The Community Wildfire Defense Grant (CWDG) program provides grants to communities at risk from wildfire to develop or revise their community wildfire protection plans and carry out mitigation projects described within those plans. It is administered by the USDA Forest Service.
Smoke Ready
Smoke Ready Community Examples
This research project is a collaboration between the EPA and U.S. Forest Service to create community smoke response plans. Lessons from the pilot study can help support community leaders in establishing a local smoke team, building collaborative partnerships, and creating local public health response plans.
USFS Smoke Ready
This site is a compilation of information on how to be smoke ready and is intended for use by land management, public health, and environmental agencies; incident management teams and emergency responders; local governments, non-governmental organizations, and the general public. It includes messaging and resources in multiple languages.
Fire and Smoke Map
The AirNow Fire and Smoke Map provides information in English and Spanish that can be used to help protect your health from wildfire smoke. It shows air quality information, fire locations, smoke plumes, smoke forecasts, and more. It is a collaboration between the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Capacity-Building Toolkit for including Aging and Disability Networks in Emergency Planning
Developed by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response in coordination with the National Association of County and City Health Officials, this free toolkit provides a resources guide for aging and disability networks to plan for and respond to disasters. Content is designed to support those with access and functional needs.
Ready.Gov
Ready.gov provides free information for all people seeking to prepare for disasters. This resource includes material tailored to individuals with access and functional needs. Information includes important planning considerations, emergency communication plan templates, and videos with open captions and American Sign Language.
Community Engagement Toolkit
These free toolkits each contain a 3-part video series, presentation template with facilitator’s notes, and sample agendas (including resource links). The videos are in Spanish with English subtitles and cover topics including landscapes, communities, evacuation, smoke, home hardening, and resident recovery.
Limited English Proficiency
LEP.gov provides resources and information to expand and improve language access for individuals with limited English proficiency. The site provides data and language maps as well as guidance and resources for those working in emergency preparedness.
AirNow: Wildfires
The Wildfire section of AirNow provides tools and resources for addressing air quality issues from wildfire smoke. Discover fact sheets, resources for public health officials, and real-time smoke maps.
AirNow: Air Quality Index
AirNow is a one-stop source for air quality data, including impacts of wildfire smoke. It reports current air quality using the official U.S. Air Quality Index, a color-coded index designed to communicate whether air is healthy or unhealthy and which types of activities should be limited during air quality events.