The Public Education Committee of the Central Pine Barrens Wildfire Task Force, chaired by Riverhead Fire Marshal Bruce Johnson, is pleased to present "Wildfire Safety and Awareness", a 2002 video produced under the professional tutelage of a Farmingdale, NY company, Production By Design.

This one half hour public education video provides an overview of wildfire in a wildland urban interface region, using the Long Island, NY pine barrens as its setting.  Principles and concepts covered are especially applicable to the pine barrens regions of the Northeastern United States, including Long Island, New Jersey, Cape Cod, and the Albany (NY) Pine Bush.  The video is suitable for both single session viewing, or by instructors interested in specific topics.

Title: Wildfire Safety and Awareness
Length: Approximately 28.5 minutes
Sponsors:  Central Pine Barrens Commission (Great River, NY) and the United States Forest Service.
Units Covered:

1. Introduction to the Pine Barrens - geography, natural resources, presence of fire
2. The Role of Fire - general issues, dangers of uncontrolled wildfires, modern day human factors
3. Causes of Brushfires - accidents, arson, weather effects, investigation
4. Fire History - role of fire in the pine barrens, fire intervals and frequency, soils, the wildland urban interface, general fire management
5. Long Island's 1995 Wildfires - field and weather conditions, firestorm occurrence and behavior, mutual aid, air support
6. Fuel Types - fine and heavy fuels, examples
7. Brushfire Prevention - planning in the wildland urban interface, maintenance of developed properties, emergency response and access, water source identification
8. A Prescribed Burn - a Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge prescribed burn, briefing, prescriptions and their conditions, personal protective equipment, fire line preparation, weather monitoring, litter, moisture effects, burn objectives, fuel reduction, ecological goals, training, burn termination, post fire effects
9. Camping and Picnic Fire Safety Guidelines - Sears Bellows County Park campsite example, equipment, building a campfire, campfire fuels and precautions, cooking procedures and equipment, generators and fuel, safety zones, water supply, extinguishing the campfire, ash disposal, common sense
10. Home Safety Guidelines - fire resistant materials, safety zones and firebreaks, roof maintenance, identifying your home for emergency services, mobile homes, emergency calls, evacuation, escape routes
11. The Central Pine Barrens Wildfire Task Force - origin, types of member organizations, fire departments, public land managers, law enforcement, New York National Guard, interagency communications
12. Fire Weather - fire weather, monitoring, daily ratings, public lands restrictions
13. Training - interagency field exercises, National Guard helicopter firefighting support, appropriate situations for helicopter use, the New York Wildfire and Incident Management Academy
14. Conclusion - the natural role of fire, wildfire dangers, our role in working together for fire management