The images on the nightly news are becoming all too familiar: neighborhoods on fire, frightened homeowners trying to pack their belongings amid swirling embers and firefighters pulling hoselines as residents try to back their cars out of driveways. Wildfires are increasingly impacting the wildland/urban interface (WUI), and fire losses in the WUI have reached an unacceptable threshold. The bottom line: It’s time for a change.
That change may come in the form of the “Ready, Set, Go!” (RSG) program, which, if followed correctly, will reduce property loss, save lives and protect firefighters.
Origins of RSG
RSG was developed in America, but its origins stem from the “leave early or stay and defend” (LEOSAD) policies currently being re-evaluated in Australia.
During recent WUI fires in America, first responders noticed that more and more residents chose to stay within their homes, but they had no training, no preparation and no situational awareness about WUI/wildland fires. Some people heard media reports about a neighbor who stayed in their home during a fire and survived, so they assumed anyone could do it. Of course, they’re wrong.
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), along with participating fire departments, reviewed the Australian model and discovered, through the tragic events of “Black Saturday,” that their program was not as successful as previously thought.
The American public is accustomed to relying on public services, such as the fire department, when an emergency occurs, so making a major culture shift to “stay and defend” would most likely endanger more lives than it would save. And as firefighters, our first priority is to save lives, so RSG makes more sense because, while it stresses personal responsibility on the part of homeowners, it focuses on prevention, preparation and evacuation.
Ready…
The concept is simple. The first phase–Ready–teaches homeowners to prepare their property well in advance of a fire. Firefighters are best suited to instruct this program, not only because they know what it takes to fight fire and defend property, but also because the public trusts their local firefighters, therefore they will follow firefighters’ guidance. In fact, the suggestions made in this phase would, if adopted widely, be an excellent start to establishing a fire-adaptive community.
The “Ready” component covers defensible space, the removal of ladder fuels, fire-safe construction and fire-resistant landscaping. It also pays special attention to construction features, such as attic vents, eaves, decks and windows.
One key feature of this phase: a discussion between local fire departments and their communities about homes that aren’t technically within the WUI. Through this interaction, the public should begin to understand that it’s not the flame front that burns homes; it’s the embers that fall in/near homes that start WUI conflagrations. More and more studies are finding that houses are being destroyed by ember intrusion fires far from the main body of a wildfire. In RSG, homes within a mile of the flaming front of a fire are considered in danger of being ignited by wind-blown embers and are therefore inside the “Ember Zone.”
RSG covers prevention measures for potential ember “landing zones,” such as stacks of firewood, leaf litter or pine needles in roof valleys, patio furniture and ornamental features like wooden fences or bark used in landscaping.
Homeowners in the Ember Zone may or may not be subject to evacuation during a wildfire, but they’re at extreme risk nevertheless, which is why preparedness could prevent house-to-house conflagrations and save entire neighborhoods.
Set…
The second or “Set” part of the program stresses emergency preparedness and situational awareness. Once the home itself and the surrounding property have been prepared, homeowners must prepare their families. This means creating a family disaster plan that includes meeting locations, communication plans and evacuation routes. The program also advocates learning how to use a fire extinguisher, how to shut off gas, electric and water service and how to assemble an emergency supply kit.
When a wildfire starts, “Set” instructs homeowners to closely follow the progress of the fire while assembling their belongings for an evacuation. There are checklists for both the interior and exterior of the home so residents can make final preparations ahead of an evacuation.
Go!
“Go!” is the final (and simplest) phase of the program. If homeowners have followed the program to this point, their homes and families are prepared; they’ve done everything they can reasonably do to ensure the safety of both, so why wait to evacuate? Important: Early evacuation is a key component of RSG.
By leaving early, even before evacuation orders are given, residents ensure their safety and give firefighters the freedom to operate in neighborhoods that have been well-prepared to defend against a wildfire. Once residents leave, they eliminate the life-safety risk firefighters must consider when entering a neighborhood. This allows firefighters to immediately concentrate on suppression and structure protection.
RSG also instructs residents on what to do if they become trapped by a WUI fire, such as when a wildfire ignites very close to a neighborhood, eliminating any preparation time for homeowners; however, the main emphasis of the program is good preparation and early evacuation.
RSG in Real Life
RSG was rolled out as a full-scale pilot program by the Ventura County Fire Department and the Orange County Fire Authority for the 2009 fire season in Southern California; other departments, such as Los Angeles County, Los Angeles City, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Santa Barbara County, CALFIRE and many smaller agencies, have adopted the basic program as well.
The program received its first test in Ventura County during late September when the Guiberson Fire broke out between the communities of Fillmore and Moorpark. The fire began on Tuesday, Sept. 22, and over the next 6 days, consumed 17,500 acres and injured 10 firefighters.
At the peak of the fire, more than 2,700 personnel were on scene, as well as 214 fire engines, 32 bulldozers, 21 helicopters and 8 airtankers.
Of greatest concern were the 1,000 homes and 20 commercial properties that were threatened by the fire; however, not a single one of those properties was consumed. This is due in large part to the herculean efforts of the firefighters, but there’s no doubt that they were aided by some of the key principles behind RSG.
Defensible space, fire-safe construction and fire-resistant landscaping gave firefighters an edge against the advancing flames, and a well-informed and prepared public helped make evacuations orderly and uneventful.
Looking Ahead
Enough interest in RSG has been expressed by agencies in other parts of the country that the goal now is to roll out a national version of the program by April 2010. The International Association of Fire Chiefs and its federal partners intend to develop program material and a curriculum for use by any size department–an “as-is” version for smaller departments that may have funding issues, and a customized version for larger agencies.
It’s important to note that RSG is not a temporary or one-time program. It’s intended to guide both individuals and communities to affect permanent change. It will require an ongoing educational effort and a long-term commitment on the part of both the fire service and the public. If successful, it will make people and communities safer, and it will make the job of defending property safer and simpler.
A Final Word
There’s no doubt that the attention of the national fire service is now focused on the fire and fuel problems found in the WUI, as well as creating fire-adaptive communities. By itself, RSG isn’t the answer to all of these challenges, but it can be a significant factor in reducing fire losses and saving lives, and that’s an excellent starting point.
