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Agenda

Introductions
What is FireSmart?
Why FireSmart?
Overview of FireSmart Programs
Meet Ember, the FireSmart Fox
Introduction: FireSmart Youth Resources
Introduction: FireSmart Education Program
Discussion & Questions

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Introduction

Name - pronouns

About the presenter

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Introduction

YOUR TURN

What is your name?
Where do you work (school/community)?
What do you teach?
What are you hoping to learn in this session?

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What is FireSmart?

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What is FireSmart?

Provincial program directed by agencies that make up the BC FireSmart Committee.
Aimed to build resident and community wildfire resiliency.
Resource to learn about prevention activities that help reduce the negative impacts of fire.
Based on scientific evidence that indicates that doing simple tasks around your property can increase wildfire resiliency.

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FireSmart mission, vision, goal

Strategic Goal:

Everyone in the province is aware of FireSmart, understands their role, accepts responsibility and takes action to increase wildfire resiliency.

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FireSmart BC Website: firesmartbc.ca

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Who We Are

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Video: Our Part, Your Part

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Question:

Were you impacted by the 2023 wildfires?

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Question:

How many annual wildfires in BC?

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Why FireSmart?

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Why FireSmart?

BC is experiencing more frequent and severe wildfires negatively impacting biodiversity, forest health, and threatening nearby communities.
To be able to adapt to a world with more wildfire, we need to be more proactive.
Research indicates that taking personal action to FireSmart properties/communities is the most efficient and cost-effective way to increase property survivability from wildfire.

The best defence is preparation.

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FireSmart Programs

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Overview: FireSmart Programs

Program Name	Audience	Description
Wildfire Mitigation Program (WMP)	Residents, wildfire mitigation specialists, insurance companies, First Nations, local governments.	Professional home assessment with property-specific recommendations.
Local Collective Program	Neighbourhood, subdivision, small towns.	Formal recognition status for neighbourhoods that have taken steps to reduce vulnerabilities to wildfire.
Plant Program	Residents, garden centres	Unique FireSmart plant tags to help residents find safer plants at their local participating garden centres.
Library Program	Libraries, youth, parents	Digital & physical children’s literacy resources dedicated to wildfire resiliency.
Education Program	Youth, educators, parents	Teaching resource to introduce students in grades K-12 to FireSmart concepts.

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FireSmart Mascot

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Meet Ember, the FireSmart Fox

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Resources: Ember’s Den

Ember’s Den Resources

Visit https://firesmartbc.ca/ember/ to access downloadable fire safety materials

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FireSmart Education Program

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Video: Education Program Introduction

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Background: FireSmart Education Program

Fire Impacts Everyone.

Ember’s den and the library program are great. We wanted to go deeper.
The program was developed over 1.5 years.
Input from educators and Indigenous peoples.
Goal: free, inclusive, easy-to-use, aligned with the B.C. school curriculum.
Continue to collect feedback to ensure we have met our goals.

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What is the FireSmart BC Education Program?

Education Themes Include

Safety
Lessons from First Peoples
Fire science
Ecosystem stewardship
Wildfire mitigation and prevention

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FireSmart BC Education Program Features

Easy to teach, fun to learn!

Free, comprehensive materials from grades K-12
Made by teachers, for teachers
Aligned with the BC school curriculum
Easily incorporated within existing lesson plans
Designed to make learning fun
Empower youth to become champions of fire safety

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What is the FireSmart BC Education Program?

Lesson Overview By Grade Group

Grades K-1	Grades 2-3	Grades 4-6	Grades 7-9	Grades 10-12
Learn the basics Identify seasons when wildfires are most likely to occur Determine which items around the home are likely to burn	Best practices and design of FireSmart homes How First Peoples used fire to care for the land	Creating a FireSmart landscaping plan for public areas Identifying ecozones Determining factors that help make areas more FireSmart	Analyze wildfire behavior trends Recognize ecological benefits of prescribed fire Draw connections between colonialism and wildfires Insights from traditional knowledge on wildfire mitigation	Assess climate change and wildfire impacts Investigate ecosystem health Community planning to create a wildfire protection plan Using FireSmart landscaping criteria for assessment and revision in wildfire-prone areas

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FireSmart BC Education Program Features

How to Access Materials

Visit firesmartbc.ca/educationprogram/

Grades K-1 will learn the basics, including identifying the seasons when wildfire is most likely to occur and determining which items around a home are likely to burn.

Grades 2-3 cover topics including best practices and design of FireSmart homes, as well as lessons on how First Peoples used fire to care for the land.

Grades 4-6 take a broad view with lesson plans that include creating a FireSmart landscaping plan for public areas in their community, learning about the ecozone in which they live, and determining factors that can help make areas more FireSmart.

Grades 7-9 analyze wildfire behavior trends, recognize the ecological benefits of prescribed fire, draw connections between colonialism and wildfires, and gain insights from Indigenous People’s traditional knowledge on wildfire mitigation.

Grades 10-12 assess climate change and wildfire impacts, investigate ecosystem health, engage in community planning to create a wildfire protection plan, and use FireSmart landscaping criteria for assessment and revision in wildfire-prone areas.

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Question:

What are your first impressions of the FireSmart Education Program?

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Question:

What do you look for in third-party education materials?

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Questions?

Email: education@firesmartbc.ca