The First Exchange of Community Firefighters and Integrated Fire Management brings together institutions and representatives from different territories to share experiences and strengthen efforts in forest fire prevention and response

Strengthening the work of community fire brigades, promoting the exchange of knowledge, and expanding coordination among communities, municipalities, and public and private institutions are the objectives of the First Exchange of Community Firefighters and Integrated Fire Management, which will be held on August 25 and 26 at the Antimary Integrated Environmental Management Unit (UGAI), in Bujari (AC).

Organized by the State Secretariat for the Environment (SEMA) and the Acre Military Fire Department (CBMAC), in partnership with the Earth Innovation Institute (EII), the event will bring together community firefighters and representatives from institutions involved in forest fire prevention and suppression to exchange experiences and knowledge on Integrated Fire Management.

Over the course of two days, the program will address topics related to climate change and the outlook for the Southwestern Amazon region, the state’s strategies for preventing and combating wildfires, and the challenges involved in implementing Integrated Fire Management.

One of the highlights will be the exchange of experiences among community fire brigades from different territories. Participants from Acre, Tocantins, Pará, Mato Grosso, and Ucayali, Peru, will share initiatives, lessons learned, and challenges faced in their local operations. The program also includes demonstrations of equipment and communication networks used by community fire brigades.

The concept and methodology of Integrated Fire Management (IFM) are also highlighted in the program. The event aims to address this topic to foster a common understanding among all institutions involved in fire management, since the implementation of IFM is a mandatory policy.

For the EII, strengthening community fire brigades is a fundamental part of a territorial fire management strategy. The work of these groups contributes not only to fire response but also to prevention, planning, monitoring, education, and community mobilization.

The exchange therefore seeks to strengthen an integrated network of actors working on the front lines of forest fire prevention and response. The initiative also aims to contribute to the development of strategies that take into account the different realities of each territory and value both technical expertise and the knowledge and experiences of local communities.

The meeting underscores the importance of cooperation among governments, communities, firefighters, and partner institutions to expand the capacity of territories to address the challenges posed by forest fires and climate change.

Innovative Counties

The event, held in partnership with the EII, is part of the Innovative Counties Program, which proposes a paradigm shift in forest fire management. The central focus of the strategy shifts from a purely reactive and operational approach—concentrated solely on firefighting during the critical season—to a preventive, continuous, and integrated approach throughout the entire year.

Beyond the fire perspective, the Innovative Counties approach envisions an integrated municipal strategy, with collaboration among state government, municipalities, producers, communities, the private sector, and civil society, also aiming at productive development and forest conservation.

The Innovative Counties program is an initiative led by the Earth Innovation Institute (EII), in partnership with Aliança da Terra, which supports municipalities in developing solutions that integrate fire management, sustainable production, environmental conservation, and social inclusion, promoting coordinated action among communities, rural producers, public authorities, and other local stakeholders. The initiative is funded by the Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation