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Talmadge Fire Safe Council
 Mission:
The Mission of the Talmadge Fire Safe Council (TFSC) is to mobilize
the community to act now in a firewise way for the potential of
saving our lives, residences, and natural resources from a wildfire.
Goals:
- Reduce the buildup of Vegetative Fuel and Develop Native Firewise
Landscaping. The City of San Diego Fire Department has developed
the following Fire Safety and Brush Management or Private
Property: www.sandiego.gov/fireandems/pdf/brushpdf.pdf.
It describes how to create 100 ft of defensible space around
our residences. Our required defensible space will often overlap
onto
our neighbor’s property because we live in close proximity
to one another. Neighbors working together to create defensible
space can increase each other’s safety. The City of San
Diego Parks and Recreation Department, Open Space Division, has
developed
native plant
recommendations to go along with creating defensible
space and developing firewise landscaping.
- Improve the Fire Resistance of Structures through out the
Community. Fire, Radiant Heat and Fire Embers can cause a structure
to burn.
Fire embers can arrive from a mile away, look like a blizzard,
pile up like snow, and get into crevices and small openings.
The roof of our homes represents a major surface onto which embers
can fall and stick. A Class A Fire Rated roof system is a critical
part of fire protection. Use of building materials, which are
Class
A Fire Rated is also important for fire protection. Examples
of such follow: Fencing substitutes for wood www.timbercrete.com,
decking products www.acbpco.com,
siding for enclosing unskirted decks, soffits, or replacing wood
siding, www.jameshardie.com.
- Prepare the Community for a Disaster by having a Talmadge
Community Evacuation Plan and Emergency Reponse Team (CERT).
At the request
of the TFSC the City of San Diego is in the process of developing
an Evacuation Plan for Talmadge. Once it is completed the TFSC
will assist in its implementation. The City of San Diego has
instituted Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training
for volunteers
through out San Diego in preparation for a major disaster. We
in the Talmadge community need to be part of this process and
be prepared
to help ourselves. Become a member of the Talmadge CERT Team.
Find out how: www.sandiego.gov/fireandems/cert/index.shtml.
- Develop a Talmadge Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP),
www.safnet.org/policyandpress/cwpphandbook.pdf.
- Obtain recognition for Talmadge as a Firewise Community, www.firewise.org.
Implementation:
- Develop Coordinators who will communicate with their neighbors
to mobilize their neighborhood to act now in a firewise way. Their
first step to coordinate a contractor with a group of homeowners
to get a discount and create adjoining 100ft of defensible space.
The TFSC is available to support the Coordinator in their efforts.
Become A Coordinator!
- Educate the Community through individual, neighborhood, and
community meetings with speakers, maps, handouts, visual aids,
walkabout tours, and flyers on the doorstep to provide frewise/safe
information.
- Collaborate with a variety of organizations to bring their expertise
and/or resources to improve the fire defensibility of Talmadge.
Examples are: California Fire Safe Council/Grantclearing House,
S.D. County Firesafe Council, City of San Diego Fire Department
and Parks and Recreation-Open Space Division, Firewise, California
Department of Forestry, US Forest Service, Natural Resources Conservation
Services, SDGE, TMAD, Neighborhood Watch, S.D. Friends of Canyons-Sierra
Club.
Additional information contact Kathy, Facilitator, TFSC, tewafinn@hotmail.com
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