Checklists
These checklists provide concise guidance without a lot of explanation:
- Creating Defensible Space – Initial Projects
- Defensible Space – Annual Tasks
- What should be in your Emergency (72-Hour) Evacuation Kit?
- Wildfire Season – Things to do to be prepared
- Wildfire Threatening Genesee – Things to do to be prepared
- You’ve Been Told to Evacuate – Things to do to prepare your house
Jefferson County Emergency Preparedness Guide
This emergency preparedness guide is designed to provide practical information on how you and your family can prepare for most disasters that could occur in our community. It includes up-to-date, hazard-specific safety tips and information about preparedness, mitigation and prevention. We all have a personal responsibility to be ready for emergencies. By utilizing the information found in this guide you can take the first steps to ensure you and your family are ready should the unexpected happen.
Wildland Fire Action Guide
Your Personal Wildland Fire Acton Guide: Ready, Set, Go was prepared by the International Association of Fire Chiefs, and other agencies, is focused on how to prepare for and respond in the event of a wildfire.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is a strategic plan that identifies specific wildland fire hazards and risks facing communities and neighborhoods, and provides prioritized mitigation recommendations that are designed to reduce those hazards and risks. CWPPs, including the previous version completed in 2009, provide the scientific justification for wildfire risk reduction activities undertaken by the Genesee Foundation Board and staff.
2021 -2022 CWPP Presentation Links:
- Plan Unit E (residents living on Holly Courts, Northridge or Southridge Courts, Tamarac Drive, Bristlecone Court, 25817 – 25687 Foothills Dr. N and 2234 – 2374 Foothills Dr. S) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-U6hjmHvrE&t
- Plan Unit F (residents living on Juniper Court, Columbine Court, Pine Drop Lane, or from 24949 – 25300 Montane Dr. W. and 1815 – 2204 Foothills Dr. S.) here is your link to the recorded presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfBHlzGu1tI.
- Plan Unit G (residents living on Larkspur Drive, Sand Lily Drive, 1507 – 1627 Shooting Star Drive, 1600 – 1511 Genesee Ridge Road, 1559 – 1519 Genesee Vista Road, 1604 – 1804 Foothills Drive South) here is your link to the recorded presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eWupdcudkM&t
- Plan Unit J (Residents living on Stonecrop Way, Daisy Lane, Bitterroot Lane, Rockcress Way, 23969 Montane Drive West, 2193 – 2262 Montane Drive East) here is your link to the recorded presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwARpbpNa3g
- Plan Unit I (residents living on 1732-2152 Montane Drive East) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Kp0lURTeb8
- Plan Unit D (residents living on 24788–25598 Foothills Drive North) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/nW-RYHU3p3g
- Preserve Plan Unit (residents living in the Preserve) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/9KnE4jjxfR0
- Plan Unit A (residents residing on Aster Way, Coneflower Drive, Dogwood Drive, Fescue Drive, Gilia Drive, Woodlily Drive, 23435–23505 Bluestem Drive, 810–1040 Genesee Ridge Road) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/vFNbXSF-dq8
- Plan Unit B (residents residing on 1049-1149 Genesee Vista Road, Arrow Wood Drive, Choke Cherry Lane, Currant Drive except the townhomes, Snowberry Drive, Pomegranate Lane, Raindrop Lane, Sumac Drive, Jerome Court, Paragon Place) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/vFNbXSF-dq8
- Plan Unit C (residents residing on Lupine Drive, 24547–24778 Foothills Drive North) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/OOyTpWM8k1k
- Plan Unit H (GFR Station and residents residing on 1421-1431 Genesee Ridge Road, 23426 Currant Drive, Pine View Place, Brookcress Drive, Meadowrose Drive, Willowherb Lane, Shooting Star Drive, Baneberry Lane, Rockrose Drive, 1523-1762 Montane Drive East) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/6iMN5s9eBAE
- Plan Unit Ridge Townhomes (23906-24406 Currant Drive) here is a link for that recorded presentation: https://youtu.be/CGKhdkN_XyU
- View the latest CWPP Powerpoint Presentation
Creating Defensible Space Around your Home
Defensible space is the natural and landscaped area around a home or other structure that has been modified to reduce fire hazard. Defensible space gives your home a fighting chance against an approaching wildfire not only because it reduces the likelihood of a home ignition, but also because it creates an environment in which firefighters can more safely defend your home. Defensible space is sometimes a requirement for getting or maintaining homeowner’s insurance in Genesee. This document from the Colorado State Forest Service provides specific guidelines and rationale for creating defensible space.
Lessons Learned from Colorado Wildfires
In June 2012 there were two large fires in the Colorado Springs area, the Waldo Canyon fire and the Black Forest fire. Both fires occurred in communities like Genesee that were built in the wildland-urban interface (WUI). As in Genesee, the Colorado Springs fire department had undertaken an extensive public education program to teach residents how to maximize the chances that their home could be saved in the event of a wildfire. Fire Adapted Communities Mitigation Assessment Team Findings: Lessons Learned from the Waldo Canyon Fire assesses the influence of a number of factors on wildfire risk including construction materials, windows, routine property maintenance and mitigation efforts.
Watch a video from the Black Forest fire illustrating how defensible space allows fire fighters to defend a home from an approaching wildfire.
Wildfire Insurance and Forest Health Task Force Report
This 2013 report was commissioned by Colorado’s governor following the devastating fires of 2012 to “identify and reach agreement on ways to encourage activities, practices and policies that would reduce the risk of loss in the wildland-urban interface areas, and provide greater customer choice and knowledge of insurance options.”
Videos
- Wildfire Wednesdays: October 2020 Webinars by the Colorado State University Extension
- Fire Ecology and Behavior. Tony Cheng PhD, Professor, Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship at Colorado State University and Director, Colorado Forest Restoration Institute. (1 hour 12 minutes)
- Defensible Space and Home Hardening. Daniel Beveridge, Wildfire Mitigation Program Specialist, Colorado State Forest Service. (1 hour 13 minutes)
- Fire Resistant Landscaping. Irene Shonle PhD, Horticulture Associate, Colorado State University Extension – El Paso County. (1 hour 16 minutes)
- Evacuation Preparedness and Animal Evacuation. Ragan Adams DVM, Coordinator, Veterinary Extension Specialist Group College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University. Sharon Bokan, Small Acreage Coordinator, Colorado State University Extension – Boulder County. (1 hour 28 minutes)
- United Policyholders, a non-profit consumer organization, has an informative 52 minute video from 2020, Tips from the Trenches: Does Your Safety Net have Holes? It will guide you on how to read your policy and assess whether your coverage is appropriate.