Thursday December 17, 2020 | VANCOUVER ISLAND, BC
by Kiley Verbowski | Island Social Trends | Mary P Brooke, editor
After a nationwide online contest to choose a name, FireSmart BC welcomes Ember the FireSmart Fox to their educational team.
“In an effort to spread awareness about our brand and programs, we’ve worked with FireSmart Canada to develop a fox mascot to help further engage and connect with the public,” says Kelsey Winter, FireSmart BC program lead and chair of the BC FireSmart Committee. “Ember will serve as a key tool to help us communicate to BC residents the importance of adopting FireSmart principles and best practices.”
The winning entry was submitted by Arlene Steward of Swansea Point, BC, who was the first of more than 50 Canadians (across every province and territory), and one of more than 500 contest participants, to suggest Ember.
FireSmart BC asserts that Ember is an effective messenger because of her unique characteristics that include alertness, adaptability, intelligence and community-mindedness.
FireSmart BC:
Ember’s primary job is to educate the public about how to apply FireSmart principles to their homes, properties and neighbourhoods to increase wildfire resiliency. FireSmart BC is a partner of FireSmart Canada, which leads the development of resources and programs designed to empower the public and increase community resilience to wildfire across Canada.
The BC FireSmart Committee was initiated by the BC Wildfire Service in May 2017 to provide greater direction for wildfire prevention activities and better integration of the seven FireSmart disciplines throughout the province — based on the FireSmart Canada model. The national model provides tools for Canadians to become proactive in reducing the risk of wildfire to their homes and neighbourhoods.
To learn more about Ember and FireSmart BC, visit www.firesmartfox.ca.
