Wildfire Hardening Best Practices

EVENT DESCRIPTION

There has been a growing need for a comprehensive hazard assessment and mitigation methodology to harden structures and parcels effectively and efficiently against ember and fire exposures. To address this need, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), CAL FIRE, and Insurance Institute for Business and Home (IBHS), embarked on a sixteen-month collaborative effort, culminating in this Hazard Mitigation Methodology (HMM).

In this discussion of the HHM, we’ll talk about fire and ember resistant building materials, identifying vulnerabilities to structures and neighboring parcels, building codes, and cost-effective measures that you can implement right away. The Parcel Assessment for Wildfire Hardening (PAWH) form will be presented, guiding a property owner, inspector, or professional through a process that incorporates building codes, fire codes, & the latest science in wildfire hardening. The PAWH form also labels certain hardening mitigations as Energy Efficient (EE); This direct correlation between energy efficiency & wildfire hardening will assist homeowners to improve both resilience and energy savings.

This event will be virtual over ZOOM. All registrants will be sent a ZOOM link in the Event Confirmation email that is sent out 24 hours prior to the event.

SPEAKERS

Ron Kliewer – Principal, Kliewer & Associates

Ron Kliewer started out framing and remodeling homes and additions, becoming a custom home builder /General Contractor, moving on to Special Inspector, then BPI and IR Certified. He has worked around the world, building everything from an outhouse to nuclear power plants, while wearing many hats including Framer, Finish Carpenter, Cabinetmaker, Electrician, Plumber, Special Inspector and Project Manager. He started building with Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) decades ago, and more recently used his expertise to manage the new construction and retrofits of over 2 dozen award winning energy efficient light commercial projects and the High-Performance Walls/ Attics “Smart Home” display at Southern California Edison’s (SCE), Energy Education Center in Irwindale.

Chad Gretzner – Research Engineer, Kliewer & Associates

Chad Gretzner is a research engineer with Kliewer and Associates, LLC and a NFPA Reducing Wildfire Risk to Property: Professional. One of his recent accomplishments is designing the Parcel Assessment for Wildfire Hardening (PAWH) form as a result of the K&A Building Science burn test and forensic study. He enjoys camping and exploring the great outdoors.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

AIA CES: 1.5 LU|HSW Approved

· Reduce the vulnerability of structures and parcels in a cost efficient and step by step, implementable by Pros and DIYers.

· How to protect structures in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) to “stand alone” and survive fire and ember exposures without contributions from first responders.

· Identify structure ignition vulnerabilities.

· Locate and choose fire resistant building materials.

· Identify fire hazard severity zones in your area.

*Note to all registrants: When purchasing a ticket, please double check that the address + zip code that you provide matches the billing information on the card you are using.*

Thank you to our generous sponsor!