Book a Wood-Wise Firewood Safety Community Workshop for your community, group or association.
Contact: Bob Austman at wood-wise@woodlotmanitoba.com
The Woodlot Association of Manitoba is offering Wood-Wise Firewood Safety Community Workshops to directly address the demonstrated knowledge gap in Manitoba about firewood safety and the safe use of wood-energy appliances.
More and more homeowners and cottagers are turning to wood as a carbon-neutral, sustainable energy source. That’s good for the environment, but it could be good for your community. But it is important to know how to use firewood safely to minimize the threat of personal injury and property loss.
Municipal councillors, firefighters, insurers and property owners all take fire safety seriously in our communities. Fire protection begins with prevention, and prevention begins with education. Community leaders can be proactive about wood-energy safety by hosting Wood-Wise Firewood Safety Community Workshops.
The Steinbach fire chief shares a laugh with the Wood-Wise 101 workshop instructors at the Steinbach Fire Station in November 2013. L-R: Fire chief Kel Toews, WETT instructor Henry Nagtegaal, Wood-Wise firewood specialist Bob Austman, FireSmart program coordinator Kim Fiddler.
WAM offers community workshops to help homeowners, cottagers and other community members safely enjoy the benefits of carbon-neutral, sustainable wood energy. Our Wood-Wise team of experts presents hands-on workshops on:
- how to buy and use good firewood
- how to build and sustain a clean fire
- how to assess and use wood-energy appliances safely
- how to plan the proper installation of stoves and chimneys
The workshops conclude with the popular Q&A session, where community or group members can ask questions about issues that are of specific concern to them. This session can be particularly useful for sharing community knowledge and understanding.
About the Community Workshops
A Community Workshop typically runs 2.5 hours and is designed for presentation in a hall, large classroom or spacious meeting area. The Wood-Wise team provides all the materials for the presentation. The host group is responsible for booking the location, inviting participants and providing refreshments. The host group will also establish what fee, if any, it will charge participants.
Program objectives:
- to reduce injuries and fatalities that result from the improper use of firewood and wood-burning appliances;
- to reduce property damage due to fires caused by the improper use of wood-burning appliances;
- to raise public awareness about the safe use of wood-energy resources;
- to educate the public on the benefit of wood as a carbon-neutral energy source;
- to reinforce how important it is to burn smart, burn clean, burn safely… and burn locally.
Booking a workshop: The workshops are being delivered on a fee-for-service basis to groups and organizations (e.g., cottagers’ associations, rural municipalities and volunteer fire departments, and other community organizations). Scheduling of workshops is subject to availability of our team experts. To discuss a booking, please contact:
- Bob Austman, wood-wise@woodlotmanitoba.com
- Clint Pinter, president@woodlotmanitoba.com
Meet our team of experts
- Bob Austman, former educator with the Manitoba Model Forest, Junior Ranger instructor, and an expert on selecting and handling firewood.
- Henry Nagtegaal, WETT certification instructor (Wood Energy Transfer Technology) and an expert on installation of wood-burning appliances and chimneys.
- Clint Pinder, owner of Firewood Manitoba, a professional in the buying and selling of firewood and wood-energy products.
Optional
- Kim Fiddler, FireSmart and Prevention Program Coordinator, Manitoba Sustainable Development, who brings an indoor and outdoor perspective to firewood safety.
Wood-Wise Firewood Safety sponsors
Woodlot Association of Manitoba, Red River Mutual, Manitoba Community Services Council, WETT Inc., Manitoba Office of the Fire Commissioner, Manitoba Sustainable Development, and Manitoba Forestry Association
