The Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps and Poway Fire Safe Council have received a $7,000 SAFE grant from The San Diego Regional Fire Foundation to wildfire education and preparedness programs in the community.
The funds awarded May 19 will help strengthen Poway’s wildfire resilience by ing the ongoing initiatives of the Poway Neighborhood Emergency Corps (PNEC), said the organization’s President Terri Sorensen.
These include the Poway Neighborhood Emergency Safety Fair from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, May 31 at Old Poway Park, 14134 Midland Road. The PNEC and Poway Fire Safe Council are also hosting a Community Chipping Event, set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 14 at Poway Fire Station No. 2, 16912 Westling Court.
The chipping event is for Poway residents only. Residents must bring the materials to be chipped to the site; crews must be able to pick the materials up as they cannot be cut into smaller pieces; and no poison oak/ivy/sumac, ground cover, cactus or materials with bug infestation will be chipped.
Seniors who cannot bring items for chipping to the fire station can request assistance by emailing PNEC at [email protected].
Future events include a Picnic with the Chief fire preparedness workshop set for 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 16 at the Mickey Cafagna Community Center Oak Hall at 13094 Civic Center Drive.
The grant funds will also be used to the PNEC and Poway Fire Safe Council’s backpack program, which provides free “First 3-Minutes” and “First 3-Hours” evacuation go-bags to residents.
“With another challenging fire season ahead, this comes at a critical time,” PNEC Treasurer Beverly Dunlap said. “Our mission is to ensure every resident is educated, equipped and ready.”
With fire danger expected to remain high due to ongoing dry conditions, PNEC encourages residents to prepare now by creating defensible space, planning evacuation routes and staying informed.
PNEC has been educating the community about disaster and wildfire preparedness since 2011. The organization became a ed 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2018. For more information, visit PowayNEC.com.
