Credited to their diligence and belief in the cause, the Fire Safety Society of Masons Point (FSSMP) could not have wished for a better outcome for their May 30th to 31st FireSmart Cleanup event.
Comprised of people working together with determination, collaboration, and hard work, the event was a resounding success.
In February, HRM Councillor Nancy Hartling met with a disaster response organization, Team Rubicon (TR), who were looking for service opportunities to help maintain their skills in between disasters while becoming involved in wildfire mitigation. Nancy approached FSSMP President Cynthia Weaterston with the idea and they negotiated funding to evolve the FireSmart Cleanup dream.
Planning involved coordination between multiple HRM departments, including Community Safety and Security, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, and Fire and Emergency, and a dedicated partnership of 10 TR volunteers and 36 Masons Point volunteer residents.
FSSMP set up three locations where evacuation efforts would be hindered if a wildfire happened.
Following safety briefings, TR limbed and thinned selected trees while Masons Point volunteers dragged the brush from the woods to the TR-operated chipper.
Other volunteers handled lunches, took photos, and directed traffic during the event and later spread the wood chips for pathways. Property owners prepared their own properties, removing brush away from their homes and limbing trees up to two meters from the ground. Over 43 residences left neatly piled debris for HRM to pick up.
The event was a pilot project for:
- HRM to support communities’ wildfire resilience through funding and debris pickup; and
- TR to broaden their service beyond disaster relief.
Grinning broadly, TR member Claude Langlois, who was motivated to join after losing his house in the 2023 Westwood wildfire, said, “The best part of joining Team Rubicon was gaining skills to operate a chainsaw safely. I also gained the camaraderie that I used to have while I was serving in the military which is always missing once retired.”
Story by Donna Scotten