Cook County was very fortunate this summer with only one fairly small wildfire—the Lizard Lake Fire, which burned approximately 52 acres far from homes and private property. However, the threat of wildfire is always a risk for Northland home owners. That risk can be mitigated though, with Firewise techniques, including the installation of wildfire sprinklers. Some homeowners may hesitant to install a sprinkler system because of the cost, but that too, could possibly be mitigated through a grant program offered by FEMA and facilitated by Cook County Firewise.
Cook County Firewise helped 285 county property owners install wildfire sprinkler systems throughout Cook County with a 2007 grant from FEMA called the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Grant Application. Property owners received cost assistance of up to 75% of the cost of an external sprinkler system. The average cost of a sprinkler system is approximately $8,000, but costs vary depending on the location of the water source, topography, number of structures to be protected, etc.
The amount of reimbursement also depends on the number of grant applicants. The county may cap the grant amounts, so all applicants receive some assistance. Likewise, if some applicants elect not to install a system and there is money remaining at the end of the grant period, it will be disbursed as additional reimbursement to the other participants (if they have not already received 75% of their system’s cost).
Firewise would like to see more homes and cabins protected. The Firewise group applied for additional FEMA funding in 2010 but was denied, but Cheryl Walimaa, Cook County Firewise Administrator, said the county is in the process of submitting another grant request for 2011.
She encourages anyone interested in possibly installing a sprinkler system to fill out an application for potential funding. Walimaa said filling out an application does not
mean a commitment to install a system—but it does get the property owner on the list of possible grant recipients. If a property owner does not apply by the deadline of September 25, 2010, they will not be able to sign on to the program later. Walimaa added that property owners who submitted an application last year for the 2010 grant must reapply. “Unfortunately we are not able to just use the information from the last grant application. We can’t assume the information is still correct, so it is really, really, important for people who are still interested to fill out an application,” said Walimaa.
The Pre-Disaster Mitigation funding is not just for lakefront cabin owners. Walimaa said anyone can apply, even if they have a low water supply. In that situation the property owner would also have to install a cistern or dedicated water supply. If Cook County Firewise receives FEMA funding in 2011, Walimaa said it will research a foam application for low water systems. The problem, she said, is that few foam systems have been used in areas that have such cold winters. “That is something we will keep researching. But in the meantime, homeowners can still apply,” said Walimaa.
The best sources of information about external sprinkler systems are friends or neighbors who have systems or local wildfire sprinkler installers. Or give Walimaaa a call. “If I can’t give an answer, I will find someone who can,” she said.
For more information, contact Cook County Emergency Management at (218) 387-3059 or Walimaa at (218) 387- 3688. Information and applications are also available on-line at www.co.cook. mn.us.
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