My Firewise Experience
By Noah Futch
My name is Noah Futch, and I have just finished my senior year at White County High School and will attend the University of North Georgia in the Fall. Throughout the past year, I have sought various ways to serve my community and opportunities to help fund my college education. With this being said, I applied for the White County 4-H Forestry and Firewise Community Service Project and Scholarship, which was a perfect opportunity to learn something new while serving in a community-based project. This Firewise project is a partnership of several organizations, including White County 4-H, the Chestatee/Chattahoochee RC&D, the Georgia Forestry Commission, and the USDA Forest Service. I was grateful to be chosen for the program and have been serving in this Firewise project over the past several months.
Firewise is a non-profit organization that spreads fire prevention awareness to keep homes and neighborhoods safe from wildfires. The Firewise community service project involved many components. Under the guidance of Mr. Nathan Eason from White County 4-H, I began learning about Firewise and the tasks needed for the project. Some of the tasks were completing an online fire safety course, attending a Firewise community meeting in Hiawassee, completing a Firewise risk assessment of a neighborhood in White County, attending a neighborhood homeowners association meeting while passing out Firewise fire prevention information, hosting a Firewise information booth at a community event, and writing this article.
During the process of this service project, one thing stood out to me, and that was the many great people who are passionate about protecting homes and communities. The people I met were excited about preventing wildfires and educating others on protecting their homes, property, and neighborhoods from the threat of wildfires. Mr. Nathan Eason gave me an overview of what I would be doing. He connected me with Mr. Aubrey Brown and Mr. Frank Riley of the Firewise program. These men were very helpful and taught me about the importance of fire prevention. They showed me how to educate others about fire prevention to protect their homes and neighborhoods.
There were two Firewise activities I completed that stood out to me. One activity was working with Mr. Aubrey Brown and completing a risk assessment for a neighborhood in Sautee. We evaluated different houses for fire safety. We looked to see if flammable things that could quickly start a flame and spread to catch the house on fire. If there were flammable material, we would inform the owner. Of course, the homeowners would have to agree for us to inspect the fire safety of their house. It was a great experience that helped me understand what a Firewise home should look like. The other activity involved volunteering at a recent community plant sale hosted by the Soque Garden Club and setting up a Firewise information booth. I met great people and educated many on keeping their homes safe from fires while passing out Firewise material.
From the service project I completed with Firewise, I have learned helpful lessons about fire prevention. I have learned that knowing about fire safety and fire prevention is critical and should be stressed more often. It is important to do your best to protect your home by ensuring it is safe. Through the Firewise group, the homeowner’s association, the community plant sale, and other ways, I have learned how special and valuable our neighborhoods and community are and how we must work together to protect them.
In conclusion, I would like to share a few helpful tips on keeping your property safe from fires. Always clean your gutters and under your deck to remove flammable debris and leaves. Keep flammable plants a safe distance (five feet) from your house. Prune tree branches/limbs away from your home and at least 6 feet from the ground, and remove dead branches. Keep your lawn and landscape healthy, and remove dead or decayed plants. Move firewood piles, propane tanks, and other flammable objects at least 30 feet from your home. These tips will make you be Firewise around your home.
To find out more about Firewise USA, visit https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa.