Firewise Communities Educator Materials / ADD ONE
/ NEWS Release /
NWCG Wildland/Urban Interface Working Team
USDAForest Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Land Management
US Fish & Wildlife Service
National Park Service
Federal Emergency Management Agency
International Association of Fire Chiefs
National Association of State Fire Marshals
National Association of State Foresters
National Emergency Management Association
National Fire Protection Association
US Fire Administration / Contact:Amy Schneider: (314) 982-8638,
For Immediate Release:April 20, 2004
NEW TOOL AVAILABLE TO AID IN TEACHING
PRACTICAL WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS
Firewise Communities’ “Wildfires: Beware and Prepare” program
offers information on wildland fire behavior and preparedness
QUINCY, Mass. – To help teachers explain wildfire hazards to students and educate them on how to protect themselves, their families, their homes, and their communities, Firewise Communities and Lifetime Learning Systems®, Inc., have developed an educational program entitled, “Wildfires: Beware and Prepare,” for students in grades 6
through 8. The materials are available to educators at no cost* at
Thousands of homes may be at risk from wildfires each year. Research has shown that when homes are adequately prepared before a wildfire starts, their chances for withstanding a wildfire dramatically increase.
“This is a new way of thinking for many people, and it will take generations for Firewise concepts to become imbedded in our culture,” said Jim Smalley, manager of the Firewise Communities Program. “These materials are designed to educate and energize the next generation of wildland/urban interface homeowners and community leaders.”
Through this program, students will learn:
- How wildfires start and how they can be prevented
- What makes a home or community susceptible to wildfires
- Safety features that can be implemented at home or in the community to help reduce the risk and damage of wildfires
- more -
Program components include:
- Teacher’s guide, including:
- Reproducible student activity
- Reproducible letter to parents/guardians
- Extension activities
- Wall poster, which includes eight reproducible informational panels on the reverse side
- Reproducible eight-page news article titled, “Wildfire Awareness”
“Children are great motivators for their families,” Smalley said. “By teaching our children about wildfire hazards, it is our hope that parents will take notice and families will work together to reduce their wildfire vulnerability.”
To order “Wildfires: Beware and Prepare” or learn more about Firewise Communities educational materials, visit and click on the audiovisual publications catalog link.
The National Firewise Communities Program is an interagency program designed to encourage local solutions for wildfire safety by involving homeowners, community leaders, planners, developers, firefighters, and others in the effort to protect people and property from the risk of wildfire. The National Firewise Communities Program includes the Firewise Communities workshop series, Firewise Communities/USA recognition program, and support for fire organizations and community groups. The Firewise Communities program is sponsored by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group’s Wildland/Urban Interface Working Team, a consortium of wildland fire agencies that includes the USDA Forest Service, the Department of the Interior, the National Association of State Foresters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Emergency Management Association, the U.S. Fire Administration, the National Association of State Fire Marshals, and the National Fire Protection Association. For more information, visit