On January 22 the winners of the Wildfire Mitigation Awards for 2015 were announced. Established in 2014 in response to an overwhelming number of wildfire mitigation program efforts across the nation, the awards are the highest national honor one can receive for outstanding work and significant program impact in wildfire preparedness and mitigation.
The Wildfire Mitigation Awards are jointly sponsored by the National Associations of State Foresters, the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the National Fire Protection Association, and the USDA Forest Service.
The three categories for the awards include:
- Community Wildfire Preparedness Pioneer
- Fire Adapted Communities Fire Service Leadership
- Wildfire Mitigation Innovation
These awards are designed to recognize outstanding service in wildfire preparedness and safety across a broad spectrum of activities and among a variety of individuals and organizations. By honoring their achievements, the award sponsors also seek to increase public recognition and awareness of the value of wildfire mitigation efforts.
The winners of th Wildfire Mitigation Awards are:
Community Wildfire Preparedness Pioneer Awardees
Ann Grant
Nevada Fire Safe Council & Nevada Network of Fire Adapted Communities
Reno, Nevada
Tom Burns
Warm Springs Mesa Neighborhood Association
Boise, Idaho
Ken & Nancy Hasse
Logtown Fire Safe Council & El Dorado County Fire Safe Council
Diamond Springs, California
Judy Winzell
Falls Creek Ranch Homeowners Association
Durango, Colorado
Fire Adapted Communities Fire Service Leadership Awardees
Chris Barth
Bureau of Land Management
Montrose, Colorado
Colorado Springs Wildfire Mitigation Section
Colorado Springs Fire Department/City of Colorado Springs
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Florida Forest Service—Okeechobee District
Okeechobee, Florida
Jerry McAdams
Boise Fire Department
Boise, Idaho
Gregory McLaughlin
New Jersey Forestry Services-Forest Fire Service
Trenton, New Jersey
Eric L. Mosley
Georgia Forestry Commission- Oconee District
Milledgeville, Georgia
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Living With Fire Program
Reno, Nevada
Thomas Spencer
Texas A&M Forest Service
College Station, Texas
Wildfire Mitigation Innovation Awardees
West Region Wildfire Council
Montrose, Colorado
Saws and Slaws
Boulder County, Colorado
Travis Lipp, Jerry Derr and Lieutenant Tim Weaver
Bureau of Land Management; Meade County, South Dakota; Rapid City Fire Department, Rapid City, South Dakota
Mitigation and Prevention Department
Texas A&M Forest Service
College Station, Texas
Irene Jerome
Grant County, Oregon
Hawaii Wildfire Management Organization
Kamuela, Hawaii
Caloosahatchee Forestry Center
Fort Myers, Florida
Flagstaff Fire Department – Wildland Fire Management Division
Flagstaff, Arizona
Pam Wilson, Executive Director
Firewise of Southwest Colorado & Local Firewise Council
Durango, Colorado
