Community wildfire protection plan, Hall County: an action plan for wildfire mitigation and conservation of natural resources

_________________________ _
A Program of the Georgia Forestry Commission with support from the U.S. Forest Service

Community Wildfire Protection Plan
An Action Plan for Wildfire Mitigation and Conservation of Natural Resources
Hall County

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The following report is a collaborative effort between various entities. The representatives listed below comprise the core decision-making team responsible for this report and mutually agree on the plan's contents.
County Representative(s): Name Richard Mecum Commission Chairman
Signature
Name Craig Lutz Commission District 1
Signature
Name Billy Powell Commissioner District 2
Signature
Name Scott Gibbs Commissioner District 3
Signature
Name Jeff Stowe Commissioner District 4
Signature
Local Emergency Services Representative(s): Name David Kimbrell Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director
Signature

Local Georgia Forestry Commission Representative(s): Name Doug Andrews Chief Ranger Hall Banks unit
Address GA Forestry Commission 5707 Lula Road Lula, Georgia 30554 Phone Number (770)869-3641
Signature

Name Address Phone Number Signature

Carl Melear CWPP Specialist P.O. Box 31 Armuchee, GA 30105 706 232-8988

Local USDA Forest Service Representative: Name Mike Davis Assistant Fire Management Officer
Address US Forest Service Chattahoochee-Oconee NF Gainesville, GA 30501 Phone Number 770-297-3034
Signature

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PLAN CONTENTS
1. Objectives and Goals 2. County Background, Existing Situation, Interface information 3. Risk Summary 4. Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations 5. Action Plan, Timetables, and Assessment Strategy 6. Wildfire Pre-Suppression Plan 7. County Base and Hazards Maps 8. Appendix
1) OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

The mission of the following report is to set clear priorities for the implementation of wildfire mitigation in Hall County. The plan includes prioritized recommendations for the appropriate types and methods of fuel reduction and structure ignitability reduction that will protect this county and its essential infrastructure. Prioritized activities to educate the public are included. It also includes a plan for wildfire suppression. Specifically, the plan includes community-centered actions that will:



Educate citizens on wildfire, its risks, and ways to protect lives and properties,



Support fire rescue and suppression entities,



Focus on collaborative decision-making and citizen participation,



Develop and implement effective mitigation strategies, and



Develop and implement effective community ordinances and codes.

This plan should become a working document that is shared by local, state, and federal agencies that will use it to accomplish common goals. An agreed-upon schedule for meeting to review accomplishments, solve problems, and plan for the future should extend beyond the scope of this plan. Without this follow up this plan will have limited value.

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2) COUNTY BACKGROUND AND EXISTING SITUATION

Hall County

Hall County, in northeast Georgia, was created in 1818 from Indian lands and named for Lyman Hall, signer of the Declaration of Independence and Georgia's governor from 1783 to 1784. Hall was the forty-fifth Georgia county to be created. Its seat of government, Gainesville, was incorporated in 1821.
Early settlers were largely Scots-Irish, English, and German stock from the Carolinas and Virginia, chiefly Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. Few African Americans lived in this area of small farms. The discovery of gold north of Hall in 1828 attracted thousands of newcomers to the area. The passing of the gold rush in the 1830s saw the return to the small-farm grain and livestock agricultural economy.
Though

distant from the combat of the Civil War (1861-65), Hall County inhabitants provided nine companies of men to the Southern cause. Hall's greatest Civil War connection, however, is a postwar resident, General James Longstreet, who moved to Gainesville in 1875 as postmaster and hotel operator, anticipating that the town would become the southeastern railroad hub. Longstreet purchased the forty-room Piedmont Hotel and 115 acres just outside the town, where he raised poultry and planted vineyards.
Railroads

Piedmont Hotel

came to Hall County in 1871, leading to the creation of a local textile industry by the

turn of the century. Three large mills dominated nonagricultural employment in the

county between the 1920s and midcentury. After the destructive Gainesville tornado of

1936 and with the advent of World War II (1941-45), Hall County, especially

Gainesville, became the location for the rise of the state's poultry industry. The Hall

Lake Lanier

County seed-and-feed store operator Jesse Jewell was the father of large-scale growing and processing and an innovator in the frozen-chicken market. Poultry supplanted

textiles as the leading industry in the area, and today Georgia claims the title "Poultry Capital of the World." Several

major poultry producers, including Gress Foods, King's Delight, Mar-Jac Poultry, and Pilgrim's Pride are located in

the county.

The damming of the Chattahoochee River in the 1950s, flooding 38,000 acres, created Lake Lanier, which brings 10 million visitors each year to the area. Twenty-first-century Hall County is largely the product of Lake Lanier's influence.

According

to the 2010 U.S. census, the population is 179,684, an increase from the 2000 population of 139,277. In addition to Gainesville, other incorporated towns are Clermont, Flowery Branch, Oakwood, and parts of Braselton, Gillsville, Lula, and Rest Haven.

Hall County Courthouse

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Booming, service-centered Oakwood, on I-985, is the gateway on the busy pathway to Road Atlanta and Chateau Elan. Just south of Oakwood is Flowery Branch, home to a $20 million corporate and training complex of the professional football team the Atlanta Falcons. Lula, in the more mountainous northeastern part of Hall, is a heritage-minded community whose annual Railroad Days each spring are well attended. Another attraction is the fall festival of Mule Camp, named for Mule Camp Springs, where early travelers and traders gathered at a natural spring just south of Gainesville's city square to water their stock.

Turning and Burning Festival

Gillsville is a pottery center, harking back to the clay artists of the

county's earliest

days. Settled by the Gills family, Gillsville was first called Stones

Throw by railroaders who were describing its short distance from Maysville, a town that today straddles the

Banks and Jackson county line. Also to the northeast, Clermont (originally named Dip) was established in

1913 as an early tourist and trade center.

Hall County's Hispanics account for the most dramatic growth segment of the population. Employment, chiefly in poultry processing but also in construction and, more recently, commercial and professional occupations, continues to attract this significant immigrant influx. Spanish-language media and an impressive Hispanic culture infrastructure continue to grow as old-line churches, businesses, and services make progress in the transition to bilingual communications.

Hall County is northeast Georgia's center for banking, industry, health care, and culture. Public education is well served in the Gainesville and Hall County systems, and private education grows apace. Brenau University (including the Women's College), Riverside Military Academy, Gainesville State College, and Lanier Technical College provide excellent preparatory and postsecondary educational options. More than twenty arts-related organizations, most based in Gainesville, provide a wide array of cultural opportunities.

The above material is courtesy of the New Georgia Encyclopedia

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The Wildland-Urban Interface
There are many definitions of the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI), however from a fire management perspective it is commonly defined as an area where structures and other human development meet or intermingles with undeveloped wildland or vegetative fuels. As fire is dependent on a certain set of conditions, the National Wildfire Coordinating Group has defined the wildland-urban interface as a set of conditions that exists in or near areas of wildland fuels, regardless of ownership. This set of conditions includes type of vegetation, building construction, accessibility, lot size, topography and other factors such as weather and humidity. When these conditions are present in certain combinations, they make some communities more vulnerable to wildfire damage than others. This "set of conditions" method is perhaps the best way to define wildland-urban interface areas when planning for wildfire prevention, mitigation, and protection activities.
There are three major categories of wildland-urban interface. Depending on the set of conditions present, any of these areas may be at risk from wildfire. A wildfire risk assessment can determine the level of risk.
1. "Boundary" wildland-urban interface is characterized by areas of development where homes, especially new subdivisions, press against public and private wildlands, such as private or commercial forest land or public forests or parks. This is the classic type of wildlandurban interface, with a clearly defined boundary between the suburban fringe and the rural countryside.
2. "Intermix" wildland-urban interface areas are places where improved property and/or structures are scattered and interspersed in wildland areas. These may be isolated rural homes or an area that is just beginning to go through the transition from rural to urban land use.
3. "Island" wildland-urban interface, also called occluded interface, are areas of wildland within predominately urban or suburban areas. As cities or subdivisions grow, islands of undeveloped land may remain, creating remnant forests. Sometimes these remnants exist as parks, or as land that cannot be developed due to site limitations, such as wetlands. (courtesy Fire Ecology and Wildfire Mitigation in Florida 2004)
Hall County is typical of a county that is undergoing a rapid transition from an isolated rural county to county heavily influenced by multilane transportation corridors connecting it to large metropolitan areas. It is also influenced by its proximity to recreation areas. It contains mixtures of both boundary and intermix interface.
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Wildland Urban Interface Hazards Firefighters in the wildland urban interface may encounter hazards other than the fire itself, such as hazardous materials, utility lines and poor access.
Hazardous Materials Common chemicals used around the home may be a direct hazard to firefighters from flammability, explosion potential and/or vapors or off-gassing. Such chemicals include paint, varnish and other flammable liquids; fertilizer; pesticides; cleansers; aerosol cans, fireworks, batteries and ammunition. In addition, some common household products such as plastics may give off very toxic fumes when they burn. Stay OUT of the smoke from burning structures and any unknown sources such as trash piles.
Illicit Activities Marijuana plantations or drug production labs may be found in wildland urban interface areas. Extremely hazardous materials such as propane tanks and flammable/toxic chemicals may be encountered, as well as booby traps.
Propane tanks Both large (household size) and small (gas grill size) liquefied propane gas (LPG) tanks can present hazards to firefighters, including explosion. See the "LPG Tank Hazards" discussion for details.
Utility lines Utility lines may be located above and below ground and may be cut or damaged by tools or equipment. Don't spray water on utility lines or boxes.
Septic tanks and fields Below-ground structures may not be readily apparent and may not support the weight of engines or other apparatus.
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New construction materials Many new construction materials have comparatively low melting points and may "off-gas" extremely hazardous vapors. Plastic decking materials that resemble wood are becoming more common and may begin softening and losing structural strength at 180 F, though they normally do not sustain combustion once direct flame is removed. However, if they continue to burn they exhibit the characteristics of flammable liquids.
Pets and livestock Pets and livestock may be left when residents evacuate and will likely be highly stressed, making them more inclined to bite and kick. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk to rescue pets or livestock.
Evacuation occurring Firefighters may be taking structural protection actions while evacuations of residents are occurring. Be very cautious of people driving erratically. Distraught residents may refuse to leave their property, and firefighters may need to disengage from fighting fire to contact law enforcement officers for assistance. In most jurisdictions firefighters do not have the authority to force evacuations. Firefighters should not put themselves at risk trying to protect someone who will not evacuate!
Limited access Narrow one-lane roads with no turn-around room, inadequate or poorly maintained bridges and culverts are frequently found in wildland urban interface areas. Access should be sized-up and an evacuation plan for all emergency personnel should be developed.
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Fire History and Existing Situation

Wildland Fire has not been a serious problem in Hall County as regards number of occurrences and average size when compared to some counties in the state. This favorable situation can be attributed to rapid initial attack and excellent interagency cooperation. Fire activity for the past 5 complete fiscal years is outlined in the table below. These numbers are based on Georgia Forestry Commission records.

Fiscal Year
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008

Number of Fires
17 45 30 22 68

Acres
26.88 52.20 58.91 87.22 104.42

Average size (acres)
1.58 1.16 1.96 3.96 1.54

Statewide Average number
34 58 23 34 39

Statewide average size (acres) 4.98 16.16 3.56 3.90 4.56

Causes of wildland fire in Hall County covers most all recognized cause categories. Examination of Georgia Forestry Commission records reveals that machine use, incendiarism, and escapes from debris burning are the leading causes in most years. The fact that machine use is one of the leading causes falls in line with the continued development of the county. Incendiary fires are the leading cause in some years (2008 and 2009). In fiscal year 2013 which began on July 1, 2012 there have been 25 fires. The table on the next page outlines cause categories for these responses.

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The following table outlines fire numbers and cause categories for the most complete fiscal year (2013) on record.

County = Hall

Cause

Fires

Campfire

Campfire

2

Children

Children

3

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

Debris: Ag Fields, Pastures, Orchards, Etc

1

Debris: Construction Land Clearing

Debris: Construction Land Clearing

0

Debris: Household Garbage

Debris: Household Garbage

1

Debris: Other

Debris: Other

0

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Etc

Debris: Residential, Leafpiles, Yard, Etc

9

Incendiary

Incendiary

6

Machine Use

Machine Use

1

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

0

Miscellaneous: Other

Miscellaneous: Other

1

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

Miscellaneous: Structure/Vehicle Fires

1

Railroad

Railroad

0

Totals for County: Hall Year: 2013

25

Acres
0.47 2.65 3.11

Fires Acres 5 Yr 5 Yr Avg Avg
1.40 5.22
2.00 1.65
0.60 8.07

0.00 1.07 0.00 5.51 14.45 0.03 0.00 2.12 0.68 0.00 30.09

0.20 0.56 1.00 1.20 0.20 0.04 8.00 8.00 6.40 14.07 5.20 9.28 2.00 1.91 0.20 0.42 0.20 0.14 0.40 0.50 27.80 51.06

Copyright Georgia Forestry Commission 1998-2013. All rights reserved.

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The following map is from Georgia Forestry Commission records and shows the number of fires and where they occurred during the period fiscal 2008 through 2012. There is also a fire occurrence map in the appendix that shows occurrence areas based on Georgia Forestry Commission responses during the period covered by fiscal years 1997 through 2002.
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3) Risk Summary
Following an initial meeting on 10/13/2011 between the Georgia Forestry Commission and officials of the Hall County Fire Department, assessments were made of areas of concern in Hall County. These assessments were made by personnel of the Hall County Fire Services. Assessments were made using the Georgia Forestry Commission Form 140 for Woodland Community Wildfire Hazard Assessment. Areas selected for assessment were based on the communities at risk GIS layer from the Southern Fire Risk Assessment supplemented by local knowledge of potentially hazardous areas. Information from the assessment process is displayed in tabular form in the appendix. This table, which is organized by fire department jurisdiction, lists the community name, Map #, Lat / Long, number of homes, hazard rating, risk category, fire department jurisdiction, and the presence or absence of the area in the Southern Fire Risk Assessment. The original assessment documents contain detailed specific information relating to the particular hazards affecting the community and are retained by the Banks Hall office of the Georgia Forestry Commission. These documents would be valuable in mitigating specific hazards should they be able to be changed. These assessment areas are also represented on the Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index map. The colors for the symbols correspond to the colors on the risk summary table. High risk communities are colored orange, moderate risk is purple, and low risk is green. Twenty Three areas were assessed. One (1) area was recognized at as high risk, thirteen (13) as moderate, and nine (9) were classified as at low risk. It should be recognized that additional opportunities for assessment exist in all response jurisdictions. Principal hazards affecting communities classified as high or moderate were related to extreme slope of properties and driveways, poor access related to one way access, narrow roads, unpaved roads on steep slopes, lack of defensible space, high structural ignitability factors, and dead end roads. Varying degrees of suppression difficulty exist due to heavy fuel loading and steep slopes. All jurisdictions experience these hazards to some degree. Numerous educational opportunities exist.
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4) Prioritized Mitigation Recommendations

The following recommendations were developed during follow-up meetings with County and State fire response agencies. A priority order was determined based on which mitigation projects would best reduce the hazard of wildland fire to communities and infrastructure. The following priorities were considered.

Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Wildland Fuel reduction or modification Improvements to capabilities of Wildland response agencies Public Education regarding risk of wildland fire

Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Hazard Lack of defensible space
Access problems for initial attack

Mitigation Improve defensible space around structures in communities at risk Improve access problems

Method All departments should examine structures in communities at risk in their response areas. Improvements to defensible space as referenced in firewise guidelines should be conveyed to residents through media or direct contact. All County response agencies and the Georgia Forestry Commission should closely examine access in all communities identified to be at risk. When problems are identified corrective measures should be made.

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Proposed Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Reduction Priorities

Hazard Structural Ignitability

Mitigation Reduce structural ignitability

Local Codes and Ordinances

Improve and amend to codes and ordinances pertaining to infrastructure and community protection from wildland fire.

Method Citizens in communities at risk should be educated regarding methods to reduce structural ignitability as referenced in firewise guidelines. This can be accomplished through media or direct contact. Examine all existing codes and ordinances for problems regarding direct conflicts to wildland safety or lack of needed codes or enforcement.

Proposed Wildland Fuel Reduction or modification Priorities

Hazard Fuel Hazards near Communities at risk
Fuel Hazard in public or shared spaces

Mitigation Prescribed Burning
Fuel Modification or reduction

Method Determine Communities at risk where Prescribed burning would be appropriate to use. Seek cooperation from adjacent landowners. Find funding to cover cost of burning. Prioritize burn compartments and execute. Determine where hazards exist. Determine appropriate method for modification or reduction. Chipping, raking and piling, County pick-up, Organized Community Clean-up days could be beneficial. Organized burning could be conducted on these days supported by local fire department personnel.

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Proposed Improvements to capabilities of Wildland Response Agencies Priorities

Problem or need Lack of qualification or training

Improvement or solution Provide training opportunities

Equipment needs

Improve or acquire Wildland fire equipment

Details
Examine training records of all wildland responders to insure training and qualifications match expected duties. Insure that all wildland responders have Basic Wildland Certification. Locate and secure funding for enhanced training from state and federal agencies. Determine specific equipment needs to bring all wildland response equipment to NWCG Standards. Provide appropriate PPE to all County wildland responders. Provide wildland hand tools to County departments. Investigate needs for improvements to all wildland water handing and supply (dry hydrants, brush trucks, hose, etc.)

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Proposed Public Education Priorities

Educational Priority Increase public awareness concerning firewise principles and fire prevention through direct contact

Responsible party
Federal, State, County,and municipal governments

Increase public awareness concerning firewise principles and fire prevention through use of media

County, State, and municipal governments

Increase public awareness concerning firewise

Federal, State, County, and municipal governments
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Method

Conduct firewise

meetings by each

fire response

jurisdiction assisted

by Georgia

Forestry

Commission (state)

and USDA Forest

Service (federal).

Conduct a door to

door campaign in

particularly

hazardous

communities

Use PSA's in local

newspapers and

local radio stations.

Utilize firewise

displays in local

post offices and

banks. Seek use

of local EMC

newsletter for

firewise message.

Create poster sized

notices for use in

common public

places (stores, post

offices, etc.

adjacent to high

hazard areas

advising residents

about the hazard

and how to protect

themselves and

their property.

Distribute public

notices concerning

firewise at local

sporting events

and other public

gatherings.

Supported by the

USFS and the

Georgia Forestry

Commission a goal

of

achieving

principles and fire prevention through formal certification and recognition

firewise status for

at least one

extreme or high

risk

category

community should

be realized before

the end of calendar

year 2013. The

goal of adding at

least

one

community

annually should

extend beyond this

initial goal.

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5) Action Plan, Timetables, and Assessment Strategy
POTENTIAL FUNDING SOURCES:
As funding is questionable in these times of tight government budgets and economic uncertainty, unconventional means should be identified whereby the need for funding can be reduced or eliminated. Publications / Brochures FIREWISE materials are available at www.firewise.org. Another source of mitigation information can be found at www.nfpa.org. Access to reduced cost or free of charge copy services should be sought whereby publications can be reproduced. Free of charge public meeting areas should be identified where communities could gather to be educated regarding prevention and firewise principles.
Mitigation Community Protection Grant: o USFS sponsored prescribed burn program. Communities with at risk properties that lie within 3 miles of
the USFS border may apply with the GFC to have their forest land prescribed burned free of charge. FEMA Mitigation Policy MRR-2-08-01: through GEMA - Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and
Pre Disaster Mitigation (PDM) o To provide technical and financial assistance to local governments to assist in the implementation of
long term cost effective hazard mitigation measures. o This policy addresses wildfire mitigation for the purpose of reducing the threat to all-risk structures
through creating defensible space, structural protection through the application of ignition resistant construction, and limited hazardous fuels reduction to protect life and property. o With a complete and registered plan (addendum to the State plan) counties can apply for premitigation funding. They will also be eligible for HMGP if the county is declared under a wildfire disaster. GFC - Plowing and burning assistance can be provided through the Georgia Forestry Commission as a low cost option for mitigation efforts. Individual Homeowners In most cases of structural protection ultimately falls on the responsibility of the community and the homeowner. They will bear the cost; yet they will reap the benefit from properly implemented mitigation efforts. GEMA Grant - PDM (See above)
Ultimately it is our goal to help the communities by identifying the communities threatened with a high risk to wildfire and educate those communities on methods to implement on reducing those risks.
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5) Action Plan

Steps to implement Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Priorities

Hazard Lack of Defensible Space
Access problems
Structural Ignitability
Codes and Ordinances

Specific Action and Responsible Party Using the risk summaries referenced in section 3, each department should conduct inspections of communities at risk in their jurisdiction or area of response for lack of defensible space. Findings will be conveyed to residents and treatment methods will be recommended in accordance with Firewise principles. This would probably be best accomplished by approaching homeowners associations or organizations. Ultimately, the message should reach individual homeowners in each community. Should local organizations not exist, the builder or developer could be contacted. Such contacts would also influence future projects or developments Using individual Communities at Risk maps for each station, the Georgia Forestry Commission and Hall County Fire officials should visit all identified communities at risk for the purpose of locating and resolving access difficulties. This inspection should extend into the wildland adjacent to the communities at risk looking for hindrances to suppression tactics Hall County Fire officials should examine structures for structural ignitability concerns at the time when the communities at risk are inspected for lack of defensible space. Using firewise guidelines for reducing structural ignitability, (a checklist could be formulated and used) structures should be assessed and findings conveyed to residents. This could be through use of media or by direct contact with residents or homeowners associations. Hall County and municipal Fire Marshalls should closely examine all codes and ordinances for gaps and oversights which could cause problems in the wildland fire arena. Examples include proximity of propane tanks to structures, accumulations of debris, lack of proper identification pertaining address or street names, set back distances from wildland fuels, road widths in new developments.

In regard to priority, the above steps should first extend to the higher numbers in the extreme category from the risk summary as these communities are at a higher degree of risk. Another means of reaching homeowners would be to distribute literature on Firewise principles through the building permit office. Checklists for Homeowners are available on the Georgia Forestry Commission public website http://www.gfc.state.ga.us . Look under Forest Fire Wildland Urban Interface- Firewise

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5) Action Plan

Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities

Hazard Hazardous Wildland Fuel Accumulations
Fuel Continuity between Wildland and Woodland Communities
Hazardous Fuel Accumulations in communities and hindrances to suppression

Specific Action and Responsible Party The Georgia Forestry Commission will prioritize prescribed burning projects adjacent to Communities at risk where burning is determined to be appropriate. As Hall County is becoming more densely populated and communities are located in close proximity to transportation corridors burning will have more impact as regards smoke management. This will require changes in how these burns are carried out as regards logistics and technique. In areas where the need exists and fuel reduction by burning is determined to be inappropriate, permanent or semi-permanent fuel breaks could be established. These breaks should be maintained annually prior to the arrival of prime burning times. Their locations should be mapped and made known to local, state, and federal response personnel. Residents of the Communities adjacent to these breaks should be advised of their purpose and their cooperation in protecting them should be gained. These breaks could be installed by the Georgia Forestry Commission. Using the risk summary in section 3, Fire departments could conduct community clean up days in communities at risk in their respective jurisdictions aimed at reducing hazardous fuels and hindrances to suppression in shared community space. Residents would be provided with guidance and access to disposal alternatives for materials removed.

Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability

Improvement needed Improve training and qualification of Hall County Wildland firefighters
Improve or acquire wildland firefighting equipment

Responsible Party and specific action
The Hall County Chief Ranger of the Georgia Forestry Commission and Hall County Fire Chief should examine all training records for personnel under their supervision. All personnel should be certified Georgia Basic Wildland Firefighters or higher in qualification. Additional training and qualification should be sought for personnel identified in the Hall County Fire plan who are assigned specific Incident Command System (ICS) functions. Sources for available funds for training should be sought at State and Federal levels. All stations for Hall County Fire Departments should inventory their present equipment relating to their wildland capability. Funding sources should be investigated from available grants or other sources. Needs for job specific wildland responses should be examined by the Chief Ranger for Hall County and the Hall County Fire Chief.

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5) Action Plan

Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities

Opportunity Improve Public Education through direct contact
Improve Public Education through use of media
Improve Public Education through formal certification

Responsible Party and Specific Action Prior to the onset of fire season(s) rangers of the Georgia Forestry Commission and Hall County Fire personnel should conduct firewise meetings in conjunction with normally scheduled fire department meetings. People living in or near extreme and high risk communities should be invited to these meetings by use of door to door campaigns or by mailbox flyers. Notices regarding these meetings could be placed in local post offices or stores near communities at risk. A Firewise display should be acquired and utilized at this meeting. This display would be retained by the Banks Hall Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission and used for all Firewise meetings in Hall County. Local news media should be invited to these meetings. Goals for potential Firewise certified communities in Hall County could be considered after these meetings are completed. Prior to the onset of fire season(s) or during periods of particularly high fire danger use of the media should be stepped up by personnel of the Georgia Forestry Commission and Hall County Fire Services. This should include use of all available media in the County. PSA's should be run weekly during periods of high to extreme fire danger. Signs or poster boards could be developed for display in public spaces near communities at risk advising residents that they live in areas that are susceptible to wildland fire and directing them to sources of information regarding wildland fire and their role in improving their own personal safety. Before the end of calendar year 2013 at least one community in the high or moderate risk category should be considered for formal certification as a firewise community. Should this goal be realized it should be repeated in following years.

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5) Action Plan
Timetables for Actions Steps to implement Community Hazard and Structural Ignitability Priorities
Steps to examine communities at risk for defensible space and structural ignitability should take place during the late winter / early spring of 2013.
Pre-planning to examine access and suppression problems should take place at any time during the current burning season.
Codes and Ordinances should be examined as soon as possible in order for the legal workings of changes to take place.
Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities
Any identified prescribed burn projects should take place in late winter / early spring 2013. Any other priority burn projects or installation of pre suppression fuel breaks should take place during this same window.
Steps to reduce fuels in communities at risk should coincide with steps to improve defensible space and reduce structural ignitability. Timing of these actions would be dependent upon Fire station availabity during late winter / early spring 2013.
Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability
Cooperation between state and local wildland suppression forces regarding improvements to training and equipment should begin immediately.
Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities
Direct contact with residents in Communities at risk should take place as soon as possible during early calendar year 2013
The use of media should coincide with the above action. Certification of Firewise communities should follow the timetable associated with the action plan
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5) Action Plan
Assessment of Actions Reduction of Community hazard and structural ignitability
Direct measurement of the number of communities assessed would be the appropriate measure of success
Any meetings that result in cooperation between wildland departments should be logged along with minutes of those meetings. Goals should be set and reviewed after each meeting.
Any changes to or additions to codes and ordinances would be an obvious measure of success.
Steps to implement Fuel Reduction or Modification Priorities
Acres burned would be the appropriate measure for fuel reduction. A direct measure of linear feet of firebreaks would be an appropriate measure for pre suppression breaks.
Fuel reduction in communities at risk would be measured by the number of communities affected and number of projects completed.
Steps to implement improvements to wildland response capability
A direct measure of the number of capabilities or qualifications gained would be the appropriate measure of success.
Any equipment acquired or any equipment brought up to national standards would be the appropriate measure of success.
Steps to educate or inform the Public regarding wildland fire prevention and responsibilities
Direct measurement of the number of persons contacted, literature distributed, public notices posted, news articles published, radio programs aired, etc. would be the best measure of success. The number of communities that achieve Firewise status would be an obvious measure of success.
6) Wildfire Pre-Suppression Plan
This document is located in the appendix of this plan
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7) County Base and Hazards Maps
Maps of the Surface Fuels and Fire Occurrence areas are included in the appendix of this plan. As was mentioned in the risk summary, a map of the Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index with points relating to the assessment areas is also included. The surface fuel and fire occurrence maps do not show assessment areas to preserve continuity of displayed information. The surface fuel map is based on the 13 fuel models recognized by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG). The Fire Occurrence map is based on Georgia Forestry Commission responses during the period 1997 through 2002. These maps are in PDF format and are available from the Georgia Forestry Commission. When viewed in this electronic format increased magnification and resolution capabilities are realized which will make these maps more useful. This format will also support large format printing.
8) Appendix
Risk Summary tables with respective tables organized by station County maps of surface fuels, Wildland Fire Susceptibility Index with initial dispatch points, and
fire occurrence areas Hall County Pre-Suppression plan.
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