UPDATE March 29, 2021: This info session is now scheduled for April 1, 2021,

For West Carleton residents the threat of another wildfire is never never far away. The mandate for FireSmart is to reduce the risk that wildfires pose to populated areas by raising awareness through education. Their system is based on zones that spread out from you home and there are things you and the community can do to lower everyone’s individual risk and that to the wider community.

In order to maximize the benefits of the prevention and mitigation efforts, neighbours need to work together to tackle as many of the suggestions as possible. The FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program was set up to help with this challenge.

Neighbourhoods whose residents participate in this program engage in efforts to reduce their vulnerability to wildfires and increase their chances of surviving a wildfire. The successful completion of the program leads to the FireSmart Neighborhood Recognition.

As an introduction to this process, in association with FireSmart we are holding an online information session for interested homeowners. This session was initially scheduled for 2 hours on Feb 20 on Zoom but was rescheduled due to unforeseen circumstances. You can email us at WildFireReady@WestCarletonRelief.ca so we can send you a Zoom invitation containing the link once the new date is determined.

West Carleton Disaster Relief was formed in the aftermath of the 2018 tornadoes by five of West Carleton’s Community Associations, including the CBBCA. WCDR’s mission is to improve our community’s emergency preparedness through planning and education and to  enhance the effectiveness of the volunteers who respond to future events through the acquisition of supplies and critical infrastructure . WCDR, with the financial support of the Red Cross, has published a series of West Carleton centric pamphlets to assist in being Flood, Wildfire, and Blackout Ready, is developing training, and has acquired a specially equipped response trailer. They are now fundraising to acquire equipment & supplies to so they are able to bring support to volunteers and residents where they need it, when they need it. You can be part of the journey at WestCarletonRelief.ca.