Starting a Council: At The Meeting

Take Meeting Minutes
Meeting minutes are valuable because the group can refer back to the minutes to recall the events of past meetings. This is an excellent way to keep track of new ideas and responsibilities for projects. A meeting minutes sample is provided later in the handbook. Whoever takes meeting minutes should be willing to type them up after the meeting. It may also be a good idea to mail or e-mail minutes to Council members to keep them updated.

Develop a Membership Roster
Circulate an attendance sheet during the meeting and have Council members write down their names, addresses, telephone numbers and, if available, their e-mail addresses. The person taking meeting minutes should type up a Fire Safe Council roster so that members can get in touch with each other between meetings.

Display a Map of the Community
The map will help the Council identify areas of concern and high fire hazard areas in the community. It will help the Council prioritize potential fire safe projects. Your fire department may be able to help create a map showing specific fire danger areas.

Share Fire Safety Brochures and Materials
Your local fire department may have information it can share. And visit the Fire Safe Council's web site for brochures on fire safe landscaping, fire safety for inside and outside the home, a fire safe homeowners checklist and more. The Fire Safe Council is at www.firesafecouncil.org, or call the statewide Council at 916/447-7415 to request materials.

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