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3 episodes with wui
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2 episodes with wui
2 episodes with wui
2 episodes with wui
When fires erupted in Los Angeles in early January, the incidents seemed to shift from wildfire to urban conflagration in an instant. Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief Brian Fennessy, who grew up in Altadena, hurried back to his home community as it was being run over by the Eaton Fire. What Fennessy witnessed was mind-blowing – only a few homes in a massive area spared from the fires. Fennessy shares his experience during the firestorm, including his use of milk and beer to address one hazardous condition; his reflections on the state of wildfire, WUI and urban conflagration training; his perspective on resource ordering systems that can delay critical apparatus getting on the road; and information about the California Fire Service Leadership Alliance. Next: Watch Chief Fennessy on “60 Minutes.” This episode of the Better Every Shift Podcast is sponsored by MagneGrip. Eliminate diesel exhaust fumes from inside the fire station with a MagneGrip exhaust removal system. Learn more at MagneGrip.com. Enjoying the show? Email bettereveryshift@firerescue1.com to share your feedback.
On this episode of Legislative Review: A bill regarding Wildland Urban Interface Fires and a bill to help with rent stabilization. Finally we take a look at the State of the Judiciary Address.
In the aftermath of the LA Pacific Palisades Fire, I've decided that instead of inviting one expert to discuss the event, I will give a voice back to those who already participated in the Fire Science Show and explained this fire (months and years before it happened).In this episode, we recap Wildland-Urban Interface fires, with a focus on the "urban" part. We cover conditions in which such fires may happen and factors that contribute. We discuss the role of community preparedness and pathways in how those fires "attack" individual households. We talk a lot about embers and some ideas on how to mitigate them. Finally, we discuss the evacuation from WUI fires.Some politics, a lot of science, decent amount of answers to most urgent questions. I hope you will enjoy!Episodes and speakers featured in this podcast:069 - Challenging fires at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) with Michael Gollner117 - Global wildfire emergency and the key role of FSEs with Albert Simeoni156 - Trigger Boundaries with Harry Mitchell and Nick Kalogeropoulos159 - The WUI Problem with Michele Steinberg and Birgitte Messerschmidt161 - Community evacuation with Enrico Ronchi and Max KinatederYou can always find current episodes on wildfires at https://www.firescienceshow.com/category/wildfires-wui-and-wind/The history of Japanese urban fires is covered in the paper Large Urban Fires in Japan: History and Management by Yoshioka H. et al. Cover image credit: By Toastt21 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=157682430From the Wikipedia summary of the LA Palisades Fire at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palisades_Fire----The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.
Since January 7, wildfires have been devastating the Los Angeles area. In the span of 10 days, several different fires, including the Palisades and Eaton fires, have burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. At least 25 people have died.The threat of fire is growing, especially in zones known as the wildland-urban interface, or WUI. That's where unoccupied wildland and human developments meet and mingle. Think of a city sprawling around a forest, for example. In the US, around one in three homes is in this type of high-risk zone.So what's the science behind urban fires? And how do we protect ourselves in the face of them?Ira Flatow talks with Dr. Kimiko Barrett, senior wildfire researcher and policy analyst at the research group Headwaters Economics in Bozeman, Montana; and Dr. Alexandra Syphard, senior research scientist at the Conservation Biology Institute in San Diego, California.Transcripts for each segment will be available after the show airs on sciencefriday.com. Subscribe to this podcast. Plus, to stay updated on all things science, sign up for Science Friday's newsletters.
Join me and Dr. Alexandra Syphard as we discuss what makes some neighborhoods more fire prone than others, the Santa Ana Winds, defensible space, the massive differences between fires in forested Northern California and shrubby Southern California, the pendulum swing of public opinion, ways that climate change does and doesn't contribute to wildfires, the WUI, positive uses of abandoned Fry's electronics buildings, waxy leaves, invasive plants, and so much more. This episode is an attempt to add context for everyone struggling to comprehend the scale of the fires in Los Angeles, especially those impacted. I hope it helps. Sending love. Links: California Fire Hazard Severity Zones Support Golden State Naturalist on Patreon and get perks starting at $4/month. Follow me on Instagram. My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com. Get podcast Merch. The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found here. Cover art by Raquel Raclette.
The document provides an analysis of the threat posed by terrorist-initiated arson attacks on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas, emphasizing the simplicity and destructive potential of such actions. It highlights that WUI communities, home to nearly 40% of U.S. residences, are increasingly at risk due to their proximity to wildlands. The report outlines past examples of terrorist organizations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, promoting arson as a tactic and provides insights into tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for conducting such attacks.To mitigate these risks, the document suggests enhanced coordination among agencies, community preparedness measures, use of technology for early detection, and public education campaigns. It also stresses the importance of integrating fire services into intelligence cycles and improving investigative capabilities. For response efforts, it recommends prioritizing safety, efficient evacuation plans, and maintaining strong command and control using systems like ICS.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:124s_-_Mitigating_the_Threat_of_Terrorist-Initiated_Arson_Attacks_on_Wildland-Urban_Interface_Areas.pdf
The document provides an analysis of the threat posed by terrorist-initiated arson attacks on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas, emphasizing the simplicity and destructive potential of such actions. It highlights that WUI communities, home to nearly 40% of U.S. residences, are increasingly at risk due to their proximity to wildlands. The report outlines past examples of terrorist organizations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, promoting arson as a tactic and provides insights into tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for conducting such attacks.To mitigate these risks, the document suggests enhanced coordination among agencies, community preparedness measures, use of technology for early detection, and public education campaigns. It also stresses the importance of integrating fire services into intelligence cycles and improving investigative capabilities. For response efforts, it recommends prioritizing safety, efficient evacuation plans, and maintaining strong command and control using systems like ICS.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:124s_-_Mitigating_the_Threat_of_Terrorist-Initiated_Arson_Attacks_on_Wildland-Urban_Interface_Areas.pdf
The document provides an analysis of the threat posed by terrorist-initiated arson attacks on Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) areas, emphasizing the simplicity and destructive potential of such actions. It highlights that WUI communities, home to nearly 40% of U.S. residences, are increasingly at risk due to their proximity to wildlands. The report outlines past examples of terrorist organizations, including ISIS and Al-Qaeda, promoting arson as a tactic and provides insights into tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) for conducting such attacks.To mitigate these risks, the document suggests enhanced coordination among agencies, community preparedness measures, use of technology for early detection, and public education campaigns. It also stresses the importance of integrating fire services into intelligence cycles and improving investigative capabilities. For response efforts, it recommends prioritizing safety, efficient evacuation plans, and maintaining strong command and control using systems like ICS.to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:124s_-_Mitigating_the_Threat_of_Terrorist-Initiated_Arson_Attacks_on_Wildland-Urban_Interface_Areas.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
It is no secret that being a firefighter, career, volunteer, WUI, Paid-on-Call, etc., can take a physical and emotional toll on us. Often a rookie/probie takes a “lot of heat,” and that is before his/her have even rolled out of the station. Now, add everything else we must do outside the fire service, and we might be shouldering physical issues like weight, unbalanced diets, etc. Our Guest on this podcast can provide pointers to you.Capt. Aaron “ZAM” Zamzow has been in the fire service for over twenty years. He is the owner for Fire-Rescue-Fitness, a company that creates workout programs and fitness articles that focus on getting Fire Rescue Athletes, “Fit for Duty.” He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Health and Wellness, and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Trainer and an IAFF/IAFC Peer Fitness Trainer. He has also worked in the fitness industry for over 25 years and has experience working with the general population, as well as athletes from the NBA, NFL, and NHL.Tune in as “ZAM” shares some sage advice regarding how to hone your diet, your work, both on and off the Job. Visit his website at www.FireRescueFitness.com and learn even more! ********************Please remember that we need your help to raise the funds we use to financially help a Brother/Sister and or their families, when they are in dire need. Since 2020, we have donated nearly $7,000.00 to our Brothers and Sisters. We can only do that with your help. Please visit our homepage at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the E2QB siren. Select the photo and our donation page will appear. From $1.00 to whatever you can, any amount will help us. And you can always reach us at Dalmatprod@Outlook.com
This is the third and final episode in our series on wildland urban interface (WUI) fires. Guests for this series include subject matter experts Gregg Bird, John Dean, and Andrew “Rat” Rateaver. Today, we talk about things homeowners can do to protect their property from WUI fires; the importance of developing and practicing community evacuation plans; how law enforcement, fire, EMS, and local officials can work together during these crises; and more.
Yello, Dan Dick is back! Dan has a finger in every coffee flavoured pie, with his own roastery as well as 5 locations of cafe ‘Nigel.' So how does Dan juggle being both retailer and supplier - well quite seamlessly actually! And he's got some golden advice for cafe owners. In today's show, we touch on everything from hospitality during the recession to the joys of working behind a coffee machine. Dan reveals the time he was WUI (working under the influence) and Kirk has an extra hot take on Melbourne's signature drink… In coffee news: U.S coffee shop Bitty and Beau's is creating change via their unique hiring policy, Starbucks' sales are plummeting in China, and Emily Ratajkowski's coffee run attire leaves the boys lost for words. Also, what did Kirk do to ex-priminster's Scomo's flat white? If you're new here (love ya), our show dives into some of the best coffee conversations on the internet, but we will always remind ourselves at the end of the day; It's Just Coffee! Massive thankyou to Dan for making a second appearance. Check out Dan on Instagram @danielpeterdick and TikTok @dandicktoks and follow us @itsjustcoffee so you never miss a drop. Want more coffee content? Browse all of our content here. Thanks for listening! Hit our line at hello@itsjustcoffeepod.com for any questions or comments.
Is evacuation of a community during a wildfire largely different from evacuation of a building? How much of the knowledge from the building fires is directly useful in planning and managing such an event, and what stuff is completely different? These are the lead questions for my today's interview with prof. Enrico Ronchi from Lund University and dr Max Kinateder from National Research Council Canada. Both guests currently research the evacuation layer of the WUI problem – starting with the response of the endangered people, through choice of the mode of the transport, to solving the transportation models of such evacuations. A multilayered, multifaceted and interdisciplinary challenge, but one we need to have a good understanding of if we want to deliver good risk based, knowledge informed guidance for communities at risk.In this episode, we got through their research pinpointing the difference between the building and a community evacuation. We touch the methods of research that are currently in used, and what kind of models they can inform. Finally, we get to talk about their recent experimental study during a fire drill in Roxborough Park, Colorado. This has literally happened a few days ago, and we can already discuss the challenges, and the first ‘anecdotal' findings of the study.Becoming open to the WUI problem and learning the challenges that are in front of us in this regard is critical to fire safety engineering, especially at the time when we observe Wildfire Safety Engineering becoming more of a real thing! I foresee that in future, a lot of us will work in the wildfire prevention / mitigation/contingency space, and I hope you will appreciate the fact you've learned it first from the Fire Science Show! ----The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.
On today's podcast, we continue our conversation on wildland urban interface (WUI) fires with guests Gregg Bird, John Dean, and Andrew “Rat” Rateaver. In this episode, we discuss mitigation techniques for wildfires in vulnerable urban areas. Topics include ways to get the community informed/involved in mitigation efforts and the challenges responders and officials face when trying to enforce fire mitigation regulations and policies. The third and final episode in this series will air on Tuesday, July 30th.
As the temperature rises during these summer months, so does the risk of wildfires. On today's podcast, we begin a three-part conversation on wildland urban interface (WUI) fires with subject matter experts Andrew “Rat” Rateaver, Gregg Bird, and John Dean. In this episode, they discuss WUI fires in the larger context of wildfires, contributing factors to the growing frequency and severity of wildfires, the challenges communities and responders face when dealing with these fires, and more. The second episode in this series will air on Tuesday, July 23rd.
With two Directors at NFPA - Michele Steinberg and Birgitte Messerschmidt, I'm trying to find an answer to a burning question - "what really is the WUI problem?" The WUI is not just a line on a map with an X distance from the forest... In this episode we try to define what it is, and who is in danger. Instead of our usual conversations looking into characteristics of burning forests, or seeking the impact of detailing in construction, in this episode we try to take a birds eye view and identify the problem across the scales and frameworks. From seeking out good definitions and their impact on policymaking, through technical solutions up to creating new testing and certification systems. So where are the answers? Actions across the scales at homeowner - community - regional levels, in which they are interconnected and optimal. A fireproof house in the middle of wrongfully managed area will not be of great difference… As well as a dangerous premise at the edge of the forest… The outcome of a WUI fire incoming will be an outcome of propper actions taken at every level.We need new solutions. Scallable ones. We need better testing and standardization, new listings. We need to find ways to involve the private sector and create interesting pathways for fire safety engineers to work with people at risk, at whatever scale. The future looks promising, let's make sure we are a part of it. Some recommended resources I received from my eminent Guests:Impact of smoke in WUI fires: https://www.nfpa.org/en/news-blogs-and-articles/nfpa-journal/2024/02/13/research-column-spring-24Defining the WUI: https://www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-and-articles/nfpa-journal/2024/04/30/defining-the-wuiPreparing homes for wildfire (home ignition zone): https://www.nfpa.org/en/education-and-research/wildfire/preparing-homes-for-wildfireThe Firewise USA Recognition program: https://www.nfpa.org/en/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa/become-a-firewise-usa-siteOutthink Wildfire policy initiative: https://www.nfpa.org/en/Education-and-Research/Policy-and-Action/Outthink-Wildfire ----The Fire Science Show is produced by the Fire Science Media in collaboration with OFR Consultants. Thank you to the podcast sponsor for their continuous support towards our mission.
If you have been or still are a firefighter and you have a few years (or more) under your belt, you have probably had a couple of “workers” that gave you a bit more than an east knockdown.Initially then, the title of Brad's book is somewhat incomplete. For the full title of his new book is, “The Flames of Fire – Firefighting Amidst the Explosions!” A bit more intriguing than the first look. Brad has done it all, from being a 17-year-old “probie” to an officer, an instructor and a Fire Inspector. Some of the stories he shares with us will generate the “pucker factor,” no matter how much experience you have. We also discuss to of the greatest leaders/teachers in the Fire Service, the late Chief Alan V. Brunacini or “Chief Bruno” as he loved to be called and, the late Chief Bobby Halton. We discuss the philosophies about this job that they both loved and how their simple explanations and recommendations of how we should interact with our victims, made everyone who listened and functioned as they posited, made so many incidents just a little less scary and at the same time, made us better firefighters, career, volunteer, paid-on-call or WUI.You will find the video versions of our podcasts on our YouTube® Channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp.” And our audio version can be found on our homepage of www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org or your favorite podcast platform.And please don't forget to leave a brief review on your podcast platform page for “5-Alarm Task Force!” and 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. on YouTube®.Stay Safe & Stay Well and Let's Make Sure Everyone Goes Home!
In this information-packed episode, host Kurt Thoennessen and certified wildfire mitigation specialist, Mike Thayer provides invaluable insights on wildfire risks and prevention strategies. As wildfires continue to rise in severity across the Western U.S., homeowners must get prepared.Key topics discussed:The role of wind events in driving large, fast-moving wildfires that rapidly spreadHow extended drought and historical fire suppression have built up fuel loads, contributing to more severe firesWhy ember intrusion, not walls of flames, cause most home ignitions - defensible space is criticalNew standards like the zero to five foot “non-combustible zone” being mandated in CA by 2025 to protect homesThe wildland urban interface expansion in western states lacking CA's wildfire building codesThe impacts of insurance availability and modeling on admitted/non-admitted marketsThe value of wildfire risk education for homeowners that explains the “why” behind mitigationsSpecific home hardening measures (ember-resistant vents, gutter guards, etc.) that make homes insurableAs Mike emphasizes, wildfire readiness education and prevention work must expand outside California to other wildfire-prone states. All homeowners with natural vegetation exposure should proactively mitigate now, before threats grow. Advanced preparation is key to saving homes and making them insurable.Resources:The ibhs website/standards that Mike mentions explains the "why" behind wildfire mitigation recommendations through videos and other content. - https://ibhs.org/wildfireready/The ArcGIS product showing expansion of homes in the wildland urban interface, with percentage increases by state from 2007-2020. Allows visual hovering over states. - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/6b2050a0ded0498c863ce30d73460c9eThis is an article Mike Thayer read about potential "doomsday" scenarios if a major non-admitted carrier wildfire loss occurred, and the impacts that could have. - https://www.kqed.org/science/1985175/insurance-in-california-is-changing-heres-how-it-may-affect-youThe updated CalFire wildfire hazard severity zone maps that recently came out, designating more high risk WUI areas. - https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents. All Things Wildfire Podcast - https://allthingswildfire.com/Wildfire Prepared Website - https://wildfireprepared.org/Mike Thayer's linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-thayer-wms/
Almost every industry in the U.S. has its “Trades,” that is, magazines devoted to and about that industry. The U.S./Canadian fire services are no different. There are numerous periodicals for us to choose from, one of which is the one that somewhat taught me how to be a better firefighter, even though it was a brand-new periodical back in 1977, when it was first published by FDNY firefighter, Dennis Smith – FIREHOUSE® Magazine. And I've rarely missed an issue in those more than 45 years. My guest today is Peter Matthews, who joined the FIREHOUSE team in 1999, serving both the magazine and online endeavors. Peter travels the country (and sometimes beyond) on a regular basis, enjoying a “ride-along” whenever possible. But those aren't just for the fun of running calls rather, he uses them as an educational exercise to learn about each department he visits. In this episode, we discuss a lesson he gained from a car-service driver who, one may think, read one of the excellent books by the late Chief Alan Brunacini. For the driver explained how easy it is to “be nice.” We also discuss two key issues many departments are facing, regarding retention of current personnel and recruiting new ones. This conundrum is being faced by all facets of the fire service, career, volunteer, part-pay and WUI. For more information, please visit www.firehouse.com As the holidays are fast approaching, please help us to help our Brothers and Sisters in dire need! Over 90% of our disbursed funds have been donated to families of firefighters who have made the Ultimate Sacrifice. Visit us at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Thank you! Photo © and Courtesy of FIREHOUSE®
Are you passionate about protecting lives and properties from the devastating impact of wildfires? Are you eager to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, innovations, and strategies to tackle this pressing issue? If so, we have great news for you! We are excited to introduce "All Things Wildfire," a groundbreaking podcast that delves deep into the world of wildfire protection, legislation, actuarial science, and catastrophe modeling, all focused on the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Hosted by experts in the field, this podcast aims to provide crucial insights into the ever-evolving challenges and advancements in wildfire management. We have Frank Frievalt from the Woolsey Fire Institute, who brings his extensive experience and expertise to share valuable insights into wildfire protection and risk reduction. Frank has spent over four decades in the fire service, working with various organizations, and has a master's degree in science from Oklahoma State University. As a prominent figure in wildfire management, Frank is committed to developing sustainable and effective strategies for protecting life and property in the wildland urban interface. Frank discusses wildfire protection, legislation, actuarial science, and catastrophe modeling related to the wildland-urban interface (WUI). He emphasizes the need to reduce ignition rather than relying solely on suppression to prevent property loss. The podcast explores the challenges faced in protecting communities within the WUI and the importance of consistent mitigation efforts to address the increasing risk posed by wildfires. The discussion also touches on the role of the Woolsey Fire Institute in collaborating with various stakeholders to develop effective strategies and align policies to safeguard communities in the WUI. Frank introduces the concept of the Hoover Five, which are enabling tasks to close the loop between data-driven risk mitigation, post-fire reconstruction, and refining best practices to improve overall wildfire resilience. With informative discussions and expert interviews, you'll gain a comprehensive understanding of: ✅ The importance of reducing ignition risks and moving beyond reliance on suppression ✅ Strategies to safeguard communities within the wildland urban interface ✅ The role of actuarial science and data-driven risk mitigation ✅ Innovations in post-fire reconstruction and best practices for wildfire resilience Join the growing community of wildfire enthusiasts and stakeholders, and discover how we can collectively work towards a safer and more resilient future. Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from the experts in the field. Thank you for joining us on the journey of fighting wildfires. We understand that we are in a constant battle with mother nature and things seem hopeless when we have to evacuate, leave our homes, and not know what we will come back to. On our podcast, we bring experts to educate homeowners, communities, and businesses on what they can do against wildfires. Our team consists of wildfire prevention specialists, retired fire captains, and fire marshals. If you're trying to get educated, find a solution to the wildfires, and do everything you can for your property then you have arrived at the right place!
What's behind the increasing size and severity of California's wildfires? And if the trajectory continues, what does that mean for people living there? How has this trend already impacted residents? Three co-authors of a recent synthesis on drivers of wildfire in the Golden State share their main findings with us, as well as speculating on some possibilities for future solutions to living alongside increasing fire hazard. Photo credit: USDARelated Links:Climate Change Is Escalating California's WildfiresDrivers of California's changing wildfires: a state-of-the-knowledge synthesisDrivers of California's Changing Wildfires: State Has Potential To Be A Model For Change - International Association of Wildland FireIf you're enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser Thanks!Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePodNever miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes!Have a suggestion for a future episode? Please tell us!Come Rain or Shine affiliate links:DOI Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/ USDA Southwest Climate Hub: https://www.climatehubs.usda.gov/hubs/southwest Sustainable Southwest Beef Project: https://southwestbeef.org/
If you are a firefighter, career, volunteer, paid-on-call, WUI, etc., and you do not know anything about PFAS/PFOS, you are woefully behind in your firefighting education. I know, because I did not know about it either until 2017 when I was referred to my guest on this episode. Diane Cotter's husband, Paul, had just been promoted to Lieutenant in the Worcester MA Fire Dept., in 2014, when he was diagnosed with aggressive testicular cancer. Thanks to surgery and treatment, Paul is well today but that illness, surgery and treatment forced him to “disable out.” I know what it's like to lose that day-to-day connection with your colleagues and friends. But there is more to Paul's and Diane's story. Diane is a warrior or, as I say in the interview, her “Mama Bear” instincts kicked in. She wanted to know how this happened. She persevered and was instrumental in the disclosure that our bunker gear was being manufactured containing a man-made chemical as a part of the moisture barrier, but that is also a carcinogen. We urge you to listen to their story. The job we do is dangerous enough, we do not need to worry that the very gear we wear to protect ourselves contains a carcinogenic chemical that can lead to aggressive cancers.For additional information, please visit:1. https://www.lastcallfoundation.org 2. https://ewg.org3. https://etherealfilms.org/While this is the last episode of Season 7 of “5-Alarm Task Force,” we will continue our efforts to financially assist our Brothers and Sisters and/or their families, in dire need. And to do so, we need your help! We will return in August with Season 8 of “5-Alarm Task Force!” Until then, have a safe and enjoyable summer!PLEASE…help us help our Brothers and Sisters and/or their families in dire need, please visit our website at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.You can view our videos on our YouTube® channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. or you can listen to our audio podcast on all major podcast platforms, on Podomatic or our website, noted above.
It is no secret that fire departments across North America are “hungry” for more firefighters, including career, volunteer, paid-on-call and WUI. Why? There are various reasons behind it and if departments are to be successful in this endeavor, it might be a good time to re-think your processes.There is a new generation of young people interested. And if we can look beyond the fact that they may not have basic tool skills, we just might see that they have other skills that could be very beneficial to a department.Our guest today is Deputy Chief Dave Robertson. We discuss his premise of , “Hiring Based on Character.” Let's do away with the 10-item questionnaire that's been used for 25 years, the expectation that someone in his/her early twenties has five years of firefighting experience behind them and will walk through your door and other ‘old-school” thinking. Chief Robertson posits that if we can create a hiring process based in the 21st century with the numerous life experiences some of these applicants have had, we just might be able to find those men and women who want to be the best firefighter they can be!To learn more, visit Chief Robertson's website at:https://www.fire-edge.com or reach him at chief.robertson@fire-edge.com You can help us help our Brothers and Sisters and/or their families in dire need, please visit our website at https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org.You can view our videos on our YouTube® channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp. or you can listen to our audio podcast on all major podcast platforms and our website, noted above. Photo Copyright Clip Art Key
When we talk about the fire service and firefighters, our thoughts often go to firefighters working at a fire, HazMat scene, big and shiny apparatus, the firehouse and more. However today, more than ever, we need to look at the humanity of the fire service!No matter if we are discussing career, volunteer, part-pay or WUI firefighters, they are humans first, they are sons and daughters, moms and dads, husbands, wives, aunts and uncles, etc. Sadly, we are often so focused on the words in the first paragraph that we lose sight that every single firefighter is a person. Our returning guest and friend, Assistant Chief Jacob Johnson of the Pearland TX Fire Department and I dig beneath the smoke, flames and turnout gear to talk about the men and women who come to the station every day, ready to meet the challenge of our oaths, “…To protect the lives and property.”The Chief shares several occurrences in his years as a firefighter and officer. You'll also learn how his meme, “Do Your Damn Job,” was coined through his own experience as a line officer. While we love to hear the “Q” scream and the Grovers clearing the path, we need to remember that we are not robots. We are human beings with all the good and bad that comes with humanity. We just look at it a bit differently than most!Take a listen – you just might learn something ==================================================================For the Firefighter Behavioral Health Initiative: If you need mental health assistance, you can reach out to the Firefighter Behavioral Health Alliance at their website: www.ffbha.org at 847-209-8208 or info@ffbha.org or you can text the word, “BADGE” to 741741, or speak with your officer or clergy. THERE ARE ALWAYS PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP YOU! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!==================================================================As always, you can catch the video version on our YouTube® channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp., and listen to the audio version on our Podomatic page at https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/dalmatprod206 or tune in to the audio version on our website, www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org or on your favorite podcast platform!
Seth is the CEO of the Santa Clara County FireSafe Council, which works on the border of Santa Cruz County and San Mateo County with other FireSafe councils. He is a professional who leads the way for FireSafe councils and has been involved with multiple FireSafe councils, but very few have as much activity as he does. The wildland urban interface (WUI) is often depicted as a house in the forest, but it is actually a heavily populated area with neighbors five feet away. The wildland urban interface is a combination of urban downtown San Jose and rural areas and is a high-risk area for wildfires. The Santa Clara County FireSafe Council works with other FireSafe councils on the border of Santa Cruz County and San Mateo County. The WUI is growing in California, and it's not in the proverbial forests. It's in suburban areas that tend to meet up where the vegetation also kind of crisscrosses, and that's the biggest challenge that we see and that we work on. When the FireSafe Council opportunity opened up, he thought it would be a great fit for me to help them be more creative. Seth said this problem is not only a technology solution but a combination of tech plus practical application with boots on the ground. Silicon Valley savvy means developing other revenue streams besides donations and funding typical philanthropic work. As we looked at the strategy, we decided to become a deeper, more significant partner to our clients, which included municipalities, local towns, and individual homeowners. Technology is helping to lead the way in reassessing how California prices insurance, by using historic catastrophe models to better determine if a risk is mitigated enough to write a policy.
If you've been a firefighter for more than a year or two, you probably realize that this job is not what you thought it was when you were an adolescent, teen or even a young adult. This profession, career, volunteer, paid-on-call and WUI, is not all fun and excitement. We see and do things that we wouldn't want our loved ones or good friends to have to do. And those can and often do, exact a huge price!Our two guests today, Brad Davidson, a former Fire Investigator in Manitoba Canada and Chief Arjuna George of the Vancouver area, share with us the parts of their personal journeys that led them to write their individual books. As you will hear, we discuss the efforts by both of our countries to promote and ensure the Firefighter Behavioral Health Initiative. However, it is incumbent upon each of us to know when this job is taking too heavy a toll on us and work to correct that situation. Chief George's book, “Burnt Around the Edges” is available on http://www.BurntAroundTheEdges.com and Amazon.Inspector Davidson's Book, “Flames of the Fire: Firefighting Amidst the Explosions,” will be released in May 2023. Watch for its release on www.BradleyRDavidson.com. To support our the 5-Alarm Task Force Corp.'s nonprofit program to assist our Brothers and Sisters and/or their families in dire need, please visit our website, https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org and scroll down to the photo of the “Q2B” siren and click!As always, you can catch the video version on our YouTube® channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp., on our website at www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org, on our Podomatic page at https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/dalmatprod206 or tune in to the audio version on your favorite podcast platform!
Chief Anthony Correia has over forty years' experience in both Fire and EMS. A past chief in Missouri and New Jersey of both career and volunteer departments, he has taught around the country and at local, regional and national conferences. He is a strong supporter of “retention and recruitment” and offers strong, positive hints as to how to be successful at both of these topics, so very important today. In this episode of “5-Alarm Task Force,” the Chief shares his wisdom regarding “Character, Attitudes & Values,” and the how these traits should be seriously considered within your retention and recruitment efforts. Though many departments including career, volunteer, combination and WUI, are “hungry” to add new members, we have to be sure we are hiring the men and women who will be a good fit for the department. And Chief Correia explains why these three traits are so necessary, especially in these times of acute need for many Fire and/or EMS agencies! As always, you can catch the video version on our YouTube® channel, 5-Alarm Task Force Corp., on our Podomatic page at https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/dalmatprod206 or tune in to the audio version on your favorite podcast platform!Photo Courtesy NARA & DVIDS Public Domains Archives
Why so many researchers are spending their time tackling fire issues at the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI)? What is so challenging about this? We always lived near nature, why today this emerges as one of the 'hottest' topics of fire science? As my today's guest Prof. Michael Gollner says - you need a very bad combination of weather and vegetation conditions to create a really bad fire. However, these conditions are occurring more and more often - in California they are not even considering fire seasons anymore, but wildfires become a threat all year round. I don't want to jump to unsupported conclusions, but damn, the prominence of wildfires seems to be the consequence of climate change that we will see soonest, and will hurt us a lot.In this episode, we take fire engineers into the world of WUI. We try to narrow down WHY fires coming from the outside are so dangerous and so different from threats we know. We discuss the paradigms of fire safety engineering and WUI preparedness, including defendable zones, threats from firebrands and the effects of wildfire smoke on the occupants. Finally, Michael shares with me his own experience with evacuating from a wildfire - a disturbing and interesting perspective of a fire scientist experiencing this first-hand. Please take a look at these wildfire and WUI resources:Michaels Fire Lab group webpage (with an endless amount of useful stuff in it)IBHS Wildfire Preparedness Guidance NFPA Wildfire Division
Join us to explore and learn the details of two WUI apparatus LODD's.
Some open phones start, digging into the SB762 issue with Mr. X, and it appears the bill sponsors hitched us to an international definintion of the WUI....what does it mean? We discuss.
As rural areas of Kansas become more developed with homes, business and commercial properties, firefighters face new challenges to defend lives and property from wildfire. Members of the Kansas Forest Service Wildland Fire Management Program bring years of first-hand experience suppressing wildfires that threaten lives and property in wildland urban interface areas. In this episode of the Kansas Forest Service Podcast, three members of the program discuss the expansion WUI across Kansas and how it has changed wildfire suppression tactics. They also offer advice for homeowners to prepare your homes for wildfire. Learn more about the KFS Wilandland Fire Management Program at kansasforests.org/fire_management/. Find guides and advance to prepare your home for wildfire kansasforests.org/fire_management/fireprevention.html. This episode was originally published May 12, 2020 and was re-published on a new platform in 2022.
The ICC Pulse Podcast is back with a new format and quarterly episodes! Through a series of interviews with Code Council experts and U.S. fire service professionals, this episode explores wildfires in the wildland-urban interface, or in short, the WUI. We'll define the WUI, debunk common misconceptions about wildfires, address the challenges of getting communities who are at risk to become more fire-adapted and outline the steps we can do now to prevent major impact of wildfire damage and casualties, which includes planning and preparedness on a community level and building to modern codes and standards for prevention and mitigation. This episode is sponsored by Verisk and Clariti Software. Visit www.iccsafe.org/icc-pulse-podcast for the show notes, including guest bios and resources referenced in the episode.
The bad luck with doctors continue they called me today and they wanted me to come to today instead of tomorrow when I'm already tired from passing out all afternoon yesterday and last night during games at discord! I'm not doing another WUI walking under the influence because I'm tired that happened the last time when failed to get blood work and they wanted me to go to another lab and I'm tired and don't know anyone at the lab. why is it me??? --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bigdcountry/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bigdcountry/support
Swimming in the Seine, Again. That story and more on H2O Radio's weekly news report about water. Headlines: The Boulder disaster shows the growing fire risk in the “WUI.” There were significant victories in the fight against climate change last year—people acted at the local level and won. Our online shopping habits are leading to many (unhappy) returns. This river was declared biologically dead in the 1960s, but its health is coming along swimmingly.
To hear more from Zeke, check out Life with Fire Episode 14. More of his work with The Lookout can be found here: https://the-lookout.org/The paper authored by Valochovic and Knapp and referenced throughout this episode can be found here: https://fireecology.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s42408-021-00117-0To support Life with Fire podcast, consider donating to our Patreon, which can be found here: www.patreon.com/lifewithfirepod
The Wingspread conferences began in the 1960's. It brought members of the fire service and affiliated agencies together at the Johnson Foundation Wingspread Conference Center in Racine WI. At that point, through Wingspread VI in 2016, the conference was held every ten years. However, with the pandemic and other key professional, cultural, and societal changes occurring, the leadership decided that the industry (and therefore, the public) would be best served by the conference taking place every five years.Wingspread VII took place in August 2021 at the Conference Center. For this webcast/podcast, we are truly honored to have a panel of fire service leaders and educators who will share their “take-away” from the conference. My guests include Chief John S. Butler of Fairfax County VA Fire & Rescue, Ms. Jessica Pickett of RPM Solutions Group, Inc., Kevin Roach a FACETS partner and formerly of the Phoenix Fire Dept., and Commissioner Adam Thiel of the Philadelphia Fire Dept. What they share has meaning for anyone and everyone in the American Fire Service, no matter if your career, volunteer, part-pay or WUI! We discuss not just what we do, but how we do it, both out on calls and in our lives in our stations. As always, catch the webcast on our YouTube® channel, “5-Alarm task Force Corp,” or listen on your favorite podcast platform or our website, https://www.5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Photo courtesy: The Johnson Foundation
If you are a member of the fire service, you should be aware of the toll cancer has taken on members from every area of “the job,” career, volunteer, part-pay and WUI. It wasn't so long ago, that many of us attributed cancer losses to our brothers and sisters who worked the pile after 9|11. Sadly, that was not the case. Though the number of working fire years per year (for most non-urban departments) were down, WHAT was burning had evolved. No longer was furniture and its covering made from real wood and fabric. They had been replaced with parts and covering made from fossil-based chemicals, e.g., natural gas and petroleum, as are so many products in in our homes today. And when these burn, they release massive amounts of carcinogenic compounds into the structure. Thankfully, the Firefighter Cancer Initiative was officially launched in 2015.My guest today is FF/PM Jim Burneka. Jim has served with the Dayton OH Fire Dept. for twenty years and has been involved with the fight against occupational cancer for fifteen years. He has presented on cancer prevention across the U.S. and Canada. And as you will hear on this podcast, his knowledge about firefighter cancer is not just from study and his presentations. Over the last year, it became personal.PLEASE....Listen to this episode! It just might save YOUR life!As always, catch the webcast on our YouTube® channel, “5-Alarm task Force Corp,” or listen on your favorite podcast platform or our website, https://www/5-AlarmTaskForceCorp.org. Photo courtesy: Healthline.com
Pssst. Wui. Masakit parin ba yung last episode? Huwag na u magalit. Nagkalat kami today sa barangay pambawi. Mehe. Just in time sa karera natin sa weekend! Maraming salamat sa lahat ng suggestions niyo for today's episode "Usto Mo Yern?” More kalat more fun as we went down and discuss your suggested list of fetishes to try out! Kasama ba yung sayo??? Find out in today's episode! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kudazzers/support
From California's crimson skies to smoke so thick along Colorado's front range that sent people indoors for days, wildfires in the US have becomes more and more extreme. On today's episode, we ask, how did the wildfires get so bad – and what can we do to address them? This episode originally aired in October of 2020. Call(s) to action Help build fire adapted communities. If you're interested in learning more about the range of small, wonky, zoning-type solutions to reduce pressures driving people to the WUI (pronounced wooie!)and make managed retreat a more palatable option, check out fireadaptednetwork.org, where you can keep track of all the little policy changes that would actually help make a big difference. Prepare Your Home for Fire. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as CalFire, has a great resource to teach you how to prepare your home for wildfire. You can find it at readyforwildfire.org. Learn More about Fires from Bobbie Scopa through the audio stories she tells on her website, Bobbie on Fire Guests: Bobbie Scopa and Suzy Cagle *And one last thing, the anthology that Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson co-edited with Dr. Katharine Wilkinson, All We Can Save, will be published in paperback on July 20th. So, we are using that as a chance to celebrate! On publication day, Ayana and Katharine hosting a celebration featuring a bunch of the contributors to the book – women leading on climate solutions, poets, artists. And you're invited! Please save the date, July 20th, and head to allwecansave.earth/events to save your virtual spot.* Check out our Calls to Action archive here for all of the actions we've recommended on the show. And if you take any of the actions we recommend, tell us about it! Send us your voice message, ideas or feedback with our Listener Mail Form. We might use it in an upcoming episode. Sign up for our newsletter here. And follow us on Twitter and Instagram. This episode of How to Save a Planet was produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis. The rest of our reporting and producing team includes Rachel Waldholz, Anna Ladd and Felix Poon. Our senior producer is Lauren Silverman. Our editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard with original music by Emma Munger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, is where forest and homes meet. It's the fastest growing land use type in the nation, and also where one in three homes across the country are situated. What's it mean to live in the WUI, where the stakes of wildfire are higher than anywhere else? And why is this area so vulnerable to fire? Jen Henseik is the Missoula district ranger for the Lolo National Forest Rod Moraga is a firefighter and the CEO of Anchor Point, a wildland fire solutions group based in Boulder, Colorado Kimi Barrett leads Headwaters Economics' research in wildfire and other natural hazards and is the Program Coordinator for the Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire program
The Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, is where forest and homes meet. It’s the fastest growing land use type in the nation, and also where one in three homes across the country are situated. What’s it mean to live in the WUI, where the stakes of wildfire are higher than anywhere else? And why is this area so vulnerable to fire? Learn more now on Fireline Episode 6 - part 1
The Wildland Urban Interface, or WUI, is where forest and homes meet. It’s the fastest growing land use type in the nation, and also where one in three homes across the country are situated. What’s it mean to live in the WUI, where the stakes of wildfire are higher than anywhere else? And why is this area so vulnerable to fire? Learn more now on Fireline Episode 6 - part 1
BE SURE TO SEE THE SHOWNOTES AND LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE Eve Picker: [00:00:14] Hi there, thanks for joining me on Rethink Real Estate. I'm on a mission to make real estate work for everyone. Real estate can help to solve climate change, can house people affordably, can create beautiful streetscapes, unify neighborhoods and enliven cities. So I'm on a journey to find the most creative thinkers and doers out there. I'm not the only one who wants to rethink real estate. You can learn more about me at EvePicker.com or you can find me at SmallChange.co, a real estate crowdfunding platform with impact real estate investment opportunities open for investment right now. And if you want to support this podcast, join me at Patreon.com/rethinkrealestate, where there are special opportunities for my friends and followers. Eve: [00:01:18] Today I'm talking with Scott Ehlert, co-founder of Fabric Workshop, a company focused on low carbon, mass timber building technologies for California's livable future. Scott is designing a proprietary hollow core mass timber plate column and wall system that uses 50 percent less wood fiber and will cost ten to 35 percent less overall than for a CLT structure. His system will also provide installation benefits like integrated MEP, acoustic and fire performance. And as if that is not enough, Scott is also designing a robotic fabrication facility to anchor a new wood product innovation campus in California to help in the state's wildfire efforts. Scott's background is an unlikely one for an entrepreneur in mass timber. He spent years in the production and logistics management of concerts, private and corporate events, and national experiential marketing campaigns before pivoting to system design strategies that leveraged research, data and design to meet high level business objectives. While consulting for some of the largest companies in the real estate and construction space, Scott recognized a massive need for desirable middle-income housing that wasn't being met by the market. So, he left his agency and started on the journey of what would become Fabric Workshop. This is a story of sheer stick-to-it-ness. Eve: [00:03:04] If you'd like to join me in my quest to rethink real estate, there are two simple things you can do. Share this podcast or go to Patreon.com/rethinkrealestate to learn about special opportunities for my friends and followers and subscribe if you can. Eve: [00:03:33] Hello Scott, I'm so pleased to have you on my show. Scott Ehlert: [00:03:37] Thank you. Yeah, good to be here. Eve: [00:03:39] So you've had a fascinating and pretty astounding career, from concert and event management to design and strategic consulting, to property technology. So, I wanted to start with what you're doing right now. What are you doing right now? Scott: [00:03:57] Yeah, great question. Yeah. So we are, I've created a company called Fabric Workshop and we are pioneering a new next generation mass timber manufacturer. We manufacture in California and a fabrication, a digital and robotic fabrication facility to bring those next generation Messmer panels to life. Eve: [00:04:20] So what does the next generation mass timber panel mean? Scott: [00:04:26] Yeah, so, you know, we kind of started our journey looking at the cost of housing. And, you know, as you mentioned, I worked as a design strategy consultant for many years and I kind of had run my course in that in that career and was looking for something new and something for, you know, a bit more impactful. And really started looking at housing, which was the most kinda pressing thing in my life as I was starting a family and seeing how so many of my friends and peers in California were leaving the state because of the cost of housing or were in a constant state of financial and mental pressure due to housing. And I also consulted with quite a few really large companies, just by chance in my design consulting days, worked with some of the largest companies in the housing and real estate space in the United States and just saw this, you know, kind of looming existential crisis around housing affordability. And, you know, when the housing affordability comes up, we love to kind of cut out the perennial teachers and firefighters, as you know, our benchmarks for who can afford housing. But what we were seeing was that housing was really kind of impacting bankers and doctors. We were you were talking to doctors who were having to have roommates in the Bay Area because they couldn't afford the housing. Eve: [00:05:54] Wow. Scott: [00:05:54] And so there was this kind of big, big question of like, how do we make housing? How do we create housing in California that's affordable to middle income folks we traditionally call the middle-class. And so that started us down a really long journey and looking at just a year long process of just listening and asking questions and sitting in the back of rooms and talking with as many folks in the in the industry as possible. And it became really clear that how we build and the type of projects we build were really kind of fundamental to, this seems kind of obvious, the kind of fundamental to the cost of housing. And so, you know, we really started to look at how we can build things differently and what with the technologies available out there to help them offset these costs. Eve: [00:06:53] So let's back up a bit. Like for some people listening, they may not know what mass timber is, which is kind of all the rage in the architecture building industry, but perhaps not something that most people know about. Scott: [00:07:06] Yes, so mass timber is kind of the catchall phrase for what is a range of engineered wood products similar to glulam beams. The most prominent is cross-laminated timber or CLT. And that's, the that's the type that you'll see turning up most often. And what CLT is, is just that, it's cross-thatched, and kind of cross-threaded dimensional lumber, 2x6s and 2x4s, laid out in a giant press with glue. And then that press puts extreme pressure on those panels and that glue and turns it into essentially a giant butcher block. It turns it into a more or less a solid piece of wood. And those panels can be 12 feet tall and 12 inches wide and 40 feet long or larger, in some cases. Eve: [00:08:00] Smaller, non-structural pieces of wood, glued together and engineered in such a way that they become much larger structural elements. Scott: [00:08:09] Yes. And then they take on some really incredible structural properties. So, you know, they are stronger and lighter than steel. Stronger and lighter than concrete. You know, it's an incredible product. It has been widely adopted in Europe and into East Asia and Japan. And it's just starting to kind of trickle up in the United States. And as you said, it's kind of all the rage right now. Everybody's talking about CLT and there's a lot of hopes and prayers being put on CLT as the, you know, the silver bullet that's going to save us from our cost of housing. Eve: [00:08:46] So it's cheaper than steel and other structural elements. Is that what you're saying? Scott: [00:08:52] Um, no, that's kind of the problem, that's the that's the challenge with it, is that while it does have these incredible attributes, you know, speed of construction is one of them. You know, these are essentially printed building panels. You know, you can get an entire wall or, you know, five, half a dozen panels to make an entire floor plate of a large building. And so you're seeing buildings, you know, eight story buildings go up in two weeks. Right. It's all crammed in. It's all kind of flat packed like, an IKEA footer. Pre-cut, pre-manufactured, there's no saws on site, no hammers. You know, nobody's doing anything manual on site. They're just essentially cramming these giant plates into place and a small crew catching the plates and then screwing them into place with some really advanced metal connectors to hold this together. Eve: [00:09:51] But the materials themselves are expensive... Scott: [00:09:54] Right. Eve: [00:09:55] But you're saving, you're saving time on the site. You're saving uncertainties like weather. Because they are factory built. Scott: [00:10:03] Yes, exactly. Eve: [00:10:05] Insurance you're saving. Scott: [00:10:09] Yeah. Insurance is still kind of a question mark. It's still very new in the US. So, the insurance has not quite caught up yet, but it is completely a completely safe product that has to go through a very rigorous testing process called PRG 320. And that is the fire certification process. And it's also been the new international building codes updates around mass timber and CLT. So they're able to build much larger buildings now. So, you know, 18 plus stories, large warehouse facilities, distribution centers, you know, these very large type two, type four type structures can now be built with mass timber. Eve: [00:10:47] So, in balance then, if you can save all of these site costs, will it provide a less expensive solution? And especially for, you know, what you're focused on, which is what I understand, the missing middle housing, those smaller infill lots that maybe are not as efficient as a huge 800-unit building, but certainly helped to kind of just stitch cities together, right? Scott: [00:11:17] Yeah, exactly. So, when we were looking at CLT, we want to have all of the benefits of CLT, but without the biggest drawback and the biggest drawback of CLT, or there's a couple of other variants like DLT, which is dowel laminated timber, which is they use wooden dowels to connect the boards together, or NLT, which is nail laminated timber, which is just that the boards are stuck together with nails. The biggest drawback with them is, with those technologies, is they just use a lot of wood. There's just no way around it. It's a giant butcher block and so, you know, and it uses dimensional lumber, the same lumber that stick frame builders use and modular builders use. You know, when you go to Home Depot and buy, you know, Doug fir for your deck, that's the same stuff that goes into CLT. And so, you know, it's a commodity product and they're using a lot of commodity product. It's susceptible to high prices and that there's just no way around that. And so, you know, I don't know how anybody that started a CLT project a year ago is going to make those projects pencil today. What, the cost of dimensional lumber up to, what, two hundred percent or something like that over year over year. Right? Eve: [00:12:34] Why is it up so high? Scott: [00:12:36] Yeah, so... Eve: [00:12:37] I'm sorry. I'm completely new to this so I'm learning. Scott: [00:12:40] Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. No, this is you know, we are we are incredibly focused on the forestry and supply side. You know, we are kind of a hybrid between a housing prefab re-manufacturer and a forestry company, in particular the wildfire side, so I can definitely share more on that. And so, yes, you know, the implications on the lumber costs are, have a big, big impact. And lumber prices were already going up, right, there was just limited supply. There's limited companies involved in the forestry space. And everybody's going out to the same suppliers, like, you know, in the US. Dimensional lumber on the West Coast comes primarily from British Columbia, Washington and Oregon. And Idaho and Montana to a lesser extent. But those are the three kind of major producing markets and everybody's buying it. Right. And even if you're on the East Coast, a lot of people want that, like the aesthetic and material qualities of West Coast feedstock. And it's primarily Doug fir. That's what everybody wants. And so there's just high demand, it's just a supply and demand, and then Covid came and just threw a giant wrench into all of that. The mills shut down, the logging shut down, and everybody thought the housing and construction industry would collapse with Covid. But just the opposite happened. There was a huge remodel boom, a huge push for new homes in the suburbs. People were trying to get more space. And so the macron effects of that are that an industry that was already under high demand pressures is now under extreme demand pressures. And then they took their capacity offline for a period of time with Covid. And now they're just trying to play catch up. And the industry in 2019 is already at record highs. And now we are just, it's just through the roof, you know, OSB board, plywood of all that down the stack is all impacted by this. And so, when prices are just really high so CLT or DLT, NLT that's just going to be less price competitive now than they were before. Eve: [00:15:00] Interesting. So let's go back to what you're trying to solve and what your solution looks like. And then we can talk about how the last year has impacted that. Scott: [00:15:11] Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So, you know, that use of material is kind of fundamental to our approach. And, you know, we were really pursuing a CLT based product initially. But when we, when that reality of the the material cost, the fiber cost, just was the 100 pound gorilla in the room, there's no way around it. It's going to just do more research. Kind of went back to the table and some to look at those more mature markets in Europe and Japan and started to see this kind of, as I was saying, the next generation of mass timber products coming out where they've already kind of gone through that and recognize that, you know, a CFT panel is not necessarily the ideal product for a lot of building types, particularly smaller and faster buildings. And so what they're using now is what are kind of known as cassette systems. They, these are a panelized approach, just like CLT, but they're taking the fiber out. And so, what they're doing is, they'll be more or less there's like two kind of sandwich layers, a top and a bottom and then a structure on the inside of those two sandwich pieces that give it the structural integrity. So you get a box-like panel with a hollow core and that removes a substantial amount you know 50, 60 percent of the fiber, from those panels, driving the cost down while still maintaining the structural integrity of a full kind of solid wood panel. Eve: [00:16:47] Like a hollow core door, but not as flimsy? Scott: [00:16:53] Exactly. A hollow core door that you could build an eight-story building out of. Eve: [00:16:58] Yeah, yeah. Scott: [00:16:58] There's a membrane, a structure on the inside of that hollow core that gives it its strength. Ingenuity at play here. Companies are now taking advantage of that cavity to include things that would normally be exposed in a CLT building. So, CLT with the solid wood in place, all of your MEP systems, your electrical, your plumbing, your lighting, all of that can't run in the middle of the plate. It's solid wood. Right. And so it has to be hung underneath or run in interior walls or both in most cases. But with these hollow core cassette systems, you can actually run those MEP systems inside the cavity of the floor plate. So, it gives it a much cleaner and tight aesthetic. Eve: [00:17:46] Yeah, yeah. Scott: [00:17:48] And then you can also add additional elements to those cavities. So you can add acoustic materials, you can add insulating materials to increase the R value. You can add seismic and fire safety materials in there. And so you can actually get a much thinner for floor plate overall than CLT, where you have to then just have any piece stuff hanging beneath it. With CLT, a lot of that insulating and acoustic and dampening performance has to be laid on top. And it's generally a really thick concrete layer that's poured on top of the wood panel. So, a lot of people with CLT they think that you get to see all the wood, but in most cases you don't. Actually, on the floor plate it's kind of covered in five inches of concrete and gypsum and all that stuff. So, the cassette systems are a really genius kind of approach to a lot of those challenges with CLT. Eve: [00:18:44] And it means less time on site, by the sounds of it. Scott: [00:18:48] It does, yes. But the flip side of all of this is that it does add complexity and you do have to be in much deeper coordination with your trades very early in the process to coordinate where all of those runs are going through those plates so that the connection points on site are all, you know, when you when you're doing a small prefabricated, a lot of it's going to be automated. And so, the tolerances are down to the millimeter. So things have to be tight. There's no change orders, I guess. So there's no saws, there's no handsaws or circular saws on site to fix problems. Everything has to be really, really tight. So that really, kind of, front loads the design and the engineering process. And all of the trades have to be at the table very early. And so, it's a very different process than a standard site build construction. You know, that's the trade-off. Is that the process that has to adapt to the material. Eve: [00:19:47] Just listening to you speak of it sounds to me like you might be enjoying that process. Scott: [00:19:53] Yes, very much so. Yes. As somebody that that worked in design and system design and customer experience design, you know, all of that thinking is really, you know, and you can see the outcomes, right? Eve: [00:20:07] Yes. Scott: [00:20:08] You know, you can go and tour these sites in in Europe and parts of Australia, where they're being, you know the sophisticated approaches, is happening in Japan and particularly Central Europe, where this market is very mature. I mean, you're seeing build costs in major urban markets, you know, down to 140-150 dollars a square foot. Eve: [00:20:29] Oh, that's extraordinary. Scott: [00:20:31] Whereas in San Francisco, you're at, what, 750-850 a square foot for a poor-quality building. Eve: [00:20:39] Yeah. Scott: [00:20:39] That's what we're kind of chasing. Right. Like that's the that's the end goal is to build out the system that can drive towards those better pricing outcomes and make housing more affordable. Eve: [00:20:50] Where are you in your process right now? You've been at this for how long? Scott: [00:20:56] We're now officially into year three, so it's a long and winding road. As I mentioned, with our company, with Fabric Workshop, there's this really big wildfire and forestry component to it. So, we are focused very much on the California market. We're based in California. We by no means will turn clients away, that's in a neighboring state. But the challenge in California is so enormous that we feel like that so many other housing starts to take on like a national approach. And we feel that we just need to be very specific to California and the codes and the and the challenges and the crisis that that's at hand here and that it's a big enough opportunity that it can justify that. The new housing element numbers are coming in across the state. And, you know, we're going to need two million units of housing in the next, within the next 10 years. You know, it's just a staggering number of housing. And so that that volume actually presents a really powerful opportunity to impact another, maybe bigger crisis at hand in the state of California. And that's the wildfire situation here. And so, I don't know, I'm sure you've seen that on the news. Eve: [00:22:21] Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm Australian, I don't know if you realize from my accent, so I've lived with it. Scott: [00:22:27] Yes, that's right. Right. So, yeah, in California, you know, five of California's six largest fires in modern history were all, all happened last year. And they were all burning at the same time. Right. When four million acres of forest burned across the state last year, which was double the previous record, which was just in the previous couple of years. You know, it's just really staggering, right? There was nearly ten thousand separate fires across California last year. And the fire season is growing, right? Climate change, drought is driving more extreme fire seasons. And so, we're now seeing fire season in 2020 is 75 days longer than it was 20 years ago, just 20 years ago. And that's two months longer, two and a half months longer. And so there's this overarching kind of pressing need to fix that. And one of the best things that we can do is to get this excess unnatural growth out of our forests and turn it into wood products. So our forests in California are completely overgrown, grossly overgrown, naturally overgrown. We have, for the last hundred years, we've taken a policy of complete fire suppression. Eve: [00:23:52] That's really interesting. Yeah, because fire is an actual regeneration of forests and that's what was brought up on me. Scott: [00:24:02] Exactly. Scott: [00:24:02] They happen for a reason. So, you have to just control them. Scott: [00:24:07] Yes. Yes. And so we actually have to go back to a natural fire cycle where we're not stopping fires. We're actually letting fires happen. But in order for that to take place without being so destructive, like they are now, is we have to get all of that overgrowth that was the result of stopping fires in the forests. Eve: [00:24:26] That's really interesting, though. Scott: [00:24:28] Yeah. Eve: [00:24:29] But my question is, is why were they stopped? I've always thought that the push of, you know, the spread of cities into forests. I mean, I've seen it in Australia, you know, as housing popped up in amongst the forests. Of course, you want to stop fires there. And that also exacerbated the problem because, you know, you have this push and pull between people who want to live in those places and the natural the natural forest. It's a mess. Scott: [00:24:58] Yeah, right it is. Yeah. That's a huge, huge driver to it that that growth is called the WUI. It's the WUI and that's the wilderness urban interface. And that that growth, particularly since the 90s, has just been exponential as we've continued to sprawl ever farther outward in California. We've pushed our towns and cities, the perimeter, more and more into that WUI. And so that's been a big, big driver as well as the, you know, the agricultural, livestock and forestry industries in the 20th century. They didn't want fires. And you combine that with just a... Eve: [00:25:44] Yeah Scott: [00:25:44] Very. What's the term? I mean, what's the word? How do you describe it? Eve: [00:25:48] It's a manmade problem. Scott: [00:25:51] Yeah, yeah. And just a desire to control nature, you know, is man's desire , the man emphasis there to control nature and dictate, basically saying fires are evil and treating them as a as an enemy that needed to be defeated. Eve: [00:26:07] When I was young in Sydney, Australia. I mean, I remember bush fires. Like Sydney's a huge…. Scott: [00:26:12] Bush fires. Yeah. Eve: [00:26:12] I remember in the middle of the city, seeing just red and grey sky all around me. But there wasn't the pain and misery of today because not, there was not nearly as much suburban housing - it pushed into the wilderness. Scott: [00:26:31] Yeah. Yep. Yep. And that's the same here. That's just an overarching problem that needs to be solved. And there's really no easy solution to it. The state now has about 33 million acres of forest, which is bigger than Oregon, and 13 million of them are considered very high risk. These are drought affected, beetle infected, because of lots of dead trees, and they have just this extreme level of overgrowth and that overgrowth are small and medium diameter trees. Those are the trees that normally would have been cleaned out by natural wildfires. And because there was no natural wildfires, they just exploded. And what they do, the small and medium diameter trees, they're much more susceptible to fire, but they're also tall enough to carry the fire into the canopies of the healthy, strong trees. And that's where we get these infernos that then get the wind picks up in the canopy and carries it from tree to tree. And it just creates these, this tinder box. So, we have to get those small and medium diameter trees out of the forest. And right now, they have no value. They're used for livestock, mulch, woodchips in your yard. And that's not a valuable enough product to justify the cost of thinning, mechanical thinning. And mechanical thinning is a laborious, hard job. You have to, you know, carry chainsaws and particularly if we want to take a much more ecological approach to forestry thinning and not clear cut and carve up all of these fire roads that cause horrible erosion. The state's trying to avoid the forestry problems of the past. So, it's all done, a lot of that has to be done by hand, much more mechanical. Eve: [00:28:20] 32 million acres, manually cleared. Scott: [00:28:24] It's staggering. Eve: [00:28:25] It's really staggering. How long does it take? Scott: [00:28:28] Yeah, the goal of the California Forest Management Task Force, which is kind of the broad extra agency group that's trying to address this challenge, their goal is a million acres per year by 2025. And right now - in 2019, we had 114 thousand acres - so we're off by a factor of ten. Eve: [00:28:47] Wow. That's like one hundred years we're looking at and more. Scott: [00:28:52] That's right. And what's going to be left in California in 100 years of we're burning four million acres a year. And it's not just, this is not an abstract any more. Our water, for all of those cities comes from these forests and with these forest fires that you can grossly impact our water supply. The carbon impact of this. Right, 2020, there was 112 million metric tons of carbon were released by the 2020 wildfires. Which is 30 percent more than all the power plants that generated power that year. So, the health and that's how you get into the asthma and respiratory issues of all that wildfire smoke. I mean, the implications of our society are bleak. And so, we have to figure out ways to get those small and medium diameter trees out of the forests. And that's why we really kind of looked at, you know, not only these cassette systems, but getting away from dimensional lumber and really kind of focusing on veneer-based products. So, there's another sub product of mass timber known as laminated veneer lumber or mass plywood panels, mass plywood. MPP is a brand from an Oregon company called Freres Brothers. And what they do is instead of cutting the log into 2x4s and having a bunch of scraps left over, is they put the log on a peeler and they peel the log and turn it into a big, long sheet. And then they glue those sheets together versus gluing 2x4s together. And that's something that you can do, that's, a that's a vehicle for these small and medium diameter trees, whereas 2x4 dimensional lumber is not really feasible. And so they can peel logs, you know, down to six to eight inches and turn them into veneers. And so that's what we're really focused on, is these veneer-based structural products. Both floor plates, floor and ceiling plates and wall plates as well. That's where we see our role in the forestry and the wildfire piece is creating market side demand for these small and medium diameter trees and putting them into really advanced, these really advanced cassette-based plate systems. Eve: [00:31:14] Interesting. So I'm going to back up one more time. I sense a two-parter is coming on here. This is fascinating because... Scott: [00:31:24] Yeah. Eve: [00:31:24] I heard somewhere in amongst all the impact finance center information that there is a company out focusing on small diameter timber products. I can't remember the name of the company, in California. Scott: [00:31:38] So, we pitched at that event. So you might have, is that our pitch that you're referring to? Eve: [00:31:44] No, I think there's another company I talked to so, we can come back to that. Scott: [00:31:50] Yeah, yeah. Eve: [00:31:51] But I've heard of people focusing on specifically that product and now it's all falling into place for me. Personally, I didn't know all of this. It's really fascinating. But the importance of using that small diameter timber is becoming pretty clear. Scott: [00:32:07] Uh huh. The great thing is that it could actually go into a very valuable product for the construction industry, the building industry. Incredibly green product, right? Very, very high embedded carbon in the veneer-based products, much lower travel times if we're sourcing our wood from our local forest and putting it into buildings in Los Angeles and Sacramento and San Jose. Think of all the truckloads from British Columbia and northern British Columbia that we're saving, right. And all that diesel fuel that gets burned. So, this really big upstream and downstream and benefits to sourcing this wood from California. Eve: [00:32:51] Sounds like a whole new industry can emerge. Scott: [00:32:54] That's the goal, right. And that's what the state is trying to incentivize is a re-ignition. I hate to use fire related terminology when talking about this stuff, but like, we kind of rekindling, that's another one, restarting a forestry industry in California, which is really kind of on its last breath. Like, in the last 45 years, 70 percent of wood processing facilities in California closed. So, there's really no eco system to actually process this. There's no LBL manufacturers in California. There's no plywood manufacturers in California. There's very few mills left in California. There's very few loggers left in California. And so we're kind of having to start from scratch. And what the state is working on is incentivizing and creating these wood products, wood innovation campuses, across the state to bring this industry back. And to bring it back with a much greater kind of technological focus and an environmental and ecological focus. And so that things are done right. And so we're at very early days of that. You know, we are not going to try to get into the manufacturing side of the LBL panels. It's a very capital heavy side and there's a reason why most of the companies that get into that, you know, they have three or four family generations that have been in the logging industry or they've been around for 150 years. You know, there are companies that just know how to do that and to manage those supply chains and to manage that production. And so we're focused on it being a remanufacture of those products. And so, if we can help, you know, kind of show that there's demand for this for this LBL and MPP type panels in California, hopefully we can then lure a manufacturer to the state, with our some of our demand, and get them active in the state and thinning our forests. Eve: [00:34:58] So, Scott, you've bitten off a huge project, like where are you? You said you're in the third year. Scott: [00:35:04] Yes. Eve: [00:35:06] I mean, where are you in the process of building a company? Scott: [00:35:09] Yeah, yep. So, it is a very meaty challenge and myself and everybody that's on our team is up for that challenge. That's why we're all here. We all understand the enormity of it and the, and the urgency of it. And that's what motivates us every day. And the fact is, there's not a lot of other companies doing this is yes, it's an opportunity, but it's also drives us to lead and to show that it can be done. And so, you know, we have to take advantage of the resources that we have. This is all bootstrapped at this point and self-funded, as you said, this is a big, meaty challenge. So, it's really hard for investors to kind of wrap their head around it or see an exit to liquidity event in the near term. So fundraising has been a challenge, but that's really not a deterrent to us in the slightest bit. And so, we have to focus on what we can sell for. Eve: [00:36:08] Well, you have to eat. It's going to be a little bit of a deterrent, right? Scott: [00:36:13] Well, you know, the spouses of entrepreneurs do a lot of the heavy lifting. Right? And so, I have a really, my wife is an incredible partner and she's also an entrepreneur, though a much more successful one. And she's able to carry us through this kind of start-up period. But what's great is that our story and our kind of mission is bringing a lot of really amazing people to the table. We are working with a company, for example, called Hacker Architects up in Portland, and they are an incredibly experienced, one of the most experienced architecture firms in North America working with mass timber. And they are becoming friends. Right. Like they they've really been a key supporter of our mission. And it really kind of backed us up and provided a lot of design assist and are really helping the design of our building system, because we have to think of this as a holistic building where we can put these different wood materials throughout the building. And so that's just one example. We've got a whole network, whole ecosystem of companies that all share our same values and recognize the enormity of the problems that we're solving. And so, we've built this great network of aligned allies that are helping us drive this forward. So, like I said, we're a small kind of bootstrap team, but we've got some really great friends. And, you know, we are in the R&D phase and getting closer to a first prototypes. We originally had our first building construction project penciled as supposed to break ground this year, as a single-family home in the Tahoe region. Unfortunately, that project kind of fell through, just wasn't the right application. And so, we decided to kind of shift focus. But ideally, we'd like to get a project off the ground here sometime this year with our investor pool that we do have and get a proof of concept project on paper this year and breaking ground next year. So that's really what we're what we're driving for at this point. Eve: [00:38:22] What is good proof of concept look like at this point? Scott: [00:38:25] Yes. So, we're looking at a small multi-family project and that's the market that we're going after is a unique market in the industry. Most of the construction industry and the prefab industry is really kind of set up to focus on how we build in the United States today, which is sprawl or tall. Right? Like it's single-family homes on the peripheral cities, or it's a big giant two hundred unit podium structures or towers in the urban core. And Fabric, we see the opportunity, especially considering the sheer scale of the housing need and how fast that housing needs to be produced and brought to market. We really see the opportunity in that missing middle upper missing middle range, small to medium lot, three to eight story buildings. So that's really our key focus and really kind of unique, a bit more unique in the marketplace. And so we want to, we want to get a proof of concept project of at least four units. It doesn't have to be huge. It just needs to show how the systems kind of work together and kind of bring that to life in an infill type application. Eve: [00:39:42] I'm excited to see it. Scott: [00:39:44] Yeah. Eve: [00:39:44] Are you going to act as your own developer or are you looking for a developer who will use your system? Scott: [00:39:51] Yeah, it's kind of like yes and... Eve: [00:39:55] Yes, I know. Scott: [00:39:56] If we yes, either, you know, we are talking to more and more developers. We are finding that network of of young kind of independent developers, baby developers, I've heard that kind of term kind of thrown around, you know, the folks that are producing like the 20-unit buildings and the odd 16-plex. Right. Like those small buildings. And we're building that network. And hopefully we can bring a developer partner to the table sooner rather than later. But we're also kind of setting ourselves up for self-developing our first project. And that's what we were going to do on that single family home. We were going to develop that through our, through one of our investors, but we kind of shifted and would like to ideally bring on a development partner that knows that process better than we do. You know, we're not developers. Eve: [00:40:47] And so you might stretch yourself very thin during trying to do both. Scott: [00:40:52] Yes, exactly. And we have to kind of kind of focus on what our value add is. And the development side is not it today, who knows down the road where this goes. But as of now, ideally, we have a partner that can, that can really kind of drive this through that to the development process. Eve: [00:41:11] So you've talked about these materials looking very sleek. What does that first project going to look like? Scott: [00:41:18] Yeah, I wish I could show you some of the renderings, the absolutely beautiful renderings that Hacker put together for us. One of the advantages of focusing on this smaller type three, type five building typology is that the fire code and the fire ratings aren't as strict with the CLT. So we can leave a lot more of that with the mass timber, we can leave a lot more of that exposed. So, you'll see a lot of exposed natural wood elements. So wooden ceilings, heavy timber beams, well it will have the aesthetic about heavy timber beams, but it's actually LDM. A lot of the columns in the beams will be exposed and even wall panels can be of exposed wood to them. So, a very natural and a minimal, what's the term a soft minimal kind of aesthetics to them and and very high precision tolerances on that minimalism, right, like that's kind of what separates good minimalism from bad minimalism is the execution and the precision of it. And because everything is cut in a factory, the aesthetic is just really tight and really clean. And so we're really looking forward to bringing that to life. Eve: [00:42:37] Do you have the renderings on the website you'd like to share? Scott: [00:42:40] Yeah, on our website we have a few renderings on there. So you can kind of get a sense out of the real aesthetic and that that would be our proof of concept project. Each developer will have that choice that they want to drywall over those exposed wood elements they can. But our preference would be to leave them exposed. And there's a lot of really interesting data back to that benefits of mass timber. There's a lot of really interesting data around the biophilia benefits of mass timber, where people get that sense of serenity and calm. Like being in a forest. Eve: [00:43:16] Yes. Scott: [00:43:17] In a mass timber house, they are really cool buildings. I don't know if you've had a chance to spend time in one. But they do have a a dampness to them, not not wet, damp, but just materially damp. And so sound travels differently. And you do get the sense that you're in the forest. It's really, it's a really cool experience. Eve: [00:43:37] So I'm going to go back. You're in Truckee. Right. And I'm wondering... Scott: [00:43:41] That's correct. Yes. Eve: [00:43:42] Why are you in Truckee? Scott: [00:43:44] I asked myself that question sometimes, too. I love Truckee, but I'm definitely a city kid. So, Truckee is more or less a one road town. And so, I do feel a little stir crazy here sometimes, but it is a great place. And I have two young kids, four and six years old, and just this is a big playground for them. So, we ended up in Truckee a long time, a decade and a half in San Francisco, three years down in Los Angeles, and then had to get out of L.A. and Truckee was supposed to be a one year stopover on the way back to the bay. But, shocker, the cost of housing was so high in the bay that we couldn't afford anything there so we could afford something in Truckee, Truckee at the time. So we were able to… Eve: [00:44:34] You're living the Californian dream. Scott: [00:44:36] Yeah. More or less trying to. Eve: [00:44:40] Okay. So tell me, I'm going to move to shift gears a little bit and just ask you, are there any other current trends out there or innovations in real estate development or construction that you believe are really important for our future? Scott: [00:44:54] Yeah, and so a couple, yeah, so one thing that we are bringing in house we have, this is a capability that we are, as we speak, kind of building out a facility is the fabrication side of construction and particularly automated and robotic fabrication. That is the piece that's going to have prefab construction kind of realize the benefits that it kind of promised the world when it came out a few decades ago. You know, from pricing to quality control, robotic fabrication is going to be a huge piece of this. And we are actively building that capacity out in California, will be a leader in that space here in the state. And particularly as more and more construction will go towards wood-based construction to offset the carbon and environmental impacts of concrete and steel. You know, we firmly believe that wood construction is the future of construction. And so, to make that a reality, you have to have a much more advanced fabrication capabilities like you see across Switzerland and Austria and Germany and Sweden, for example. Eve: [00:46:10] Right. Right. Scott: [00:46:11] And so that's going to be a big piece. Right. And then, you know, I do believe fundamentally that we are seeing the cracks in the dam when it comes to planning and zoning in particular. I think that the sea change and our laws and regulations on what gets built and where is going to happen very quickly, much faster than I think a lot of people give it credit for. You know, we are slowly starting to see the end of single family only zoning. When I first really started thinking about creating the housing company in 2014, most of them really talk about like, oh, yeah, houses are expensive in nice parts of the city. But that was kind of the attitude. And now fast forward seven years and it's a topic in our presidential campaigns. It's just becoming a fundamental issue in this country. And I think that the 20th century experiment of highly segregated neighborhoods, housing over here, business over there, commerce over here. Single family based, car based, an entirely car-based society, car exclusive society. I really fundamentally believe that that is coming to an end in California and that those changes are going to happen. It's going to build and then is going to happen really rapidly. Eve: [00:47:36] Wow. I have one final question for you, and that is, what is your big, hairy, audacious goal? Scott: [00:47:43] Yeah, I and I would say, you know, not as ambitious to say we want to build a new city out of wood, but definitely, you know, a neighborhood out of wood. That's kind of our big goal is to build a five 600-unit community, all sustainably sourced, locally sourced, sustainably sourced timber neighborhood. And we're seeing those neighborhoods pop up in Europe and Japan and they are incredibly inspiring. They are walkable, human scaled, car free, no carbon passive house technology. And I would love to just get my hands on a decrepit shopping mall in central Sacramento and convert that into the neighborhood. A vibrant, diverse, mixed income neighborhood in in Sacramento, for example. And that's our big, big goal that we're driving towards. Eve: [00:48:41] Oh, I'm really excited for you. It sounds amazing. And I hope sometime in the future we'll get to host one of your projects on Small Change. Scott: [00:48:51] Would absolutely love that. Yes. Eve: [00:48:53] Thank you so much, Scott. Scott: [00:48:55] Yes, thank you, Eve. Really appreciate the time. And I'm honored to be on your podcast and be part of this group. So thank you. Eve: [00:49:11] That was Scott Ehlert of Fabric Workshop. Scott pivoted his life and career in a way that most people do not dare. He is making all bets on an industry that doesn't quite exist yet and technology that he needs to design. While other housing developers try to crack the construction affordability code using the same old building systems, Scott has spent years planning how to become a housing developer using a brand new building system, one that he has designed and one that he will manufacture. We'll be hearing more about Scott. I'm sure. Eve: [00:49:58] You can find out more about this episode on the show notes page at EvePicker.com, or you can find other episodes you might have missed, or you can show your support at Patreon.com/rethinkrealestate, where you can learn about special opportunities for my friends and followers. A special thanks to David Allardice for his excellent editing of this podcast and original music. And thanks to you for spending your time with me today. We'll talk again soon. But for now, this is Eve Picker signing off to go make some change.
Phone cop late buses people coughing and four hours of Greayhound two hours eating at different stations just tune in! They want me to have another WUI!!!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bigdcountry/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bigdcountry/support
https://defensiblespace.org/ To increase wildfire resilience and maintain habitat quality in the Southern California Wildland Urban interface (WUI)
My guest today is noted wildfire and chaparral ecologist Rick Halsey. Rick authored the book “Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California”, and has given countless talks on the subject. Rick has a background in Environmental Studies, Anthropology, and Education, with degrees from University of California Santa Barbara and Cal State San Diego and UC Berkeley. In this episode we discuss the myths and realities of wildfire. There are many eye opening insights that, even today, get lost in the political rhetoric. We discuss the ecosystems of the west and their natural fire behaviors and how those were determined through charcoal records and tree ring analysis, the surprising negative impacts of fuel removal and prescribed burns, how indigenous fire management techniques fit into the discussion, simple solutions at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) such as exterior sprinkler systems, and much more.In particular, we discuss the causes and factors leading to the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, CA in 2018, the Yosemite Rim Fire, Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991, and more. While we focus extensively on California, the principles discussed apply to much of the west.We take a few tangents in the discussion, including an insightful view of Rick's education experience and approaches.As an educator, Rick was the recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship. Over the years he's fine-tuned his delivery and has a wonderful essay on his transformation from lecturer to the engage model.Through the years, Rick has combined his educational skills and knowledge of ecology to focus on chaparral habitats - the most important habitat at the wildland/urban interface in California's major cities. He is the founder and director of the California Chaparral Institute, which is dedicated to preserving what remains of California's chaparral through scientific research, nature education, and activism. One of his quotes that really reflects his approach to nature education is "Our job as educators is not to convince everyone how smart we are. Our job is to convince people how smart they are.See Full Shows Notes at podcast.naturesarchive.comLinks to People, Events, and Resources Discussed:Keith Lombardo, Ph. D. Jack Cohen, Ph. D. California Chaparral Institute WASP exterior sprinklersSanta Monica National Recreation Area wildfire and chaparral resourcesFire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California - by Rick Halsey Santa Rosa's Coffey Park - a community burned by the Tubbs FireThe Rim Fire at Yosemite National ParkThe Nature Fix - Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative - by Florence WilliamsMusicFearless First and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLoed, obtained from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/
From California's crimson skies to smoke so thick along Colorado's front range that sent people indoors for days, this year has been an especially bad one for extreme wildfires. On today's episode, we ask, how did the wildfires get so bad – and what can we do to address them? Call(s) to action Help build fire adapted communities. If you're interested in learning more about the range of small, wonky, zoning-type solutions to reduce pressures driving people to the WUI (pronounced wooie!)and make managed retreat a more palatable option, check out fireadaptednetwork.org, where you can keep track of all the little policy changes that would actually help make a big difference. Prepare Your Home for Fire. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, better known as CalFire, has a great resource to teach you how to prepare your home for wildfire. You can find it at readyforwildfire.org. Learn More about Fires from Bobbie Scopa through the audio stories she tells on her website, Bobbie on Fire
The WUI or wildland urban interface is a complex ecological and social geography that has made the news in recent years with massive fires in California. Some have called for more restrictions in building as a solution to WUI issues. In this episode we explore lessons we can learn from our neighbors, past and present, that may lead to other solutions. episode art: Tom (center) and his neighbors discussing WUI actions to reduce fire risk, credit C. Haffey
Join us for a new podcast looking into the issue of wildfires in California. This initial podcast will introduce you to the themes to be covered, the importance of preparedness, and how wildfires affect all of us. Wildfire is a danger to anyone living in the Wildland Urban Interface, and during the past 30 years, humans have expanded the WUI almost beyond comprehension. This influx of people into areas that were once trees, trails, and creeks creates a new type of threat to nature, to newly constructed property, and of course, to humans and their pets. The impact on wildlife is also dramatic, as their habitats have not only been impacted by construction, but there's often no place to go when a wildfire erupts, except maybe a freeway. So tune in, take some notes, call a friend, and become part of our audience as we share some of the most important factors involving wildfire in California.
As rural areas of Kansas become more developed with homes, business and commercial properties, firefighters face new challenges to defend lives and property from wildfire. Members of the Kansas Forest Service Wildland Fire Management Program bring years of first-hand experience suppressing wildfires that threaten lives and property in wildland urban interface areas. In this episode of the Kansas Forest Service Podcast, three members of the program discuss the expansion WUI across Kansas and how it has changed wildfire suppression tactics. They also offer advice for homeowners to prepare your homes for wildfire. Learn more about the KFS Wilandland Fire Management Program at kansasforests.org/fire_management/. Find guides and advance to prepare your home for wildfire kansasforests.org/fire_management/fireprevention.html.
Episode 26: How does my new home stand up? discussions on foundations: basements, crawlspace, pier or slab foundations. Poured vs cement block foundations. WUI, Wildland Urban Interface and how is protects from wildfires. Do I need fire sprinklers? Engineer stamped plans are reviewed by Landmark Home and Land. What are Engineered lumber materials? Can I repurpose items for my new home?
We celebrated our 200th episode with a live show! This is the record, made at White City Place on the 9th of May. Thanks to everyone who attended, and thank-you to Wui, Helene, Kate and Avril for being so much fun to share a stage with! We are running the Hackney Half Marathon on the 19th of May for Alive & Kicking. You’ve heard all about them in the show advert… please help us support them: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/techtalksharveynash
Episode 19: More in depth design details and their benefits. What is structural engineering and design? Why do I need it. WUI, Wildland Urban Interface and how it affects my home and permitting. Different structural design concepts and Mechanical Design. Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC design.
Our Part III One-On-One Holiday Episodes, Catching You Up on the Hotshots Book Project: Scott Mulvaney is your host and founder of the LIVETHEFUEL Podcast Show as well as a former member of the Hotshots world. This show launched September 2016. He's your CEO aka Chief intrEpid Officer of the LIVETHEFUEL lifestyle brand and FUEL Marketing solutions. Today's podcast is a third, back-to-back, one-on-one format. We normally record with guest co-hosts but for this holiday season, Scott wanted to do a few personalized episodes to catch you up on things. So podcasts 232, 233, and 234 are a Thanksgiving Trifecta of shortened podcasts. Each episode is focused on three areas, Thanksgiving Philanthropic Charity efforts, the health of his Calvin The Coonhound, and this episode is about the upcoming Hotshots book. On This Episode You Will Hear:[spp-timestamp time="00:30"] Introduction [spp-timestamp time="01:25"] Catching up from podcast 233, Calvin The Coonhound's bloodwork has returned to 98%! [spp-timestamp time="02:50"] Reminder to listen to episode 232 for Thanksgiving Charity and Philanthropic Inspirations. [spp-timestamp time="03:30"] Scott becomes an author with Network Magazine. [spp-timestamp time="05:05"] Scott speads up his book writing by purchasing membership into the Self-Publishing School online mastermind group. It was time to put $ Skin In The Game! [spp-timestamp time="06:35"] Where LIVETHEFUEL came from, it's Hotshot Wildland Firefighting roots. [spp-timestamp time="07:17"] Reflecting on this years' tragic wildfires in California, the Paradise Fire, Woolsey Fire, and Camp Fire. Hundreds of lives were lost, thousands of homes and structures gone. [spp-timestamp time="08:15"] Reflecting on WUI awareness, the Wildland Urban Interface. [spp-timestamp time="10:15"] Speaking vs Writing a book with Otter.ai [spp-timestamp time="12:00"] App hacks including Otter.ai, Evernote, and Microsoft Word. [spp-timestamp time="12:10"] The origins of the upcoming book title. Hotshots are no joke and you'll learn this in the book. You gotta suck it up, Buttercup! [spp-timestamp time="14:20"] Inspiration to share life lessons learned along the Hotshots journey. [spp-timestamp time="15:25"] Leaving the cubicle life in the corporate world for pack testing and Subaru minimalism. Rookie to Snookie. [spp-timestamp time="16:20"] Getting humble, sup-truck bitches, Integrity, the loss of Dalton Lasater, and situational awareness. [spp-timestamp time="20:00"] EAR MUFFS for your kids hear, Shits Hitting The Fan! [spp-timestamp time="21:30"] Father inspired work ethic. [spp-timestamp time="22:38"] Final Words "Live The Fired Up Epic Life!" ~ LIVETHEFUEL - Scott Mulvaney [spp-tweet tweet="The #Hotshots #Book is coming along and I'm apart of the #SelfPublishing School! @livethefuel "] Watch On YouTube:[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpBnyRtcV4U] Links and Resources: So You Wanna Be A Hotshot (http://soyouwannabeahotshot.com) Podcast 233: Our Calvin The Coonhound Battles Cancer (http://livethefuel.com/233) Podcast 232: Wishing a Happy Thanksgiving & NY Charities (http://livethefuel.com/232) Self-Publishing School (http://self-publishingschool.com) Voice Transcription App Otter.ai (http://otter.ai) Follow Scott on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmulvaney/) Follow Scott on Twitter (http://twitter.com/livethefuel) Follow Scott on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/scott.w.mulvaney) Follow Scott on Instagram (http://instagram.com/livethefuel) Mentioned Influencers: Network Magazine (http://mynetworkmag.com/) Final Words:I have to embrace the suck, I have to jump over these walls, these hurdles. I have to let the shit hit the fan and spray all over the place. Then go through the problems of cleaning all of that up...
In this interview Senior Station Officer Chris Hall from the Country Fire Authority in Victoria, Australia, shares his experiences while on an international deployment. He talks about the value of exchanging ideas from both interstate and international emergency management agencies. Deployment to California In October 2017, personnel from the Country Fire Authority and Victoria’s Forest Fire Management Victoria were deployed to assist in fighting the fires in Northern California. According to Emergency Management Victoria, there is a healthy relationship with California, in particular, CalOES and CalFire. Incident Overview On 8 October 2017, multiple wildfires occurred across California. The wildfires burned more than 245,000 acres, 8,900 structures and were responsible for 43 deaths. 2017 has seen California endure some of the worst wildfires in United States History. An Incident overview is available at California Wildfire Statewide Recovery Resource. Pack Test require for international deployment The pack test for personnel deployed to California involved waking 4.83 kilometres on a level track carrying a weight of 20.4 kilograms within 45 minutes. In a Fire Note from 2011, the Bushfire CRC discusses The relevance of the Pack Hike Test for Australian bushfire firefighters. http://www.bushfirecrc.com/sites/default/files/managed/resource/pack_hike_test_fire_note.pdf Incident Action Plans The incident action planning process provides a tool to synchronise operations at the incident level. It ensures that incident operations support of incident objectives. QR Codes and Avenza QR code (abbreviated from Quick Response Code) is the trademark for a type of matrix barcode (or two-dimensional barcode) first designed for the automotive industry in Japan. A barcode is a machine-readable optical label that contains information about the item to which it is attached. Avenza uses QR codes to deliver maps electronically. Avenza Maps® is a mobile map app that allows you to download maps for offline use on iOS or Android smartphone or tablet as well as on Windows 10 devices. Managing an incident within an incident A highlight for Chris was the way that CalFire focused on the importance of having a plan of action should an incident within an incident eventuate. The use of the Medical Plan form was critical in facilitating this process. The National Wildfire Coordinating Group provides instructions for completing this form. Wildland Urban Interface (WIU) Placard Another key point of interest for Chris was Calfire's use of the "Wildland Urban Interface Placard"(WIU). The purpose of WUI placard is to: Triage a property to determine the risks associated with defending a particular property. Document property information found during structure assessment at a specific point in time. Allow the Company Officer or Chief Officer to communicate their assessment of conditions to other responding units. Please follow the link to CalFire’s Training document: http://calfireweb.fire.ca.gov/library/handbooks/7000/Exhibit_CalfireWuiPlacardTraining.pdf The form can also is available at http://www.firescope.org/ics-forms/ICS%20231.pdf Demobilisation Demobilisation is the orderly, safe, and efficient return of an incident resource to its original location and status. The Demobilization Check-Out form (ICS 221) ensures that resources checking out of the incident have completed all appropriate incident business, and provides the Planning Section information on resources released from the incident. Demobilization is a planned process, and this form assists with that planning. Incident Demobilization Vehicle Safety Inspection form (ICS 212) requires the Vehicle Operator to complete items & submit to Resource Unit Leader before demobilisation can occur. Ask your questions or share your feedback Comment on the show notes Email feedback@emergencymanagementpodcast.com (audio files welcome)
In this week’s episode of Trees Are Key we have guest Kari Hines a wildland urban interface specialist with Texas A&M Forest Service. Wildfire can be disruptive and devastating. This week find out what you can do to be more Firewise® and protect your home and family from wildfire. What is WUI? Do you live in a WUI area? What is your risk of damage from wildfire? Join us this week as Hines helps get you started on the path to being Firewise®.
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