NATIONAL FIRE PLAN COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE AND WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE PROJECTS
Application for Wildland Urban Interface Fuels / Education and
Prevention / Community Planning for Fire Protection Projects
Applicant
Applicant/Organization:
Phone:
FAX:
Address (Street or P. O. Box, City, State, Zip) :
Project Coordinator
Email:
Project Coordinator (Name and Title):
Shannon Coppock – Treasurer, Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education Division
Organization/Jurisdiction:
Tri-County Fire Association in Benton/Franklin & Walla Walla Co. & around Pasco, Kennewick & Richland
Phone:
509-547-9420
FAX:
509-547-7059
Email: shannonc@bossig.com
Project Information
Project Title:
Tri-County Urban Interface/Wildland Fire Safety & Mitigation Education Project
Proposed Project Start Date:
February 1, 2004
Proposed Project End Date:
June 30, 2004
Federal Funding Request:
21,600.00
Total Project Funding:
25,600.00
Are you submitting multiple projects? If so, please explain and prioritize:
No
Brief Project Description:
Educating residents in urban interface zones to create a safe area around their homes consisting of:
A) greenbelts – watered, landscaped areas to create a 30 foot greenbelt around the homes
B) clearing of combustibles from around the homes
C) safe building practices – composition shingle vs. shake roof etc.
D) the use of shrubs with low flammability for landscaping
2. Educating residents about the prevention of wildland fires by suggesting alternatives such as:
A) Using existing refuse services instead of burning refuse
B) Using chippers to make mulch to compost vs. burning
Project Location (latitude/longitude if applicable): County: Congressional District:
Pasco, Kennewick, Richland, Burbank Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla Parts of 4 & 5
Project Type: Check appropriate project type. More than one type may be checked. If only Box (4) is checked, use Enclosure 4.
(1) Wildland Urban Interface Fuels Project
(2) Wildland Urban Interface Education and Prevention Project
(3) Community Planning for Fire Protection Project
(4) Fuels Utilization and Marketing Project
If the applicant is an unincorporated area, define the geographic area being represented:

Applications for funding must include a narrative response that describes the proposal. Please do not submit responses longer than one page, single space, 12-pitch font.
Describe project including, but not limited to:
Address these items as applicable:
 project location
 project implementation
 anticipated outcomes
 measures and reporting
 interagency partners
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 project relationship to community or natural landscape fire plans project time frames and income specify types of activities and equipment used amount or extent of actions (acres, number of homes, etc) environmental, cultural and historical resource requirements
Response: Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education Division is responsible for public fire safety education in parts of
Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla counties surrounding the Tri-Cities area comprised of Kennewick, Pasco, Richland and Burbank,
Washington.
In the last several years, the Tri-County area has experienced a major housing growth into wildland areas. There have been a number of wildland fires that have encroached upon these urban interface areas, threatened and even destroyed a number of homes.
Most notable of these fires was the Hanford Fire in 2000 that burned 11 homes. Most of these homes were not properly landscaped or maintained as required for urban interface areas. In the years since 2000, there have been a number of local TV news stories that encourage people to protect their homes and even with this information, there are still many homeowners that have not taken actions to clean up and create green spaces around their homes. The goal of the Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education
Division is to help protect the old-growth sagebrush in the area while ensuring the safety of the homeowners and their residences in the event of a wildland fire. The Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education Division has started a project of education relative to the areas in which there are potential problems with the wildland urban interface. We want to expand this project to include but not limited to the following:
1) A program that includes face-to-face delivery of educational materials such as the Living With Fire publication. The goal is to have paid-call firefighters from the local districts deliver these materials so that we have personal contact with the homeowners in order to answer questions and to provide as much information as required.
2) Expand our television campaign to include a series of Public Service Announcements highlighting different education points including correct landscaping & green belt requirements, and options for removal of fuels such as composting, mulching, recycling, and disposal vs. burning.
3) More involvement of the local fire jurisdictions in door to door education and or local community meetings, covering the same educational points already outlined.
4) The education of homeowner’s associations, local contractors and property developers of the proper green belt requirements for homes in wildland interface setting.

Applications for funding must include narrative responses that address the following four criteria. Within each criterion, subcriteria are listed in descending order of importance. Limit your responses to the areas provided .
1. Reducing Fire Risk. (40 points) )
A.
Describe how the proposal promotes reduction of risk in high hazard areas or communities, or natural landscapes.
B.
Describe how the proposed project benefits resources on federal land or adjacent non-federal land, or how it protects the safety of communities.
C.
To what extent does the project implement or create a cooperative (1) fuels treatment plan or (2) community fire strategy
(include evidence of the plan if it already exists)?
D.
Explain to what extent the affected community or proponent has been involved or plans to involve the affected community in a qualified fuels education program (e.g., FIREWISE).
E.
Explain how the proposal (1) leads to, enhances or restores a local fire-adapted ecosystem, and/or (2) mitigates or leads to the mitigation of hazardous fuel conditions.
F.
How will the proposed treatments or programs be maintained in future years?
Response:
A. Our goal is to educate the public so that they will realize the benefit of properly maintaining their homes and surrounding areas in the event of a wildland fire by removing rubbish, correctly landscaping and by having the proper greenbelt around the house.
B. With successful education we should be able to reduce the fire hazard to our residents, their homes, old growth sagebrush and BLM lands that adjoin some of the homes in the urban interface areas, in the event of a wildland fire.
C. The Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education Division, currently works to educate the residents in our area with newspaper notices, radio messages, theatre ads and flyers.
D. The Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education Division is comprised of the fire departments and districts in the area.
We will be providing educational materials and expertise to the homeowners, contractors and landscapers as part of this project.
E. Successful education should help to reduce wildland fires and the number of acres burned during a fire as well as to protect homes in the event of a wildland fire.
F. We will continue education through our newspaper notices, radio messages, theatre ads and flyers.
2.
Increasing local capacity. (30 points )
A.
How would the proposal improve or lead to the improvement of the local economy in terms of jobs and sustainable economic activity? How many jobs are expected to be created or retained and for how long (please distinguish between essentially yearround and seasonal jobs)? How will this proposal link to other projects (or proposed projects) to create year-round jobs?
B.
To what extent will this project be offered to serve as a model for other communities or natural landscapes?
C.
Will biomass or forest fuels be utilized; if so, in what manner and how much?
Response:
The funding for this project will go toward purchasing the Living With Fire flyers printed by DNR as well as helping to pay for additional educational ads placed with the local newspaper and television stations. Fire departments and fire districts will utilize the staffing that is currently available for the face-to-face delivery of the Living With Fire flyers. This project involves the entire community in the Tri-City area. There will be no forest fuels utilized.

3.
Increasing interagency and intergovernmental coordination. (15 Points)
A.
Describe how this project implements a local intergovernmental strategy or plan, or creates such a plan. Describe the plan if it already exists.
B.
Explain the level of cooperation, coordination or strategic planning through a “Local Coordination Group” for wildland fire activities, or among federal, state, tribal, local government and community organizations. List the cooperators (a detailed list of cooperators will be required for projects that are funded).
Response:
This project involves the City of Kennewick Fire Department, City of Pasco Fire Department, City of Richland Fire
Department, Benton County Fire Districts #1, #2 and #4, Franklin County Fire District #3, and Walla Walla County
Fire District #5. These departments and districts are members of the Tri-County Fire Association. The Public
Education Division of the Tri-County Fire Association will be heading up the project with cooperation from each of the districts and departments involved, in order to reach out to the members in each community. Firefighters will be distributing flyers and going door-to-door to help in the education process of our community members as well as participating in any community meetings with homeowner and contractors.
4.
Expanding Community Participation. (15 Points)
A.
To what extent have interested individuals, groups, and communities been provided an opportunity to become informed and involved in this proposal?
B.
Describe the extent of local support or opposition for the project, including any cost-sharing arrangements.
C.
What are the environmental, social and educational benefits or concerns of the project?
Response:
The local news media take an active interest in the area’s fire prevention projects. They participate by actively seeking information regarding fire prevention activities and wildland/urban interface fire education which they relay to the public. The local Fire Departments and Districts are committed to making our wildland interface housing areas safer for the residents and to help to reduce the instances of wildland fires through prevention measures and public education.
The intent is to educate homeowners so that they can make better choices for landscaping and removal of rubbish and debris. The Tri-County Fire Association, Public Education Division is the infrastructure for public outreach. They use news releases, newspaper notices, radio spots and PSAs to reach the community.

Tasks
Prepare radio and newspaper notices and coordinate TV media releases
Time Frame
February 1, 2004
Responsible Party
Tri-County Fire Association, Public
Education Division
Purchase Living With Fire flyer. Immediately after project award Tri-County Fire Association, Public
Education Division
Contract with TV and newspaper for media releases.
Immediately after project award
Run TV and Newspaper Notices March 1, 2004
Tri-County Fire Association, Public
Education Division
Distribution of Flyers April & May 2004
Tri-County Fire Association, Public
Education Division – Local TV and newspaper
Local Fire Departments and Districts
Door to Door Contact April & May 2004
Meetings with Contractors, Landscapers and
Community Members
May & June 2004
Local Fire Departments and Districts
Local Fire Departments and Districts

Cost Category
Description
Federal
Agency Applicant Partner 1 Partner 2 Total
Personnel
Payroll Door-to-Door Contact
Subtotal
Fringe Benefits
Subtotal
Travel
Subtotal
Equipment
Subtotal
Supplies
Newspaper Notices
Flyers/TV Notices
Subtotal
Contractual
Subtotal
Other
Subtotal
Total Costs
Project (Program) Income 1
(using deductive alternative)
$6,000.00
$6,000.00
$ 600.00
$ 600.00
$15,000.00
$15,000.00
$21,600.00 $4,000.00
$2,000.00
$2,000.00
$4,000.00
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.
$6,000.00
$6,000.00
$ 600.00
$ 600.00
$2,000.00
$17,000.00
$19,000.00
$25,600.00