Fairfax, Va. – The International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Ready, Set, Go! (RSG) Program has announced the winners of its inaugural awards. These awards recognize outstanding achievements by indiviudals and departments in implementing and maintaining a successful RSG program in the community. They honor the efforts of volunteer and paid/combination departments and state forestry agencies in using RSG's outreach program to improve the dialogue about wildland-fire preparedness between fire departments and the residents they serve.
The winners have incorporated the RSG Program in their prefire mitigation and preparedness outreach and have demonstrated innovation in expanding the program to neighboring emergency-service groups. The awards were presented at the IAFC's Wildland-Urban Interface Conference on March 17. To learn more about the winners and the Ready, Set, Go! Awards, visit the RSG website.
The RSG Fire Department Award for Excellence:
- Paid Department: Colorado Springs Fire Department – Wildfire Mitigation Administrator Christina Randall
- Volunteer Department: Barnegat Volunteer Fire Company – NJ Forest Fire Warden & Trustee John Cowie
The RSG Innovation Award:
- Texas A&M Forest Service Forest Resource Protection: Wildland-Urban Interface Staff Forester III Nick Harrison
The RSG Leadership Award:
- Ventura County Fire Department: Public Information Officer Bill Nash
The Ready Set Go! Program has more than 1,000 members and is funded by the USDA Forest Service to promote improved dialog on wildland fire preparedness between fire departments and the residents they serve. The program provides the guidance and tools, free of charge, for any department, regardless of size or resource ability to communicate with residents about what to expect in a wildfire, how to adopt successful and existing defensible space guidance and to raise situational awareness in the public that during the early stages there may not be enough firefighting resources to protect every home.
About the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC)
The IAFC represents the leadership of firefighters and emergency responders worldwide. IAFC members are the world's leading experts in firefighting, emergency medical services, terrorism response, hazardous materials spills, natural disasters, search and rescue, and public safety legislation. Since 1873, the IAFC has provided a forum for its members to exchange ideas, develop professionally and uncover the latest products and services available to first responders.
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