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Strengthening Public-Private Collaboration for Wildfire Response

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Seminar organized by CONAF Los Ríos brought together companies, associations, and state institutions.

Aimed at addressing public-private coordination to combat wildfires and interface fires, the seminar "United Against Fire" was held yesterday, an event organized by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF).

The event, held at the premises of the Club Alemán in La Unión, featured a series of presentations by experts on the subject. It began with Fernando Parada, Head of CONAF's Aerial Resources Department, presenting "Wildfires in Chile: Present and Future."

Next was the turn of Senapred's Regional Director, Daniel Epprecht, with the talk "Coordination System for Major Emergencies," followed by Ramón Figueroa, Arauco's Deputy Fire Protection Manager, who spoke on "Public-Private Cooperation in the Maule, Ñuble, and Biobío Regions."

Later, CONAF Los Ríos presented on "Agricultural Burns and Alternatives to Their Use" and "Community Prevention: A Successful Public-Private Initiative."

Other topics included "Bi-Regional Wildfires: Action Protocols" and "The Role of Firefighters in Interface Fires." The seminar concluded with a demonstration of wildfire control equipment on Letelier Street.

EVALUATION

Fernando Parada, Head of CONAF's Aerial Resources Department, remarked after the seminar that "none of the organizations involved in wildfire response can afford to step back, as these instances are extremely positive for inter-institutional coordination and responding to an emergency that occurs daily across our country."

Antonio Soto, President of the Wood Corporation (CORMA) Araucanía-Los Ríos-Los Lagos, highlighted that "it has been a very successful session, with strong participation from all entities involved in wildfire response. The topics reviewed are crucial for refining bi-regional fire protocols, and the involvement of firefighters is fundamental."

Ramón Figueroa, Arauco's Deputy Fire Protection Manager, stated that "these instances help present ways to collaborate and address this emergency in a coordinated manner, involving both public and private actors, with the sole goal of improving the management of such emergencies."

Meanwhile, CONAF's Regional Director, Arnoldo Shibar, expressed that "for us, this is a key opportunity in prevention processes, as we were able to learn from the experiences of other organizations and strengthen collaborative efforts."

Source: Subscription edition ofDiario Austral de Los Ríos