Ohio Community Stories
Washington Township lies in rural south central Ohio, near the confluence
of the Scioto and Ohio Rivers. The village of West Portsmouth is the largest
development in Washington Township. However, many residents make their homes
in the hills outside of town. Topography in Washington Township is very
steep and variable, with many alternating ridges and hollows, and the vast
majority of the land is covered with oak-hickory forests. Several hundred
acres of Ohio's largest state forest, Shawnee State Forest (63,747 acres),
lie within Washington Township.
The Washington Township Fire Department (WTFD) is challenged with taking
responsibility for fire and emergency in an area with numerous hazards to
overcome. Aside from the topography issue as related to wildfire behavior,
steep and/or inadequate roadways create access problems to homes. Dead-end
roads up hollows are common. An ice storm in February 2003 caused tremendous
damage to forests across southern Ohio, and left downed woody debris throughout
the township in large quantities. Fuel accumulations have reached extremely
hazardous levels. It was estimated that around 70% of homes in WTFD's jurisdiction
had inadequate defensible space. An overall lack of awareness of wildfire
safety in the area sends up another red flag. Compound these factors with
the verity that Scioto County ranks annually among the highest in wildfire
occurrence and acres burned in Ohio, and the wildfire risk elevates to very
high levels.
In April 2005, WTFD began efforts towards increased wildfire safety in its
protection area. The WTFD Chief and several department officers met with
an Ohio Division of Forestry representative to discuss Firewise Ohio assistance
options and grant funds. WTFD decided to undertake a massive awareness and
education campaign. Fire department members made door-to-door visits to
talk with homeowners about wildfire hazards and provide them with safety
materials and brochures. Using Firewise Ohio Hazard Mitigation Grant funds,
they purchased two leaf blowers and a chainsaw to use in fuels mitigation
projects and for creating defensible space. Fire prevention signage was
placed strategically in areas of higher occurrence, and a Smokey Bear fire
danger sign was put up in a highly visible location to attract maximum attention.
WTFD personnel escorted Smokey Bear to the local elementary schools to talk
outdoor fire safety to kids, and discussed more advanced aspects of wildfire
safety to older students. WTFD purchased an LCD projector and screen to
use at open houses, public events, and meetings to assist in delivery of
their Firewise safety message. Articles were placed in the local newspapers
discussing Firewise and home safety, and an open house / cookout was held
at the firehouse to give citizens an opportunity to ask questions and interact
with WTFD members. In September 2005, the WTFD Chief attended the Mid Atlantic
Forest Fire Compact Firewise Conference as a representative from Ohio. Following
the conference, the fire department made the decision to apply for Firewise
Communities/USA status.
In addition to their mitigation, education and outreach efforts, officers from the WTFD were key in developing a cooperative and comprehensive Community Wildfire Prevention Plan for the seven fire departments that they frequently mutual aid with. Additionally, WTFD took the lead on working with Scioto County EMA in developing and implementing a wildfire hazard-specific annex for the Scioto County Emergency Operations Plan. This annex has been used as a model by several other high fire danger counties in Ohio that are interested in enhancing planning and response capabilities.
In total, nearly $6,000 grant funds and in-kind services were dedicated
to wildfire safety efforts in Washington Township. In March 2006, Washington
Township was recognized as Ohio's first Firewise Communities/USA recipient.
More importantly, the WTFD helped enhance wildfire safety for all members
of the Washington Township community through awareness, education, mitigation,
and prevention. WTFD plans to continue to build upon Firewise efforts in
the future.
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