Update from the Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee
Welcome to Your New Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee!
Rocky View County Council has appointed the following residents to join Councillor Mark Kamachi and RVC Fire Services District Chief Marcus Weckesser on the Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee: Peter Dwan, Jorge de Freitas, Roche Herbst, Jeff Hughes, Ryan LeBoullitier, Charile McLean, Gary Nikiforuk & Andrea Sparkes. It’s fantastic that these volunteers have stepped forward to help promote FireSmart activities. A successful FireSmart program requires the engagement of the Community as a whole to adopt preventative measures that break the potential transmission of wildfires from forests to structures (and vice versa) – if you want to pitch in and help out, please contact one of our Committee members.
A SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO Michele Longo, Dave Rupert and Mark Betts for assisting with restarting the GBC FireSmart Committee and undertaking an impressive list of accomplishments over the past 18 months. Their keen insights and enthusiasm will be missed – a lot of ground was covered in setting up the Committee – their fingerprints show up throughout the Community. If you see them, please say thanks for volunteering and assisting with making our Community safer!
RVC Hamlet Land FireSmart Treatments Starting Up!
The treatment of Rocky View County reserve lands in the Hamlet is underway – watch for the contractor signs and have a look at the work. The treatment plan involves a total of 7 parcels that will be FireSmarted – planned work includes removal of dead fall, trimming lower branches, and thinning of tightly spaced trees.
Plans are being developed to FireSmart additional RVC reserve lands and portions of the Bragg Creek Provincial Park. Please contact your Committee members to highlight any specific concerns you may have with RVC reserve lands in your neighbourhood – or if you are interested in holding a neighbourhood Chipper Day. The Elk Valley and Wintergreen communities both held well received Chipper Days in September.
Banded Peak School FireSmart Education Coming Soon
Rocky View County Fire Services has teamed up with Banded Peak School to introduce a highly acclaimed FireSmart teaching module to the Grade 4 students. This module was developed by teachers in the Slave Lake school division following the 2011 Slave Lake wildfire, and includes discussion of fire sciences, forests, and preventative measures using FireSmart principles to protect persons and structures from wildfires. This program will be run in the New Year.
Members of RVC Fire Services have gone all out – and augmented the teaching module with additional ideas, models and displays. Plans are to work with the School on expanding the programs to other Grades in the future.
Winter is a great time to perform FireSmart treatments when the trees are dormant and the snow keeps the fire hazard low – a great outdoor activity on a nice day! You can obtain burn permits at the RVC Elbow Valley or Redwood Meadows fire halls.
Check out the Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee on Facebook! A FireSmart Calendar has been developed that is an easy reference of planning FireSmart activities throughout the year.
