Firewise Leader Hub

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. 

  • We recommend hosting a website, facebook group or similar for your Firewise Community and posting the current certificate and community map.

    CERTIFICATE: Resident Leaders receive an email from NFPA with their certificate when your application is accepted. It is also available for download from your Firewise Portal Dashboard. Certificates are issued at the end of one year and are “valid” through the next year. For example, the 2024 certificate says “this community is in good standing throughout the 2025 calendar year”.

    MAP: NFPA has partnered with a company called Verisk/ISO to provide an address lookup tool to insurers, where they can confirm that your address is within a Firewise Community.  We hear that insurance companies may not be using the tool appropriately, or at all, and often refer to NFPA’s “point data” map on the Firewise website, which clearly cites it isn’t intended for that use.  While NFPA is trying to get to the bottom of the issue here, supporting the insurance discounts is not the sole purpose of the NFPA program. 

    Alternatively, companies may accept our address-searchable map.

    Lastly, Resident Leaders can provide the FSCNC map that is included with your Risk Assessment. These maps aren’t created by nor required by NFPA; These maps are uniquely available to our Firewise communities from a FSCNC board member that volunteers his time.  Resident Leaders received this map via email from Truckee Fire, but it should also be available in your Risk Assessment that is uploaded to your Firewise Portal.

    ESCALATION: CA Dept of Insurance encourages anyone that has provided the above information and still been denied the discount to submit submit a Request for Assistance/complaint with CDI.  https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/index.cfm

    The Firewise USA Recognition Program was not created for insurance purposes, and is not the only goal of NFPA’s program.  California is the currently the only state that has tied insurance discounts to Firewise USA. NFPA, your State Liaisons and Regional Coordinators are doing their best to support this change with limited resources.

RESOURCES FOR STARTING AND RUNNING A FIREWISE COMMUNITY

 
 
 

STEPS TO BECOMING A FIREWISE COMMUNITY

To earn recognition as a Firewise site, interested communities must complete six steps, summarized below. BUT FIRST! check our NEW address-searchable map to see if someone is already organizing in your neighborhood. 

Watch our Virtual Office Hours webinar to learn more about these steps:

 

  • 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 gather info from your community about their wildfire risk reduction activities. 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. There are so many activities that qualify as “risk reduction”, from raking pine needles, to attending a planning meeting or preparing a go-bag. You will report both the hours/time spent conducting the risk reduction activities, as well as the amount of vegetation removed.

    Jump to Risk Reduction Resources

  • Each year, your community is required to conduct an outreach event. This event may take the form of a neighborhood barbecue, a Zoom call featuring an educational speaker, or participation in community service or neighborhood work day. It is important for your community to review the objectives outlined in your action plan annually and collaborate on achieving these goals together. 

  • 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

INITIAL APPLICATIONS

Initial Application Handbook (Placer Co OES)

RENEWALS

Renewal Handbook (Placer Co OES)

Annual Renewal Information (NFPA)

VIDEO: How to Complete the Annual Renewal Process (NFPA - 3 mins)

 
 

ACTION PLANS Define your community goals based on your Risk Assessment.

Required Template (*new fillable PDF! version 3/2025)

How to Write an Action Plan (FSNCC guide, *NOW with specifics for Truckee Fire District communities!)

Example Action Plan #1 (2024 application season)

Example Action Plan #2 (2024 application season)

Virtual Office Hours ACTION PLANS (Aug2025)

 
 

RISK ASSESSMENTS You don’t have to complete this yourself! Truckee Fire assists Firewise Communities in drafting the Risk Assessment.

Required Template (current accepted template, as of Jan 2025)

How to Write a Risk Assessment (FSNCC guide, *NOW with specifics for Truckee Fire District communities!)

Example Risk Assessment (2024 application season)

NFPA Risk Assessment Training Video

Virtual Office Hours RISK ASSESSMENTS (Jul2025)

 
 

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:

>Volunteer Worksheet (NFPA)

>Example Google Form (Thank you NSDL!)

 
 

FIREWISE PORTAL Access the portal itself. The NFPA video shows navigation through the renewal application.

Access the Portal

How to Complete the Annual Renewal Process (NFPA - 3 mins)