The primary focus of Firewise SA is to create awareness of the dangers of wild fires and to equip homeowners, community leaders, planners and developers with the knowledge and skills of fire prevention. The protection of families, property and the environment before a fire starts is a Firewise priority, as is the provision of an action plan in an emergency.
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Firewise SA serves as a forum for a shared vision among key stakeholders on the strategies of fire prevention and management, and serves as a resource of information for rural communities, the media, government institutions, educators and the fire department. In creating awareness of the extent of wildfires in Southern Africa and of the range of firefighting resources available, it also places emphasis on individual responsibility for safer home construction and design, and garden landscaping and maintenance.
Firewise SA is a Working on Fire (WOF) initiated partnership. WoF is a Government-supported programme, formed in 2003 to develop an integrated national fire-fighting prevention and wild-fire fighting capacity.
Integrated Fire Management
Integrated fire management is a series of actions that are carried out to create a sustainable and well balanced environment where the damage from wildfires is reduced and the beneficial use of controlled fires is optimised.
It includes fire awareness, fire prevention, prescribed burning, resource sharing and co-ordination, detecting fires, suppressing fires and rehabilitating fire damage. To be effective, the actions must be carried out at a local, provincial and national level.
