Wildfire Mitigation Planning for Utilities: Part Two

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Series Overview

The threat of wildfire is increasing, into areas less accustomed to them and amid prolonged wildfire seasons that include larger, longer-lasting fires. In response, states are requiring utilities to submit wildfire mitigation plans or natural disaster protection plans. Join this three-part virtual course to learn all about wildfire mitigation planning, from expertly assessing your utility’s risk to leveraging the latest technologies in preparedness and response.

Walk through what’s behind recent changes in legislative and regulatory trends and what various stakeholders need to know about your efforts – from other emergency responders to policymakers and customers. From drafting the plan to carrying out a response and supporting long-term resilience, get a grasp on the strategies and practices to keep your community safe and protect your assets.

Topics covered:

Changing wildfire risks, regulations, and supports
Components of a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan
Using wildfire maps
Technologies and tools for enhanced preparedness
Conducting inspections and patrols
Effective vegetation management
Essential communication and outreach protocols in emergency situations (i.e., de-energization or public safety power shutoffs)
Measuring and improving your wildfire mitigation plan

Session Information

Topics

Enhancing your situational awareness (forecasting and real-time monitoring)
Tools and technologies for wildfire mitigation
Best practices for system protection and hardening

Speakers

Eric Brown, T&D Manager Grid Assets – Vegetation Management, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, California
Rusty Endicott, Safety & Loss prevention Consultant, Federated Rural Electric Insurance Exchange
Randy Lyle, Principal at Wildfire Mitigation Strategies, SDG&E Wildfire Ops, and CalFIRE Veteran
Jeff Carlson, Safety Director at Consumers Power, Inc.
Chris Lautenberger, PhD, PE, President & CEO at CloudFire Inc., Fire Scientist, and Fire Protection Engineer
Billy Terry, Terry Consulting & Construction and COO at Consumers Power, Inc.

Recommended For

Utility executives and senior managers, policymakers, personnel in the engineering and operations, safety, communications, and other key operational areas of the utility.

Course level

Basic. No perquisites, no advance preparation.

Questions?

Registration/Billing: [email protected]
Schedule/Content/Accreditation: [email protected]

Registration

Register now!

Registration Fees

Registration is for individual access. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available.

Registration Fee (three-part series)

Members

$595

Non-members

$1,190

Group Discounts

Save money when your organization registers five or more people for the virtual series. The larger your group, the more you save!

Registrations must be submitted on the same order (at the same time) to qualify for the group discount; discounts cannot be retroactively applied to previous orders.

If you need assistance, contact [email protected].

Number of registrants	Discount (per person)
1-4	n/a
5-9	$50
10-14	$100
15-24	$150
25+	$200

Contact [email protected] with questions.

Registration Help

Check out our Registration FAQs for answers to the most common questions and help with all your registration-related issues.

Cancellations /No-Show/ Refunds/ Substitutions

All sessions will be recorded and attendees will automatically receive a copy of the recordings, in case you can’t attend live.

Registrants who cancel in writing at least 7 days in advance of the first session in the series (by July 9) are entitled to a refund of their registration fee, minus a $100 cancellation fee. Registrants who cancel after that will not receive a refund, but attendee substitutions will be allowed for this event only. Registrants and no-shows who do not cancel at least 7 days before the course start date are responsible for the full registration fee and are not entitled to a refund.

Cancellations must be received on/before July 9.

Cancellation requests should be made through your My.PublicPower portal, or addressed to [email protected].

Questions?

Registration/Billing: [email protected]
Schedule/Content/Accreditation: [email protected]

Accreditation

The following continuing education credits will be provided, after successfully completing 90% of each live session. These sessions will be recorded, though certificates can only be awarded to those who meet the attendance requirements for attending each live session.

Session 1 (July 16)
- CEUs .3/PDHs 2.7/CPEs 3.2
- Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Session 2 (July 23)
- CEUs .3/PDHs 2.7/CPEs 3.2
- Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge
Session 3 (July 30)
- CEUs .3/PDHs 2.7/CPEs 3.2
- Field of Study: Specialized Knowledge

Earn While You Learn!

Participate in virtual programs to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs), Professional Development Hours (PDHs) and Continuing Professional Education credits (CPEs).

What educational credits are available?

You can earn the following kinds of continuing education credits for attending live sessions—provided the following requirements are met:

Requirements for Successful Completion

Registration is for individual access, so each person participating must register. If you have multiple people interested in attending, group discounts are available.
Individuals are required to attend and actively participate in 90% of each live session and complete an online evaluation after the last session in a course.
- Attendance: Individuals must attend at least 90% of each live session (based on electronic timestamps in Zoom).
- Participation: Active participation in class will include engagement activities such as: polling/check-in questions, Kahoot quizzes, group discussions, breakout sessions, and in-class exercises.
- Activities vary by class: Information on participation will be provided the day before (and during) class. Participation is tracked electronically.
- Online evaluation: Each person must complete an online evaluation after the course concludes.
Partial credit cannot be given for partial attendance.
Attendance is monitored by an APPA staff member during the event, through an online report log, and upon review of the post-event evaluation data.
Completion certificates will be available within two weeks of the last session in a live event (for those who meet the requirements) through your APPA member portal (access instructions will be provided).
Virtual sessions are recorded (attendees automatically receive access to recordings within a week of the last session), though continuing education credits can only be given for attending live events. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session.

Guidelines for group participation in virtual events

If a group is participating in a conference room together, we recommend each person still logs in individually from a laptop to ensure attendance and participation requirements are met (as noted above).
If individual log in is not possible, the organization must designate one person as the main point of contact. Email [email protected] in advance of the virtual event noting this information
- This person will record attendance in the room in the room (we can provide a sample attendance tracker) and ensure attendance and participation from the group throughout.
- Submit the attendance record to APPA within 2 business days of the conclusion of a virtual event.
- Ensure each person fills out the required online evaluation.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs): The American Public Power Association is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. For information regarding certification status, attendance requirements and obtaining attendee transcripts, contact [email protected] or 202-467-2965. Verify our IACET Accreditation.

CPE logo Continuing Professional Education (CPE) Credits: The American Public Power Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.NASBAregistry.com. Unless noted, there are no prerequisites for the courses offered and no advance preparation is required. Courses are group-internet based offerings at the basic program level (unless otherwise noted). Credit hours and areas of study for the courses are listed on the individual course pages. For more information regarding administrative policies, such as clarification of requirements, complaints, and refunds, please contact [email protected].

Professional Development Hours (PDHs): The American Public Power Association’s educational practices are consistent with the criteria for awarding Professional Development Hours (PDHs) as established by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES). Course eligibility and number of PDHs may vary by state.

Questions?

Registration/Billing: [email protected]
Schedule/Content/Accreditation: [email protected]

Additional Information

Format and Log-In Information

These virtual sessions will be offered on the Zoom meeting platform.

Communication

24 hours after registering: You’ll receive a confirmation email within 24 hours of registering, which contains some preliminary information.
24 hours before:
- You’ll receive your Zoom login link the day before the first session in a class (sent from the APPA Academy’s Zoom account <[email protected]>)
- You’ll also receive a final logistics email 24 hours in advance of the first class.
If you don’t receive this, email [email protected].

Course Access and Materials

Zoom Links: Zoom log in credentials will be sent out 24 hours before the start of the first session.
Course Materials: Attendees will receive access to course materials the day before each session through the "Documents" section of their My.PublicPower.org user portal.
Recordings: All sessions will be recorded and can be accessed through your user portal as well (within a week of the last class in the program), in case you can’t attend the live versions. Recordings will be accessible for 90 days after the last session. Note: Continuing education credits can only be issued for attending live sessions.

Technology Requirements

Zoom Meeting Application: Attendees are required to have strong Internet access, in order to run the Zoom meeting platform. Please see below for more information on downloading the Zoom Web Client.
Audio/Webcam: You will need to enable computer audio to listen and speak (alternatively a call-in number will be provided) and you will also need a webcam, so you can fully engage in the small group breakout sessions and group discussions.

New to Zoom?

If you haven't participated in a Zoom meeting before, please download the Zoom web client from the Zoom Download Center. This will enable you to access all of the Zoom tools and functionality vs. using the web version. Then, visit Zoom.us/test to ensure you are able to join a meeting.

If you are not able to download the Zoom web client, you can still participate via your Internet browser. We recommend using Chrome for the best results.

Privacy and Security

The American Public Power Association takes your privacy and security very seriously. For this reason, we have put the following security measures in place for this course: