U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy is the first and only U.S. military installation to be named a Firewise Community earlier this month by the National Fire Protection Association.
The NFPA's Firewise Communities Program teaches communities to work together to prevent wildfires and mitigate losses, according to a Firewise website.
“To be recognized as a Firewise Community is a great acknowledgement of all of our ongoing efforts to reduce fuels and educate our residents and cadets,” said James Donahey, a Natural Resources official at the Academy. “The more communities along the Rampart Range that take the initiative to develop Fire Safe Councils and implement Community Wildfire Protection Plans, the more prepared we will be for events like the Waldo Canyon fire and the Black Forest fire.”
To be recognized as a Firewise Community, the Academy assessed its risk of wildfires; developed an action plan; hosted a Firewise Day community event; and invested a minimum of $2 per-capita in fire prevention for 2015.
Lt. Col. Jose Rivera-Hernandez, the commander of the 10th Civil Engineer Squadron, said he’s proud the Academy serves as an example for other military bases threatened by wildfires.
"Firewise recognition is a critical facet of our complex fuel hazard mitigation here that protects 4,000 cadets, our Airmen and their families, and our 18,000-acre installation, as we fulfill our mission of developing leaders of character," he said.