitigation Plan. Skagit’s plan is dated September 2003. Contact Fred Wefer, Skagit County Fire Warder
(360) 428-3293 for a copy. Other counties in Washington have their mitigation plans in progress. The
relationship of the training to the plan (Mitigation Plans, National Fire Plan, Local Prevention Teams, etc.) is
it all includes ensuring staff are properly trained in the skills pertinent to implement such plans and securing
funding, e.g., Firewise Program, Mitigation University, on-the-ground fuel reduction, working with the
public,
Enclosure 3C - Project Work Form
Tasks
Training Needs Assessment Forms returned
and plotted
Make recommendations and finalize training
courses to be offered in ‘05
Time Frame
Jan – Apr. 04
Responsible Party
Interagency Committee
Interagency Committee
May – Jul ‘045
Locate training facilities and trainers
Aug. – Dec ‘04
Interagency Committee
Jan – May ‘06
Interagency Committee
Schedule Classes and make general
announcement of availability
Classes begin
Enclosure 3D Project Budget
Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency
Personnel
Applicant
Partner 1
DNR
10,000
Fire Depts.
4,000
3,000
1,000
4,000
1,000
Partner 2
Subtotal
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
Travel
15,000
Subtotal
Equipment
2.500
Subtotal
Supplies
5,000
Subtotal
Contractual
Mitigation University
Contractor
and Other Trainers
Subtotal
60,000
Other
Facilities
20,000
Subtotal
Total Costs
100,000
19,500
6,000
Project (Program) Income1
(using deductive alternative)
1
Program income is the gross revenue generated by a grant or cooperative agreement supported activity during the life of
the grant. Program income can be made by recipients from fees charged for conference or workshop attendance, from rental
fees earned from renting out real property or equipment acquired with grant or cooperative agreement funds, or from the sale
of commodities or items developed under the grant or cooperative agreement. The use of Program Income during the
project period may require prior approval by the granting agency.
Total