Active engagement with community organizations in wildfire preparedness activities is an important goal for our Smart and Connected Communities (SCC) project “Designing Smart, Sustainable Risk Reduction in Hazard-Prone Communities: Modeling Risk Across Scales of Time and Space”, funded by the National Science Foundation. In keeping with this goal, our SCC team participated in two recent events.
The first was Ember Stomp, a county-wide event on September 7, 2024 that was organized by Fire Safe Marin for all residents of Marin County. The second was the Alameda County Emergency Preparedness Day, held at Ed Roberts Campus, Berkeley on October 5, 2924, that was jointly organized by District 5, Alameda County and the Oakland Fire Safe Council. This event held special significance for the Oakland FireSafe Council, as 2024 marks the tenth anniversary of OFSC’s founding. Both events were free, public, outdoor activities, organized to raise public awareness about wildfire risk and to engage residents in activities where they could learn more about wildfire as a continuing hazard and actions to protect themselves, their loved ones, and the whole community and how to reduce risk from an actual wildfire
The events showcased a diverse array of vendors ranging from wildfire defense experts to public safety organizations like the American Red Cross, Marin County Fire Department, and Alameda County Office of Emergency Management, as well as sustainability advocates. Our interdisciplinary team presented wildfire evacuation traffic simulations, organizational information networks maps, a mechanical robot dog, “Spot” who could climb steps, enter hazardous areas too risky for humans, and collect data about risk to operating systems. Our team also presented a wildfire resilience board game, and interactive mini-games that allowed players to explore alternative choices in risky wildfire scenarios that are playable on mobile phones and tablets.
Participating in such events is a good opportunity for information exchange and direct engagement with community organizations and residents who may be involved in our simulation scenarios. Conversations with residents provide valuable insights and real-life testimonies, enhancing our understanding of the social and community dynamics related to evacuation in emergencies. Actively involving citizens in informal discussions not only allows us to refine our traffic evacuation models but also helps us to integrate diverse perspectives better into our research designs, making our approach more inclusive and targeted.
Through interactive tools, such as simulations and wildfire resilience games, we were able to show how adopting simple preventive measures in practice can make a significant difference in safety outcomes. This direct connection with the public reinforces our goal to make communities smarter and more resilient in case of emergency.
