As a result of the priorities in Senate Bill 762, and to better meet the needs and assist Oregonians, the Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) created Fire Adapted Oregon. This initiative uses an integrated and strategic investment of resources to reduce fires and their impact on the public. Fire Adapted Oregon is grounded in statewide data, science, new defensible space codes, and trends.
The initiative will be grounded in the community risk reduction framework. The CRR framework can be visualized in five Es to consider when planning local projects or work:
- Emergency Response: Could adding or enhancing emergency services improve community safety?
- Economic Incentives: Could economic incentives or penalties encourage safer behavior?
- Education: Would altering Oregonian's knowledge, attitudes, and awareness related to their risks impacts their behaviors?
- Enforcement: Could passing, strengthening, or enforcing laws and rules impact risks?
- Engineering: Are there technology solutions such as products or materials that could help reduce risk?
Community Risk Reduction Unit
The community risk reduction unit provides training, planning and technical assistance, and access to data and strategic investment funding resources to reduce wildfire risks at the local level. The OSFM has seven (7) regional fire risk reduction specialists (FRRSs) to work with local partners to create and promote fire-adapted communities in Oregon. These FRRSs are the regional contact for fire chiefs and local partners for community risk reduction needs. For an interactive map with their contact, visit the
OSFM field staffing map. Risk reduction activities and needs look different in each community; however, there are some examples of what your regional FRRS can assist with:
Training
- Home ignition zone best practices training in partnership with the National Fire Protection Association to provide a shared base of knowledge for fire service and other professional practitioners on how homes ignite from wildfire and how to mitigate that potential. Thirteen 2-day courses will be hosted throughout Oregon starting April 2022.
Educational Capacity
- FRRSs can assist with local community meetings, educational events, and efforts to improve and increase knowledge of wildfire risk and preparedness best practices.
- Collaboratively create plans for risk reduction projects around critical infrastructure, such as schools and hospitals.
Best Available Science
- Using demographic, geographic, and fire incident data to drive actions to identify and mitigate risks at various levels in local communities.
- Using data analysis to help local partners identify vulnerable populations, critical infrastructure, and wildfire risk to schools, hospitals, and eldercare facilities.
Click the link above for our "Assessing Structural Ignition Potential from Wildfire” courses.