Interested in organizing your neighborhood? Find resources here about the administration of a Firewise Community. For information about our community programs and other questions about Firewise Communities, navigate through the other pages of truckeefire.org. We’re here to support you! - Truckee Fire Wildfire Prevention Team. Contact us at firewise@truckeefire.org.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

“Year Zero” is the biggest commitment. Form a committee, complete the Risk Assessment and Action Plan, communicate and collect info from your neighbors about the work that they’re doing, and then log that information in an online portal. Many communities organize a community work day and a community education event (usually in the form of block party!). Renewal each year requires collecting and logging that same information in the online portal. The Risk Assessment is updated every 5 years, and the Action Plan is updated every 3 years.
1. ? Truckee Fire is an active partner to every Firewise community in our district. We help you determine the boundaries of your Firewise community. We conduct a walking tour of the neighborhood with you and then we complete the Risk Assessment, with your input. We talk through how to use the Risk Assessment to complete the Action Plan, and give you examples and a template.
There’s no cost associated with becoming a Firewise Community. The biggest commitment is time, and not even that much of that! At a minimum, you're required to annually invest the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit in wildfire risk reduction actions. If your site has identified 100 homes within its boundary, then 100 hours of work need to be completed for that year. You’re not expected to do work on other people’s property or be 100% compliant before applying. A lot of the time you’re already putting into your community could be counted toward those requirements. See some examples here.
Nope! It gives you the structure and resources to move in that direction.
No; 3-5 volunteer community leaders form a committee and take the steps to apply for recognition. Participation is then measured on a neighborhood level, with a minimum commitment of 1-hour per home, on average, annually. Those that don’t participate still get the benefit of being in a Firewise community even if they don’t do any of the work.

RESOURCES FOR STARTING AND RUNNING A FIREWISE COMMUNITY

***Truckee Fire’s Firewise Media Hub NEW! ***

NFPA & Firewise USA

County/Agency Supporters

Volunteer-Led Coalitions

STEPS TO BECOMING A FIREWISE COMMUNITY

To earn recognition as a Firewise site, interested communities must complete six steps, summarized below. Before starting the process, first check the interactive maps for YOUR COUNTY to see if a Firewise community already exists in your neighborhood.

The committee is comprised of community residents. This group will collaborate to develop the community’s risk reduction priorities, develop a multi-year action plan based on the risk assessment and oversee the completion of the annual renewal requirements needed to retain an “in good standing” status.
- Consider inviting the HOA board, Neighborhood Association, or property management company to participate.
- Identify a resident leader who will be the program point of contact.
- Define the boundaries. Create a contiguous border that “fills in the gaps” between existing Firewise Communities. The community size must be a minimum of 8 dwelling units and a maximum of 2,500.
Once you have your committee and boundaries drafted, reach out to your Truckee Fire Firewise Coordinator at firewise@truckeefire.org!
Collaborate with Truckee Fire to complete the Firewise USA Community Risk Assessment. The assessment is a community-wide view that identifies areas of successful wildfire risk reduction and areas where improvements could be made. Emphasis is on the general conditions of homes and related home ignition zones, and Truckee Fire uses inspection data compiled during our blanket defensible space inspections to help you complete this. The risk assessment will need to be updated every five years. Review the Tutorial and the Risk Assessment Template below to familiarize yourself with the process.
Jump to Risk Assessment Links
The committee will utilize the risk assessment to formulate a three-year action plan, delineated by year, which identifies and prioritizes actions aimed at mitigating ignition risks to residential properties. This plan may encompass community-wide investments as well as recommended actions for homeowners and educational initiatives that participants are encouraged to accomplish on an annual basis or over multiple years. This document must be revised and updated at a minimum interval of three years.

Jump to Action Plan links
Each year, it is required that you report your wildfire risk reduction activities through your Firewise portal. At a minimum, each site is expected to invest the equivalent of one volunteer hour per dwelling unit annually in wildfire risk reduction efforts. For instance, if your site encompasses 100 homes, it will be necessary to accumulate 100 hours of work or the corresponding monetary value to satisfy this investment requirement.
Jump to Risk Reduction Resources
Each year, your community is required to organize an outreach event. This event may take the form of a neighborhood barbecue, a Zoom call featuring an educational speaker, or a community service day. It is important for your community to review the objectives outlined in your action plan annually and collaborate on achieving these goals together. Eastern Regional Firewise Coalition (www.erfwc.org) is working on a regional event for 2025 that could serve as the Annual Outreach Event if you’re not ready to organize your own. Reach out to them at erfwcinfo@gmail.com.
Jump to Annual Outreach Event Links
The application is completed and submitted through NFPA’s Firewise Portal. Once you’ve established your committee, your boundary map, and connected with Truckee Fire Firewise Coordinator, you’re ready to start your community’s Site Profile.
You can explore the Site Profile and Start the application even if you’re not ready to submit yet. Once you are ready to begin your community's application, log into your NFPA account and from your Site Profile dashboard, select "Start New Application". This will open the "Firewise USA Application" overview page.
Complete all required sections of the application, ensuring to upload your Risk Assessment and Three-Year Action Plan in the designated areas. After finalizing your application, click the Submit button located at the bottom of the last page. You will receive an email confirming submission, and your application will be reviewed by CAL FIRE and the NFPA. The turnaround time can be anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. Should any revisions be necessary, you will receive an email with feedback notes. When your application is approved, you will receive an email containing your recognition certificate.
Jump to Portal Links

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS & GUIDES

ACTION PLANS

NFPA Action Plan Template (MS Word) (current accepted template, as of Jan 2025. Stay tuned! CALFIRE is releasing a fillable PDF format)

Example Action Plan #1

Example Action Plan #2

RISK ASSESSMENTS You don’t have to complete this yourself! Truckee Fire drafts the Risk Assessment on behalf of Firewise Communities within the Truckee Fire Protection District.

NFPA Risk Assessment Template (current accepted template, as of Jan 2025)

Example Risk Assessment (2024 application season)

NFPA Risk Assessment Training Video

RISK REDUCTION Each community decides for itself the best way to collect risk reduction reports from their community members. These reports will not be collected or audited. See the Firewise Portal section for how the aggregated information is reported to NFPA each year.

NFPA Time and Expense Investment Examples

Resident Reporting Options & Examples:

NFPA Volunteer Hourly Worksheet

Example Google Form