Working with community leadership to promote wildfire preparedness

Abstract

This study provides insights into the role of local leaders in wildfire preparedness, specifically, how leaders motivate residents to work together. We found that community leaders become involved in wildfire preparedness for a number of reasons and bring important skills with them from past experiences. The majority of leaders were involved in multiple leadership roles, from identifying key issues to developing a wildfire preparedness strategy to mobilizing needed resources. To get things started, managers may need to be more active in the critical stages of identifying the issue and creating a vision, but community leaders will take over in later stages. Land managers also can assist leaders by helping identify key preparedness and mitigation issues, supplying information, providing training to improve leaders' skills, mobilizing resources, and rewarding commitment by sharing ownership or providing funding for future efforts.

Parent Publication

• The public and wildland fire management: social science findings for managers

Citation

Lang, Erika A.; Nelson, Kristen C.; Jakes, Pamela. 2006. Working with community leadership to promote wildfire preparedness. In: McCaffrey, S.M., tech. ed. The public and wildland fire management: social science findings for managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-1. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 137-149.