Strategic Plan (2025-2026)

Mountain Ember Team - Strategic Action Plan 2025 – 2026

This Strategic Plan is designed to be utilized as a playbook for the Mountain Ember Team Board of Directors. It shall be used for project and program planning, fundraising, Community Defense Team development, and outreach efforts. This is not designed to be contractual, but rather to support the MET in its ongoing operations and future development. Below is a summary of the objectives:

Develop a financially sustainable program that includes refreshing the website to encourage donations for specific fundraising efforts. This initiative should also provide opportunities for external entities and non-members to financially contribute to the MET, with an overall goal of raising $20,000 annually to support the projects outlined in the Strategic Plan.
Refine the annual marketing campaign to deliver relevant information to members while implementing an outreach strategy to attract new members. This will involve creating outreach materials and supporting the community directory and GroupMe messaging platform.
Grow and sustain the Community Defense Team through vegetation management and establishing an ongoing training program for Block Captains and community members interested in assisting the MET during emergencies.
Establish and nurture relationships with organizations in Santa Barbara County to facilitate the implementation of this Strategic Plan. Possible collaborations may include CERT training, fundraising efforts, outreach materials, vegetation management, and disaster preparedness education.
Strengthen the response and recovery program by ensuring that equipment inventory is well-maintained, as well as formalizing a recovery framework, crisis communication plan, and MET/CDT ground defense plan.
Continue developing projects and programs that meet our goals and responsibilities, ensuring the Painted Cave community maintains its FireWise status. This includes, but is not limited to, outreach initiatives, home hardening education, information on defensible space and fuel reduction, and evacuation planning.

Program Development

Delineate membership renewal and retention from donor cultivation and retention.
Refine the content on the MET website to encourage donations at any level. Include specific fundraising items.
Review and Update list of local funding sources in Santa Barbara County.
Create tiered sponsorship program (and acknowledgement section) on the website to solicit annual financial contributions.
Develop a framework for staple annual events. Annual meeting, Block Party, Community Cleanup, and Evacuation Planning.

Community Defense Team

Activate members to volunteer hours for ground defense and vegetation management. Determine the appropriate frequency to perform work.
Develop a community map that includes hazardous trees, water sources, Ember Stations, and vulnerable community members.
Refine and promote training opportunities for hydrant and hoses, regular ground maintenance, and Block Captains.
Complete outfitting of unfurnished ember station, inventory, and test equipment.
Designate Block Captains and schedule block meetings to lay out hose, assess water sources and test pumps.
Educate community members on the MET Evacuation Guide through an in-person or virtual event
Continue chipping days.

Leveraging Partnerships

Continue partnership with the Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council through the Firewise Program to assist in better positioning the community and MET to receive state and federal funding.
Pursue opportunities for mitigation and preparedness activities, prioritizing home and community vulnerability assessment.
Initiate discussions with CERT to align preparedness and training objectives with the MET.

Membership & Outreach

Develop a membership database and a process for communicating renewal reminders, new household options, and a GIS map for visualizing membership.
Refine marketing & communications material that can be distributed to all community members and re-establish the MET as an organization that serves the entire community.
Develop a door-to-door outreach plan to solicit new members and conduct a survey for the Community Directory
Gain ownership of the Community Directory and ensure all 120 households are represented.

Response & Recovery

Develop a plan to establish a siren for the MET community.
Refine the crisis communication plan to keep community members informed when an emergency or disaster impacts the community/region.
Host a Disaster Preparedness Education workshop for community members to inform residents of hazards from wildfire and key steps for individual and family preparedness.
Formalize a Disaster Recovery Framework for the MET, including a list of resources and references
Formalize the MET / CDT Ground Defense and Mobile Defense Plan in a user-friendly document that can be accessible on the MET website.

FireWise Action Plan

Complete all of the outreach and home hardening requirements laid out by the action plan.
Establish a fuel break and fuel reduction program to mitigate future fire risk.
Coordinate with homeowners to support efforts in home hardening and defensible space
Establish a program for evacuation planning and education around preparedness.