EDMONTON, April 2, 2015 /CNW/ - Today, FireSmart Canada announced that 24 projects will receive funding to make their communities safer as part of National Wildfire Preparedness Day. On May 2, people across the country will participate in local mitigation projects to help reduce the risk of wildfire damage in their communities.

"We had planned to fund 20 events, but after reviewing the applications we felt that 24 projects were really deserving of our support, so we came up with the extra funds," said Kelly Johnston, executive director of Partners in Protection. "The response to this program exceeded our expectations and demonstrated that Canadians are concerned about wildfire and are ready to get to work to protect their homes and communities."

Each of the groups below will receive $500 for their projects:

Ontario

• Township of Woolwich Fire Department – Breslau
• West Nipissing Fire Service – Sturgeon Falls

Saskatchewan

• Wadin Bay FireSmart Committee – Wadin Bay

Alberta

• Clear Water Landcare – Hamlet of Withrow, Clearwater County
• County Grande Prairie Regional Fire Service – Grande Prairie
• Ferrier Community League – Rocky Mountain House
• Jasper Volunteer Fire Brigade Society – Jasper
• Lake Edith Leaseholders Association – Jasper
• Lesser Slave Forest Education Society – Slave Lake
• MD 124 Marten Beach Firesmart – Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No 124
• Nakoda Fire Dept – Morley
• Summer Village of Waiparous FireSmart Committee & Residents – Waiparous
• Tribal Chiefs Ventures Inc.- Beaver Lake Cree Nation #131, Cold Lake First Nations #149-149A-B and C, Frog Lake First Nations #121 & 122, Heart Lake First Nation #167, Kehewin Cree Nation #123, and Whitefish Lake First Nation #128
• Whitecourt Fire Department/ESRD – Whitecourt
• Wildland Urban Interface Committee – Hamlet of Anzac, Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

British Columbia

• Anarchist Mountain Community – Osoyoos
• Cayoose Creek Band – Lillooet
• East Gate Fire Protection Society – East Gate
• Kanaka Bar Indian Band – Kanaka Bar
• Nazko First Nation – Nazko
• Northern Rockies Fire Rescue – Fort Nelson
• Predator Ridge Community Emergency Management Committee – Vernon
• TIVFD Wildfire Community Liaison – Thetis Island

Yukon

• Yukon Wildland Fire Management Branch and Fire Marshal's Office – Whitehorse

National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day events on May 2 will help raise awareness of wildfires, and bring residents of all ages together to work on projects to protect their homes, neighbourhoods and communities. FireSmart Canada in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, and The Co-operators are pleased to bring this first ever event to Canada. To learn more about the first National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day in Canada visit www.firesmartcanada.ca

About FireSmart Canada
FireSmart Canada (FireSmart) is the go-to national program committed to helping Canadians reduce their wildfire risk and become fire adapted through community-based solutions.  FireSmart is administered by Partners in Protection; a non-profit coalition of federal, provincial, first nations', private industry and municipal fire, emergency and land management experts. Through publications, programs, outreach training, and workshops, FireSmart provides tools for Canadians to become pro-active in reducing the risk of wildfire to their homes and communities. FireSmart programs and products are supported through membership and ongoing active support from organizations such as the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, the National Fire Protection Association and The Co-operators. For more information on FireSmart visit www.firesmartcanada.ca.

SOURCE The Co-operators