Applications for funding open today

EDMONTON, Feb. 2, 2017 /CNW/ - People in communities throughout Canada have an opportunity to apply for funding to support efforts to strengthen their resilience against wildfire by participating in the third annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day (WCPD) in Canada, to be held on May 6, 2017. The announcement was made today by Partners in Protection Association/FireSmart Canada, in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and The Co-operators.

"Managing the risk of wildfire is a shared responsibility in which many stakeholders, from governments to individual community members, can and must play constructive roles," said Kelly Johnston, executive director of FireSmart Canada. "We appreciate the strong leadership and support The Co-operators, ICLR and NFPA are providing on this issue as our founding WCPD partners; and are very pleased to be working with all of them in building communities' resilience to wildfire."

The national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day campaign brings groups together across the country to participate in local mitigation projects that reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their homes and neighbourhoods. Starting today, through to March 21, groups and individuals are invited to apply for funding to support local events beginning May 6 and continuing throughout the summer. Up to 20 projects will receive funding. For a list of application rules and project ideas, visit firesmartcanada.ca.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day projects may include initiatives such as clearing leaves and other combustible debris from around homes and other structures, working with neighbours to get a chipper service to remove slash, and distributing wildfire safety information. Groups of all sorts and individuals of all ages are welcome and encouraged to take part.

To learn more about National Wildlife Community Preparedness Day in Canada, please visit www.firesmartcanada.ca.

About FireSmart Canada
FireSmart Canada 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 Association; 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 .

About the National Fire Protection Association:
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a global non-profit organization, established in 1896, devoted to eliminating death, injury, property and economic loss due to fire, electrical and related hazards. Founded in 1896, NFPA delivers information and knowledge through more than 300 consensus codes and standards, research, training, education, outreach and advocacy; and by partnering with others who share an interest in furthering our mission. NFPA membership totals more than 60,000 individuals around the world. Its mission is to help save lives and reduce loss with information, knowledge and passion. All NFPA codes and standards can be viewed at no cost at www.nfpa.org.

About the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction:
Established in 1998 by Canada's property and casualty insurers, ICLR is an independent, not-for-profit research institute based in Toronto and at Western University in London, Canada. ICLR is a centre of excellence for disaster loss prevention research and education. ICLR's research staff is internationally recognized for pioneering work in a number of fields including wind and seismic engineering, atmospheric sciences, water resources engineering and economics. Multi-discipline research is a foundation for ICLR's work to build communities more resilient to disasters. Visit www.iclr.org.

About The Co-operators:
The Co-operators Group Limited is a Canadian co-operative with more than $44 billion in assets under administration. Through its group of companies it offers home, auto, life, group, travel, commercial and farm insurance, as well as investment products. The Co-operators is well known for its community involvement and its commitment to sustainability. The Co-operators is listed among the 50 Best Employers in Canada by Aon Hewitt; Corporate Knights' Best 50 Corporate Citizens in Canada; and the Top 50 Socially Responsible Corporations in Canada by Sustainalytics and Maclean's magazine. For more information visit www.cooperators.ca.

SOURCE The Co-operators

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