Neighborhood ‘ambassadors’ needed to help prepare communities for wildfire

May is National Wildfire Awareness Month, and here in Nevada, University of Nevada, Reno Extension, the Nevada Division of Forestry and their partners in the Fire Adapted Nevada Program are launching a new program to encourage residents to volunteer to be “ambassadors” to help their neighborhoods be prepared for the threat of wildfire. 

The goal of the Fire Adapted Nevada Neighborhood Ambassador Program is to help local neighborhood residents serving as ambassadors to provide information to their neighbors and help them prepare for wildfire. Fire Adapted Nevada is a multi-agency initiative that works with neighbors and agency partners to create fire adapted communities.

“Our vision is that our ambassadors will be part of a statewide network of passionate individuals working to connect neighbors with trusted wildfire education, expert partners and resources for mitigation projects,” said Megan Kay, a coordinator for Extension’s Living With Fire Program. “The ambassadors will also serve as key contacts for local firefighting agencies and community preparedness efforts, helping to build stronger, fire-ready neighborhoods.” 

An online informational session will be held at noon, May 7. Those interested in attending just need to register online to be provided with the link for the meeting. Kay said ambassadors will help lead community outreach efforts, access potential funding for larger wildfire mitigation projects, receive support from Fire Adapted Nevada staff to update or create a community wildfire protection plan, and join other ambassadors at workshops and trainings.

“By stepping up to be a neighborhood ambassador, people can make a real difference in wildfire preparedness,” Kay said. “Its great when individual homeowners take action, but when a neighborhood works together, it really improves the chances of the neighborhood surviving a wildfire threat.”

Extension, in collaboration with firefighting agencies and other partners, has developed a myriad of information and resources since the Living With Fire Program’s inception over 25 years ago.

Extension and its partners are encouraging residents to take action to be “Battle Born Wildfire Ready” as part of the collaborative Nevada Wildfire Awareness Campaign this month.

For more information, contact Kay at kaym@unr.edu or 775-336-0231.

– @UNRExtension –

Photo Cutline: The Davis Fire threatened neighborhoods in northern Nevada in September 2024. Photo by Adam Mayberry.

Extension is a unit of the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources engaged in Nevada communities, presenting research-based knowledge to address critical community needs. It is a county-state-federal partnership providing practical education to people, businesses and communities. For more information on its programs, visit extension.unr.edu.

The University of Nevada, Reno, is a public research university that is committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. As a Nevada land-grant university founded in 1874, the University serves 21,000 students. The University is a comprehensive, doctoral university, classified as an R1 institution with very high research activity by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Additionally, it has attained the prestigious “Carnegie Engaged” classification, reflecting its student and institutional impact on civic engagement and service, fostered by extensive community and statewide collaborations. More than $800 million in advanced labs, residence halls and facilities has been invested on campus since 2009. It is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and Wolf Pack Athletics, maintains a statewide outreach mission and presence through programs such as the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology, Small Business Development Center, Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the state and around the world. For more information, visit www.unr.edu.

Contact: Claudene Wharton
Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist
College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources
University of Nevada, Reno / MS 0405
Reno, Nevada 89557-0404
775-784-7072
whartonc@unr.edu