Wildfire Education for Business Professionals

Reducing Property Risks and Living with Wildfires
By Anne S. Fege, Ph.D., M.B.A.,
Partner, Business and Ecology Consulting; and Botany Research Associate, San Diego Natural History Museum

A wildfire education course for business professionals, "Wildfire Education for Professionals: Reducing Property Risks, Habitat Losses, and Cost," will be offered eight times from February 20 to May 21, 2008, by Business and Ecology Consulting. The classes will be held at the San Diego Natural History Museum (1788 El Prado, San Diego) from 1:30 to 5:30 PM on Wednesday, February 20
Wednesday, March 5
Thursday, March 13
Friday, March 28
Friday April 11
Thursday, April 17
Thursday, May 15
Wednesday, May 21

The tuition is $80 for an individual and $60 each for two or more attendees from the same organization, who register at the same time. Registration information is available online at www.sdnhm.org/education or by calling the Museum's Education Department weekdays from 8:30 AM to 4 PM at 619.255.0203.

The course is designed for professionals who design landscapes and homes, work for home and property owners, and make decisions that affect homeowners and communities. The curriculum, updated to reflect the 2007 wildfires, covers the physics of fire behavior, the ecology of southern California's fire regimes, and how they relate to structure ignition and property losses; local codes for building ignition-resistant structures; and managing defensible space through landscaping and vegetation reduction. Attendees will learn from local expert instructors and will get clear examples of building design, exterior materials, landscaping practices, and quick-low-cost property maintenance and modifications to reduce property risks.

Says organizer, Dr. Anne Fege, "The 2007 wildfires are vivid reminders that we live in a fire-adapted place; that risks of structural losses can be greatly reduced-but not to zero; and that nature is both powerful and fragile." She said further that professionals who advise and work for homeowners can add value for their clients by providing accurate, effective information about the benefits of removing debris and combustible materials, repairing rotting and dried structural elements, maintaining their landscaping, and making other low-cost retrofits that will reduce the risk of embers igniting their house.

Instructors will vary by date and include:
Cliff Hunter, Fire Marshal
Mike Scott, Urban Forester, Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District
Kay Stewart, Landscape Architect
Rick Halsey, Ecologist, California Chaparral Institute
Anne Fege, Retired Forest Supervisor, Cleveland National Forest, Partner, Business and Ecology Consulting, and Botany Research Associate, San Diego Natural History Museum.

Businesses may also arrange for in-service training classes at their locations, and communities may host these courses on evenings and Saturdays.

Business and Ecology Consulting is an environmental consulting firm based in El Cajon, California, with extensive expertise in wildfire ecology, education, and risk reduction. Further information about the course and a registration form (for mail and fax registration) is available www.businessandecologyconsulting.com and click on "wildfire."

Business and Ecology Consulting will record and track Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for the following professionals:
" Certified arborists, through the Western Chapter International Society of Arboriculture;
" Certified urban foresters, through the California Urban Forests Council;
" Community managers, through the California Association of Community Managers;
" Architects, through the American Institute of Architects (self-reporting);
" Planners, through the American Planning Association (self-reporting); and
" Insurance agents, through the California Department of Insurance (application in progress).

The seminars follow a systems approach to wildfire risk reduction. That is, no one aspect of mitigation protects the structure entirely, but instead works within a larger system of preparation to save the home. For example, it is important for landscapers to understand how plant selection and maintenance contribute to a fire-safe landscape, and also how fire physics and structural designs influence ignition. It is important for insurance professionals to understand the influence of home location, construction, materials and maintenance when they decide whether to issue a policy.

This comprehensive four-hour course was developed after the 2003 wildfires, funded by the Joint Fire Sciences fire research programs (Federal) and produced by the San Diego Natural History Museum, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FireSafe Councils of San Diego, and 30 local experts. The course has been offered eight times since March 2007 and has been attended by homeowners, landscape contractors, architects, planners, real estate professionals, insurance agents, business owners, property managers, FireSafe Council members, and others. Feedback from participants indicated they gained a new understanding of the need to look at fire-wise building and landscape design within the context of the natural environment. Professionals who are in a position to advise homeowners indicated they would use this information to better educate their clients, and design professionals indicated that they received ideas that would help them early in the planning process.

Real estate professionals are encouraged to take the six-credit course,"Rural Home Fire Safety for Real Estate Professionals Course" (accredited by the California Department of Real Estate), offered by the FireSafe Council of San Diego County. More information at http://www.firesafesdcounty.org/programs/education.html .

Author: Anne S. Fege, Ph.D., M.B.A., Business and Ecology Consulting and San Diego Natural History Museum, afege@aol.com