Grassroots Beginnings
In 2018, 12 residents got together to discuss the impacts of catastrophic fires on our communities and dream up strategies for safer outcomes in the future. This was the birth of the FSO Steering Committee!
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
In 2019, Fire Safe Occidental embarked on an ambitious project to create a Community Wildfire Protection Plan. This work was completely driven by local volunteers. We held community meetings, mailed out surveys to every address in the Occidental Services District, and created an overview of our risks and a list of actionable priorities. Since then, FSO has accomplished many of the items identified in that exercise. We update the plan periodically and will be doing so in 2024. If you are interested in helping drive the next set up priorities for our community’s fire resiliency, please get involved.
Monthly Meetings
The Steering Committee meets monthly on the third Tuesday of the month from 3:30 – 5pm, via Zoom. All FSO members are welcome to join us. To attend a meeting use this link.
Get Involved
FSO gets things done through volunteers like you, and there are plenty of opportunities to lend your skills in big and small ways—whether it’s organizing an educational event, posting on social media, writing grant applications, or researching a topic like fire resilient landscaping for our area.
– Join your local Neighborhood Group
-Join Fire Safe Occidental to to help out with town-wide projects in Occidental
-Join one of the sub-committees of Safer West County that focuses on education, business, etc.
Donate
Help us help you by donating to our cause. Fire Safe Occidental is a part of Safer West County (a 501.C.3), making your donation tax deductible. Please notate if you are donating to SWC’s general fund or specifically to Fire Safe Occidental. To donate you can either write a check to Safer West County, PO Box 1132, Occidental, 95465 or click below. Thank you!
Intertwined Communities: Safer West County
In 2019, the Steering Committee of FSO realized that in working towards our mission, we needed to create an organization that goes beyond the boundaries of Occidental’s Services District, tapping into a larger ecosystem by looking at our surrounding watersheds and “firesheds.” We formed Safer West County (SWC), applied for and received non-profit status and began reaching out to our neighboring communities in 2020. SWC now has representatives in most of the communities from the Russian River south, west of Sebastopol, north of Bodega Highway, and east of the coast.