I am the Wildland-Urban Interface Specialist for the City of Santa Fe Fire Department. I work with landowners/homeowners to understand their wildland fire risk. I work together with partners at the local, state, and national levels to promote the tenants of the Cohesive Strategy; resilient landscapes, fire adapted communities, and safe and effective firefighter response. I also contribute to the efforts in the Greater Santa Fe Fireshed Coalition.
Working with property owners is my number one priority. The Santa Fe Fire Department promotes Firewise Communities, property risk assessments, and provides wildland fire education and outreach. I work to implement those projects with the people who live in the wildland-urban interface to better understand their responsibility and what services we proved. In addition to property risk assessments we offer a monthly green waste pick-up program, vegetation mitigation assistance, and a wildland fire response.
Preventing losses from wildland fires is an extremely large job and not any one individual or organization can do it all. Building and fostering relationships is essential to accomplishing goals. And, not just to accomplish objectives, but to establish long lasting, sustainable, efforts and invites that go beyond any one individual’s tenure. Working at various scales, I enjoy meeting new people and working with those that I don’t always agree with. Accomplishing projects together is always more enjoyable than failing by yourself.