Prevention and Education

The Prevention and Education Working Team (PEWT) is composed of the wildland fire prevention specialists from the member agencies. It hosts and conducts wildland fire prevention training courses for the agencies. The team has been deployed on a number of occasions for training and to help out on fire incidents, fire planning, and for insect infestations.

Learn More Awards Contacts

Each agency, whether a state or province as full members, or another federal or city agency as associate members, has one seat on the Prevention and Education Working Team. The PEWT reports to the Operations Committee and is responsible to formulate prevention and education work plans and ensure that the work plans are carried out.

They work very closely with the Executive Director to oversee and manage their grant allocations and carry out their business. They are assigned a liaison from the Operations Committee in order to form good communications and guidance from the Operations Committee.

The PEWT meets or has a conference call once every quarter in order to coordinate, manage, monitor and conduct their business. The team attends and plays a role in the Annual Winter meeting conducted in January/February. They are responsible for soliciting nominations for an annual Fire Prevention Award and for an Annual Outstanding Service Award, both of which are presented at the Annual Winter Awareness Meeting.

The Working Team also coordinates a spring Forest Fire Prevention Week during the third full week of April and solicits proclamations from the governors and premiers to bring public awareness to the matter. The PEWT also hosts, conducts, and or participates in regional and national fire prevention activities such as the New England Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Exposition, Balloon Festivals to include a Smokey Bear balloon, Wildfire Canada, and Smokey Bear-related events.

Additionally, the Prevention and Education Working Team hosts and conducts wildland fire prevention training courses for the agencies. The team has been deployed on a number of occasions for training and to help out on fire incidents, fire planning, and for insect infestations.

Congratulations 2024 Wildfire Prevention Award recipient Roger Collet from the Department of Natural Resources and Energy in the Province of New Brunswick. Roger has been an active member of the Compact Prevention Working Team since 2015. Shortly after he was promoted to Wildfire Prevention Specialist for New Brunswick Wildfire Management, Roger attended the 2015 Firewise conference with other Compact PWT members in South Carolina.

In New Brunswick, Roger applied his Firewise knowledge with the Canadian FireSmart Program. He promotes the concepts of wildfire prevention, fuel reduction and defensible space at over thirty events throughout the province annually. In addition, he encouraged eleven communities to participate in FireSmart Canada’s "Community Preparation Day Awards" where they received $500 grants to do wildfire prevention and education, centered around spring clean-up days.

Contacts

James Bryan (CT)

Work Email: james.bryan@ct.gov
Phone: +1 860-996-0483

Address:
Connecticut Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection
Division of Forestry
1279 Middlebury Rd.
Middlebury, CT 06762
United States

Kent Nelson (ME)

Work Email: kent.nelson@maine.gov
Phone: +1 207-287-4989

Address:
Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry
Maine Forest Service
18 Elkins Lane, Harlow Bldg, SHS #22
Augusta, ME 04333
United States

Terri Teller (ME)

Work Email: terri.teller@maine.gov
Phone: +1 207-287-4993

Address:
Dept. of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry
Maine Forest Service
18 Elkins Lane, Harlow Bldg, SHS #22
Augusta, ME 04333
United States

Alex Belote (MA)

Work Email: alex.belote@mass.gov
Phone: +1 857-248-2741

Address:
Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
Bureau of Forest Fire Control
P.O. Box 66
South Carver, MA 02366
United States

Josh D. Nigro (MA)

Work Email: josh.nigro@mass.gov
Phone: +1 508-888-1149

Address:
MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
Bureau of Forest Fire Control
Shawme Crowell State Forest, 42 Main St.
Sandwich, MA 02563
United States

Roger Collet (NB)

Work Email: roger.collet@gnb.ca
Phone: +1 506-453-8650

Address:
Dept. of Energy and Resource Development
Forest Fire Management Section
1350 Reqent St.
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, NB E3C 2G6
Canada

Katie Baughman (NH)

Work Email: katharine.e.baughman@dncr.nh.gov
Phone: +1 603-227-8732

Address:
Dept. of Natural and Cultural Resources
Division of Forests and Lands
172 Pembroke Road
Concord, NH 03301
United States

Peter Morehouse (NY)

Chair

Work Email: peter.morehouse@dec.ny.gov
Phone: +1 518-265-2374

Address:
Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Division of Forest Protection
232 Golf Course Road
Warrensburg, NY 12285-0220
United States

Ridwan Abdulaziz (NL)

Work Email: ridwanabdulaziz@gov.nl.ca
Phone: +1 709-637-2576

Address:
Dept. of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture
192 Wheelers Road
Corner Brook, NL A2H 6J8
Canada

Ken Cox (NS)

Work Email: ken.cox@novascotia.ca
Phone: +1 902-220-3135

Address:
Wildfire Prevention Officer
Dept. of Natural Resources and Renewables
23 Creighton Road
Shubenacadie, NS B0N 2H0
Canada

Emily Foster (PE)

Work Email: efoster@@gov.pe.ca
Phone: +1 902-218-6159

Address:
Dept. of Energy, Environment and Climate Action
Forests, Fish, and Wildlife Division
183 Upton Road
P.O. Box 2000
Charlottetown, PEI C1A 7N8
Canada

Stéphane Caron (QC)

Work Email: stcaron@sopfeu.qc.ca
Phone: +1 418-871-3341

Address:
SOPFEU
Aéroport International Jean-Lesage
715, 7e rue de l'Aéroport
Québec, QC G2G 2S7
Canada

Mélanie Morin (QC)

Work Email: mmorin@sopfeu.qc.ca
Phone: +1 819-449-4271

Address:
SOPFEU
Aéroport International Jean-Lesage
715, 7e rue de l'Aéroport
Québec, QC G2G 2S7
Canada

Allan Waterman (RI)

Work Email: allan.waterman@dem.ri.gov
Phone: +1 401-710-9230

Address:
George Washington Mgt. Area
2185 Putnam Pike
Chepachet, RI 02814
United States

Art Canterbury (USFWS)

Work Email: art_canterbury@fws.gov
Phone: +1 413-345-1865

Address:
Div. of Wildland Fire and Emergency Management
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Northeast Region 5
300 Westgate Center Drive
Hadley, MA 01035
United States

Catherine Todd (VT)

Vice Chair

Work Email: catherine.todd@vermont.gov
Phone: +1 802-585-6759

Address:
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Dept. of Forestry, Parks and Recreation
111 West St.
Essex Junction, VT 05452-4695
United States

Ethan Ready (WMNF-GMNF)

Past Chair

Work Email: eready@usda.gov
Phone: +1 802-747-6760

Address:
USDA Forest Service
Green Mountain/Finger Lakes National Forest
2538 Depot St.
Manchester Center, VT 05255
United States