Fire Safety – Ready, Set, Go!

Now that we are well into our delightful summer season, I want to remind Summit Park residents of our shared responsibility for the work involved in fortifying our fire-adapted community and to introduce a program which promotes personal emergency preparedness. One of our missions as the Home Owners Association (HOA) is to convey information on best practices to our mountain neighbors, so decisions can be made to help protect their home and family.

The Ready, Set, Go! wildlandfirersg.org program, which Summit Park is a member, has been nationally accepted in the Wildland fire community for several years and has been met with tremendous success. It is designed to create dialogue between at risk fire-prone communities, like ours, and the local fire department. It gives firefighters a conduit to teach individuals how best to prepare themselves and their properties against fire threats. However, I urge all members of our community to take a personal proactive approach when it come to Ready, Set, Go!. The program advocates taking individual responsibility and prepare long before the threat of a wildland fire so your home and family can get out safely and efficiently. Ready, Set, Go! is a guide for family emergency preparedness and planning.

Ready, Set, Go! Highlights:

Ready – Be fire-adapted and ready.

• Create defensible space by clearing brush, dead and dying trees away from your home.
• Use fire-resistant landscaping and harden your home with fire-safe construction measures.
• Assemble emergency supplies (recommend a 72 hour kit) and belongings in a safe place.
• Plan escape routes and make sure all those residing within the home know the plan of action.

Set – Situational Awareness.

• Pack your emergency items.
• Know how to receive and stay aware of the latest news and information on the fire from local media, your local fire department and public safety.
• Resister your cell phone with Summit County dispatch center in order to receive reverse 911 emergency messages.

Go – Act early.

• Follow your personal wildland fire action plan.
• Also be sure to adhere to your local jurisdiction’s evacuation processes.
• Keep in mind, sheltering in place is a viable option and sometimes will be advised by emergency services. Doing so will not only support your safety, but will allow firefighters to best maneuver resources to combat the fire.

Find a handy action guide to help you plan here.

We only have to watch the nightly news to understand the consequences of a Urban Interface Wildland fire. The more our community understands and accepts our stewardship of our forest community, the better chance we have of preserving it. For more information on this and other fire and emergency related concerns, please visit the HOA web site: summitparkutah.net

Written by Mike Quinones, Fire & Safety Informatin Coordinator, Summit Park HOA