There is a growing need for a skilled wildfire mitigation workforce, including understanding what contributes to a structure’s ignitability, providing home inspections, and providing on-the ground home hardening and defensible space assistance.
MWPA funds several training and workforce development programs that contribute to defensible space and home hardening efforts while providing career pathways. Programs include the FIRE Foundry and Fire Safe Marin’s Home Hardening Workforce Development Program.
MWPA also provides funding to member agencies in order to meet defensible space and home hardening evaluation goals. For example, in 2021, MWPA funded 54 defensible space evaluators across Marin County. Other positions may include Neighborhood Response Coordinators and other positions to support MWPA’s goals. Workforce development programs and staffing positions are evaluated and approved annually in the MWPA Work Plans.
