It all began back in 2023 with a meeting of concerned Area D residents at the hall in Falkland BC, Canada.  This meeting then led to another meeting at the residence of now ADRAWS President, Patrick Peebles.  This second meeting was attended by CSRD, Area D Director, Dean Trumbley.  After everyone expressed their deep concerns regarding the wildfire risk, it was decided that serious efforts needed to be made to get our communities better prepared and organized in order to be safer in the face of increasingly extreme summer heat, dry conditions, and wildfires.  Mr. Trumbley recommended forming a society to rally around and use as a vehicle to organize ourselves and to seek government funding.  

Being the only person in the room with a laptop, Patrick Peebles took notes and without realizing it at the time he had accidentally set on a path that would have him in a leadership position in the creation of ADRAWS.  Before long more meetings were held and more volunteers stepped up to make the first informal Board or Directors.  Thus began the long process of learning about the creation and function of a society.  With the help of Mr. Trumbley and the CSRD the Area D Rural Action Wildfire Society (ADRAWS) was born.  

ADRAWS now has held two AGMs and currently has an eight member Board of Directors which includes representation from across Area D.  

Since our humble beginnings nearly 40 Area D residents have received free S100/S185 Wildfire Suppression Training.  This training would not have occurred without ADRAWS.  

Our current focus: 

• continuing to create S100/S185 training opportunities

• building improved emergency and non-emergency communications systems (WhatsApp, Email, Facebook, etc)

• recruitment of new members

• the organization of volunteer wildfire response teams.