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Kamloops May 18 - 1,039 views
Wawanesa Insurance is the first insurance company to invest in wildfire research at Thompson Rivers University, with a donation of $75,000.
In a news release, TRU said the donation will be invested into new research under its larger TRU Wildfire initiative.
“Prevention is key to reducing risk and we’re committed to backing efforts that build safer, more resilient communities,” said Wawanesa senior vice-president and chief personal lines officer Kimberly Palatnick.
“We’re proud to be the first insurer to support TRU Wildfire’s critical research and help create new solutions that enable Canadians to better protect what matters most.”
The Wawanesa Insurance Wildfire Community Resilience Research grant was awarded to TRU researchers Dr. Will Garrett-Petts and Cheryl Gladu, and will see TRU’s Community and Cultural Mapping Research Group identify what motivates community and neighbourhood uptake of FireSmart.
TRU said the project will address wildfire mitigation and the awareness gap in FireSmart Canada programming.
“Understanding and addressing this awareness gap is crucial for increasing community uptake and participation in wildfire mitigation and prevention — and is, we argue, most acute for smaller communities,” said Garrett-Petts.
TRU said the research project brings together a team of community and academic partners, including faculty, municipal staff, arts and culture organizations, students and community researchers.
The team will explore perceived risk of damage, prior experience with wildfires, proximity to urban-wildland interface areas, demographics and the role of incentives.
“We are confident that cultural mapping methods can contribute an even more comprehensive understanding of the current awareness gap, providing a more nuanced, deep assessment of the public perception of fire risk, including public familiarity with FireSmart Canada, in particular at the neighbourhood level,” said Gladu.
