Since 2017, when our own region suffered a megafire, we have passionately served our mission to support fire-impacted communities as they recover, rebuild, and reimagine a more resilient future. Our goal is to ensure every megafire community is supported as they lead and design their own recoveries with a network of care. Collaboration: Our Approach We support LOCAL leaders after a megafire by providing coaching, support, convening, & navigation. We pay our lessons forward through deployments to megafire communities and support share best practices and form partnerships to bridge gaps post-disaster. Community to Community: You CAN Recover, Rebuild, & Reimagine after a megafire. Our C2C program connects leaders from wildfire-impacted areas with peers who have successfully recovered from similar situations. Together, they collaborate throughout the recovery process, fostering unity and strength. We stay with communities for several years, long after most have rushed out, we are still there. Advocacy and Education: We lead the effort in Washington DC for fire survivors via organizing federal advocacy delegations for resiliency, recovery, and improved public policy. CEO Jennifer Gray Thompson serves on the Bipartisan Policy Center's Disaster Response Reform Task Force, making recommendations to Congress. We lead delegations of fire survivors to Washington to advocate for better policies and raise awareness. We are known by lawmakers and agencies. We get things done for you. Our annual Wildfire Leadership Summit is a highly regarded invite-only conference bringing together disaster leaders, policymakers, innovators, and frontline communities for a national convening of a 360-degree view of how to address the issue of megafire -- together. Since 2020, our "How to Disaster" podcast highlights experiences, best practices, and lessons learned from disaster professionals and community members. Find us on YouTube and all platforms. Join Us in Making a Difference!
After the Fire USA的外部链接
19201 Sonoma Hwy #224
US，California，Sonoma，95476
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#ICYMI Take a look at our feature story on Soledad O’Brien’s Matter of Fact, highlighting how renewable energy can empower communities in the aftermath of catastrophes. #HurricaneHelene #solarenergy #renewableenergy #asheville #Northcarolina
After the Fire is always glad to share the news spotlight with Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety - IBHS on how to keep your home safer from wildfire. Vents are a major factor in home ignition. Changing out your standard vents for ones with smaller gaps to reduce ember cast intrusion is one inexpensive and DIY change you can make today. "A simple and inexpensive A simple and inexpensive upgrade you can do to your home is change out the vents, explained Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA with nonprofit After the Fire USA." Resiliency is a team sport with many facets. We highly recommend you visit www.wildfireprepared.org and find out more. #afterthefire #resilience https://lnkd.in/gDF_u52D
After the Fire USA is in DC this week with a small delegation of Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA + Jenn Kaaoush (Marshall Fire) + Kevin Goss (Dixie Fire). We will be joined by Steve Crowder (Camp Fire). We are working on HR5863, the Disaster Tax Relief Bill. Hoping for a Unanimous Consent on the Senate Floor immediately. Our bill expires at the end of this term and fire survivors cannot continue to wait for relief. Root for us. #HR5863
Camp Fire 11.08.2018 6 years 11.08.2024 To our friends and brethren in Paradise and all of Butte County, we are sending lots of love and support and full-throttled admiration for your journey, your collective courage and commitment to each other, and to relentless imperfect progress. The Camp Fire was the first community to allow us in, just 13 months after our own fires. We've walked much of this together and we are grateful for your friendship, even as we wish it never happened. If you have the inclination, please consider donating to Rebuild Paradise Foundation which continues to serve the people of Paradise every day with love and care. #campfire #afterthefire #togetherwecan Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA
November 6th, 2024 HR5863 Update This Monday, After the Fire USA will again travel with a small delegation to Washington DC to meet with Senate offices to push (again) for the passage of HR5863 before the 188th Congress ends on January 2nd. 2025. In reality, we need it before they recess again for the holidays. To be clear, there is a desire to combine our bill with a larger Disaster Relief Bill -- which is needed and long overdue for Maui to Helene to Milton to many more federally declared disasters. We support this larger bill but we are asking to be passed as a stand-alone under the rules for Unanimous Consent -- just like last September. We fully support the need to take care of all disaster survivors, but we also know that bill can easily take time past the expiration of the 118th session to pass. H.R 5863 [Steube (R-FLA-17)]: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a deduction for attorney fees awarded with respect to certain wildfire damages and to exclude from gross income settlement funds received with respect to such damages. This bill has bicameral and bipartisan support. After The Fire USA is leading a delegation of Wildfire Victims and Community Leaders to Washington, D.C. for meetings on November 12-16, 2024. We would like to meet with you during this time. We have an urgent matter to discuss affecting megafire victims. Specifically, we want our bill to be passed under Unanimous Consent (UC) on the floor of the Senate the week of November 12th, as soon as the Senate returns. We do not want HR 5863 to be wrapped into a larger disaster bill, especially given the disinformation and politicizing of Helene and Milton. We have zero confidence this will not happen with a larger disaster bill, even as we fully support those who are suffering in those disasters. We cannot afford to wait or risk pushing off relief for disaster survivor. We have made this trip to DC many, many times. It is time to put people over politics. We do not have time for our issue and pain to be leveraged or ignored. We must provide relief from unfair taxation immediately. For the last tax year, most fire survivors filed extensions that ended October 2024 and because a last-minute hold was placed on the bill in the Senate, the bill once again was not passed and once again, fire victims were made to pay out of pocket for taxes they should not owe. We are tired of watching the suffering of disaster victims being leveraged. We’ve done our part. The delegation will include representatives from several wildfires of recent years: North Bay Fires (2017, 2019, 2020) – Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA Founder & CEO After the Fire USA Camp Fire (2018) – Steve Crowder, Fire Survivor, City Council, Town of Paradise Dixie Fire (2021) - Kevin Goss - Supervisor District 2, Dixie Fire Survivor, Plumas County Supervisor Marshall Fire (2021) - Jenn Kaaoush, Co-Founder, Superior Rising; Trustee, Town of Superior
Mahalo to the incredible team at Watch Duty lead by John Clarke Mills for this critically important expansion into Hawai’i. Bravo. We love our community of Maui and are so happy they now have this tool. It is a game changer for situational awareness, community resilience, and tamping down misinformation.
Aloha, Hawai’i!? We are now offering our real-time wildfire coverage throughout all of the islands! It’s an honor to be of service and join you in your fight against wildfires.? Last year, we watched in horror as Lahaina suffered what so many of us have experienced in Santa Rosa, Paradise, Talent, Greenville, and countless other towns in the West.? We are all learning to come to grips with a problem that isn’t going away anytime soon, but neither are we. We created Watch Duty, a non-profit organization, because we live under the ever-present threat of wildfire, and more and more of us are experiencing the need for real-time information.? Our service, which will always remain free, follows the newly deployed wildfire cameras from ALERTWest that are integrated directly into Watch Duty.? All of this functionality gives you the ability to track and monitor wildfires in real-time, all in one place, on either iOS, Android, or your web browser.? Mahalo.
[RECORDING] Closing: Jennifer Gray Thompson on Choosing Hope in the Era of Climate Disasters; Rejecting Cynicism Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA, CEO of After the Fire USA, delivers an inspiring closing keynote on the importance of choosing hope in the face of climate disasters. She emphasizes, "We are not hopeless against megafires. We are not hopeless against the era of climate change. We can do these things together because we are daring to hope and to help each other." As the summit concludes, Jennifer expresses profound gratitude to all participants and reflects on the vulnerability, wisdom, and resilience demonstrated throughout the event, underscoring the collective strength of those committed to rebuilding after adversity. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gWqadmqF Catch the audio recording on the How to Disaster Podcast! #WildfireLeadershipSummit #WLS2024 #AfterTheFireUSA #WildfireResilience #LeadershipInAction #CommunityResilience #Sustainability #Megafire #ClosingRemarks
[RECORDING] KEYNOTE: Aloha, Hello and Goodbye with Ku?uleinani Maunupau, Native Hawaiian Philanthropy?? ? Kuuleinani Maunupau, CEO of Native Hawaiian Philanthropy, shares a powerful keynote on the profound meanings of Aloha, emphasizing that it transcends mere greetings. She articulates a vision that embraces love and respect while advocating for a return to Indigenous kupuna knowledge. In this closing keynote, Ku?uleinani addresses the historical disruptions caused by colonization, which have severed the deep connection between the land and its Indigenous people in Hawaii. She stresses the urgent need to reclaim ancestral wisdom and restore the harmonious relationship embodied in Aloha, especially in the context of disaster recovery. With over 30 years of experience in grant writing, Ku?uleinani highlights her organization’s pivotal role in disaster recovery, focusing on mental health, cultural activities, and long-term community support initiatives.?? ? Watch here: https://lnkd.in/ghq9nArp? Catch the audio recording on the How to Disaster Podcast! https://lnkd.in/gV49StNq ? #WildfireLeadershipSummit #WLS2024 #AfterTheFireUSA #WildfireResilience #LeadershipInAction #CommunityResilience #Sustainability #Megafire?#NativeHawaiianPhilanthropy?
[RECORDING] TALK STORY: IBHS Wildfire Prepared Home Program: The Road to Implementation?? ? Amanda West, Director of Product Services at Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety - IBHS, and Mark Vaughn, Wildfire Prepared Home Program Manager, emphasize that communities are not powerless against wildfires. They discuss the importance of implementing proven mitigation strategies that empower homeowners to proactively protect their properties and foster more resilient neighborhoods. In this engaging Talk Story, moderated by CTEH Senior Advisor Christa López, PhD, CEM, Amanda and Mark share essential techniques for hardening homes and establishing effective ember defense systems. They highlight the significance of maintaining a non-combustible zone around homes and choosing the right building materials to enhance wildfire resistance, shifting the focus from merely rebuilding to creating safer, more resilient living spaces from the start.?? ? Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gQx3W9zX? Catch the audio recording on the How to Disaster Podcast!? ? #WildfireLeadershipSummit #WLS2024 #AfterTheFireUSA #WildfireResilience #LeadershipInAction #CommunityResilience #Sustainability #Megafire? #IBHS #WildfirePreparedHome?
[RECORDING] Keynote: Funding disaster recovery through a CDFI?? ? Emily Nilsen, Chief Program Officer of Impact Development Fund (CDFI), discusses the pivotal role of Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) in disaster recovery. Emphasizing the need for adaptability throughout the recovery process, she outlines how innovative lenders are stepping up to provide flexible financing and coordinate essential resources. Emily presents IDF’s three-pronged approach, highlighting the key partnerships and evolving programs necessary for effective funding. Learn how tailored financial solutions can empower communities to rebuild and enhance their resilience after disasters.?? ? Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gmyf32er? Catch the audio recording on the How to Disaster Podcast!? ? #WildfireLeadershipSummit #WLS2024 #AfterTheFireUSA #WildfireResilience #LeadershipInAction #CommunityResilience #Sustainability #Megafire?#CDFI ?