GENTLEMEN I THINK WE'LL GO AHEAD
AND GET STARTED IN THE INTEREST
OF EVERYONE'S TIME.
THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE
TODAY.
MY NAME IS CHRISTY SMITH AND I'M
THE CHAIR PROUDLY OF THE JOINT
LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
AT THE COMMITTEE IS HOLDING THIS
HEARING TO EXAMINE CALIFORNIA'S
PREPARATION FOR THE CHALLENGE OF
PREVENTING AND FIGHTING
WILDFIRES IN TWENTY NINETEEN AND
BEYOND.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS CALIFORNIA
HAS EXPERIENCED UNPRECEDENTED
WILDFIRE ACTIVITY WITH INCREASES
IN THE NUMBER AND SEVERITY OF
FIRES.
WILDFIRES ARE NOT ONLY MORE
FREQUENT BUT THEY ARE FAR MORE
DEVASTATING AND DEADLY. FIFTEEN
OF THE TWENTY MOST DESTRUCTIVE
WILDFIRES IN THE STATE'S HISTORY
HAVE OCCURRED SINCE THE YEAR.
TWO THOUSAND TEN OF THE MOST
DESTRUCTIVE FIRES HAVE OCCURRED
SINCE.
TWENTY FIFTEEN THE STATE'S FIRE
SEASON IS NOW ALMOST YEAR ROUND
AND MORE THAN TWENTY FIVE
MILLION ACRES OF CALIFORNIA WILD
LANDS ARE NOW CLASSIFIED AS
UNDER VERY HIGH.
OR EXTREME FIRE THREAT.
ABSOLUTELY 25% OF THE STATE'S
POPULATION ELEVEN MILLION PEOPLE
LIVE IN THAT HIGH RISK AREA.
THE TWENTY EIGHTEEN FIRE SEASON
IN CALIFORNIA WAS THE DEADLIEST
AND MOST DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE
SEASON ON RECORD WITH OVER SEVEN
THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED FIRES
BURNING AN AREA OF ABOUT ONE
POINT NINE MILLION ACRES. FOR
ALMOST THREE THOUSAND SQUARE
MILES.
THIS IS THE LARGEST AMOUNT OF
BURNED ACREAGE EVER RECORDED IN
A FIRE SEASON IN CALIFORNIA.
STARTING ON NOVEMBER EIGHTH
TWENTY EIGHTEEN THE CAMPFIRE
BECAME THE DEADLIEST AND MOST
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRE IN
CALIFORNIA HISTORY.
IT IS ALSO THE DEADLIEST
WILDFIRE IN THE UNITED STATES IN
THE LAST ONE HUNDRED YEARS.
AFTER TWO YEARS OF DISASTROUS
FIRE SEASONS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA UNDER THE LEADERSHIP
OF GAP GOVERNOR GAVIN NEWSOM.
HAS COMMITTED TO FUNDING AND
CREATING AN EXPANDED OVERALL
STRATEGY OF FIRE PREPARATION
MITIGATION.
ADDITIONAL CREWS EQUIPMENT AND
BETTER FOREST MANAGEMENT.
IN ITS FIRST HUNDRED DAYS THE
ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN THE
DECISIVE ACTION TO IDENTIFY AND
IMPLEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND
SOLUTIONS TO REDUCE WILDFIRE
RISK WALTERS BOLSTER THE STATE'S
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS.
AND RECOVERY CAPACITY AND
PROTECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.
THE GOVERNOR'S TWENTY NINETEEN
TWENTY TWENTY BUDGET HAS
PROPOSED SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY
NINE POINT SIX MILLION DOLLARS
IN ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ENHANCE
THE STATE'S PREPAREDNESS
INCREASE CAPACITY TO RESPOND TO
EMERGENCY INCIDENTS.
AND INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS FOLLOWS ACTION IN MAY OF
TWENTY EIGHTEEN WHEN FORMER
GOVERNOR JERRY BROWN CALLED FOR
DOUBLING THE AMOUNT OF FOREST
LAND TREATED EACH YEAR IN
CALIFORNIA BY TWENTY TWENTY
THREE WITH THE LEGISLATURE
YOU'RE MARKING ONE BILLION.
OVER FIVE YEARS IN FUNDS
GENERATED BY THE STATE'S CARBON
TRADING PROGRAM.
AS A RESULT THE STATE IS NOW
SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASING ITS
INVESTMENT IN FIRE SAFETY BY
SPENDING MORE ON FIRE FIGHTING
IN CALIFORNIA AND EMBRACING A
NEW PROACTIVE WAY OF FIGHTING
THE NEW NORMAL.
OF WILDFIRES.
WILDFIRE RESPONSE IS NOT SOLELY
THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA.
IT MUST ALSO INVOLVE A CONCERTED
EFFORT FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
PRIVATE LANDOWNERS BUSINESSES
AND OUR CITIZENS.
ONLY WHEN ALL OF THESE GROUPS
WORK TOGETHER WITH THE STATE IN
PARTNERSHIP WE WILL HAVE A
BETTER OUTCOME FOR THE TWENTY
NINETEEN WILDFIRE SEASON.
THIS HEARING WILL START A
COMPREHENSIVE AN ONGOING
CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW THE
LEGISLATURE CAN SUPPORT OUR
PARTNER AGENCIES COMMUNITIES AND
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IN THIS WORK.
I THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE
TO START THIS IMPORTANT
CONVERSATION AND NOW ALL HANDED
OFF TO OUR VICE CHAIR SENATOR
HANNAH BETH JACKSON.
THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND
WELCOME TO THIS VERY IMPORTANT.
JOINT COMMITTEE.
HAVING SERVED AS HE THE THE
CHURCH VICE CHAIR FOR THE LAST
SEVEN YEARS I CAN TELL YOU -- WE
HAVE NEEDED. TO BE HERE MORE AND
MORE AS WE HAVE SEEN THE STATE
UNDERGOING THESE ENORMOUS
NATURAL DISASTERS WHICH SEEM TO
BE GETTING WORSE EVERY YEAR.
AND OF COURSE WE'RE GOING TO BE
HEARING TODAY FROM -- SOME OF
THE EXPERTS WHO HAVE BECOME
EXPERT NOT ONLY STUDYING THE
ISSUE BUT LIVING IT.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT AS WE HAVE THIS
DISCUSSION TODAY.
WE FOCUS ON THINGS LIKE ONE OF
THE LESSONS THAT WE'VE LEARNED
PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS FIGHTING THE LARGEST
WILDFIRES THE STATE HAS.
EVER SEEN ADDRESSING A CHANGING
CLIMATE.
ADDRESSING THE THE TRAGEDIES
THAT HAVE STRUCK SO MANY OF OUR
COMMUNITIES AS A RESULT OF THESE
FIRES.
WHAT THE LESSONS ARE THAT WE'VE
LEARNED WHAT THE -- WHAT WHAT
ARE THE POLICIES IN PLACE AND
PERHAPS --I KNOW THAT THAT IS
PART OF THE PAPER THAT HAS BEEN
PRESENTED WITH THIS -- I KNOW
I'M INTERESTED IN -- HOW WE ARE
IMPLEMENTING OR PLANNING TO
IMPLEMENT THOSE POLICIES?
AND THEN WHAT IT IS WE CAN DO TO
IMPROVE UPON THEM.
IT'S VERY CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO
BE WORKING WITH ALL PHASES OF
GOVERNMENT AND THE PRIVATE
SECTOR.
BECAUSE ALL PHASES OF OUR
COMMUNITIES ARE IMPACTED WHETHER
IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY STATE LAND
LOCAL LANDS OR FEDERAL LANDS.
THESE FIRES DON'T KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE AND FRANKLY DON'T
CARE -- AND SO WE AS A
LEGISLATURE I THINK NEED TO BE.
A REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW WE CAN
BEST ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES OF
MOTHER NATURE.
WHO IS I ALWAYS?
REFER TO IS -- TO KEEPING HER
PLAYBOOK VERY CLOSE TO HER CHEST --
AND NOT SHARING IT WITH US -- I
DID WANT -- TO INDICATING IN THE
PRESS -- PREPARED A PAPER --
THERE WERE FEW BILLS THAT I DID --
THERE WEREN'T REFERENCE IN A
COUPLE BILLS THAT I'VE GOT GOING
FORWARD THAT I HOPE THAT WE'LL
HEAR SOME COMMENTS ABOUT -- ONE
THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS JUST BE
TWELVE SIXTY WHICH IS AN OMNIBUS
FIRE PREVENTION FORESTRY
MANAGEMENT BILL.
THAT WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH
THE VERY THE RELEVANT AGENCIES
I'D BE VERY INTERESTED IN THOSE
DISCUSSIONS TO HEAR HOW THAT'S
GOING TO HEAR WHERE IT'S GOING
WELL WHERE THERE.
ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE
UPON CERTAINLY THE SAME WITH SB
NINE A ONE BY SENATOR DODD.
AND OTHERS WHO HAD LEGISLATION
LAST YEAR IS IT WORKING ARE WE
GOING FORWARD ARE THERE THINGS
THAT NEED TO BE ADJUSTED AND AND
HERE WERE ALSO FROM OUR LOCAL --
AND COUNTY OFFICIALS WHO ARE
HERE AS WELL -- WE TALKED ABOUT
HOME HARDENING LAST YEAR I DID A
BILL AS BEFORE SIXTY FIVE USING
PACE FUNDS.
THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY -- THE
ROBUST BUT PERHAPS WE CAN
DISCUSS HOW WE GO ABOUT BETTER.
OF FUNDING THE THE NEED TO
FINANCE -- THESE PROJECTS TO
HARDEN OUR HOMES -- I DID A AN
EMERGENCY ALERT BILL -- LAST
YEAR AT ONE OF THE KEY ISSUES WE
DISCOVERED IN SO MANY THESE
FIRES AS WE ARE NOT GETTING THE
WORD OUT FAST ENOUGH OR WITH THE
LEVEL OF REDUNDANCY THAT'S
NEEDED.
HOW'S THAT GOING -- THIS YEAR --
I'VE TRIED TO EXPAND UPON THAT --
AND WOOD I'D BE VERY INTERESTED
IN HOW WELL THAT'S WORKING --
THAT SO A BILL -- SB -- FORTY
SIX SP ONE SIXTY ON CULTURAL
COMPETENCE PERHAPS THERE'LL BE
SOME FOLKS HERE THEY'RE TALKING
ABOUT THAT WE DON'T AND NOT
EVERYBODY SPEAKS ENGLISH AS
THEIR PRIMARY LANGUAGE AND WHEN
WE HAD THE THOMAS FIRE.
IN MY DISTRICT THEY WERE USING
THE GOOGLE TRANSLATION WHICH
REFERRED TO THE THOMAS FIRE AS
THE HAIR BRUSH FIRE IN SPANISH
THAT DOESN'T QUITE DO THE JOB --
AND THEN -- FINALLY I I'VE GOT A
BILL THIS YEAR SB ONE EIGHTY TWO
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF
CATASTROPHIC DAMAGE TO OUR
COMMUNITIES BY STRENGTHENING
LOCAL PLANNING REQUIREMENTS AND
GUIDELINES.
AND DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE
RETROFIT STRATEGIES -- FOR
STRUCTURES IN OUR COMMUNITY SO I
KNOW THERE ARE OTHERS WITH
MEASURES THAT ARE COMING FORWARD
AND TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN --
TAKE A LOOK AT LESSONS LEARNED
AND MOVE FORWARD FROM THOSE
BECAUSE IT'S FIRE SEASON NOW --
I KNOW WE'VE GOT A WEEK OF RAIN
SCHEDULE FOR SACRAMENTO SO
PEOPLE STE THINK WHERE WE'RE OUT
OF THE WOODS BUT WE KNOW IT'S
ACTUALLY EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE SO.
I WANT TO THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR
OF FOR TAKING ON THIS.
VERY IMPORTANT TASK IN THE AND
STAFF AS WELL AND GLAD TO SEE
OUR COLLEAGUE FROM ONE OF THE
FOR OTHER FIRE AREAS HERE
BECAUSE WE REALLY -- THE THE
NUMBER ONE RESPONSIBILITY OF
GOVERNMENT IS TO KEEP OUR PEOPLE
SAFE AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE
TO TRY TO DO SO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU SENATOR JACKSON UP
ASSEMBLYMEMBER AGUIAR-CURRY
WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE OPENING
REMARKS.
I'M KNOW I'LL LEAVE IT TO OUR
PANELS I'M SURE THEY HAVE LOTS
OF THINGS TO TELL US TODAY AND
SHARE WITH US ONCE AGAIN SO
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL
ATTENDING.
THANK YOU ALL RIGHT THEN WE WILL
GET RIGHT TO IT AND START THIS
CONVERSATION -- I'D LIKE TO
WELCOME UP FOR TESTIMONY -- REVA
FELDMAN CITY MANAGER FOR THE
CITY OF MALIBU REPRESENTING THE
LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES.
MICHAEL GUSMAN DEPUTY COUNTY
ADMINISTRATION THIS
ADMINISTRATOR OFFICE OF RECOVERY
AND RESILIENCY SO NO MY COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE
REPRESENTING THE COUNTY
SUPERVISORS ASSOCIATION OF
CALIFORNIA.
AND TRACY RIGS COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR TO WOLLEMI COUNTY
REPRESENTING THE RURAL COUNTY
REPRESENTATIVES OF CALIFORNIA
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME
TODAY WE LOOK FORWARD -- TO YOUR
TESTIMONY IN YOUR KNOWLEDGE
ACROSS ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND
AGAIN IT WAS A PRIORITY FOR THIS
COMMUNITY FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO
START WITH.
THE LOCAL PERSPECTIVE I THINK SO
MUCH CAN BE LEARNED -- FROM OUR
PEOPLE ON THE GROUND LITERALLY
THE RESPONSE THAT HAPPENS IN THE
MOMENT BECAUSE VERY OFTEN IN
RESPONSE TO THESE EMERGENCIES IS
IS AS UNIQUE AS THE COMMUNITY IN
WHICH WHICH IS BEING IMPACTED
RIGHT SO -- AGAIN WE WELCOME
EACH OF YOU HERE AND PLEASE FEEL
FREE TO BEGIN AS YOU'RE READY.
GOOD MORNING MY NAME IS RITA
FELDMAN AND THE CITY MANAGER FOR
THE CITY OF MALIBU AND I'M HERE
TODAY REPRESENTING THE LEAGUE OF
CALIFORNIA CITIES -- AND THE
PRESIDENT ELECT OF THE CITY
MANAGER DEPARTMENT FOR THE LEAK
AND I ALSO SERVE ON THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES FOR THE CALIFORNIA CITY
MANAGEMENT FOUNDATION -- SO I
AND COME WITH A LOT OF
BACKGROUND FROM OTHER CITY
MANAGERS -- AS YOU KNOW THE
WALLS THE FIRE AND HIT OUR AREA
ON NOVEMBER EIGHTH WE WERE THE
THIRD FIRED THAT DAY THAT BROKE
OUT THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA -- BUT
AS I ALWAYS TELL THE STORY I
LIKE TO START WITH WHAT WAS
GOING ON THAT WEEK FOR US A WE
WERE UNDER A PS PS WATCH FROM
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON -- SO
WE WERE ON VERY HIGH ALERT THAT
WE WOULD BE LOSING POWER -- WE
ALSO HAD A LOCAL ELECTION WHERE
WE HAD TO COUNCIL MEMBERS TURNED
OUT -- A NEW COUNTY SHERIFF THE
AND OBVIOUSLY A NEW GOVERNOR
THAT WAS ELECTED.
AND ON WEDNESDAY EVENING
NOVEMBER SEVENTH -- WE
EXPERIENCE THE BORDERLINE GRILL
SHOOTING IN OUR AREA ON THAT
AFFECTED -- SO MANY PEOPLE
INCLUDING STUDENTS AT PEPPERDINE
UNIVERSITY WHICH IS LOCATED IN
MALIBU. FIVE AND WE DID LOSE A
STUDENT AND SO ON THAT WAS WHAT
WE WOKE UP TO ON NOVEMBER EIGHTH
AND THEN OF COURSE THE FIRE
BROKE OUT AT ABOUT. THREE
O'CLOCK SO -- IT'S IMPORTANT I
THINK FOR EVERYONE TO REALIZE
THE STRAIN THAT OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS WERE UNDER ON AFTER
THAT SHOOTING.
AND SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT
THAT WE HAVE REALLY STRUGGLED
WITH ON THAT YOU KNOW I'M HAPPY
TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THROUGHOUT
THE STATE IS -- FIRST OF ALL THE
LACK OF POWER -- WE DID NOT HAVE
OUR POWER TURNED OFF BUT THE
ELECTRICITY DID GO OUT
THROUGHOUT OUR CITY IF YOU'RE
NOT FAMILIAR WITH MALIBU --
WE'RE ABOUT TWENTY MILES LONG
AND ONE MILE DEEP AND OUR MAIN
ROAD IS PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY
WHICH IS SERVED BY TRAFFIC
SIGNALS SO IF THE POWER GOES OUT
WE LOSE ALL OF OUR TRAFFIC
SIGNALS.
WHICH ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY
CALTRANS -- WAR OUR LAW
ENFORCEMENT IS PER BY DID BY THE
SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BUT ON THE
C. H. P. ACTUALLY HASTERT
JURISTIC.
JURISDICTION OVER THE SIGNALS --
SO THAT WAS OUR FIRST CHALLENGE
BECAUSE WE GOT THE NOTIFICATION
TO EVACUATE OUR ENTIRE CITY ON
IMMEDIATELY AND WE HAD TO
SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET
ALL THESE PEOPLE OUT ONE
DIRECTION ON PACIFIC COAST
HIGHWAY.
THERE WAS CONCERN NOT ONLY WITH
THE WALLS THE FIRE THAT WAS
HEADED TOWARDS MALIBU UP WITH A
FOURTEEN MILE LONG FRONT OF THE
FIRE.
ON THAT THERE IS ALSO THE HELL
FIRE BURNING ON THE NORTH WEST
END OF OUR TOWNWHICH MADE
EVACUATING THAT WAY -- NOT A
POSSIBILITY SO WE HAD TO SEND
EVERYBODY SOUTH EAST ON PACIFIC
COAST HIGHWAY.
ON THE STORIES THAT MY RESIDENTS
TELL OUR SIX HOURS TO GET
THROUGH -- SIGNALS -- COMPLETE
COMPLETE GRIDLOCK -- I WAS AT
OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER
AT CITY HALL A WE WERE
STRUGGLING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T
HAVE GREAT CELL SERVICE --
BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF POWER --
AND WE WERE TOLD VIA EMAIL OF
THAT RESOURCES FROM CALTRANS AND
CHP HAD BEEN DISPATCHED TO
ASSIST WITH.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT BUT HOWEVER
THEY HIDE IT.
SO ONE OF MY FIRST ASKS --
ANYWHERE I GO IS THAT THERE ARE
MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESOURCES
DISPATCH TO HELP WITH
EVACUATIONS ON NO MATTER WHERE
THAT THE FIRE IS I'M NOT THE
ONLY COMMUNITY.
THAT HAS THIS TYPE OF A STRUGGLE
WITH PEOPLE GETTING OUT THREE
SIGNALS IF YOU'RE.
LOOKING AT YOU KNOW SAN MATTEO
AND YOU NEEDED TO USE EL CAMINO
RIEL YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THE
SAME PROBLEMS -- SO THAT WAS A
REALLY DIFFICULT THING THE OTHER
PROBLEM WITH THE LACK OF POWER
IS THAT OUR RESIDENTS.
AND MANY OF THEM DID NOT GET THE
EVACUATION NOTICE -- WE DID DO
HAVE A OF ROBOTS NOTIFICATION
SYSTEM WE USE IT REGULARLY --
STAFF IS TRAINED ON USING IT WE
HAD TESTED ARE REVERSED NINE ONE
ONE SYSTEM THREE TIMES IN THE
PRIOR TWELVE MONTHS -- BUT
WITHOUT POWER PEOPLE DON'T GET
THOSE NOTIFICATIONS -- THERE IS
NO WAY TO COMMUNICATE VIA THE
INTERNET THERE'S NO POWER AND IN
THAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY THAT WE
HAVE -- IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO
GET SELF SERVICE ON A GOOD DAY
SO PARTICULARLY WHEN CELL TOWERS --
OUT AND NOW IT WAS A CHALLENGE
THAT WE FACED -- NOT ONLY THE
DAY OF THE FIRE AND DURING
EVACUATIONS BUT THROUGHOUT THE
FIRE INCIDENT -- WE HAD --
SEVERAL HUNDRED RESIDENTS WHO
STAYED BEHIND AND THEY WERE
BASICALLY CUT OFF FROM EVERYBODY
ON BECAUSE THERE WAS A LACK OF
SELF SERVICE.
I WAS BEGGING FOR TEMPORARY CELL
SERVICE TO BE BROUGHT IN BUT IT
TOOK DAYS AND DAYS.
AND ONE OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT
WE'RE LOOKING AT IS IMPLEMENTING --
GOOD OLD FASHIONED SIRENS AND
ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THAT
COULD BE USED TO ALERT PEOPLE ON
AND WE THINK THAT THAT IS A VERY
GOOD OPTION.
ON THE OTHER ISSUE WHICH I'M
SURE YOU'VE HEARD IS BECAUSE WE
WERE THE THIRD FIRE ON THAT DAY
ON THE FIRE RESOURCES TOOK SOME
TIME TO GET TO US.
ON AND SO IF SOMETHING WERE OF
VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FOR THE
FUTURE FOR ANY COMMUNITY IF
THERE'S MULTIPLE FIRES THERE'S
JUST NOT ENOUGH TO GO AROUND AND
NOT SOMETHING THAT -- I THINK WE
ALL NEED TO FIGURE OUT A
SOLUTION.
FOR AND ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS
THAT THAT I DID WAS -- I DIDN'T
WAIT FOR THE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM
TO KICK IN FAR ARE MERCHANTS
OPERATIONS CENTER.
AND WE HAD TO EVACUATE OUT OF
OUR CITY HALL WHICH IS WHERE OUR
EOC IS AND WE ACTUALLY RELOCATED
TO THE CITY OF SANTA MONICA
WHERE WE RAN OUR EOC FOR THREE
WEEKS -- SO I WAS VERY FORTUNATE
THAT I HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH
NEARBY SO CITIES WHO WERE
WILLING TO HOST US -- AND THEN --
WERE ALSO SMALL CITY WITH ABOUT
NINETY FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND
WE DIDN'T HAVE THE DEPTH TO
CONTINUE RUNNING OUR EOC AND I
JUST PICKED UP THE PHONE.
AND CALLED MY FRIENDS IN OTHER
CITIES AND SAID I NEED HELP --
BUT WITHOUT THOSE RELATIONSHIPS
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY HARD
GIVEN THE TIME THAT IT TYPICALLY
TAKES FOR MUTUAL AID TO KICK IN
pAND IT'S SOMETHING I'VE ALSO
DONE -- I SERVED IN THE EOC AND
SANTA ROSA DURING THAT INCIDENT
AS WELL.
AS A AS A VOLUNTEER WOULD NOT
UNDER MUTUAL AID.
AND SET SOME OF THE THINGS
MOVING FOR THAT WERE LOOKING AT
ARE OBVIOUSLY THE BACKUP POWER
NOT ONLY FOR SIGNALS BUT FOR THE
CELL TOWERS.
AND HOPING THAT WE CAN FIND SOME
WAY TO MANDATE THE CELL
COMPANIES TO DO THAT -- WE'VE
ALSO BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH OUR
REVERSE NINE ONE ONE SYSTEM AND
PURCHASE NOT ONLY LAY ONLINE
DATA THAT ALSO SELL -- DATA FOR
ANYBODY WHO HAS A CELL.
NUMBER REGISTERED IN OUR AREA --
WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED IN AND SIGNED
UP TO BE ABLE TO SEND OUT THE WE
ARE ALERTS LIKE THE AMBER ALERTS
TYPICALLY THOSE ARE SENT THROUGH
THE COUNTY -- BUT NOW WE AS A
CITY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO THAT --
AND LOOKING TO BUILD A MORE
RESILIENT COMMUNITY -- PASSING
ORDINANCES THAT ADDRESS
LANDSCAPING INFLAMMABLE
LANDSCAPING -- ENCOURAGING THE
USE OF RESILIENT BUILDING
MATERIALS -- AND HOPEFULLY --
BEING BETTER PREPARED OF MOVING
FORWARD SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER
ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY OR
PROVIDE ANY MORE INFORMATION AND
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
BE HERE TODAY THANK YOU.
THANK YOU.
A GOOD MORNING MADAM CHAIR
MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE --
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EXTENDED AN
INVITATION TO JOIN YOU ALL HERE
IN SACRAMENTO TODAY.
MY NAME IS MICHAEL GUSMAN AND
THE DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
IN CINEMA COUNTY AND ALSO THE
DIRECTOR OF OUR OFFICE OF
RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY.
I'M HERE TODAY ON BEHALF OF THE
CALIFORNIA STATE ASSOCIATION OF
COUNTIES AND THE COUNTY OF
CINEMA TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME
INFORMATION ABOUT THE WORK
COUNTIES ARE DOING ACROSS THE
STATE. TO BE MORE RESILIENT AND
PREPARED FOR WILDFIRES AND OTHER
DISASTERS IN THE FUTURE.
THE STATE WIDER ACTIVELY ENGAGED
IN PREPARING FOR TOMORROW'S
COMING DISASTERS SADLY TOO MANY
OF OUR COUNTIES HAVE.
BEEN DEVASTATED BY A DISASTER
INCLUDING WILDFIRES FLOODS SMASH
SHOOTINGS MUD SLIDES JUST TO
NAME A FEW.
AT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IS
BEING INFORMED BY RECENT
EXPERIENCES FROM DISASTERS AND
COUNTIES ARE LEARNING FROM ONE
ANOTHER THROUGH THEIR
EXPERIENCES.
C. SACK -- HAS FORMED A
STATEWIDE RESILIENCY ADVISORY
BOARD WERE STAFF FROM ALL
DEPARTMENTS HAS A NETWORK TO
LEARN EXCHANGE INFORMATION AND
CONNECT ON HOW THEY'RE COUNTY IS
BECOMING MORE PREPARED AND
RESILIENT TO FUTURE DISASTERS.
THE TWENTY SEVENTEEN CINEMA
COMPLEX FIRES -- WAS AT THE TIME
THE MOST DEVASTATING FIRE IN THE
STATE'S HISTORY A HUNDRED AND
TEN THOUSAND ACRES WERE BURNED.
FIVE THOUSAND THREE HUNDRED
HOMES WERE DESTROYED THAT MEANT
5% OF SANTA ROSA'S HOUSING STOCK
SANTA ROSA BEING THE FIFTH
LARGEST CITY IN THE BAY AREA.
AND TWENTY FOUR LIVES WERE
TRAGICALLY LOST IN THOSE FIRES.
AND WHILE WE HAVE A LONG WAY TO
GO TO AND ARE MAKING WE ARE
MAKING LARGE STRIDES TO TOWARD A
FULL RECOVERY.
AND WE ARE EXCEEDINGLY GRATEFUL
TO OUR STATE LEGISLATIVE
DELEGATION FOR THEIR INVALUABLE
SUPPORT NOW BECAUSE SEE TO THAT
AND A RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT ABOUT
6% REBUILT SAID -- AT THAT'S
ABOUT THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY
HOMES BUT BY THE END OF THIS
YEAR WE SHOULD BE ABOUT HALFWAY
DONE WITH REBUILD SO WE'RE
MAKING REALLY GOOD PROGRESS BUT
SURVIVOR STILL FACE INCREDIBLE
CHALLENGES TO REBUILD.
SPECIFICALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
INSURANCE INSURANCE REFORM IS
GOING TO BE CRITICAL TO OFFER
SURVIVORS THE CONFIDENCE THEY
NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE
GOING TO HAVE INSURANCE
AVAILABLE TO THEM AND IT'LL BE
PRICED COMPETITIVELY.
EARLY THERE'S A LACK OF
TRANSPARENCY IN THE ADJUSTMENT
PROCESS AND FOR SOME THERE'S
LITTLE CERTAINTY THAT THEY WILL
BE INSURABLE IN THE FUTURE.
WELL THE COUNTY WAS STILL
TACKLING ALL THE ISSUES THAT
COME WITH A DISASTER OF THIS
SCALE INCLUDING DEBRIS
MANAGEMENT WATERSHED PROTECTION
HOUSING THE VULNERABE.
WE EMBARKED ON A YEAR LONG
PROCESS INFORMED BY COUNTLESS
COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO DEVELOP A
RECOVERY AND RESILIENCY
FRAMEWORK.
IDENTIFIED IN THIS FRAMEWORK WAS --
WAS THE THREAT OF DEAD AND DYING
TREES IN OUR FORESTS AND WHAT
THEY ARETHE THREAT THEY'RE
MAKING TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND WE HAVE TO DO MORE TO
SUPPORT PRIVATE LANDOWNERS AND
FUELS REDUCTION AND BUILDING A
RESILIENT LANDSCAPE.
ANOTHER GOAL IDENTIFIED WAS A
PROGRAM THAT WOULD INCENTIVIZE
PEOPLE THROUGH INSURANCE REBATES
AND OR DISCOUNTS TO HARDEN THEIR
HOMES TO WILD FIRE THROOP
WHETHER IT'S THROUGH STEEL
ROUGHS.
OR SEALED SOFFITS AND AT AND
ROUGH FENCE -- THE RIGHT KIND OF
VEGETATION THE RIGHT KIND OF
LANDSCAPING.
AND THE COUNTY IS ALSO INSTALLED
SIX NEW FIRE CAMERAS THAT HELP
PAINT A FULL PICTURE TO PROVIDE
EARLIEST POSSIBLE WARNING OF
FIRES TO RESIDENTS AND TO
PROVIDE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS.
TO OUR FIRST RESPONDERS A
STATEWIDE NETWORK OF THESE
CAMERAS COULD PROVIDE
EXPONENTIAL BENEFITS TO WHAT
THESE LOCAL SYSTEMS CAN DO
INDEPENDENTLY -- THAT'S ALL I
HAVE AN EIGHT THANK YOU AGAIN
FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY IN YOUR
ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT
MATTER AT THE COUNTY CINEMA
WANTS TO CONTINUE AND PARTNER
WITH STATE ON A MERCY
PREPAREDNESS AND SPECIFICALLY ON
WILDFIRES.
THANK YOU [inaudible]
THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING TRACY RAKES I
COUNTY MINISTRY FOR THE COUNTY
OF TO WOLLEMI.
AND WANT TO TAKE THAT
OPPORTUNITY THANK YOU FOR HAVING
US HERE AND I'VE IT'S A GREAT
PRIVILEGE ALSO BE REPRESENTING
OUR WORLD COUNTIES ACROSS THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
I DON'T A DUPLICATE MY
COLLEAGUES HERE SAID BECAUSE OF
ALL OF US I THINK ARE WORKING ON
THE SAME ISSUES -- I WAS LOOKING
AT THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE GIVEN
OUT TO ME BY RC RC AND AND
REALLY GOT ME THINKING REACHED
OUT TO SOME OF OUR OTHER COUNTY
ADMINISTRATORS.
AND THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT
YOU'RE RURAL COUNTIES FACE IN
DEALING WITH WILDFIRE
PREPAREDNESS AND DEALING WITH
OUR COMMUNITIES ARE RESOURCES.
SO MELT MOST OF US FOR EXAMPLE
BEFORE I BECAME THE COUNTY
MINISTRY -- FOR SIX TO SEVEN
YEARS I WAS THE ONLY S.
COORDINATOR AT THE SAME TIME I
WAS THE DEPUTY AND THEN
ASSISTING COUNTY MINISTRY --
DOING BUDGET COORDINATION AT THE
SAME TIME.
SO YOU'RE RURAL COUNTIES ARE
COUNTY IS MADE UP OF 75% PUBLIC
LANDS IT JUST MAKES IT SOMETIMES
DIFFICULT EVEN TRYING GENERATE
REVENUES.
BUT WHAT I DID WANT TO GO OVER
IS EASY FOR COUNTIES WE ARE VERY
FORTUNATE WE HAVE A VERY CLOSE
WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH BOTH
CAL FIRE IN CALLAWAY YES THEY
HAVE BOTH BEEN GREAT PARTNERS
WITH THOSE THEY'VE HELPED US TO
COME A LONG WAY BILL THREE
DROUGHT.
AND THEN THREE TREE MORTALITY
THINK WE WE REMOVED JUST ON
COUNTY EFFORTS OVER FOURTEEN
THOUSAND TREES BUT THERE ARE
MANY MORE OUT THERE.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW
ALL OF US AND WE ARE FORMING A
REGIONAL WORK GROUP FOR THEIR
SIX OF US -- SIX COUNTIES
TOGETHER COMING TOGETHER FORM A
PLAN.
IS REALLY ABOUT FEELS REDUCTION
ON PRIVATE PROPERTIES WE'RE
WORKING WITH OUR FOREST MANAGERS
AND OUR SUPERVISOR TO ALONG
THOSE HOME IN THOSE PRIVATE
PROPERTIES BUT WHAT WE HAVE
FOUND WE'VE DONE A SERIES OF
EIGHT COMMUNITY MEETINGS AN
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION WITH OUR
OWN NETWORK.
MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE DON'T HAVE A MOST THIS IS
WHAT I'M HEARING FROM MY OTHER
COLLEAGUES THERE'S NO ONE TO
TAKE ALL OF THIS GREEN WASTE
WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT WHEN WE
BRING IT IN AND NOT ONLY THAT.
60% OF OUR POPULATION IS FIFTY
OR OVER THAT DOESN'T SOUND BAD
WE GET 265% AND THAT'S 40% SIXTY
FIVE OR OLDER IS 40% OF OUR
POPULATION.
THEY HAVE LIMITED INCOME THEY
HAVE LIMITED ACCESS AND
FUNCTIONAL NEEDS AND THEY NEED A
HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF ASSISTANCE.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT THE
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY
EXECUTIVES WE HAVE -- WORKING
GROUP AS WELL WE CREATED THIS A
WHITE PAPER ON POLICY THAT WILL
BE -- PUT OUT BOTH TO ALL OF OUR
STATE AGENCIES AND PARTNERS HERE
VERY SOON THAT IS SOMETHING IT'S
JUST ABOUT FINAL -- I'M TRYING
TO THE INSURANCE IS AN ISSUE FOR
ALL OF US I MEAN OUT MY OWN
STAFF I HAVE ASSISTING COUNTY
MINISTRY -- HR DIRECTOR CANCEL
WITHOUT ANY REASON.
WHEN I BECAME THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR IN JANUARY I HAVE
MY ASSISTANT HAS BEEN REACHING
OUT ON A WEEKLY BASIS TRYING TO
GET A MEETING WITH OUR NEW
INSURANCE COMMISSIONER WE'VE
BEEN UNSUCCESSFUL SO FAR BUT I
KNOW I OUR WORK GROUP AND ALL OF
THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES ARE ALSO
LOOKING? FOR A WAY THAT WE CAN
PARTNER WITH THEM IN CONJUNCTION
WITH THE FEELS REDUCTION WORK
THAT WE CAN DO TO MAYBE CREATE A
NEW SYSTEM -- THE OTHER THING WE
HAVE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THESE
EMERGENCIES FOR YOUR RURAL
COUNTIES EVEN SOMETIMES COMING
UP WITH A MATCH IS A VERY
DIFFICULT PROCESS MEAN. FOR US
THE COUNTY OF TO ONLY AYE
RESERVES ARE TWO POINT NINE
MILLION DOLLARS WHEN WE'RE
LOOKING AT A CATASTROPHIC EVENT
YOU COULD DEPLETE THOSE AND THEN
WE YOU'RE YOU'RE LOOKING AT
OTHER WAYS THAT YOUR SENSUALLY
STOP PROVIDING SERVICES
[inaudible]
SO.
WHEN WE LOOK AT REGULATING
ENFORCING WE'VE BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THAT WHEN WE WENT OUT TO
OUR COMMUNITY BEEN WORKING WITH
CAL FIRE AND?
WHAT THAT MEANS IS IS WEAK?
AND I KNOW THE EL DORADO COUNTY
JUST PAST VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
PLAN IT'S A GREAT PLAN.
BUT WE'RE NOT SURE HOW DO YOU
HELP YOUR HOMEOWNERS TO COME
INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THIS AND
WHAT WE FOUND LOCALLY IS EVEN
WHEN CAL FIRE DOES THEIR FIRE
SAFETY INSPECTIONS.
WHAT HAPPENS IS PEOPLE GET THEIR
CITATIONS THEY GO TO COURT THEY
PAY THEIR CITATION AND MANY
TIMES THEY DON'T GO BACK AND DO
THE WORKS WERE TRYING TO FIGURE
OUT A WAY THAT WE CAN PARTNER
WITH OUR HOMEOWNERS? TO REDUCE
pSAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR
ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND THEN THE
SIRENS AS WELL OUR IDEA OF THE
SIRENS IS REALLY NOT FOR
EVACUATIONS BUT BY.
HANDING OUT BATTERY OPERATED
RADIOS AT THE SAME TIME IT'S
REALLY AN EDUCATION. FOR WHEN
THE POWER GOES OUT YOUR PHONE
LINES ARE WORKING TUNE TO THE
THEM.
YOU CAN TUNE IN ON YOUR BATTERY
OPERATED RADIO AND GET THE MOST
CURRENT INFORMATION SO WE'RE
ALSO TRYING.
TO BUT THOSE ARE EXPENSIVE AND
AND IT'S HARD TO PUT THOSE IN A
REAL COMMUNITY HERE WITH THE
TOMOGRAPHY IT BREAKS EVEN
ESPECIALLY DIFFICULT SO.
I GUESS.
OUR MESSAGE FOR US IS IS
RESOURCES IT'S A DIFFICULT AND
WHILE WE PARTNER AT EVERY
OPPORTUNITY IS SOMETIMES --
ASSISTING OUR HOMEOWNERS TO
BECOME COMPLIANT IS IT IS VERY
DIFFICULT WITHOUT THE MEANS TO
DO IT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND
I'M HAPPY ANSWERING QUESTIONS AS
WELL.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REALLY
THOUGHTFUL TESTIMONY LITERALLY
ANSWERED EVERY QUESTION I HAD
ALREADY LAID OUT.
SO -- I WILL BEGIN BY AND IS
SAYING IT YOU KNOW IT'S
INTERESTING I WENT ON A RECENT
VISIT TO BACK TO MY HOME STATE
OF INDIANA WHERE THEY ARE
TORNADO PRONE.
AND STILL USE SIRENS BECAUSE
THEY WERE THE MOST.
EFFECTIVE MEANS THAT NEAR
DOESN'TSHUT DOWN CAN BE RUN
FROM A GENERATOR -- VERY LOUD SO
CERTAINLY LOUD ENOUGH FOR AN
ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO BE ALERTED
AND POST WE'LL SEE AN AND THOMAS
RECENTLY IN SAND FIRE MY
INTERACTIONS WITH -- YOU KNOW
OUR LOCAL FIRST RESPONDER
COMMUNITY WAS CONCERNS AROUND
EFFECTIVE EVACUATION.
AND FOLKS I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING
PERHAPS THAT TRAFFIC LAWS UNDER
THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD
DEFINITELY CHANGE AND FIRST
RESPONDERS NEED THEM TO TO MOVE
IN AN ORDERLY FLOW.
MALIBU OF COURSE BEING AT THAT
KIND OF RARE EXCEPTION WHERE THE
INGRESS AND EGRESS IS PRETTY
LIMITED.
IT WOULD BE MORE DIFFICULT AND I
FIND MYSELF WONDERING IF PERHAPS
WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE THE STATE
NEEDS TO INVEST IN A SERIES OF
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS
AROUND THAT VERY ISSUE SO THAT
COMMUNITIES ARE INFORMED --
THROUGH MEANS THAT THEY
REGULARLY ACCESS WHETHER IT'S
SOCIAL MEDIA OR TELEVISION I'M.
ABSOLUTELY POINTS HEARD AND
TAKEN ON THE INSURANCE MARKET --
WE HAVE FOLKS EVEN IN MY
COMMUNITIES I'M A YOU KNOW THE
URBAN INTERFACE AREA WHERE.
THEY'RE BEING NON RENEWED AND
THEY HAVEN'T EVEN EXPERIENCED
FIRE RECENTLY -- BUT I THINK.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO
GET OUT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
EFFECTIVELY AND CONSISTENTLY
PERFORMING DEFENSIBLE SPACE
INSPECTIONS DO YOU HAVE THE
CAPACITY TO HAVE THE RESOURCES
TO DO THAT -- AND DOES LOCAL
GOVERNMENT NEED MORE TOOLS TO
ASSIST PRIVATE LANDOWNERS -- TO
BE ABLE TO COMPLY AS AT WHAT'S
YOUR POINT.
I WOULD THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
IN CINEMA COUNTY RECENTLY
INVESTED IN PROGRAMS NINE
HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS INTO
THE NEXT FOUR YEARS TO DO
INSPECTIONS.
BUT EVEN AT THAT RATE THAT'S
GOING TO TAKE US FIVE YEARS SO A
CYCLE OF FIVE YEARS TO HIT EVERY
HOME AND THAT'S ONLY REALLY IN
THE LOCAL RESPONSE AREA.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP OF
CINEMA COUNTY IT'S 90% STATE
RESPONSE AREA SO WE'RE VERY
CHALLENGE IN TERMS OF FUNDING
AND THE REALITY IS IS FROM WHAT
WE'VE SEEN IN OAKLAND ANOTHER
JURISDICTIONS INSPECTIONS AND
ENFORCEMENT.
IS THE BEST WAY TO GET PEOPLE TO
BE COMPLIANCE -- WITH A
DEFENSIBLE SPACE AND THE OUTCOME
IS THAT IS LESS FIRE SYSTEM.
I'M DEFINITELY AND THEN IN TERMS --
ECHOING -- WHAT MY COLLEAGUE
FROM TO ONLY COUNTY SAID GETTING
THE RESOURCES INTO THE HANDS OF
PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK
IT'S NOT INSIGNIFICANT WE'VE
GONE A LONG TIME WITHOUT?
REALLY SEEN WHAT A HEALTHY
FOREST LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE AN
IDEA OF WHAT IT IS BUT THAT'S
NOT IT AND IT NEEDS TO BE
THINNED OUT THE DEAD AND DYING
TREES NEED TO BE ELIMINATED.
AND THAT'S WHAT'S GONA CAM
KEEPERS A COMMUNITY SAFE
ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE IN THE
MOVIE.
I I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING SAYING
AT THE RESOURCESIS DEFINITELY
THE ISSUE WE DO -- AND I WOULD
SAY MOST OUR FIRE DISTRICTS ARE
ALL ENGAGE THEY ARE ALL DOING
THE FIRING -- INSPECTIONS.
AND THAT'S IN PARTNERSHIP ALSO
WITH WHAT CAL FIRE DOES.
IT'S JUST NOT ENOUGH WE MAYBE
GET 215% OF THE IMPROVE PARCELS
IN THE YEAR AND THEY SPEND A LOT
OF TIME GOING BACK AND TRYING TO
BRING THOSE HOMES IN THE
COMPLIANCE.
SO THE THE RESOURCES SIMPLY
AREN'T THERE WE DON'T HAVE THAT
THE RESOURCES AT THE BOARD LEVEL
FOR THEM TO INVEST IN TO DO
TWENTY SO I MEAN FOR US IT'S
ONLY MAYBE TWENTY SEVEN THOUSAND
PARCELS.
BUT THAT'S A LOT OF INSPECTIONS
IN A SINGLE YEAR -- BUT AND
RIGHT NOW I WOULD SAY A LOT OF
THEM PROBABLY 60% OF THEM
PROBABLY ARE NOT IN COMPLIANCE.
AND SO IT'S PUTTING EVERYONE
ELSE AT RISK AS A RESULT OF THAT.
SAID THE CITY OF MALIBU IS A
CONTRACT CITY SO WE CONTRACT
WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE
DEPARTMENT FOR A FIRE SERVICES
AND THEY OVERSEE.
AND IN FORCE THE BRUSH CLEARANCE
REQUIREMENTS -- BUT WHAT WE'VE
DONE ON THE LOCAL LEVEL IS WE
JUST HIRED AT A FIRE SAFETY
POSITION ON A ON THAT PERSON
WILL WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITY.
AND ASSIST OUR RESIDENTS TO MAKE
SURE THAT THEY ARE IN COMPLIANCE
WITH THEIR BRUSH CLEARANCE --
HOWEVER I DON'T THINK IT'S THE
ONLY SOLUTION ON THE WALLS THE
FIRE -- WAS AT THE WINDS THAT
DAY WERE WERE INCREDIBLE AND THE
FIRE WAS FRONTING TWO MILES
AHEAD OF ITSELF SO WE HAD EMBERS --
FAR AHEAD OF THE FRONT OF THE
FIRE -- LANDING ON ROOFS AND
WE'VE HEARD STORY AFTER STORY OF
WOOD CHIPS CATCHING ON FIRE OF
PEOPLE WHO USE RAILROAD TIES IN
THEIR LANDSCAPING.
I'M CATCHING ON FIRE SO IT IS
ONE SOLUTION BUT I'M DEFINITELY.
NOT THE ONLY SOLUTION ON AND
THEN WHILE I AM HAVE MY THE MIKE
I DID WANT TO JUST MENTION
BECAUSE I NOTICE NONE OF US DID --
TO TALK ABOUT THE FLOOD AFTER
FIRE ISSUE WHICH OBVIOUSLY --
WAS A BIG ISSUE FOR THE THOMAS
FIRE AREA AND CERTAINLY
SOMETHING THAT WE WERE
CHALLENGED WITH SO I JUST WANTED
TO PUT THAT OUT OF SOMETHING NOT
TO BE LAUGHED AT NOT TO DISCUSS
THANK YOU.
ABSOLUTELY ALL -- WONDERFUL
POINTS I APPRECIATE OUR
THOUGHTFUL TESTIMONY I WOULD
ENCOURAGE YOU PLEASE STAY IN
TOUCH WITH US.
HAS NEEDS ARISE PARTICULARLY AS
WE APPROACH -- YOU KNOW ANOTHER
SEASON BUT I WE ANYWAY.
THANK YOU ALL VERY VERY MUCH FOR
YOUR TIME AND YOUR
THOUGHTFULNESS WE APPRECIATE YOU
MAKING THE TRIP HERE AT TO TEST
FIND JOIN US THANK YOU.
OKAY NOW WE WILL INVITE.
OUR NEXT PANEL -- TO JOIN US.
CHIEF.
ANTHONY GOZER CITY OF SANTA ROSA
REPRESENTING THE CALIFORNIA FIRE
CHIEFS.
CAPTAIN MIKE FACE CITY OF
SACRAMENTO FIRE DEPARTMENT AND
DIRECTOR OF SACRAMENTO
SACRAMENTO AREA FIREFIGHTERS
LOCAL FIVE TWO TWO REPRESENTING
THE CALIFORNIA PROFESSIONAL
FIREFIGHTERS.
WELCOME GENTLEMEN AND YOU MAY
BEGIN AS YOU'RE READY.
HELLO MADAM CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF
THE JOINT COMMITTEE MY NAME IS
TONY GOSSAMER FROM THE FIRE
CHIEF FOR THE CITY SANTA ROSA.
AND I'M ALSO A BOARD MEMBER
BOARD ADDRESS ON THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS FOR THE CALIFORNIA
CHIEFS ASSOCIATION.
CAL CHIEFS HAS ENGAGED IN A VERY
HIGH LEVEL ON THE IMPACTS OF
WALL FIRE AND OTHER DISASTERS
AND OTHER STATE.
IN OUR STATE AND HAS BEEN
COORDINATING WITH VARIOUS
STAKEHOLDERS AT ALL LEVELS OF
GOVERNMENT.
AND PRIVATE INDUSTRY FOR MANY
YEARS IN THE AREA OF PREVENTION.
RESPONSE MITIGATION AND RECOVERY.
WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE
INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN
THIS JOINT LEGISLATIVE HEARING
ON WILD FIRE.
THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON
OUR STATE -- BEEN FAR REACHING.
AND HAS -- AS WE HAVE SEEN OVER
THE LAST FEW YEARS FIRES ARE
BURNING WITH GREATER FEROCITY
AND DO MORE DAMAGE THAN EVER
BEFORE.
IN TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN IN TWO
THOUSAND EIGHTEEN MORE THAN ONE
HUNDRED THIRTY PEOPLE HAVE DIED
AS A RESULT OF WILD FIRE AND
SOME ESTIMATES INDICATE OVER
TWENTY FIVE BILLION DOLLARS --
IN PROPERTY LOSS AT THE SAME
TIME PERIOD.
UNFORTUNATELY I PERSONAL
EXPERIENCE ON THE IMPACTS WALL
FIRE FOR OUR STATE.
IN OCTOBER OF TWO THOUSAND
SEVENTEEN A FIRE KNOWN AS THE
TUBS FIRE DEVASTATED MY
COMMUNITY. TWENTY TWO OF THE
HUNDRED THIRTY PEOPLE THAT DIED
IN THE LAST TWO YEARS WERE
VICTIMS OF THE TUBS FIRE.
THE TUBS FIRE STARTED IN THE
COUNTY OF NAPA AND IN A FOUR
HOUR PERIOD UNDER HEAVY WINDS
BURN TWELVE MILES. TO THE CITY
OF SANTA ROSA.
ULTIMATELY BURNING THE FOUNTAIN
GROVE IN COFFEE PARK AREAS OF MY
CITY.
ULTIMATELY -- EXCUSE ME IN TOTAL
THE TUBS FIRE BURNED
360-008-0070 ACRES.
AND DESTROYED FIVE THOUSAND SIX
HUNDRED THIRTY SIX STRUCTURES.
APPROXIMATELY THREE THOUSAND ONE
HUNDRED OF THOSE STRUCTURES WERE
LOCATED THE CITY OF SANTA ROSA.
THE TIME HAS COME FOR MEANINGFUL
AND REALISTIC CHANGES THAT FIRST
HELP TO PREVENT WILDFIRES IN
WHEN THEY OCCUR TO BE ABLE TO
RESPOND TO THEM QUICKLY AND KEEP
THEM SMALLER AND MINIMIZE
IMPACTS. TO LIFE PROPERTY AND
THE ENVIRONMENT.
LOCAL GOVERNMENT FIRE AGENCIES
PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE
STATE RESPONSE TO THESE WILDFIRE
DISASTERS.
IN FACT LOCAL GOVERNMENT PUBLIC
SAFETY RESOURCES ACCOUNT FOR
APPROXIMATELY 80% OF THE
RESOURCES DEPLOYED TO MOST LARGE
SCALE WALL FIRE INCIDENTS IN OUR
STATE.
ALL WHILE FIRE INCIDENTS ARE
LOCAL.
WHEN THAT LOCAL AMHERST BECOMES
TOO LARGE FOR THE LOCAL PUBLIC
CITIES -- SAFETY RESOURCES TO
HANDLE THE TAP IN THE CALIFORNIA
MUTUAL AID SYSTEM THROUGH.
THE CALIFORNIA OFFICE OF
EMERGENCY SERVICES.
WHETHER A FIRE STARTS.
LOCAL STATE OR FEDERAL
RESPONSIBILITY AREA LOCAL
GOVERNMENT RESOURCE RESPOND WHEN
REQUESTED HELP MITIGATE THE
EMERGENCY THROUGH SUPPRESSION
FORCES.
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT.
INCIDENT SUPPORT IN THROUGH
RECOVERY.
THAT'S ABOUT NEIGHBOR HELPING
NEIGHBOR AS CALLOW YESES CORNER
PHRASE ONE TEAM.
ONE FIVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
RESOURCES DEPLOY THESE LARGE
SCALE EVENTS THE RESPONDENT
AGENCIES REIMBURSED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT ON
THE MUTUAL AID.
THAT WAS REQUESTED IN MOST CASES
THE AGENCY IS MADE WHOLE OR NEAR
HOLE FOR THE MONEY SPENT IN
SENDING RESOURCES.
TIMELY REIMBURSEMENT BY THE H.
D. REQUESTING MUTUAL AID IS
CRITICAL TO ENSURING THAT
AGENCIES WILL ARE WILLING TO
SEND MUTUAL AID.
RESOURCES TO ANY INCIDENT.
WITHOUT TIMELY REIMBURSEMENT
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY BUDGETS
WOULD BE NEGATIVELY IMPACTED A
LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS AND A
TAXPAYERS OF THAT COMMUNITY
WOULD NOT SUPPORT THE CONTINUED
RESPONSE OUTSIDE THEIR
JURISDICTION UNDER THE MUTUAL
AID SYSTEM.
AGENCIES AGENCIES ALSO HAVE TO
ENSURE THAT THEY CAN MAINTAIN A
RESPONSE READINESS AT HOME AS
WELL.
NO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY CAN
SEND SO MANY RESOURCES.
THAT THEY CANNOT MANAGE
EMERGENCIES AT HOME.
THE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM IS BASED
ON LOCAL MERCIES DRAWN DOWN OR
HOME RESOURCES BY 25%. TO ACCEPT
DEPLOYMENTS TO DISASTERS
ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE.
THIS MEANS MORE LONGER HOURS FOR
STAFF WHO REMAIN WITHIN OUR
COMMUNITIES TO HANDLE EVERYDAY
EMERGENCIES.
WHICH CAN EXPOSE THE FIRST
RESPONDERS TO ADDED FATIGUE AND
STRESS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE IMPACTS
OF LONGER MORE FREQUENT
DEPLOYMENTS.
WE ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THE
IMPACTS OF HOME.
LAST YEAR FIRE MANAGEMENT LABOR
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT GROUPS MADE
THE CASE THAT WHILE CALIFORNIA'S
MUTUAL AID SYSTEM IS AMONG THE
BEST IN THE WORLD.
IT NEEDED TO BE STRENGTHENED AND
MODERNIZE TO COMBAT THE NEW
NORMAL -- NEW NORMAL OF FIRE SHE
IS THAT WE ARE NOW CONFRONTING
YEAR AFTER YEAR.
IN MY COMMUNITY WE LEARN AT A
VERY DIFFICULT LESSON THAT ARE
MUTUALLY SYSTEM AS GREAT AS IT
IS.
TAKES TOO LONG TO SUMMON HELP TO
SAVE LIVES AND HOMES AND THE
INITIAL HOURS OF A DISASTER.
IN A TUBS FIRE EVERYTHING WAS
BURNED IN JUST A FEW HOURS.
IN OUR CURRENT ENVIRONMENT WE
CANNOT WAIT TWELVE TO TWENTY
FOUR HOURS FOR HELP.
FORTUNATELY THE LEGISLATURE AND
THE GOVERNOR PROOF FUNDING TO
PRE POSITION LOCAL GOVERNMENT
RESOURCES THROUGH THE MUTUAL AID
SYSTEM.
DURING HIGH RISK CONDITIONS FOR
WILDFIRES.
AS WELL AS FLOODS AND DEBRIS
FLOWS.
POSITIONING PUTS MORE RESOURCES
ON HIGH ALERT OUT IN THE
COMMUNITY AND READY TO PLAY
IMMEDIATELY WONDERED BUT
DISASTER STRIKES.
DURING THE PAST YEAR WE HAVE
GAINED VALUABLE EXPERIENCE.
ABOUT HOW TO FULLY LEVERAGE THE
PRE POSITIONING AS A STRATEGY.
WE'RE PLEASE A GOVERNOR NEWSOME
HAS PROPOSED CONTINUE FUNDING
FOR THIS PROGRAM.
THERE ARE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS
WOULD LIKE TO SEE MADE IN THE
MUTUAL AID SYSTEM.
INCLUDING MODERNIZING OUR
RESOURCE ORDERING SYSTEM.
GPS LOCATION TECHNOLOGY FOR
LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENGINES
AVAILABLE FOR STATEWIDE MUTUALLY
DEPLOYMENTS.
AND ADDED DISPATCH AND
MANAGEMENT RESOURCES FOR PUBLIC
SAFETY.
THESE INVESTMENTS WILL HELP US
REDUCE OUR REFLECTS TIME. TO
DISASTERS AND PROVIDE INCIDENT
MANAGERS WITH BETTER REAL TIME
INFORMATION ABOUT THE
AVAILABILITY AND LOCATION OF
RESOURCES.
ARRIVING FROM MANY DIFFERENT
AGENCIES.
WE CAN ALSO TAP INTO THE
INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES TO
MONITOR FOR FIRE STARKS.
THE UTILITY INDUSTRY IS USING
SOME OF THE MOST STATE OF THE
ART TECHNOLOGY.
AND MAY HAVE MAY BE A GOOD
PARTNER IN THIS AREA.
COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION --
IN THE LOCAL.
FUSION CENTERS WITH MULTIPLE
STAKE STAKEHOLDERS PARTITION OF
PARTICIPATION WOULD BE A GREAT
WAY TO LEVERAGE OUR RESOURCES
AND MAKE AN IMPACT.
ON A WILDFIRE AREA.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
GOVERNMENTS AT ALL LEVELS TO
PLACE THE SAFETY OF THE
RESIDENTS AS A TOP PRIORITY.
MANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT COUNCIL
AND BOARDS WORKING WITH OUR
LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL STATE
OFFICIALS.
ARE DEVELOPING OR HAVE DEVELOPED
COMPREHENSIVE A MERCY PLANS THAT
EVALUATE RISK.
POTENTIAL TO THEIR JURISDICTIONS
AND PLANS TO MITIGATE THAT RISK.
RISKS ARE UNIQUE TO EACH
COMMUNITY AND A ONE SIZE FITS
ALL APPROACH IS NOT EFFECTIVE.
THE RESPONSIBILITY LIES WITH THE
LOCAL LOOKED AT OFFICIALS AND
PUBLIC SAFETY PROFESSIONALS TO
MAKE WHAT WILL OFTEN BE
UNPOPULAR DECISIONS. TO MITIGATE
THE RISK POTENTIAL FOR THE
COMMUNITIES THROUGH
COMPREHENSIVE A MERCY PLANS
PROPER GROWTH PLANNING FIRE
PREVENTION PLANS AN AGGRESSIVE
PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGNS TO
MEDICATE THE UNIQUE.
RISKS THAT COMMUNITY.
WHAT SEATS EFFORTS HAVE BEEN
ESTABLISH IS IMPORTANT TO HAVE
EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT
ACCOUNTABILITY PROCESSES TO
ENSURE THAT THESE MEASURES ARE
STRICTLY FOLLOWED?
THESE EFFORTS ARE OFTEN RESISTED
BY LOCAL HOMEOWNERS BUT THE
EFFORT TO MITIGATE THE RISK THE
RISK IS A RIGHT JUST.
ONE IN A WILL TAKE COURAGE TO
ESTABLISH HIS LIFESAVING
PRACTICES WITH THE CURRENT
CLIMATE IMPACT ON THE
ENVIRONMENT.
CERTAINLY THE WILD.
LAND URBAN INTERFACE OR IN A
RURAL AREAS WHERE THE RISK IS
HIGHER DEFENSIBLE SPACE.
BUILDING HARDENING.
AMONG OTHER EFFECTIVE RISK
MITIGATION EFFORTS ARE IMPORTANT
TO REDUCE THE RISK OF PROPERTY
DAMAGE AND LOSS OF LIFE.
REGIONAL COORDINATION AND
COLLABORATION ON THESE
PREVENTION AND MITIGATION PLANS
IS IMPORTANT ALSO.
MOST OF THESE LARGE SCALE EVENTS
IMPACT MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS
AND INVOLVE MULTIPLE AGENCIES --
THROUGHOUT ALL GOVERNMENT.
THE RESPONSIBILITY ALSO LIES
WITH THE RESIDENTS IN THE AREA
TO DO WHAT THEY NEED TO PREVENT
FIRES BY AVOIDING AT RISK
ACTIVITIES. TO HAVE EMERGENCY
PLANS FOR THEIR FAMILY AND KNOW
THE EVACUATION ROUTES
ESTABLISHED FOR THE AREAS.
AT THE STATE LEVEL THERE ARE
GRANT PROGRAMS OFFERED TO CAL --
YES IN CAL FIRE IN ALLOCATE
MONEY TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO
REDUCE RISK IN A VARIETY OF
AREAS.
INCLUDING A MERCY PLAN
DEVELOPMENT.
FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AMONG
OTHERS.
THE STATE NEEDS TO CONTINUE TO
MAKE MEANINGFUL INVESTMENTS AND
THE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM TO KEEP IT
UP TO DATE IN THIS CHANGING
CLIMATE ENVIRONMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN ONE HIGH
RISK REDUCTION PRACTICES ARE
PLAN IN PLACE.
WE STILL HAVE A RISK OF FIRE AND
OTHER EMERGENCIES I'LL JUST MAKE
NOTE THAT THE COMMUNITY OF FOUND
GROVE WAS A FAR WISE COMMUNITY.
WHAT A ONE WARDS FOR THEIR
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
WE LOST 85% OF THE HOMES THAT
COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE
FIRE AND THE WINDS CAME TOWARDS
IT?
AND AND COFFEE PARK IS NOT EVEN
IN A WHILE AND URBAN INTERFACE
AND WE LOST FIFTEEN HUNDRED
HOMES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
PRE POSITIONED RESOURCES AHEAD
OF CLIMATE DRIVEN EVENT TO
RESPOND QUICKLY TO ADDRESS THE
MERCY AND KEEP THE INCIDENT
SMALL.
THE IMPROVEMENTS IN TECHNOLOGY
AYE ALLEN EARLIER IN MY COMMENTS
WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE BETTER
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS SO THAT
WHEN.
AN EMERGENCY OCCURS WE'LL BE
ABLE -- TO BETTER LOCATE THE
CLOSEST AND MOST OF PROPER
RESOURCES FOR RESPONSE IN THE
DISPATCH CENTER TO GET THE
RESOURCES DEPLOYED QUICKLY.
CAL CHIEF STANDS READY TO BE AN
INTRAPARTY THE TEAM WORKING TO
ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF WALL FIRE
IN OUR STATE.
WE HOLD THIS EFFORT AS ONE OF
THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIORITIES.
CALIFORNIA'S EXPECT AND DESERVE
BETTER THANK YOU [inaudible]
THANK YOU.
GOOD MORNING THE CAPTAIN MIKE
FIVE WITH SEGMENTS CITY FIRE
DEPARTMENT I'M ALSO PROUD MEMBER
SACRAMENTO AREA FIREFIGHTERS
LOCAL FIVE TWO TWO AS WELL AS
THE I FF INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS
TENTH DISTRICT.
BURN COORDINATOR.
AS THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE
SEGMENT OF FIRE DEPARTMENT OR
SENT OUT TO DO BATTLE WITH
WILDFIRES.
WE KNOW THE MANY FACTORS THAT
CREATE HIGH RISK FOR
CATASTROPHIC FIRES.
THIS PAST YEAR WAS ONE OF THE
MOST DESTRUCTIVE DID WILD FIRES
ON RECORD AND WE SEEM TO BE
SAYING THAT EVERY YEAR NOW.
WE EXPECT THIS YEAR TO BE NO
DIFFERENT.
THIS UNFORTUNATELY IS OUR NEW
NORMAL.
WHAT USED TO BE A ONCE IN A
CAREER WILDFIRE IS NOW PAR FOR
THE COURSE FOR FIREFIGHTERS
ACROSS THE STREET?
STATE EXCUSE ME AS I AS I
STARTED MY CAREER IN THIS
DEPARTMENT IT WAS VERY RARE THAT
WE EVER RESPONDED TO WILD FIRES.
IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS I
RESPONDED AT LEAST TWO TO THREE
TIMES IN A SEASON NOW.
SO UNFORTUNATELY IT'S PUTTING
MORE OF OUR MEMBERS AT RISK.
WE USED TO WE CAN'T CONTROL
MOTHER NATURE WE CAN WITH THE
RATES RESOURCES WE CAN BE
PREPARED AND MORE EFFECTIVE IN
BATTLING THESE WILD FIRES.
THE PILLAR WILDFIRE RESPONSES
ARE MUTUALLY SYSTEM HERE IN THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA.
CALIFORNIA'S MODEL MUTUAL AID
NETWORK DEPENDS ON LOCAL STATE
AND FEDERAL FIREFIGHTERS
COLLABORATING TO EFFECTIVELY
RESPOND TO MAJOR DISASTERS
INCLUDING WILDFIRES.
LOCAL AGENCY FIRE RESPONSE IS
THE BACKBONE TO THE MUTUAL AID
AND BECOMING MORE INDISPENSABLE
IN OUR NEW NORMAL.
AS LOCAL AGENCY RESPONDER
STRUGGLE WITH TIGHTER BUDGETS
DANGEROUSLY HIGH THREAT LEVELS
ARE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM IS IN A
STATE OF EMERGENCY.
THERE MUST BE AN INVESTMENT OF
RESOURCES AT BOTH THE STATE AND
LOCAL LEVEL TO ADEQUATELY
STAFFED APARTMENT SO WE BE SO
THAT WE ARE PREPARED WHEN
DISASTER STRIKES.
SACRAMENTO CURRENTLY IS IT
MANDATORY STAFFING ALMOST EVERY
DAY NOW WE STILL HAVEN'T
RECOVERED FROM THE RECESSION AND
ARE BATTLING THOSE ISSUES.
SO ANYTIME WE HAVE ONE OF THESE
LARGE SCALE INCIDENTS IT DRAWS
DOWN OUR LOCAL RESOURCES AND
WERE UNABLE TO ACTUALLY RESPOND
TO QUITE A FEW EMERGENCIES.
AND HAVE TO CONTINUALLY BROWN
OUT OUR OWN STATIONS HERE WHICH
PUTS THE CITIZENS OF SACRAMENTO
AT RISK.
OUR MUTUAL AID SYSTEM DEPENDS ON
THE STAFFING AND THE ABILITY TO
RESPOND TO WILDFIRES PART WELL
FAR PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE IS
PREVENTION EFFORTS.
FORCE MITIGATION AND FUEL
REDUCTION IS KEY TO MANAGING
WILDFIRES AND PREVENTING THEM
FROM BECOMING CATASTROPHIC
EVENTS.
LAND USE POLICIES ALSO VITAL TO
PREPAREDNESS AND PREVENTION.
IN THE AFTERMATH OF EVERY MAJOR
FIRE WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME AND
ATTENTION ON SMALLER FIXES THE
FOCUS ON INDIVIDUAL PROPERTY
OWNERS.
BUILDING MATERIALS DEFENSIBLE
SPACE PROPER EGRESS TEMPORARY
REFUGE AND SO FORTH.
BUT CALIFORNIA MUST DO MORE TO
ACCOUNT FOR RISK FACTORS.
THE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS IN AN
AREA THE INFRASTRUCTURE THE
POTENTIAL FUEL LOADS PREVIOUS
FIRE HISTORY AND WEATHER EVENTS.
THESE MORE EXPENSIVE RISK
FACTORS CAN'T BE VIEWED AS
STRICTLY LOCAL ISSUES.
THE IMPACT OF CATASTROPHIC FIRE
TOUCHES EVERY CALIFORNIAN AND
THE COST OF THESE DISASTERS IS
LARGELY BORNE BY ALL OF US.
IN THIS NEW ABNORMAL CALIFORNIA
MUST DO MORE TO MAKE SURE THAT
THE LAND USE POLICY TAKE THESE
RISK FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT.
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT WE
SHOULD BE LOOKING CLOSELY AT NEW
DEVELOPMENT.
IN THE WOMB WILDLAND URBAN
INTERFACE AND OTHER HIGH RISK
AREAS.
BUT WE MUST ALSO LOOK AT
EXISTING DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS
BEEN BUILT OVER THE YEARS WITH
LITTLE INTERVENTION.
WHILE THE SCOPE AND SCALE OF THE
FIRE IN PARADISE WAS BEYOND
MEASURE.
WE KNOW THAT THE TOWN WAS
DEVELOPED HALF A CENTURY AGO
WHEN THE PERSPECTIVE WAS FOR
DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE TO LOOK BEYOND LOCAL
ZONING AND CONSIDER THE BIGGER
PICTURE.
VIEW LOADING LOCATION ROADS IN
AND OUT IGNITION SOURCES AND
OTHER CASUAL FACTORS.
ONLY THEN CAN WE DECIDE ISSUES
SUCH AS SPACING ROADS AND
STRUCTURAL COMPOSITION OF NEW
CONSTRUCTION.
OF COURSE.
NO ONE SET OF PRESCRIPTIONS IS
FOOL PROOF IF YOU LOOK AT THE
SANTA ROSA FIRES AT THE CHIEFS
WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
THEIR ALREADY WIDE ROADS PLENTY
OF EGRESS AND IN MANY CASES MORE
MODERN MATERIALS.
EVEN HERE THESE EXPERIENCES
SHOULD OFFER A ROADMAP.
AS WE LOOK TO REBUILD.
AS TO THE STATE'S ROLE IN
PREVENTION FIRST AND FOREMOST IT
REQUIRES A REALISTIC AND MORE
CURRENT ASSESSMENT OF THE FIRE
RISK IN THE STATE AND ALL ITS
COMMUNITIES -- FIRES MAPS --
UNDERGOING REVISION BUT THE LAW
ONLY REQUIRES CAL FIRE TO
PUBLISH DATA ON VERY HIGH A FIRE
HAZARD SAFETY ZONES.
WHEN YOU OVER IDENTIFY PEOPLE
BECOME NUMB TO THE RISK IN OTHER
AREAS LIKE HIGH -- MODERATE FAR
HAS HAZARD SEVERITY ZONES
CURRENT LAW REQUIRES LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS TO ADOPT THE CAL
FIRE MAP BUT IN MANY CASES
LOCALS DON'T COMPLY AND
PENALTIES ARE SIGNIFICANT.
THESE LAWS NEED MORE TEETH.
FINALY AND MOST EGGS
SIGNIFICANTLY IS IMPORTANT THAT
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE
PRACTICAL ISSUES ALONG WILD FIRE
PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE.
BUT IT'S AN INVISIBLE COST IT'S
REALLY DISCUSSED IS FAR BETTER
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
IN THIS NEW NORMAL FIREFIGHTERS
ARE WAY FROM THEIR FAMILIES FOR
LONGER PERIODS OF TIME.
DEPLOYED MORE OFTEN AND COME
ACROSS.
WELL WAY TOO MANY DEATHS.
IN THE CASE OF THE CAMPFIRE.
EIGHTY FIVE PEOPLE LOST THEIR
LIVES UP THERE AND MORE
FIREFIGHTERS WERE AFFECTED BY
THOSE ISSUES THEN I THINK WE'RE
TRULY IDENTIFIED.
AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE
DID -- WHILE WE WERE UP THERE
WAS CAL FIRE DID A GREAT JOB
THEY'VE THEY'VE STARTED
PROVIDING THEIR EMERGENCY SIR.
SERVICE SUPPORT UNIT WHICH IS
THERE TO INTERVENE IN SOME OF
THESE CASES.
BUT AGAIN WE NEED TO DO MORE --
AS A LOT OF THESE FIREFIGHTERS
AT WORK IN THESE COMMUNITIES.
THOSE ARE THEIR NEIGHBORS THAT
ARE KILLED.
AND A LOT OF THEM HAD TO RESPOND
AND PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE
SEARCH TEAMS THAT WERE WORKING
IN THOSE AREAS.
AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT FOR
THEM AS THEY WATCH THEIR
NEIGHBOR HERB IT'S BURNED DOWN
THEY BATTLE THE WILDFIRE FOR
WEEKS AND WERE PART OF THE BODY
RECOVERY PROCESS.
FACING THAT KIND OF TRAGEDY CAN
BE TO LARGER BURDEN FOR ANYBODY
THAT'S WHY PEER SUPPORT IS SO
VITAL TO FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE SAW THIS WORK BEST AT THE
CAMPFIRE WITH THE GROUND PEER
SUPPORT SERVICES.
FROM ONE FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE
TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY
EXPERIENCED AND WITNESSED WITH
OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS AND
TRAINED PERSONNEL.
CURRENTLY IN THE CITY SACRAMENTO
LIMA BAY WILL HEALTH COORDINATOR
FOR OUR DEPARTMENT.
AND THE WE ARE SLOWLY RECOVERING
ARE REALIZING THAT SOME OF THESE
ISSUES ARE SO IMPORTANT TO
REMEMBER SO I'D LIKE TO THANK
BOTH OF YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR
SB FIVE FORTY TWO AS WE GO FOR
BECAUSE THOSE ARE SOME OF THE
TOOLS THAT WE NEED. TO ARM
OURSELVES WITH LOCALLY TO MAKE
SOME OF THESE CHANGES AND THE
THE CARE AND WELL BEING OF OUR
MEMBERS.
HOW THE FIREFIGHTERS?
IS BEING BEYOND JUST WHAT IS
PHYSICAL IN IS THE KEY TO WORK
THAT WE DO.
THERE CERTAINLY ISN'T ANYONE
ANSWER ON HOW WE CAN PROVIDE THE
NEXT -- SUPPORT PREVENT NEXT BIG
WILD FIRE.
BUT WITH MEANINGFUL CHANGES WE
CAN TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS TOWARDS
BEING BETTER PREPARED AND
EQUIPPED TO RESPOND TO THE
CHANGING NATURE OF WILDFIRES AND
PROVIDE BETTER OTIONS FOR OUR
FIREFIGHTERS. TO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO HEAL THE WOUNDS
AND CONTINUE TO DO THE JOB THEY
LOVE.
WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE
GOVERNOR FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO
FIRE RESPONSE AND WE APPRECIATE
ALL THE EFFORTS OF THE
LEGISLATURE TO PRIORITIZE THIS
ISSUE AND I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU
PERSONALLY TO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR
TESTIMONY I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MY
COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE JOINED US IN
AT THIS TIME I WOULD OPEN IT UP
TO QUESTIONS COMMENTS FROM
[inaudible]
COMMITTEE.
THANK YOU THANK YOU VERY MUCH
AND REALIZING THAT.
YOU KNOW YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH
THESE EXPERIENCES I'D LIKE TO
ASK A QUESTION ON THE BEHAVIORAL
HEALTH SIDE OR AT LEAST ON THE A
STAFFING OF FIRE FIGHTING AND
THEN ASK A QUESTION TO BOTH OF
YOU.
HIS ME ABOUT -- AGAIN LAST YEAR
WE WE PASSED A NUMBER OF BILLS
ON SOME OF THE ISSUES YOU TALKED
ABOUT OF VEGETATION CLEARING --
WORKING -- WE'RE DOING
LEGISLATION THIS YEAR ON LAND
USE I'M CURIOUS AS TO IF YOU
HAVE ANY THOUGHTS.
ABOUT -- THE IMPACTS OF THE
ABILITY. TO USE THESE NEW
STATUTORY -- INCENTIVES IF YOU
WILL A REQUIREMENT TO DO SOME OF
THE WORK THAT YOU'VE TALKED
ABOUT WE NEED TO LINK -- SO ASK
YOU THINK ABOUT THAT IN A BUT
LET ME START WITH THE BEHAVIORAL.
HEALTH ISSUE -- WE'RE SEEING A
NUMBER OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS
IN PARTICULAR FIREFIGHTERS WHO
ARE -- HAVING TROUBLE ADDRESSING
THE HORROR THAT THEY'VE BEEN
pTHROUGH BEING AWAY FROM THEIR
FAMILIES TO CHECK TRENCHING A
PRETTY HIGH NUMBER OF THESE
FOLKS.
ACTUALLY COMMITTING SUICIDE.
I'M WONDERING WHAT IF ANYTHING
IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THIS --
IS PART OF THE PROBLEM THAT WE
NEED TO HAVE -- MORE
FIREFIGHTERS AVAILABLE SO THAT
THAT WE CAN REMOVE SOME OF SOME
OF THESE FOLKS FROM -- THE FIELD
DURING THESE FIRES GIVE THEM A
LITTLE BREAK SOME FIREFIGHTERS
HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FIRES FOR
MONTHS I KNOW WITH THE THOMAS
FIRE.
IT STARTED IN DECEMBER WENT
RIGHT THROUGH CHRISTMAS RIGHT
THROUGH NEW YEARS SO PEOPLE AWAY
FROM THEIR FAMILIES DURING YOU
KNOW THESE VERY CRITICAL TIMES
OF THE YEAR.
WE HAD THE DEBRIS FLOW LOST
TWENTY THREE PEOPLE IN.
THERE COUPLE OF WHOM IS STILL
NOT BEEN FOUND BUT FINDING THEIR
BODIES AND IN VERY DIFFICULT
STATES -- WE WAS PRETTY HORRIFIC
TO A LOT OF THESE FOLKS AND I'M
JUST WONDERING.
IN RECOGNIZING. EIGHTY PEOPLE
WHO BURNED TO DEATH AND SO FORTH
WHAT WHAT KINDS OF STEPS ARE
BEING TAKEN IF ANY. TO DEAL WITH
THE HUMAN SIDE OF THE WORK THAT
THAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS -- TO
SO SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE
BEING DONE -- THIS YEAR.
UNFORTUNATELY THE CAMPFIRE I
MEAN IT BEING SUCH A LARGE AND
SAID BUT IT WAS PROBABLY SOME OF
THE BEST WORK THAT I'D SEEN WITH
THE EMERGENCY SUPPORT SERVICES
UNIT THAT.
ACTUALLY CAL FIRE HAS INTEGRATED
INTO THEIR INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM.
THEY ALSO -- LEND MORE CREDENCE
TO ACTUALLY ADDRESSING THOSE
ISSUES THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT --
MEMBERS BEING AFFECTED BY --
SOME OF THE THE SEEING THE DESKS
AS WELL AS THE FULL LENGTH OF
TIME BEING AWAY FROM THEIR
FAMILIES ALL THOSE THINGS THAT
ACTUALLY LEAD UP. TO SOME OF THE
STRUGGLES THAT WE DO SEE ON THE
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SIDE OF STUFF
AND THEY ARE DRESSING THOSE.
AND AND IT HAS GROWN OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS AND IT'S GETTING
BETTER.
BUT A THIRD THEY'RE STILL DOES
THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE WORK
THAT'S DONE IT NEEDS TO BECOME
MORE STATEWIDE LOCALLY HERE --
MY EXPERIENCES LAST YEAR WAS
MORE IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
REGION AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB
AND AGAIN THEY WERE COMMITTED TO
MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE WERE
TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES AND
THAT THE THE LEADERS IN THOSE --
TEAMS AND STUFF WERE ACTUALLY
LOOKING AT THEIR MEMBERS AND
THEN THAT THEY EAT EMERGENCY
SUPPORT UNISYS SERVICES EXCUSE
ME.
THEY WERE OUT THERE WORKING WITH
PEOPLE ON THE LINE TALKING TO
THOSE MEMBERS SO.
WE'RE MAKING SOME OF THE RIGHT
STEPS BUT WE DO NEED TO INVEST
MORE RESOURCES INTO ACTUALLY
MAKING THAT A MORE ROBUST --
PROGRAM AS WELL AS ENSURING THAT
IT'S STATEWIDE AND IT AND
ACTUALLY ADDRESSES ALL THE
MEMBERS -- THE ANSWER TO YOUR
QUESTION -- THAT THAT'S HELPFUL
I I'M WONDERING ON THE OTHER --
ISSUE WHETHER YOU KNOW THE
LESSONS LEARNED THINGS THAT
WE'RE DOING NOW THAT WE PUT INTO
PLACE ARE THEY ARE THEY HELPFUL
ARE IT ARE THEY BEING ADOPTED DO
YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ABOUT THEM.
WE DID IT AGAIN SB NINE A ONE SB
TWELVE SIXTY A WHOLE BUNCH OF
LEGISLATION TO TRY TO DO WITH
SOME OF THESE ISSUES YOU PHRASE.
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT WE TRY TO
DO WORK NOW AND YOU YOU MADE THE
POINT THAT WE NEED TO PUT TEETH
INTO THE LOCAL INPUT
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATE MAPS.
WHICH ARE AS I UNDERSTAND
THEY'RE STILL HAVEN'T BEEN
UPDATED BUT I KNOW IN MY AREA
WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM -- WE
NEED TO FIND OUT WHERE ARE FOR
FIRE SOMEONE'S ARE WE'RE OR
DEBRIS FLOWS ON SORRY AND THIS
IS A TOUGH CALL BECAUSE THERE'S
A LOT OF FRICTION.
THAT EXISTS BUT I'M WONDERING
WHAT WHAT HAVE YOU BOTH SEEN IF
ANYTHING TO ADDRESS SOME OF
THESE THAT THERE'D HAVE BEEN
DONE TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE
CONCERNS THAT YOU PHRASE LIKE
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT SECTOR.
YEAH ALL THESE -- ITEMS ARE
COMING BEFORE US ARE GREAT --
ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT
I'VE SEEN CHANGE IN THE LAST
YEAR.
IS THERE'S A LOT MORE
COLLABORATION BETWEEN EVERYONE --
WHILE THERE WAS ALWAYS GOOD CLAP
YOUR COLLABORATION BETWEEN CAL
FIRE AND YES AND OTHER LOCAL
AGENCIES NOW WE'RE BRINGING
UTILITIES INTO THAT.
INTO THE MIX AND THAT IS
ESSENTIAL WE CANNOT DO THIS BY
OURSELVES -- THEY HAVE SOME OF
THE MOST -- UP TO DATE.
TECHNOLOGY THAT WE NEED TO
LEVERAGE FOR THESE FUSION
CENTERS THE INFORMATION EASE THE
FLOW BACK AND FORTH.
AS IS QUICK AS IT CAN TO HELP
EACH OTHER MOVE FORWARD ONE OF
THE BIGGEST ISSUES WE
EXPERIENCED IN OUR ON OUR FIRE --
BETWEEN SIX PM AND MIDNIGHT IN
SANTA ROSA WE HAD TEN REPORTED
STRUCTURE FIRES IN TWENTY
REPORTED VEGETATION FIRES THAT
WAS BEFORE THE TUBS FIRE EVEN
CAME TO SANTA ROSA.
IT HAS A ROSE UNTIL ONE O'CLOCK
SO THE SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
WHEN A FIRE STARTS IN ANOTHER
COUNTY AND IS BURNING TOWARD
ANYBODY.
AND SO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS
HUGE ALITALIA'S SONOMA COUNTY WE
ALREADY WE HAVE FIFTEEN CAMERAS
UP THANKS TO SOME COUNTY WATER
P. JEANNIE AND SOME OTHERS -- SO
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO AND WE
HAVE THESE UP IN DISPATCH SO IF
THAT THERE ARE A CALL COMES IN
WE CAN LOOK PICKED THE CAMERA
WERE WE THIS APPROPRIATE.
YEP WE HAVE SMOKE IT HAPPENED
TWICE LAST YEAR WELL WE ACTUALLY
DIALED IN THE THE ACTUAL AREA IN
CENTER PROPER RESOURCES AND THEN
YOU CAN MONITOR HOW FAST IT'S
GROWING.
AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT
FIRE.
SO WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY TODAY THAT
THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE IN TWO
THOUSAND SEVENTEEN WHICH IS
HELPFUL.
AS FAR AS THE VEGETATION
MANAGEMENT THAT HAS TO BE A
REGIONAL APPROACH THERE'S NO ONE
SINGLE SILVER BOWL OF THIS GOING
TO FIX THIS.
THIS IS A HUNDRED YEARS IN THE
MAKING LAND USE HAS CHANGED --
I'LL TAKE AGAIN THE TUBS FIRE WE
HAVE THE HANLEY FIRE WHICH
BASICALLY IS THE SAME FOOTPRINT.
NINETEEN SIXTY FOUR NUMBER LESS
THAN TWO HUNDRED STRUCTURES MOST
OF THOSE WERE BARNES MOST OF THE
LAND WAS EITHER ORCHARD OR
GRACED.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT NOW WE HAVE
HOMES STODDARD EVERYWHERE AND
THERE'S NOT A LOT OF GRAZING
GOING ON SO YOU HAVE.
MANY MANY YEARS OF VEGETATION
GROWTH THAT WAS DEALT WITH
ANOTHER WAY AND WE JUST DON'T
HAVE THAT NOW SO IT TAKES A
REGIONAL APPROACH YOU HAVE TO BE
WORKING WITH THE COUNTIES AROUND
YOU.
THE LOCALITIES AROUND YOU THIS
STATE EVERYONE HAS TO BE ON THE
SAME PAGE.
LIKE I SAID FONG ROSE A FAR AWAY
AS COMMUNITY.
EVERYTHING BELOW IT WAS NOT SO
ONCE THAT CAUGHT ON FIRE AND
JUST.
JUST THROUGH AMBER'S EVERYWHERE.
AND SOME OF THE HOUSES WERE HARD
AND I WILL TELL YOU THE FIRE
STATION THAT WE LOST WAS HARD IT
WAS TWO YEARS OLD.
IT WAS HARD IT DID NOT SURVIVE
BECAUSE WE HAD FOUR FIVE HOMES
ON FIRE AROUND IT.
AND HARDENING DOES NOT.
DEAL WITH THAT KIND OF HEAT FOR
THAT KIND OF TIME IT'S MADE FOR
GRASS AND BRUSH TO BURN THROUGH
YOUR HOUSE OF SURVIVING AND
KEEPS.
KEEPS ON GOING ABLE TO CATCH UP
WITH THAT AT THAT POINT.
BUT WHEN THE HOUSE WHEN THERE'S
HOUSES BURNING LIES HOUSES WERE
HARD BECAUSE THEY'RE BUILT
BEFORE SO WE NEED GRANTING
OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PEOPLE
HARD MATTER IN THE COMMUNITIES
NOW -- TO HELP THEM MUCH LIKE WE
HAVE EARTHQUAKE GRANTING FOR YOU
KNOW -- TO HELP WITH THEIR THEIR
HOMES FOR EARTHQUAKE
PREPAREDNESS.
NOW SO THERE'S THERE'S MANY
THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO IT
NEEDS TO BE A REGIONAL APPROACH.
WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD HANDLE ON
HISTORICAL FIRES AND WHERE THERE
IT WHERE THEY START AND WHERE
THEY END UP I WILL TELL YOU THE
HANLEY FAR THAT ARE REFERENCED
BEFORE TO THREE TO FOUR DAYS TO
GET TO SANTA ROSA.
IT TOOK OUR HOURS ON IN.
TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN THAT WAS
SOMETHING THAT WERE NOT PREPARED.
FOR I WILL TELL YET.
PROPONENT OF FIRE WISE
COMMUNITIES IN SANTA ROSA WHAT
THAT DOES IS IF THERE'S A FIRE
THE STARS NOT COMMUNITY THAT
GIVES US TIME TO GET THERE AS
QUICK AS WE CANNOT CONTROL.
RIGHT SO DOESN'TGET OUT OF
CONTROL SO WE KEEP IT IN -- WE
JUST DON'T WHEN YOU'RE DEALING
WITH STATE AND FEDERAL LANDS AND
LARGE PARCELS -- IT'S VERY
DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN THE
VEGETATION AND THE STATE THAT IS.
HELPFUL TO FIRE PREVENTION SOME
CASES [inaudible]
THANK YOU.
YES.
GOOD MORNING TO BOTH G. THANK
YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE
CHIEF COSTNER I I DON'T KNOW HOW
MANY TRIPS YOU MADE UP YOUR FROM
SANTA ROSA SINCE TWO THOUSAND
SEVENTEEN I JUST APPRECIATE --
NOT ONLY OBVIOUSLY YOU'VE GOT A
GREAT INTEREST IN THIS BY YOUR
DEDICATION -- TO THIS AND TRYING
TO MAKE SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN
TO ANY OTHER COMMUNITIES.
HI I AM -- YOU THE MORE I LEARN
ABOUT -- YOU KNOW THIS.
LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT -- AT
HERE EVERYTHING IS ABOUT
MITIGATION AND LOOKING AT THE
DIFFERENT MODELS THAT HAVE BEEN
PUT OUT -- FOR FINANCIAL
BACKSTOPS FOR THIS TYPE OF THING --
IT'S A LONG ROAD.
AND ROME WAS NOT BUILT OVERNIGHT
WE SEE RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW IN THE CALIFORNIA FORCE
MANAGEMENT SEE OUR OLD WOULD GO
ON ALL THE TALK IN THE JEEP FOR
ABOUT THIS -- YEAH WERE LOOKING
AT I THINK A HALF MILLION ACRES
IS YOU KNOW REALLY WHAT THE GOAL
WAS.
AND WE'RE FOLLOWING WAY SHORT OF
THAT NOT BECAUSE NOBODY'S TRYING
NOW BECAUSE OF ANY.
HUMAN FAULT IT'S JUST IT TAKES
TIME TO RAMP UP.
YOU YOU MENTIONED -- ABOUT.
THE TAKING A REGIONAL APPROACH
AND I DO AGREE WITH THAT.
BUT I I REALLY SEE THAT -- YOU
ALLOW CAL FIRE MAY HAVE THIS
YACHT MASTER PLAN IN THE FOREST
EVERYTHING ELSE.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP YOU IN
THE WILL?
YOU KNOW WHILE AND URBAN
INTERFACE AND WHAT CAN WE DO
BETTER TO TRY TO SUPPORT.
LET'S SAY FOR FIVE COUNTIES.
YEAH WORKING TOGETHER WITH YEAH
YEAH YEAH WITH THE STATE WHAT
TYPE OF PLANTS.
YOU KNOW CAN WE PUT TOGETHER TO
HELP MITIGATE ANOTHER REAP OUT
LIKE YOU WENT THROUGH IT -- ON
OCTOBER EIGHTH TWO THOUSAND
SEVENTEEN YOU KNOW THERE'S A
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE CAN
DO WHAT WE'RE JUST EMBARKING ON
I WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GRANT OR
YES FROM WHAT THE COME OUT --
COMMITTEE WELFARE PROTECTION
PLAN THAT'S JUST FOR THE CITY
SANTA ROSA THE COUNTY HAS A PLAN
AS OF TWO THOUSAND SIXTEEN
SONOMA COUNTY.
BUT NURSE THIRTY FIVE
DEPARTMENTS FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND
SONOMA COUNTY RIGHT WHEN WE'RE
WORKING THROUGH THAT.
BUT EVERYONE HAS A LOCALITY
EVERYONE HAS A RESPONSIBILITY --
THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE A
RESPONSIBILITY TO HOMEOWNERS
HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY THE STATE
HAS A RESPONSIBILITY IN SOME
AREAS IT'S IT'S REALLY HAS TO BE
A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.
AND THE THE BIG THING THAT THAT
I SEE IS WE HAVE A LACK OF
RESOURCES MEANING MONEY.
RIGHT SO WE HAVE IN SANTA ROSA
WE HAVE AN INSPECTION BE A FIRE
PREVENTION BUREAU WE HAVE -- SIX
SIX FIRE INSPECTORS.
BUT THEY'RE DEDICATED TO
INSPECTING BUILDINGS THERE AND
SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS AND
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SITES AND
ALL THE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND
BUILDING THAT WE HAVE GOING ON
SO AS WE TRY TO A SHOE HORN A
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
INTO MY COMMUNITY.
THE THING THAT ALWAYS HOLD US
BACK IS MONEY BECAUSE IT'S
ALREADY DEDICATED TO THINGS THAT
YOU CAN'T LET GO OF WE CAN'T
STOP INSPECTING BUILDINGS WE
HAVE TO BECAUSE THAT YOU LOSE A
BUILDING DOWNTOWN.
THAT TURNS INTO A BLOCK THAT
TURNS INTO A THREE BLOCKS AS A
HUGE HUGE ISSUE FOR A COMMUNITY
SO YOU REALLY WE ARE TRYING TO
REASON EVERY GRANTING
OPPORTUNITY TO AT LEAST
JUMPSTART OF EDUCATION
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS IS STARTED
A LIMITED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM.
BUT YOU'RE RIGHT YOU CAN'T DO IT
ALL AT ONCE SO YOU HAVE TO START
WHERE THE HISTORY IS YOU HAVE TO
START WHERE THE THE THE WHILE
AND MEETS TO COMMUNITIES
WEATHER'S.
LARGE POPULATIONS -- AND YOU
JUST KIND HAVE TO EAT THAT ALL
ONE BITE AT A TIME BUT THE BIG
THING FOR US YOU KNOW WE
STRUGGLE WITH IN THE CITY SANTA
ROSA IS FUNDING.
NOW HOW DO WE HOW DO WE GET MORE
MONEY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO
AND STILL KEEP THE CITY VIABLE.
AT ALL CAN'T GO TO THE FIRE
DEPARTMENT WE HAVE A WHOLE CITY
TO RUN.
SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S
WHAT WE STRUGGLE SO WE LEAN
HEAVILY.
ON GRANTING OPPORTUNITIES IN AND
WE'VE BEEN TURNED OUT A COUPLE
TIMES ALREADY SINCE THE FIRES HE
SAID AS A HEAD SCRATCHER A
SECOND ALL RIGHT WHAT A WILL HOW
DID WE DO MISS OUT.
ONE BUT WE KEEP TRYING AND
TRYING AND WE'LL GET THERE SO
ANY SUPPORT WE GET FROM THE
STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
TO HELP JUMP START THESE
PROGRAMS OF WE CAN GET OUR FEET
UNDER S..
AND GET THE PROGRAM MOVING IS
VERY VERY HELPFUL TO ALL THE
FIRE DEPARTMENTS AND THE LOCAL
COMMUNITIES -- YOU KNOW THAT'S
REALLY THE THE BIG THING IS IT'S
IT'S FUNDING.
MEMBERS ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
RIGHT SO ONE QUESTION AND
CONCERN THAT I DID HAVE I THINK
IT'S IT'S BEEN MADE CLEAR NOW
THROUGH.
THE FIRST TWO PANELS THAT WE
REALIZE THAT MITIGATION IN TERMS
OF FORRESTER CLEARING BRUSH
CLEARANCE HOME ABATEMENT HOME
HARDENING IS GOING TO BE A LONG
TERM PROJECT.
BUT ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS --
FOR MY CONSTITUENTS AND MY
CONSTITUENTS AND THE MEN AND
WOMEN IN FIRE SERVICES IN
PARTICULAR IS WHAT CAN WE DO. TO
KEEP YOU SAFE IN THE NEXT FEW
CYCLES AND YOU EACH MENTIONED --
SOME IMPROVEMENTS THAT YOU THINK
COULD BE MADE TO THE MUTUAL AID
PROGRAM SOUNDS LIKE PRE
POSITIONING SHOWS SOME PROMISE
BUT THERE WERE OTHER
TECHNOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENTS --
THAT YOU BOTH MENTIONED I'D I'D
LOVE TO HAVE YOU I HAVE A MOMENT
TO EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE BIT
MORE IN DEPTH AND SEE IF THAT
SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT NOT BE
ABLE.
TO START TAKING A LOOK AT
INVESTING IN -- SO YEAH THANK
YOU FOR THAT QUESTION THAT'S
GREAT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF
THINGS OUT TO KEEP US SAFE. ONE
OF THE THINGS WE STRUGGLED WITH --
WITH OUR FIRES WAS A LACK OF
RESOURCES.
AND PART OF THAT -- WAS.
CAL FIRE WAS THE COMMAND CENTER
FOR THREE MAJOR FIRES THE NOT AS
THE TUBS ALICE ONE DISPATCH
CENTER.
THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO
OVERCOME AND THEN WHEN YOU SO
FOR INSTANCE THERE WAS SEVENTY
EIGHT STRIKE TEAMS ORDERED FOR
THE TUBS FIRE -- FORTY RIGHT OUT
THE GATE AND THEN ANOTHER TWENTY
FIVE ANOTHER TEN AND A NUMBER
AND ANOTHER THREE WE REALLY
DIDN'T GET ANY RESOURCES AND FOR
PROBABLY THREE OR FOUR HOURS.
AND RESOURCES THAT DID COME IN
KNEW THERE WAS A FIRE BECAUSE
OUR BUDDY CALL THEM AND THEY GOT
ON THE ROAD AND AND WITHOUT ANY
ORDERS WHICH WE TRY NOT TO DO.
BUT IN THIS CASE ALL THE ORDERS
WENT THROUGH CAL FIRE WHICH GOES
THROUGH THE CALIFORNIA SYSTEM
WHICH WE ASK COMES INTO THAT
SYSTEM DOWN THE ROAD.
AND FOR FOR ME I'VE BEEN HARPING
ON THIS FOR AWHILE -- WHEN
WHENEVER WE HAVE BIG ORDERS LIKE
THAT WE NEED TO ME WE NEED TO
SPLIT HALF GO TO CAL FIRE HALF
GO -- TO YES AND YOU GET ALL THE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
ENGINES GONE AS AS QUICK AS YOU
CAN WE HAD A LOT OF ENGINES IN
THE EAST BAY.
THAT JUST DID NOT GET DISPATCHED
BECAUSE IT TAKES TIME FOR PEOPLE
TO INPUT ALL THAT INFORMATION.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO HELP WE
CANNOT HOLD UP RESPONSE ON
PAPERWORK OR COMPUTER WORK.
AND WE NEED TO OVERCOME THAT I
THINK THERE'S SOME GOOD WORK
THAT THAT THAT CHIEF PORTER.
AND DIRECTOR GIL DO SHE'S GOING
TO REPORT ON BECAUSE I KNOW
THERE ARE SOME CHANGES COMMON.
BUT IT'S A BIG SHIP AND BUT WE
NEED TO TURN FOR ME IT IS NOT
TURNING FAST ENOUGH.
AS MUCH AS THEY'RE WORKING ON IT
IT'S IT'S IT'S STILL A VERY
CUMBERSOME.
MODEL SO THAT KEEPS US SAFER
KEEPS OUR MEMBER SAFE IT GETS
ALL EQUIPMENT THAT WE CAN -- AS
QUICK AS POSSIBLE I WILL SAY
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE IT'S A
LITTLE UNFAIR TO BLAME ANYTHING
ON THAT AND I THERE WAS SO MUCH
GOING ON THERE WAS NOT ENOUGH
RESOURCES. FOR ANYONE AND I
REALIZE THAT THERE'S POOR
COMMUNITIES IN MENDOCINO THEY
DIDN'T GET ANY RESOURCES NAY
LOST PEOPLE AS WELL AS HOMES.
SO IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE
NIGHTS IT WAS VERY VERY VERY
DIFFICULT.
BUT THERE ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS
WE CAN MAKE INTO THE RESOURCE
ORDERING SYSTEM.
AND I'M I'M SURE YOU HEAR ABOUT
SOME OF THAT LATER.
IT JUST TO KIND OF TACK ON TO
THAT TO THAT LOCALLY HERE FOR
THE SECOND OWNER FIREFIGHTERS
AGAIN TYPICALLY AND ANYONE OF
THESE LARGE INCIDENTS.
WE ARE USUALLY.
ON A NORMAL BASIS WE SET UP
THREE STRAIGHT GAMES WHICH IS
TYPICALLY THAT'S FIVE ENGINE
COMPANIES -- AND MIGHT BE TYPE
THREE MIGHT BE TYPE ONE IS PART
OF THE YES RESPONSE.
WILL CURRENTLY LIKE I SAID
EARLIER WHEN.
WE ARE RUNNING IT MANDATORY
STAFFING ALREADY AND ON A
REGULAR BASIS WE'RE HAVING A
BROWN OUT OR CLOSE A STATION
WHEN WE HAVE ONE OF THESE LARGER
SCALE INCIDENTS.
I MEAN WE WE RESPOND BUT IT PUTS
OUR DEPARTMENTS AT RISK AS WELL
AS THE MUSIC MUNICIPALITIES WE
SERVE.
FROM HAVING TO MAKE THAT
DECISION TO CLOSE COMMUNITY
RESOURCES HERE IN THE CITY AND
THE AREAS OF SACRAMENTO.
AND JUST LIKE THE CHIEF WAS
SAYING WHEN THEIR FIRE BROKE OUT
THERE WAS ALSO ANOTHER FIRE THAT
WAS UP IN THE AREA THAT I
ACTUALLY LIVE IN UP THE CASCADE
FIRE.
WHICH UNFORTUNATELY WAS
COMPLETELY OVERSHADOWED BY THE
TUBS FIRE BUT AGAIN LIVES WERE
LOST NUMEROUS HOMES WERE LOST UP
IN THE LIMERICK AREA AS WELL.
AND AGAIN RESOURCES ARE DRAWN
DOWN BUT WE PUT OUR DEPARTMENTS
AT RISK FROM HAVING TO DELAY
RESOURCE ORDERING IN FILLING
SOME OF THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR
CAL U. S..
BASED ON OUR CURRENT STAFFING
LEVELS WHICH ARE TOO LOW SO
AGAIN EVEN AT THE LOCAL LEVEL WE
NEED TO IMPROVE OUR STAFFING TO
SO MANY SUPPORT THAT THE
LEGISLATURE CAN.
GET HELP EVEN IN THAT VENUE
WOULD BE GREAT FOR US.
THANK YOU ON A PERCENTAGE BASIS
HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE IN
STOPPING DO YOU THINK WOULD MAKE
YOUR DEPARTMENT RECENTLY ABLE TO
RESPOND TO THE SEASONS LIKE
WE'VE SEEN.
CURRENTLY THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO
WERE FOUR TO SIX STATIONS BELOW
OUR WHAT OUR CURRENT STAFFING IS
SHOULD BEEN REPORTED WHICH IS
BEEN STUDIED MULTIPLE TIMES BUT
WE STILL HAVE AN ADDED THE
RESOURCES THAT WE NEED.
JUST RECENTLY WE'VE TRIED TO RE
OPEN ONE OF OUR STATIONS IT WAS
CLOSED YEARS AGO AND AGAIN WE'RE
STRUGGLING SO ON A JUST A NORMAL
BASIS TO GET US TO WHERE WE
SHOULD BE I WOULD ALMOST SAY WE
NEED ANOTHER TWENTY TO THIRTY
FIREFIGHTERS.
A DAY IN THE CITY OF SACRAMENTO
NOW YOU MULTIPLY THAT OUT
REGIONALLY AND EVEN GETS LARGER
SO PROBABLY IN THE REGION I
WOULD SAY ANYWHERE BETWEEN A
HUNDRED TWO HUNDRED FIFTY
FIREFIGHTERS REGIONALLY.
THANK YOU SENATOR JACKSON'S.
YEAH I KNOW YOU MENTIONED BOTH
OF YOU I THINK IN A THREAD OF
THIS CONVERSATION.
THE UTILITIES -- SOME OF THEM
HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB I'M
THINKING SAN DIEGO OF CREATING
STATE OF THE ART.
THEY'VE GOT WEATHER STATIONS TO
ADDRESS THE MICRO CLIMATES THAT
EXIST THERE THERE ARE PRE
POSITION DAYS IN ADVANCE BECAUSE
OF THE TECHNOLOGY THEY'VE GOT.
I SUSPECT P. JEANNIE HASN'T
ANYTHING NEAR THAT -- IN EDISON
IS KIND OF IN BETWEEN LET'S
ASSUME THAT THE THAT ARE UTILITY
COMPANIES ACTUALLY TAKE
SERIOUSLY THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES
TO THE SAFETY OF THEIR
COMMUNITIES.
WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE?
THEM HAPPEN WHAT INTERACTIONS
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE TAKE PLACE
THAT WILL HELP YOU GIVEN.
IF THEY DO START.
OF CREATING THE KINDS OF
TECHNOLOGY.
RESOURCES IF THEY USE THEM NOW
WE CAN SEE THINGS A COUPLE DAYS
IN ADVANCE KNOWING.
THE DIFFERENT -- TEMPERATURES
TEMPERATURES VERY HUMIDITY VERY
EASY EVEN SMALL MICRO CLIMATES.
THE WIND IS HIGHER IN CERTAIN
PLACES AND CAN BE TESTED WAS
SOME OF THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY THE
THE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES
AVAILABLE THAT THE UTILITY
COMPANY SHOULD BE USING.
WELL LET'S ASSUME THAT THEY
ACTUALLY ARE HOW WOULD YOU
ENVISION INTERACTING AND TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THAT SO THAT THAT
CAN HELP YOU BE BETTER PREPARED.
TO ANTICIPATE WHAT'S GOING ON
AND TO STOP THESE FIRES BEFORE
THEY BLOW OUT OF CONTROL.
I'LL START A FEEL GOOD -- SO FOR
ME YOU KNOW LAST YEAR WE HAD TEN
TO TWELVE RED FLAGS AND SONOMA
COUNTY.
WE USED TO A PRE POSITIONING
WITH EVERYONE OF THEM AND WE
WERE APPROVED FOR EVERYONE OF
THE OF THE HI I'M.
SESSION SO WE HAD A STRIKE TEAM
ADDITIONAL FOR OUR OP AREA WHICH
IS CINEMA COUNTY FIVE ENGINES
THAT'S HELPFUL BUT IT'S NOT
QUITE ENOUGH.
THE COUNTY ALSO LET US UP STAFF
THEY PUT SOME FUNDING ASIDE FOR
THAT.
AS WELL SO WE HAD A TASK FORCE
RESTRICTING WE HAD TEN
ADDITIONAL ENGINES -- THAT WE
USED TO HELP DURING THESE THESE
RED FLAG WARNINGS.
NOW THERE ARE MANY RED FLAGS AND
THESE.
THE THOUGH THE ONES THAT KEEP ME
UP AT NIGHT ARE THE ONES THAT
HAPPENED ON OCTOBER TWENTY
SEVENTEEN WHEN YOU HAVE FORTY
FIFTY SIXTY MILE AN HOUR WINDS.
WERE I'VE BEEN WORKING IN A
LITTLE BIT OF WORK WITH SAN JOSE
STATE UNIVERSITY AND THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AND
IT'S LIKE.
HOW DO YOU WE NEED A LOW NOT A
RED FLAG WE NEED THE PURPLE FLAG
FOR THE BLACK FLAG?
THE 1% WEATHER SYSTEM THAT'S
GOING TO CAUSE THIS KIND OF
DAMAGE BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN YOU
CAN REALLY SATURATED AREA AND IT
CAN'T JUST BE AN **** OF SANTA
ROSA.
IT'S GOT TO BE AND NAPA COUNTIES
GOT TO BE IN LAKE COUNTY IT'S
GOT TO BE EVERYWHERE IN BETWEEN.
SO WHEN A FIRE DOES HEART THE
START THEY GET THERE AS QUICK AS
A CANDIDATE.
THE THE CONTROLLER OR WE GOT
MORE RESOURCES COMMON RIGHT SO.
AND AND THAT I WILL TELL YOU I
WAS ON HIGHWAY TWENTY ON OCTOBER
EIGHTH.
AND THE WIND UP WAS INCREDIBLY
STRONG BLOWING FROM THE NORTH TO
THE SOUTH.
THAT I'VE NOW I'VE BEEN ON THAT
ROAD QUITE A BIT I'VE NEVER SEEN
ONE LIKE THAT AND WHEN I GOT TO
HIDDEN VALLEY I STOPPED TO VISIT
FAMILY MEMBER AND THERE'S REALLY
NO WHEN IT WAS A LITTLE GUSTY
BUT REALLY NO WIND.
HOUSE ON TUBS LANE AT SEVEN
O'CLOCK AT NIGHT IT WAS A NORMAL
NIGHT.
BUT THAT ALL CHANGED AND THAT
CHANGE FROM THE WINDS IN THE
SACRAMENTO VALLEY SO HE WAS SAN
JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY YOU NEED
MORE WEATHER STATIONS AND SANTA
ROSA YET I DON'T DISAGREE WITH
THAT.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT'S GOING TO
ALERT US TO WHAT'S COMING SO WE
NEED SOMETHING IN IN THE VALLEY.
THAT'S GONNA COME OVER THAT SAME
LEAN AT THE MOUNTAIN WAVE.
THERE'S SOME WEATHER STATIONS ON
CHANNEL IN AT LEAST TWO THAT I'M
MORE OF BUT THE IT'S IT'S FOR
CASTING THOSE BIG WHETHER
ADVANCE IN IN P. JEANNIE -- AS
PUT UP A LOT OF WEATHER STATIONS
AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL
FACILITIES.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE
DOING A LOT OF WORK.
I DON'T KNOW HOW INTEGRATED IT
IS EVERYONE'S DOING A LITTLE BIT
YOU KNOW EVERYONE'S KIND OF
TALKING TO EACH OTHER BUT IT'S
NOT COMING TOGETHER.
SO WHEN THAT INFORMATION COMES
TO ME IN A PERFECT WORLD GOES --
TO YES THIS IS LOOK AT WE GOT
THIS ISSUE NOTIFY THESE
COMMUNITIES AND AND THEN IT GOES
RIGHT DOWN THE LINE TO TO NOTIFY
THE REST WAS THAT'S WHERE THIS
FUSION CENTER COMES AND HIGH
LEVEL -- CAN FOR ME AYE AYE.
IF THERE IS A START WE NEED REAL
TIME INFORMATION IT IS MOVING IN
THIS DIRECTION AT THIS SPEED.
GET THAT TO THE GROUND LEVEL SO
PEOPLE CAN PREPARE THEIR
COMMUNITIES TO GET OUT.
AS FOR USING CAMERAS FOR IF WE
SEE FAR LESS MOVING FAST WE'RE
DOING.
IS ACTIVATIONS WE'RE NOT WAITING.
AND IN SOME CASES WE GOT
CRITICIZED FOR NOT EVACUATING
QUICK ENOUGH IN OTHER CASES WE
ARE CRITICIZED BECAUSE IT WAS
TOO BIG OF AN AREA.
AND ALSO YOU SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T
WIN BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE MY
COMMUNITY EVERY CHANCE I GET. TO
GET OUT OF THERE BECAUSE THERE'S
NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA STOP THAT
YOU HAVE TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF
THE WAY.
AND THEN.
PUT THE FIRE OUT AS IT COMES
THROUGH IN FOR US WE CAN CONTROL
TO WIN SHIFTED THAT DIDN'T
HAPPEN TO ABOUT FIVE IN THE
MORNING SO MY QUESTION IS.
IF WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING.
TO TAKE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT
NEED TO BE DEVELOPED BY THE
UTILITY COMPANIES WHOSE HOLES
AND WHAT HAVE YOU HAVE BECAUSE
OF THE WINDS OR WHATEVER IT IS.
HAVE TO HAVE IT INSTIGATED THESE
FIRES AND WHAT HAVEYOU.
IS THERE SOME RELATIONSHIP THAT
ALREADY EXISTS OR THAT -- IT
SEEMS LIKE IT SHOULD EXIST SO
THAT THEY CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH
THE INFORMATION THEY GIVE YOU A
HEADS UP THAT THERE IS A AN
EVENT THAT 1% YOU TALK ABOUT FOR
PERHAPS -- IS THAT SOMETHING
THAT YOU THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE
LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF POLICY
REQUIRING THAT THERE BE THAT
INNER CONNECTIVITY THAT
COLLABORATION WITH LOCALS WHEN
THEY HAVE TO GET THIS
INFORMATION SO THAT YOU THEN GET
THE INFORMATION IN CAMBRIDGE BE
PREPARED.
YES ABSOLUTELY SO SAN DIEGO DOES
A GREAT JOB THE COMMUNICATE VERY
WELL THEY EVEN MODEL FIRE SO
THEY CAN GIVE YOU SOME KIND SOME
MODELING -- WE'RE NOT THERE YET
WITH P. JEANNIE HAVE A FEELING
THERE MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION AND
MAYBE DIRECTOR GALA DO SHE HAS A
LOT MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
HE BE IN THE KNOW WAY MORE THAN
ME -- BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT'S
A KIND INFORMATION WE NEED AND
WE NEED OPEN COMMUNICATION I
CAN'T BE RIGHT NOW IT'S A LITTLE
BIT.
WE GOT IT WILL LET YOU KNOW IF
THERE'S AN ISSUE.
NOW THAT DOESN'T HELP ME I NEED
TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND WEATHER'S DYNAMICS OF THE
CHANGES SO -- IT'S WHEN YOU DO
FIND OUT.
WE NEED TO HAVE AT THE EARLIEST
NOTIFICATION POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU ANY ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT THE GERMAN THANK YOU
FOR YOUR TIME IN YOUR TESTIMONY
AND I THINK I CAN SAY N BEHALF
OF THIS ENTIRE COMMITTEE -- HUGE
THANKS TO YOU AND THE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO SERVE WITH YOU AND AS
WE HEAD INTO WARM SEASON YOU
KNOW GODSPEED TO ALL OF YOU WE
WE ARE HERE WE ARE LISTENING ON
WE'RE GONNA DO EVERYTHING WE CAN
TO SUPPORT YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THANK
YOU SO MUCH.
OKAY SO NOW WE WILL WELCOME OUR
FOURTH AND FINAL COMPONENT OF
THE DAY LIKE TO WELCOME CHIEF
THOMAS PORTER THE DIRECTOR OF
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION.
CHIEF JOE TYLER DEPUTY DIRECTOR
OF FIRE PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
FORESTRY AND FIRE PROTECTION.
MARGIELA DG DIRECTOR GOVERNOR'S
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES AND
MAJOR GENERAL DAVID BALDWIN I
JUNE ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE
CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD.
GERMAN WELCOME THANK YOU YOU MAY
BEGIN YOUR TESTIMONY AS READING.
GOOD MORNING MADAM CHAIR AND
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
ADDRESS YOU ON THIS -- IMPORTANT --
TOPIC -- A LOT OF FOR A WHAT WE
WILL COVER I THINKWILL --
DOVETAIL NICELY WITH THE THE
PREVIOUS PANELS -- AND I LOOK
FORWARD TO ANY QUESTIONS AT THE
END.
AGAIN I'M TOM PORTER -- CAL FIRE
DIRECTOR.
AND WHAT.
WE NEED TO KIND OF LOOK AT IS IS
A WILDFIRE IS A NATURAL PART OF
OF CALIFORNIA'S LANDSCAPE --
IT'S BEEN HERE LONG BEFORE WE
WERE HERE -- AND IT WILL BE HERE
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE -- AND
WHAT.
IS GOING TO HAPPEN -- OVER TIME
IS THERE'S THEY'RE GONNA BE
CYCLES CYCLES OF WILDFIRE THAT
THAT -- FOLLOW THE VEGETATION
PATTERNS OF THE WEATHER PATTERNS
THE CHANGING CLIMATE ALL OF
THOSE THINGS -- WHAT WE'RE
SEEING RIGHT NOW IS A DEFINITE
INCREASE -- TWO THOUSAND
SEVENTEEN OF COURSE WAS THE
WORST AT THE TIME.
A WILDFIRE IN CALIFORNIA'S
HISTORY AND THEN THE TWO
THOUSAND EIGHTEEN THAT.
NUMBER WAS DWARFED AGAIN SO WE
WENT FROM TEN THOUSAND
STRUCTURES DISTANCE STRUCTURES
ALONE TEN THOUSAND STRUCTURES IN
TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN WERE
DESTROYED -- TWO THOUSAND
EIGHTEEN OF WELL OVER. TWENTY
TWO THOUSAND HUNDRED PEOPLE LOST
THEIR LIVES. SIX OF THOSE WERE
FIRST RESPONDERS -- ONE IS TOO
MANY.
HUNDRED IS HORRIBLE [inaudible]
SO.
THE AFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
FIRE SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES
OVERGROWN FORESTS AS WE'VE BEEN
HEARING FROM SOME OF OUR FOR
SCIENTISTS PRO LONG DROUGHTS --
WHICH INCREASE OR INCREASE FIRE
SPREAD BECAUSE OF DECREASED --
HUMIDITY OR THE SOY SORRY FUELS --
HUMIDITY OR THE MOISTURE IN
FUELS -- IT HAVE INCREASED THE
NUMBER SIZE AND SEVERITY OF
WILDFIRES -- TO AN ALL TIME HIGH
AND SO -- WHAT WE HAVE BEEN
FOCUSING ON MOVING FORWARD --
AND RELATED TO KIND OF BRINGING
IT INTO THERE'S THE CONTEXT NOW
BRING IT BACK TO WORK -- ARE WE
PREPARED -- WE ARE PREPARING AND
WE ARE CONTINUING TO HONE OUR
PREPARE PREPAREDNESS -- AND WILL
CONTINUE TO DO SO ONE OF THE
WAYS WE'RE DOING THAT IS BY --
IDENTIFYING THE THE VULNERABLE
COMMUNITIES AND I'LL TALK A
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE
SPECIFICS OF OF VULNERABLE
COMMUNITIES -- LATER IN THE
PRESENTATION BUT IDENTIFYING FOR
FURTHER ARE -- VERY HIGH FIRE
SEVERITY ZONES -- AS WAS
MENTIONED BY THE PREVIOUS --
PANEL AND DIVISION DEFINING
WHERE THOSE ARE RELATED TO THE
WE WE THE WILDLAND URBAN
INTERFACE -- THE INTERMIX AREAS --
AND THEN ALSO THOSE MAPS COVER
ALL GROUNDS IN ALL LAND IN
CALIFORNIA.
RIGHT INTO THE CITIES SAN DIEGO
LA -- SANTA BARBARA OAKLAND
[inaudible]
READING [inaudible]
PARADISE.
VARIOUS SIZE OF CITIES ALL OF
THEM HAVE.
WILD LANDS THAT IN CROCE INTO
THEM.
NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE STATE
RESPONSIBILITY MANY OF THOSE ARE
LOCAL RESPONSIBILITY --
REQUIRING LOCAL LAND USE --
RELATED ISSUES WHICH I ALSO WILL
COVER A LITTLE BIT LATER.
SO -- ANIMUS SPEAK TO WHAT CAL
FIRES DOING PRIMARILY AND I'LL
BRING THAT KIND OF TO A BIGGER
PICTURE AS WELL.
BUT CAL FIRE -- BEING THE
STATE'S WILDFIRE -- ORGANIZATION --
WE THE AT THE THE MEN AND WOMEN
OF OF CAL FIRE.
ARE -- POISED TO RESPOND -- WE
ARE NOW -- YEAR ROUND FIRE
DEPARTMENT WAS FIFTY TWO FIRE
ENGINES -- COVERED YEAR ROUND --
AND MORE RESOURCES THAN THAT
WHEN WE GET INTO OUR LOCAL
RESPONSIBILITY AREAS -- IN -- IN
SOME OF THE AREAS OF THE STATE --
BUT WE ARE ALSO READY -- TO
RESPOND TO ALL RISK -- AND WE'RE
DOING PREVENTION ACTIVITIES
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
FURTHER WE ARE DOING THOSE LAND
USE PLANNING -- RELATED
CONSULTING -- THAT HAPPENS AT
THE LOCAL LEVEL -- WE HAVE LAND
A LAND USE PLANNING.
BUREAU THAT IS AVAILABLE TO ALL
LOCAL JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE
PLANNING -- REQUIREMENTS -- IN
THEIR IN THEIR JURISDICTIONAL
RESPONSIBILITIES.
AND WE ARE -- SPREADING THAT
WORD AND THEY HAVE AND HELPING
THEM TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE
THINGS THAT THEY CAN DO TO
HARDEN THEIR THEIR COMMUNITIES
AND PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF
WILDFIRES.
SO.
WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TODAY IS
GIVE YOU A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF --
FOR THINGS.
OUR PEOPLE [inaudible]
OUR EQUIPMENT.
OUR LANDSCAPE LEVEL WORK.
AND OUR PARTNERSHIPS -- AND TO
START THAT OFF -- CHIEF JOE
TYLER OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF
FIRE PROTECTION PROGRAMS IS
GOING TO TALK WITH YOU ABOUT THE
PEOPLE AND THE EQUIPMENT I'LL
COME BACK TO YOU IN THE LATER
WITH THE LANDSCAPE AND
PARTNERSHIPS.
JOB.
I THANK YOU CHIEF PORTER.
MADAM CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE AGAIN JOE TYLER DEPUTY
DIRECTOR FIRE PROTECTION FOR CAL
FIRE.
MY APOLOGIES AND HORSE TODAY
BEEN COUGHING IS I APOLOGIZE IN
THE BACKGROUND -- AS SHE SAID
OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND
SUPPORT STAFF AT THE STATE LOCAL
AND FEDERAL LEVELS OUR MOST
IMPORTANT RESOURCE.
RESPONDING TO A OVER FIFTY SIX
HUNDRED FIRES ACROSS THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA WILDLAND FIRES
ACROSS STATE CALIFORNIA EACH
YEAR.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP. TO
YOUR SIDE CAL FIRES
RESPONSIBILITIES -- TAKE ON THE
LINKS AND DEPTH AND BREATH.
OF OF THE STATE AND IS.
A PART OF EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND
RESOURCE PROTECTION FORCE WITH
OVER.
SIXTY ONE HUNDRED EMERGENCY
RESPONDERS PROFESSIONAL
FORESTERS AND ADMINISTRATIVE
EMPLOYEES OVER TWENTY SIX
HUNDRED SEASONAL FIREFIGHTERS
THAT ARE WORKING ANYWHERE
BETWEEN SIX AND NINE MONTHS PER
YEAR -- OVER A HUNDRED A
CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS
MEMBERS WHO MAKE UP OUR OUR HAND
CREWS IN BUTTE PLASTER AND OF
INTER COUNTIES IN CAMERINO.
OVER SIX HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS WHO
VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME IN THE
VARIOUS UNITS ACROSS THE STATE.
AS WELL AS UP.
TO FORTY THREE HUNDRED INMATES
IN WARD TO SUPPLEMENT OUR IN MAY
HAND CREWS AT OUR THIRTY NINE
CONSERVATION CAMPS AND THREE A
CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS
CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA.
OUR AS THE CHIEF MENTIONED --
FIFTY TWO ENGINES AT MINIMUM
HAVE BEEN STAFF BY CAL FIRE YEAR
ROUND TO AUGMENT THE STATE
MASTER MUTUAL AID SYSTEM.
AS WELL AS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF
OF CALIFORNIA IN THE AREAS THAT
THEY'RE LOCATED.
HERE RECENTLY WE HAVE --
AUGMENTED THE STAFFING -- HERE
JUST APRIL FIFTEENTH -- TO HIRE
ADDITIONAL STAFF AND
FIREFIGHTERS. TO BEGIN THE
AUGMENTATION PROCESS TO RAMP UP
IN THE FIRE SEASON.
THIS WILL ALLOW OF THOSE RESPOND
HERS TO WORK ON THINGS SUCH AS A
FUEL REDUCTION PROJECTS
PRESCRIBED FIRE AS WELL AS THE
EMERGENCY RESPONSE IN WHICH
THERE'S SO OFTEN RESPOND TO YOU --
AS WE MOVE FOR THE GOAL IS TO
HAVE ALL THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY
THREE OF OUR STATE FIRE ENGINES.
STAFF BY EARLY JUNE OF TWO
THOUSAND NINETEEN AND LESS AS
FAR CONDITIONS A WARRANT
STAFFING EARLIER IN WHICH WE
WILL EITHER STAFF UP.
OR MOVE RESOURCES TO THE MOST
FIRE PRONE AREAS.
IN ADDITION -- TO OUR LOCAL AND
FEDERAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
TEAMS CAL FIRE BRINGS FORWARD
SIX OF OUR EXPERIENCE FIFTY FIVE
MEMBER -- INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
TEAMS TO RESPOND TO LARGE AND
MAJOR DISASTERS ACROSS THE STATE
OF CALIFORNIA.
WHEN DEPLOYED?
MOVING INTO THIS NEXT FISCAL
YEAR AND THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED
IN THE NINETEEN TWENTY BUDGET.
A NO REGRETS OF THIRTEEN
ADDITIONAL YEAR ROUND FIRE
ENGINES AND A TOTAL OF A HUNDRED
AND THIRTY ONE POSITIONS. TO
STAFF TO AUGMENT THE EXISTING
FLEET WITH YEAR ROUND ENGINES
BRINGING THE TOTAL ENGINES
AVAILABLE FOR CAL FIRE TO
AUGMENT THE STATE MASTER MUTUAL
AID SYSTEM.
THE THREE HUNDRED FIFTY SIX
ENGINES -- TO TRY TO RESPOND TO
THAT WHILE AND THREAT THAT WE
HAVE -- INTO YOU ADD RESOURCES
EARLIER AND LATER INTO THE
SEASON. TO BRING MORE SUFFICIENT
RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THIS
CRITICAL PROBLEM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT WE'RE
REQUESTING THIRTY FOUR POSITIONS --
FOR AUGMENTATION OF OUR
BULLDOZERS ARE FIFTY EIGHT
BULLDOZERS ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA THEY CURRENTLY HAVE.
TWO OPERATORS ON THEM -- AS WE
SEEN LAST YEAR UNFORTUNATELY WE
HAD THE DEATH OF A DON SMITH A
PRIVATE DOES OUR OPERATOR IN THE
CAR FIRE IN SHASTA COUNTY.
AS WELL AS BRADEN VARNEY -- A
CALIFORNIA'S OUR OPERATOR IN
MARIPOSA COUNTY WHO LOST HIS
LIFE OUR HOPE WITH THESE
ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AS THE ODD
MAN PROVIDE SUPERVISION ON THE
GROUND.
OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST FAMILIAR
WITH THE DOZERS IN THIS ROUGH
RUGGED COUNTRY.
THAT WE PLACE THEM IN.
ADDITIONALLY WE ALL DESIRE MORE
INFORMATION AND INTELLIGENCE AND
WHILE WE RE DIRECTOR OF
PERSONNEL -- ANNUALLY AND AND
THROUGH THE FIRE SEASON -- TO
PROVIDE THAT INTEL AND
INFORMATION WE'RE HOPING THAT
WE'LL AUGMENT OUR INTEL.
A STAFF ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA -- TO GEOGRAPHIC
COORDINATION CENTERS IN READING
AND RIVERSIDE AS WELL AS
SACRAMENTO. TO BE ABLE TO
PROVIDE MORE TIMELY INFORMATION
AND INTELLIGENCE TO THE DECISION
MAKERS ON THE GROUND.
AS WELL AS AS WELL AS OUR
GOVERNMENTAL OFFICIALS.
AS YOU MOVE INTO A QUICK MAN I
TALKED ABOUT THE THREE HUNDRED
FORTY THREE FIRE ENGINES IN THE
STAFFING THAT THE NORTHERN IN
THE SOUTHERN REGIONS ARE DOING.
AS OF THIS WEEK TWO HUNDRED
SIXTY ONE OF OUR THREE HUNDRED
FORTY THREE FIRE ENGINES ARE
STAFFED -- AGAIN TO SUPPORT THAT
FUELS REDUCTION PRESCRIBED FIRE
NUMBER TWO SPOTS.
IN ADDITION TO THE FIRE ENGINES
THOUGH WE WE BRING WITH LOCAL
AND FEDERAL PARTNERS -- OTHER
SPECIALIZE RESOURCES AS WELL
INCLUDING -- BULLDOZERS FIFTY
EIGHT OF THOSE AS I DESCRIBED IN
UP TO TWO HUNDRED FIVE HAND
CREWS ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA.
THE CHIEF AND MAJOR GENERAL BALD
WHEN I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT
LATER -- THE FUELS REDUCTION
CREWS THAT ARE OUT THERE
CURRENTLY -- TRYING TO REDUCE
THOSE FUELS HAZARDS ACROSS THE
STATE OF CALIFORNIA IN THOSE
COMMUNITIES.
MOST PRONE AND MOST RISKS TO A
DEVASTATING FIRE.
WE HAVE AIR TANKERS THAT -- THAT
WE USED IN OUR CAL FIRE --
FIREFIGHTING OPERATION CURRENTLY
WE HAVE TWENTY TWO AIR TANKERS.
OF THAT RESPOND THE FIRES BUT
LOCAL STATE AND FEDERAL
RESPONSIBILITY AREAS THEY
RESPOND ON AN INITIAL ATTACK OR
IMMEDIATELY UPON DISPATCH AN
AUGMENTATION OF AIRCRAFT WILL
GENERALLY BE.
A DISPATCH TO THE AREA.
THOSE ARE LOCATED -- CURRENTLY
ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
VARIOUS ERROR AND HELLO ATTACK
BASES CURRENTLY CAL FIRE HAS AIR
TANKERS STAFFED AND SITTING
AVAILABLE.
IN SONORA HOLLISTER PASO ROBLES
SUPPORTER VILLE RIVERSIDE RAMONA.
AND AT MCCLELLAN -- BASE HERE IN
SACRAMENTO.
OUR REMAINING AIRBASES IN THE
NORTH WILL BE STAFF NO LATER
THAN -- JUNE FIRST OF THIS YEAR.
IN TOTAL CAL FIRE WILL HAVE
TWENTY TWO AVAILABLE AIR TANKERS
TO AUGMENT THE FLEET AND ASSESS
THE WITH AN ADDITIONAL -- TEN
HELICOPTERS -- THAT BELONG TO
CAL FIRE -- TO AUGMENT THE LOCAL
AND FEDERAL RESPONSE AS WELL.
WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF
MODERNIZING BOTH ARE -- FOR
FIXED AND ROTARY WING AIRCRAFT
FLEET -- CAL FIRE IS WORKING --
THROUGH THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
AUTHORIZATION ACT OF TWO
THOUSAND NINETEEN WITH THE
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD IN THE
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE. FOR THE
TRANSITION OF SEVERAL SEVEN
FEDERAL C. -- ONE THIRTY AIR
TANKERS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO
AUGMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA FLEET
WITH THE S. TO FLEET THAT WE
HAVE CURRENTLY IS
BEING RUN HEAV -- EACH YEAR OF
THOSE AIRFRAMES THAT WERE USING
CURRENTLY ARE THE ONLY REMAINING
AIR FRAMES THAT WE HAVE
AVAILABLE THE ONES THAT WE HAVE
IN SERVICE.
SO LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF
THE C. ONE THIRTY AIR TANKER
PROGRAM IT IS THE NEXT BEST
GENERATION.
AIR TANKER -- THAT WILL DELIVER
RETARDANT TO THE GROUND -- THAT
WE CAN LOOK AT INTO THE FUTURE.
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
AIRFORCE IT'S OUR INTENT -- TO
HAVE THE AIRFORCE OR HOPE THAT
THE AIRFORCE WILL AWARD A BID
FOR THE RETARDANT DELIVERY
SYSTEM THAT WILL GO INTO THE
SEVEN AIR TANKERS.
IN THE FALL OF TWO THOUSAND
NINETEEN AND THEN THROUGH WARNER
ROBINS AIR FORCE LOGISTICS BASE
IN GEORGIA -- THEY WILL HAVE TO
BE INSTALLED WE DON'T EXPECT TO
SEE THE FIRST -- ACTUAL
OPERATIONAL AIR TANKER IN
CALIFORNIA AT THE C. ONE THIRTY
LEVEL -- BELONGING CAL FIRE AND
OF FISCAL YEAR.
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY ONCE THESE
AIR TANKERS ARRIVE IN CALIFORNIA
WE HOPE THAT THEY WILL START
ARRIVING SHORTLY THERE AFTER
THEY WILL BE PLACED IN MCCLELLAN
RAMONA.
FRESNO PASS REBELS AND CHICO.
I TALKED ABOUT THE S. TO AIR
TANKER FLEET -- BEING RUN HARD
OUR INTENT THERE IS THE PULL TO
THE S. TO TEAR FRAMES OUT OF
SERVICE -- IN BEGIN REBUILDING
THEM SO IT'LL EXTEND THE ENTIRE
LIFE OF THE S. TWO T. FLEET BY
THIRTY TO FORTY YEARS.
CALPERS ALSO REPLACING THROUGH --
A PROPOSAL LAST FISCAL YEAR --
THAT WE APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT
ON OF A REPLACING OUR VIETNAM
ERA SUPER HUEY HELICOPTERS THAT
HAVE BEEN THE WORK COURSE OF OUR
FLEET.
BUT LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE THE
S. SEVENTY AYE BLACKHAWK
HELICOPTER WHICH IS THE CIVILIAN
VERSION OF THE SIKORSKY U. H..
SIXTY IS GOING TO BE OUR FUTURE
WORKFORCE CURRENTLY THE FIRST
AIRCRAFT IS SITTING IN INGLEWOOD
COLORADO GETTING ITS AVIONICS
AND ACCESSORIES PUT INTO IT --
WORLD BE DELIVERED TO MCCLELLAN
PARK AND OUR AVIATION MANAGEMENT
UNIT IN JUNE OR EARLY JULY OF
TWO THOUSAND NINETEEN FROM THERE
WE ALREADY TRAINING OUR PILOTS
AND PERSONNEL ON THE MAINTENANCE
AND OPERATION OF THE BLACK HAWK
HELICOPTER.
BUT WE WILL CONTINUE THAT
PROCESS OFTRAINING OUR FOLKS.
IN THAT ARENA.
THE SECOND HELICOPTER -- WAS
JUST FLOWN FROM SOUTH CAROLINA --
TO DECATUR TEXAS WHERE IT'S
GETTING ITS PAINT AND THEN WILL
BE FLOWN TO INGLEWOOD COLORADO
FOR ITS AVIONICS AND ACCESSORIES.
AND THEN FLOWN TO A CLONE PARK
AS WELL WE WILL SEE THAT
HELICOPTER IN THE FALL OF TWO
THOUSAND NINETEEN THEREAFTER
WERE HOPING TO SEE.
THE REMAINING HELICOPTERS THAT --
WILL BE COMING IN -- EVERY FOUR
TO FIVE MONTHS THERE AFTER.
ONCE WE HAVE -- THE HELICOPTERS
IN PLACE AND WE'VE APPROPRIATELY
TRAINED OUR PILOTS AND OUR HELLO
TECH CREWS.
WE WILL BEGIN WITH AT LEAST FIVE
OF THE HELICOPTERS FLYING A
NIGHT VISION GOGGLES AND TWENTY
FOUR HOUR OPERATIONS.
THE CALIFORNIA FIREFIGHTING
PLANES HELICOPTERS FIRE ENGINES
BULLDOZERS AND OTHER RESOURCES --
DESIGN IS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED
TO MEET THE DEPARTMENT'S MISSION
OF CONTAINING FIRES AND 95%.
OF ALL FIRES A TEN ACRES ALAS
THERE'S NO SINGLE PIECE OF
EQUIPMENT THAT WILL DO IT BY
ITSELF THERE'S NO SINGLE FIRE
DEPARTMENT AS YOU HEARD EARLIER
THE CAN DO IT BY ITSELF.
IT IS A STATE MASTER MUTUAL AID
SYSTEM BETWEEN LOCAL STATE AND
FEDERAL PARTNERS THAT MAKE THE
FIRE SYSTEM OR THE FIRE
DEPARTMENTS IN CALIFORNIA WORK.
CALPERS ALSO LOOKING AT
LEVERAGING NEW TECHNOLOGY IS
TALKED ABOUT EARLIER TO ENHANCE
OUR ABILITY TO DETECT PREDICT
AND MODEL FIRES.
OF FOR THE PURPOSES OF OUR
DECISION MAKERS ARE RESPOND IS
ON THE GROUND AND THE ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE INFORMATION. TO
PROVIDE PUBLIC INFORMATION OUT
SOONER.
GOVERNOR SOME ON JANUARY EIGHTH --
PROVIDED EXECUTIVE ORDER FOUR
DASH NINETEEN WHICH WAS THE
INNOVATIVE PROCUREMENT SPRINT --
THROUGH A CAL FIRE -- BEING THE
FIRST -- DEPARTMENT WHO WAS --
DESIGNATED TO ENTER INTO THE
INNOVATIVE PROCUREMENT SPRINT
WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF
TECHNOLOGY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
GENERAL SERVICES -- TO PURCHASE
TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY UNDER
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS AT A AT A
EXPEDIENT A PROCESS. TO GET
CUTTING EDGE INFORMATION TO
PROTECT THE LIVES AND PROPERTY
ACROSS CALIFORNIA.
THE PROCUREMENT A SPRINT IS
DESIGN AND ITS PROBLEM STATEMENT
TO REDUCE -- MITIGATE OR REDUCE
RISKS TO HUMAN LIFE REAL
PERSONAL PROPERTY --
INFRASTRUCTURE AND DAMAGE TO THE
NATURAL RESOURCES CALIFORNIA.
OUR HOPE IS AS WE GO THROUGH
THIS PROCESS -- THAT WE WILL
FIND AND LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGY
THAT WILL ASSIST IN DECREASING
THOSE RISKS ACROSS THE STATE OF
CALIFORNIA.
INNOVATORS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY
TO SUBMIT IDEAS IN WELL OVER A
HUNDRED IDEAS CAME FORWARD.
THOSE IDEAS WERE DUE BY APRIL
TWENTY FIFTH OF TWO THOUSAND
NINETEEN BETWEEN THE THREE
AGENCIES THEY'RE CURRENTLY
EVALUATING THOSE PROCESSES NOW --
WITH AN INTENSE TO LOOK AT PROOF
OF CONCEPT WITH SOME OF THE
INNOVATORS BETWEEN JULY AND
NOVEMBER -- TWO THOUSAND
NINETEEN NGUYEN PROOF OF CONCEPT
IS COMPLETE IN MORE EVALUATIONS
ARE CONDUCTED THEN THE HOPE IS
WITH THE SUPPORT OF OF THE
ADMINISTRATION IN THE
LEGISLATURE THAT WILL BE ABLE.
TO AWARD -- SOME GREAT
TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIONS TO GO
INTO THE TWO THOUSAND TWENTY
FIRE SEASON.
FINALLY AS A CHEAP GOZEN OR
TALKED ABOUT EARLIER -- THE
GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET --
PROVIDES IN REQUESTS A HUNDRED
FIRE VALIDATION CAMERAS NOW MANY
TIMES THEY'RE CONSIDERED FIRE
DETECTION CAMERAS BUT WE PLACE
THE STRATEGICALLY AND DECISION
MAKING POINTS SUCH AS OUR
EMERGENCY COMMAND CENTERS. TO BE
ABLE TO MONITOR -- THE DIRECTION
THAT THESE CAMERAS GO.
THE AUGMENTATION OF THIS REQUEST
WITH A HUNDRED CAMERAS ACROSS
THE STATE IN STRATEGIC LOCATIONS
IN COORDINATION WITH OUR
UTILITIES AND OTHER PUBLIC AND
PRIVATE PARTNERS WHO ARE
INSTALLING CAMERAS ACROSS THE
STATE.
WILL ALLOW GREATER BENEFIT FOR
US TO MONITOR THE ENVIRONMENT
AND THE TOPOGRAPHY LOOKING FOR
SMOKES -- AND EVALUATING FIRE
CONDITIONS WITH THAT'LL TURN
BACK TO CHIEF PORTER.
THANK YOU CHIU TYLER.
THANK YOU GEE TYLER -- SO COMING
BACK TO KIND OF STATEWIDE
PERSPECTIVE AND HIGH LEVEL
THIRTY THOUSAND FOOT FIFTY
THOUSAND FOOT LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE
DOING BEYOND -- THE THINGS THAT
THAT CHIEF TYLER MENTIONED AND
PREVIOUS HAVE MENTIONED -- IT
LANDSCAPE LEVEL.
THIS IS REALLY A LANDSCAPE LEVEL
ISSUE IN MANY IN MANY RESPECTS --
CAL FIRE BEING OF FORESTRY AND
FIRE PROTECTION -- UTILITY WE'RE
UTILIZING OUR RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT STAFF FORESTERS --
PLANNERS AND OUR OUR MAPPING
CAPABILITIES -- AS STATED IN
PREVIOUS TO IDENTIFY THOSE AREAS
THAT NEED -- TREATMENT AND AS
SENATOR DODD MENTION THERE'S A
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE.
GOAL FOR FUELS TREATMENT ACROSS
THE STATE.
OUR ON STATE AND PRIVATE LANDS.
ADDITIONALLY THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING TO DO A TO
MATCH THAT WITH ANOTHER FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND IN THE WILD
LAND OR THE FOR THE FOR SERVICE --
AND FEDERAL LANDS SO -- IN OUR
ENDEAVOR TO MEET THAT -- THAT
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT WE
ARE INDIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR
MAKING HAPPEN -- WE ARE
INCREASING OUR PACE AND SCALE OF
FUELS TREATMENT THROUGH THE
FUELS -- CREWS THAT WERE
MENTIONED BY BY CHIEF TYLER --
WE ARE -- STRATEGICALLY PLACING
THOSE FUELS PROJECTS -- WHERE
THEY NEED TO BE -- STE.
THIS YEAR -- AND IMMEDIATELY
UNDER -- THE EXECUTIVE ORDER
THAT CAME OUT.
IN JANUARY ON JANUARY EIGHTH --
THAT.
DIRECTED US TO FIND THOSE PLACES
IN CALIFORNIA THAT ARE THE MOST
CRITICAL THOSE PROJECTS THAT
NEED TO BE DONE THIS YEAR TO
PROTECT.
LIVES AND PROPERTY OF THE MOST
VULNERABLE CALIFORNIANS REALLY
IS WHAT IT CAME OUT TO BE -- AND
SO WE IDENTIFIED THIRTY FIVE
PROJECTS UNDER THAT PROCESS --
AND THOSE THIRTY FIVE PROJECTS --
OF THEM THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH
THEIR FINAL APPROVAL PROCESS
TWENTY EIGHT OF THEM -- ARE
EITHER IN A CONTRACTING PHASE OR
THEY HAVE -- WORK BEING DONE ON
THE GROUND -- THE OTHER THE
OTHERS ARE IN -- THEIR FINAL
REVIEW PROCESS BEFORE THEY CAN
GET TO THE CONTRACTING -- PIECE.
SO -- AND THE NEW THING ABOUT
THAT IS THE VULNERABLE COMMUNITY
PEACE WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT
THE MOST VULNERABLE PEOPLE THAT
ARE OUT IN THOSE HI FIRE RISK
AREAS PEOPLE THAT.
I HAVE MOBILITY ISSUES IN THOSE
KIND OF THINGS -- SO WHAT WHAT --
ALSO WAS MENTIONED IS THE THE
CAL V. T. P. WHICH IS CALIFORNIA
VEGETATION TREATMENT PROGRAM
WHICH IS A PROGRAMMATIC III ARE.
THAT WE HAVE TO GET CERTIFIED
THIS YEAR.
THE BOARD OF FORESTRY IS IS
WORKING HARD ON THAT WE HAVE --
GREAT CONSULTANTS THAT ARE
WORKING TO GET THAT DONE THAT
THIS THESE THIRTY FIVE PROJECTS
ARE THE BRIDGE TO THAT DOCUMENT.
THAT DOCUMENT WILL GIVE US A
SEEK WORK COMPLIANT PROCESS TO
MOVE FORWARD WITH -- THE FUELS
TREATMENT THAT WE NEED TO DO IN
THIS STATE TO MEET THAT FIVE
HUNDRED THOUSAND ACRE GOAL
ANNUALLY.
HI I'M GONNA LEAVE THE FUELS
CREWS TO MY COLLEAGUE.
FROM THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT.
AND SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THOSE --
ANY FURTHER BUT WE HAVE MET THUS
FAR THIS YEAR CAL FIRE STRAIN.
TO DO SIXTY THOUSAND ACRES OF
THE FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND THAT'S
WHAT CAL FIRE IS DOING -- AND
WORKING TOWARD ANNUALLY THIS
YEAR ARE OUR GOAL WAS.
FORTY FIVE THOUSAND RIGHT NOW AS
OF TODAY WE ARE OVER -- TWENTY
THOUSAND SO WE'RE OF WERE WELL
OVER HALF WAY THROUGH THOSE
ACRES AND THIS IS THE BURNING
SEASON O WE'RE ADDING ACRES
EVERY DAY AS WE GO -- TO ONE OF
THE PREVIOUS PANELS -- REQUEST
FOR GRANT FUNDING -- WE HAVE TWO
DIFFERENT MAJOR GRANT FUNDING
PROCESSES THAT WE DO -- ONE IS
FOR FOREST HEALTH AND FORCED
RESILIENCE THAT IS REALLY
LOOKING AT THESE LARGE LANDSCAPE
LEVEL -- PROJECTS TO GET US THE
BOOK OF THE ACRES TOWARD THAT
FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND GOAL.
THE OTHER IS THE FIRE PREVENTION
TYPE OF GRANTS THOSE OUR
COMMUNITY CHIPPING PROJECTS
THOSE ARE OUR COMMUNITY
DEFENSIBLE SPACE -- FUEL BREAKS
IN AND AROUND -- THE THE THE
COMMUNITIES -- WE HAVE FOR
GRANTED -- JUST UNDER A HUNDRED
AND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS OF
TOWARD THAT IN THE LAST THREE
FISCAL YEARS.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE -- TO
INCREASE THAT -- OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL YEARS THROUGH OUR OUR
GRANT PROGRAMMING THAT'S THAT'S
COMING -- IN SUCCESSIVE BUDGETS --
FOR THAT PURPOSE.
SO -- WHAT DOES THAT ENTAIL
THAT'S THAT ST THINNING
REFORESTATION OF FORCED AN
INSECT DISEASE TREATMENTS
PRESCRIBED FIRE AS MENTIONED --
COMMUNITY CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT --
IN THIS IS TO GET WE NEED
OUTLETS FOR THESE MATERIALS WE
NEED -- WORKERS THAT DO THIS
KIND OF WORK THAT ARE IN THOSE
COMMUNITIES THAT WILL CONTINUE
TO DOTHAT INTO THE FUTURE AND
STE.
DEVELOP A SELF SUSTAINING MODEL
WE CAN'T FUNDED THIS FOREVER.
IT NEEDS TO FIND A WAY TO BE AN
ECONOMICALLY VIABLE.
JOB AND THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO TO
BE ABLE TO DO IN THE FUTURE AND
MAKE IT MAKE IT HAPPEN
[inaudible]
SO PARTNERSHIPS.
OUR PUBLIC.
AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE OF
ARE VERY IMPORTANT -- MUTUAL AID
SYSTEM IS IS INCREDIBLE AND I
WON'T SAY ANYTHING MORE THAN
ABOUT THAT BECAUSE SO MUCH HAS
BEEN SAID -- BUT WHAT WE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND IS THAT THAT THE
PUBLIC.
THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE IN
CALIFORNIA EVERY SINGLE
CALIFORNIA.
IS THE KEY TO THIS PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO GET TO EVERY SINGLE
ONE AND EXPLAIN AND HELP THEM
UNDERSTAND THAT THAT WILD FIRE
DOES MEAN SOMETHING TO THEM.
NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE IN
CALIFORNIA.
ALSO -- IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW
THAT 95% OF ALL WILDLAND FIRES
ARE CAUSED BY HUMANS.
THAT MEANS THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY
PREVENTABLE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE FIRES
ARE ACCIDENTALLY STARTED -- OR
STARTED WITHOUT IT ANYBODY EVEN
KNOWING THAT IT HAPPENED.
THOSE CAN BE PREVENTED.
EDUCATION TO THOSE ENDS -- NEEDS
TO BE DIRECTED AT EVERY SINGLE
CALIFORNIA NOT JUST THE ONES IN
THE WILD LANDS -- EVERYONE --
AND JUST LAST WEEK WE FINISHED
WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS WEEK WE
STE WE WENT.
TOP TO BOTTOM OF THE STATE --
AND SPREAD THE MESSAGE -- IN
EVERY LARGE -- MEDIA MARKET --
WE DID THAT WITH OUR LOCAL AND
AND FEDERAL PARTNERS ALL THE WAY
THROUGH -- AND EVEN OUR UTILITY
PARTNERS WERE PART OF THAT AS
WELL.
PART OF THE MESSAGE IS THE READY
SET GO MESSAGE AND I'M JUST
GOING TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK
AT OUR OUR WEBSITE -- THE READY
FOR WILDFIRE DOT ORG TO LOOK AT
WHAT READY SET GO HE IS AS A
PROGRAM ALSO -- TO DOWNLOAD OUR
APPS.
WHICH IS THE CAL FIRE -- READY
FOR WILDFIRE APP ON ANY APPLE OF
STORE -- IT'S A FREE APP AND IT
GIVES YOU METHODS TO GO THROUGH
AND DO DO YOUR OWN DUE DILIGENCE
ON PREPARING YOUR OWN HOME AND
YOUR OWN FAMILY FOR ALL OF THOSE
THINGS BE READY.
GET SET AND GO WHEN THE TIME IS
IS RIGHT.
IT'S IMPORTANT ON DIVERT
DEFENSIBLE SPACE INSPECTIONS WE
WE HEARD -- SOME OF THE CONCERN
ABOUT THE NUMBER OF INSPECTIONS
AND I A I DON'T DISAGREE THAT WE
NEED WE COULD DO BETTER AND WE
NEED TO DO MORE.
INSPECTIONS -- WHAT IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS -- CAL FIRE
STATISTICS SHOW THAT. 82% OF
HOMES THAT ARE INSPECTED.
PASSED ON THEIR FIRST INSPECTION
SO THAT MEANS 82% OF THE
INSPECTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING ON
THE FIRST PASS.
AS A COMPLIANT HOUSEHOLD.
BY THE THIRD INSPECTION WHICH IS
THE THE INSPECTION WHEN ON OF OF
VIOLATION IS WRITTEN. 92%.
SO OF THOSE THE PERCENTAGE OF OF
OF ITS 8% ROUGHLY.
OF THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE NOT
COMPLIANT.
AND THEN A PORTION OF THOSE THAT
ARE GOING -- TO TO A ABATEMENT
TYPE OF SITUATION.
AND OF COURSE THAT DOES VERY
THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND WE DO
NOT.
INSPECT EVERY STRUCTURE.
SO SO THERE IS SOME ROOM FOR FOR
SOME SOME -- SOME SLOPPING HERE
FOR SURE -- THE GOAL FOR
CALIFORNIA -- IS TO GET TO IN
THE WILDLAND AREAS THE THE STATE
RESPONSIBILITY AREA. TWO HUNDRED
AND FIFTY THOUSAND INSPECTIONS
ANNUALLY-- WE ARE HALF WAY TO
THAT GOAL.
AND EXPECT TO BE VERY CLOSE TO
MEETING THAT TARGET THIS YEAR IF
WE GET TO THAT THAT'S ONCE EVERY
THREE YEARS WE'RE INSPECTING
EACH HOME.
NOT EVERY YEAR.
STRUCTURE HARDENING IS
ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT.
AND AS I SAID THE THE APP WILL
HELP.
US TO GET THEIR LAND USE
PLANNING -- CODE CODE
ENFORCEMENT AND AND ENSURING
THAT.
THAT -- WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING
WE POSSIBLY CAN TO ENCOURAGE
RETROFITTING OF HOMES THAT ARE
EXISTING NON COMPLIANT. TO
EXISTING CODES EXISTING CODES --
SINCE TWO THOUSAND EIGHT IN
PARTICULAR ARE VERY EFFECTIVE.
IN HARDENING HOMES.
SO THE NEW CONSTRUCTION IS NOT
REALLY A PROBLEM.
IT IS EXISTING NON COMPLIANT AND
SO WE NEED TO WORK TOWARD THAT
STRUCTURE HARDENING -- CHIEF OF
GOZER WAS MENTIONING THE HOME
THE HOME FIRES AND A FIRE I NEXT
DOOR FIRE BURNING -- IGNITING A
HALF OF THE HOUSE NEXT TO IT
THAT'S A THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM.
WE NEED TO GET TO A CRITICAL
MASS OF HARDENED STRUCTURES IN A
IN A COMMUNITY SO WE DON'T HAVE
URBAN CONFLAGRATION HAPPENING.
THE ONLY WAY WE CAN GET THERE IS
BY.
REALLY HARDENING THE COMMUNITY
NOT JUST AT A STRUCTURE THAT
TIME.
SO IN CONCLUSION -- I WANT TO I
I CAN'T.
EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THAT THIS IS A
MULTI DISCIPLINARY.
ALL TOOLS ALL HANDS.
ALL OF THE ABOVE APPROACH THAT
WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT I THINK
YOU'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE
PANELS BEFORE.
IT'S GONNA TAKE FIREFIGHTERS
FORESTERS LAND.
PLANNERS -- ENGINEERS.
INSPECTORS ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS --
TO TO MOVE DOWN A MOVE TO WHERE
WE NEED TO MOVE THE NEEDLE AND
THE DIRECTION WE NEEDED TO GO
[inaudible]
AND ALL OF THIS IS COMING AT A
GREAT COST -- IT'S IT WAS
HEARTENING TO HEAR ON THE LAST
PANEL -- THE FIREFIGHTERS
EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AND
COMMUNITIES ARE.
REALLY.
HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH
THIS.
MY FIREFIGHTERS WE REALIZED A
COUPLE OF YEARS AGO -- NEEDED
SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
WE'VE BEEN SEEING LONG
DEPLOYMENTS FORTY FIVE SIXTY
DAYS.
AND DURING THE THOMAS FIRE --
WASN'T THE FIRST TIME BUT IT WAS
ONE OF OUR BIGGEST EFFORTS -- WE
PUT A TRAILER IN CAMP.
AND PUT OUR OUR EMPLOYEES
SUPPORT SERVICES THERE IN CAMP.
TO WORK WITH THE FOR MEN AND
WOMEN THAT HAD BEEN THERE. FOR
THIRTY PLUS DAYS AND THEY WERE
LOOKING AT THERE THEY WERE
LOOKING AT CHRISTMAS.
RIGHT THERE IN THE HEADLIGHTS WE
WERE ALL GOING TO SPEND
CHRISTMAS THAT DOWN THERE.
THANKFULLY WE GOT EVERYBODY OUT
[inaudible]
MOST EVERYBODY [inaudible]
BUT THAT THAT -- EMPLOYEES
SUPPORT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
AND IT IS ONE THAT -- A THAT WE
ARE WORKING HARD ON AS AS
MENTIONED -- GOVERNOR'S BUDGET
HAS HAS -- POSITIONS FOR
CALIFORNIA -- TO DO THAT.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO
THAT -- AND YOU ASKED THE
QUESTION ABOUT WHAT HOW MANY
MORE.
DO WE NEED.
AND WHAT I'LL I'LL POINT TWO IS
WE HAVE A STAFFING MODEL -- IT
WITH CAL IN WITHIN CAL FIRE AND
I'M JUST GONNA TALK TO MY
DEPARTMENT -- THAT IS THAT HAS
ROUGHLY TWO POINT SEVEN
POSITIONS PER.
SEAT WE COVER THOSE SEAT. TWENTY
FOUR HOURS A DAY SEVEN DAYS A
WEEK.
AND AND WITHOUT GOING INTO GREAT
DETAIL -- WHAT WE HAVE FOUND IS
OVER TIME WE REALLY NEED IN
ORDER TO COVER VACATION AND
RELIEF AND AND -- INJURED AND
AND SICK -- WE REALLY NEED
SOMEWHERE AROUND THREE POINT
[inaudible]
TWO PEOPLE PERCEIVED.
SO WE'RE WE'RE AT A DEFICIT AND
DUE TO THAT DEFICIT -- OUR HARD
WORKING EMPLOYEES.
ARE WORKING MORE DAYS THAN THEM
THEY WOULD HAVE TO IF IF WE HAD
MORE PEOPLE WILL PEOPLE COST
MONEY.
AND PEOPLE ARE ONE OF THE
HARDEST THINGS. TO TO ADD -- AND
SO.
WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
WE ARE WORKING DILIGENTLY ON
THAT AND IT NEEDS TO BE --
SOMETHING THAT WE CONTINUE TO
WORK ON BUT WE ALSO NEED TO
SUPPORT THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE
WORKING IN THOSE EXTRA HARD
HOURS -- IN THE INTERIM AND
THAT'S WHAT THIS PROGRAM -- IS
MEANT TO DO -- THAT WE EXCLUDE
ANYBODY FROM IT'S NOT JUST FOR
CAL FIRE.
WHEN WE'RE IN FIRE CAMPS WERE
ALL FIREFIGHTERS -- WITH THAT
I'M GOING -- TO PASSED MY THE MY
AREA MIKE.
TO MY COLLEAGUES [inaudible]
LOOKS LIKE.
THANKS CHIEF GOOD MORNING
EVERYONE I'M -- MAJOR GENERAL
DAVE BALDWIN I'M THE ADJUTANT
GENERAL I LEAD THE CALIFORNIA
MILITARY DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE COMPLETED ALL OF OUR
STANDARD -- WILDFIRE
PREPARATIONS WITHIN THE
CALIFORNIA MILITARY DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE -- PREPARED ALL FOR THE
FIRE DEPARTMENTS WE HAVE WITHIN
THE MILITARY DEPARTMENT TO BE
PREPARED TO PROVIDE MUTUAL AID
RESOURCES AT THE CALL OF EITHER --
YES FOR CALIFORNIA.
WE'VE TRAIN TWENTY SIX
HELICOPTER CREWS AND CERTIFIED
THEM IN JOINT EXERCISES WITH CAL
FIRE IN FIRE SUPPRESSION
OPERATIONS.
AND IN THOSE EXERCISES WE ALSO
INTEGRATED OUR INCIDENT
AWARENESS TEAMS WHICH INCLUDES
THE MQ NINE REAPER UNMANNED
AIRCRAFT WHICH WE'VE PROVEN TO
BE.
CRITICAL FOR FIRE MAPPING AND
DAMAGE ASSESSMENT.
THEY SURE WERE CURRENTLY WE HAVE
ONE OF OUR TWO AIR TANKERS ARE
AVAILABLE WITH THE TRAIN CREW
NOW -- THE OTHERS ARE DEPLOYED
TO THE COMBAT ZONE TO RETURN IN
AUGUST AND WILL TRAIN THEM SO BE
READY FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE
FALL -- FIRE SEASON FOR US.
THAT'S ALL THE STUFF THAT WE
NORMALLY DO IN A REGULAR YEAR
BUT THIS YEAR.
WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF
INNOVATIVE THINGS -- THE FIRST
AS WE'VE MANAGED TO GAIN ACCESS
TO ADDITIONAL DEPARTMENT DEFENSE
RESOURCES FOR INCIDENT AWARENESS
AND WORKED REPORTER CALLS TO GET
PASS AND CLASSIFICATION ISSUES.
THEY ALLOW US TO PUT
INTELLIGENCE ANALYST ON DUTY IN
ADVANCE OF OF A RED FLAG WARNING
OR BAD FAR WHETHER TO BE ABLETO
HELP.
CAL FIRE NOT ONLY PREDICT BUT
DETECT AND TRACK FIRES EARLIER
ON IN THEIR START PARTICULARLY
WHEN THERE'S HIGH WIND EVENTS IN
AND WHEN THERE'S HEAVY SMOKE
CONDITIONS.
WERE OTHER -- SENSORS MAY NOT
NECESSARILY BE AVAILABLE -- WE
ALSO -- THIS YEAR HAVE FOR THE
FIRST TIME TRAINED.
FIRE FIGHTING HAND CREWS AHEAD
OF THE FIRE SEASON AND THE USE
OF THE FOR A CURRENTLY THE HAND
CREWS THAT WERE USING AND FEEL
REDUCTION.
BUSINESS -- WHICH WE TRAINED UP
A HUNDRED AND FIFTY SOLDIERS AND
AIRMEN OF WHICH WE PUT A HUNDRED
AND TEN ON DUTY A HUNDRED OF
WHOM WERE SIGNED. TO FIVE TWENTY
MAN TYPE TO HAND CREWS THEY'RE
CURRENTLY AS WE SPEAK WORKING
THROUGHOUT THE STATE
RESPONSIBILITY AREA AT THE
DIRECTION OF CAL FIRE -- TO
REDUCE THE FUEL LOADS -- THOSE
TEAMS ARE BASED IN REDDING
AUBURN MONTEREY AND TO IN FRESNO
IN THE EVENT OF FIRE STARTS IN
THE AREA THAT ARE SIGN.
WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE -- TO
REVERT FROM DOING FEEL
MANAGEMENT INTO BECOMING FIRE
SUPPRESSION HAND CREWS AND OF
COURSE WE HAVE QUITE A BIT THE
DEPTH THAT -- IF CALIFORNIANS
ADDITIONAL HAND CREWS WE CAN --
MOBILE ICE AND TRAIN THOSE
TANKERS VERY QUICKLY WE'VE DONE
IN THE PAST.
SO WITH THAT I'LL BE FOLLOWED BY --
DIRECTOR GIL TEACHER FROM -- YES
[inaudible]
EXTRA LONG.
AFTER MARKET RDG DIRECTOR OF THE
GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF EMERGENCY
SERVICES HAPPEN TO BE WITH YOU
AND WITH MY GREAT.
COLLEAGUES HERE WE ARE TRULY WON
T. ONE FIGHTING IN CALIFORNIA
AND MANAGING THESE VARIOUS --
CHALLENGES WE HAVE -- YES IS
RESPONSIBILITY AS I I KNOW YOU
KNOW IS REALLY THE OVER ARCHING
COORDINATION OF OF THE STATE'S.
ABILITY TO PREPARE FOR PLANNED
FOR RESPOND TO AND RECOVER FROM.
ALL HAZARD EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
TODAY OBVIOUSLY WERE FOCUSING ON
WALL FIRE IN THE PREPAREDNESS
LEVEL THAT WE'VE WE'VE ALL BEEN
WORKING ON TO GET THERE.
I THINK AS A CONTEXT -- WHY
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT?
A PLENTY ABOUT -- THE THE FIRES
OF OF LAST YEAR -- I THINK --
IT'S IMPORTANT NOTE THAT --
SINCE -- TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
CALIFORNIA HAS EXPERIENCED
HUNDREDS OF OF MAJOR STATE --
DISASTERS -- WHEN I CALL A MAJOR
I I MEAN SIGNIFICANT -- VANCE
THAT HAVE RESULTED IN LOSS OF
STRUCTURES LOSS OF LIVES OR
INFRASTRUCTURE DAMAGE -- AND OUT
OF THAT OF FOURTEEN OF THOSE --
SINCE TWO THOUSAND AND THIRTEEN
HAPPENED -- DECLARE PRESIDENTIAL
DISASTER -- DECORATIONS ARE
MAJOR DISASTER DECLARATION IS
NOT AN EASY TASK TO GET TO A
PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER
DECLARATION YOU NEED A MINIMUM
OF ABOUT FIFTY EIGHT MILLION
DOLLARS IN INFRASTRUCTURE LOSS
AND THEN THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH
OF OTHER CRITERIA THAT.
WRAP AROUND THAT AND I SAY THAT
BECAUSE THE CONDITIONS CLEARLY
HAVE -- CHANGE AND CONTINUE TO
CHANGE THAT OUR RESULTING IN THE
ABILITY OF ALL OF US TO HAVE TO
RESPOND THINK ABOUT RESPOND.
TO THESE EVENTS IN A MUCH MORE
AGGRESSIVE MUCH MORE FORWARD
LEANING FASHION -- IN FACT
LEADING UP TO THE CAMPFIRE --
THERE WERE MULTIPLE FIRESTHAT
WERE TAKING PLACE IN CALIFORNIA
THERE WAS STRETCHING FIRE AND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT EMERGENCY
SERVICES RESOURCES -- MULTIPLE
FIRES THROUGHOUT THE STATE --
AND OF THE OF OF JUST OF THE
FIFTIES FIRES THE KRANZ THEN THE
FERGUSON THE CAR THE MENDOCINO
COMPLEX DOWNHILL THE WALLS THE
AND THE CAMP OF THOSE FIVE
RESULTED IN A MAJOR DISASTER
DECLARATIONS -- AND SO -- THE
THERE WITH THE REQUIREMENT TO
REALLY BE THINKING THROUGH THIS
AND HOW WE'RE DEALING WITH THIS
NEW NORM -- AND PREPARING FOR IT
IS AN EVOLVING PROCESS THERE IS
NO SILVER BULLET -- THERE IS NO
ONE WAY -- IS NOT LINEAR IS
ASYMMETRIC AND IS REQUIRING US
TO COMPLETELY COME TOGETHER --
AS ALL THE ENTITIES NOT JUST AT
THE STATE LEVEL WITH OUR LOCAL
PARTNERS PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE
CITIZENS -- THEMSELVES -- I WANT
TO TALK A LOT ABOUT -- SOME OF
THE KEY AREAS THAT WE'VE BEEN
WORKING ON OVER ARCHING FOR
PREPAREDNESS I WANT TO START OFF.
IN THE AREA OF
TELECOMMUNICATIONS BECAUSE THIS
IS ONE AREA THAT.
IS A IN MANY WAYS A WEAK LINK IN
THE OVER ARCHING ABILITY TO BE
ABLE TO GET MUCH OF WHAT YOU'VE
HEARD HERE THIS MORNING.
STARTING WITH GOOD SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS.
BUT IN FACT THE ABILITY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC AND
EMERGENCY AND TO COMMUNICATE
AMONGST -- RESPOND HERS --
INEFFECTIVE WAY -- SO MUCH OF
OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS --
OUTSIDE OF LAND MOBILE RADIO
CAPABILITY IN THE STATE'S
MICROWAVE NETWORK.
HAS GONE TO THE USE OF THE
CELLULAR NETWORK -- AND THE
INTERNET OF THINGS WE USE THAT
FOR DATA PUSHING WE USE THAT IN
OUR NIGHT WHEN ONE CENTERS WE
USE THAT.
ACROSS THE BOARD IN -- ABILITY
TO COMMUNICATE.
THAT ENTIRE SYSTEM IS NOT OWNED.
NOR CONTROLLED BY THE GOVERNMENT
IS OWNED AND CONTROLLED BY THE
PRIVATE SECTOR.
AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE THROWING
LITERALLY ALL OF OUR EGGS IN
THAT BASKET TO THE HIGHEST
DEGREE -- AND WE ARE MOVING
FORWARD IN THAT EVEN AS THE
PUBLIC USING USE OF OF
CELLPHONES.
WE HAVE BECOME DEPENDENT UPON
BEING ABLE TO GET GOOD CLEAN
CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS AND WE TALK
ABOUT ISSUING A LORTON WARNINGS
AND PUSHING OUT.
CRITICAL DATA TO INDIVIDUALS WHO
ARE IN.
THE ADVANCE OF A FAST MOVING
WILDFIRE.
THAT SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE
RESILIENT AND RE DONE DEBT AND
STAND UP THE ABILITY TO
WITHSTAND THAT FIRE SITUATION SO
THAT COMMUNICATIONS CAN STILL
TAKE PLACE.
FORTUNATELY THAT IS NOT
HAPPENING -- THE ABILITY -- TO
HAVE A RESILIENT AND HARDENED
TELECOMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE
IS STILL A WEAK LINK IN THE
SYSTEM AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH
OUR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS. TO
BILL WHAT I CALL PUBLIC SAFETY
GRADE COMMUNICATIONS HARDLY THAT
IS DEFENSIBLE SPACE THAT IS
EMERGENCY POWER BATTERY OR
GENERATOR BACK UP.
THAT IS A HARDENING OF THE BACK
HALL FIBER LINES THAT ARE
CRITICAL FOR MOVING THE DATA IN
EFFECTIVE MANNER -- THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT FOR US BECAUSE WE ARE
MOVING -- TO THE ENHANCEMENT OF
OUR NINE ONE ONE SYSTEM BUT
WE'RE ALSO MOVING TO SOMETHING
CALL FIRST AT WHICH IS A
BROADBAND BEING.
CAPABILITY WAR INNER -- INTER
OPERABILITY IN OUR
COMMUNICATIONS ACROSS THE BOARD
WITH ALL PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONDER.
ALL OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY A
SYSTEM WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER
SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT FACTOR
MOVING FORWARD -- AND THE
ABILITY TO ENSURE THAT THAT.
THAT THE SYSTEM IS OPERATIONAL.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT WE'RE DOING
IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AS THE
ENTITY IN THE STATE THAT MANAGES
PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATIONS IS
MOVING -- TO UPGRADE OUR NIGHT
WHEN ONE SYSTEM -- AND MOVING TO
NEXT GENERATION I WOULD WANT AND
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW OUR NINE ONE
ONE SYSTEM WHICH WAS BUILT IN
THE SEVENTIES -- AND HAS REALLY
BEEN A PHENOMENAL CAPABILITY --
NOW IS REALLY PAST ITS PRIME AND
IS AT IS IS REALLY BEING HELD
TOGETHER -- AT YOU KNOW AS WE
ARE MOVING FORWARD AND WE NEED --
TO UPGRADE THE SYSTEM IMPROVE IT --
THAT WILL THEN 'LL HAVE A
CASCADING IMPACT ON THE THE THE
THE DIFFERENT AREAS ALL TALK
ABOUT A MINUTE IN SITUATION
AWARENESS.
AND ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE --
I'LL START OFF WITH THE NEXT GEN
NIGHT WHEN ONE WHICH IS REALLY
MOVING -- TO AND IP BASED SYSTEM
THAT IS REALLY CAPABLE OF
INTEGRATING ALL OF THE DATA
SOURCES AND EMERGING
TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE ARE
CURRENTLY LOOKING AT TODAY.
SHE POURED IMAGINE THE SPREAD --
WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF
DIFFERENT TECHNOLOGIES -- AND IN
SOME IN MANY CASES ARE NIGHT
WHEN SYSTEMS OR STILL ANALOG
DRIVEN AND SO WE NEED TO REALLY
THINK THROUGH ANDTHE ABILITY TO
OPERATE THAT THIS WILL INCLUDE.
A COMMON STATEWIDE ALERT AND
WARNING PLATFORM WHICH TIES IN
TO BE ALERT AND WARNING
GUIDELINES THAT WERE ISSUED A
COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO -- TO BE
ABLE TO GET ALL FIFTY EIGHT
COUNTIES AND JURISDICTIONS
WITHIN THOSE COUNTIES ON THE
SAME PAGE WITH REGARDS TO HOW WE
ISSUE ALERT WARNINGS IN
CALIFORNIA.
THAT'LL PROVIDE EVERY OF THE
ABILITY FOR ALL THOSE AGENCIES
TO RECEIVE GENERATE AND VIEW
ALERT AND WARNINGS -- BYE BYE --
INC.
MOVING TO THIS NEXT YEAH IT ALSO
WILL INCLUDE REDUNDANT
CONNECTIONS AT EVERY PUBLIC
SAFETY ANSWERING POINT THOSE ARE
OUR NINE ONE ONE CENTERS.
REDUNDANT CONNECTIONS USING THE
CALIFORNIA PUBLIC SAFETY MIKE
MICROWAVE NETWORK OR WE CALL
CAPS THAT.
ARE TO ENSURE THE CONNECTIVITY
IN THE EVENT THAT THE BACK WALL
THE STORIES THE FIRE SO WHAT
WE'RE DOING AT THE STATE IS WERE
WORKING TO TRY TO BUILD IN THOSE
REDUNDANCIES THAT AREN'T.
NECESSARILY BEING DONE BY THE
PRIVATE SECTOR CAN'T WAIT GOT TO
DO IT HAVE TO HAVE THE
CAPABILITY THERE WHEN WE NEED IT
AND SO -- AGAIN IT'S NOT
ADVOCATING THEIR ROLE I WANT TO
PARTNER IT'S IMPORTANT WE
PARTNER BUT IN THE ABSENT OF
THAT TO BUILD IN THE NIGHT --
ONE ENHANCEMENTS THIS IS THIS IS
ONE KEY AREA THAT WILL ENSURE
FOR REDUNDANCY -- THIS WILL ALSO
REDUCE THE THAN THE NINE ONE ONE
SYSTEM DOWN TIME -- WHICH WHICH
IS KIND OF AN ONGOING PROBLEM --
WITH AGING INFRASTRUCTURE --
THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN
CALIFORNIA THE NEXT GENERATION I
WANT ONE REALLY -- IS KIND OF
EXCITING IT'S A NECESSARY STEP
TO IMPROVE OUR OVERALL SYSTEM --
AND DOT AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING
AT IT BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU
TO NOTE TO SECURE THAT NEXT AND
I ONE WANTED TO UPGRADE OUR NINE
ONE SYSTEM -- THERE IS A BILL IN
THE LEGISLATURE TO AND AND THE
WHEN WE NEED TO PASS THAT.
NINE ONE ONE SURCHARGE REFORM
THAT'S PROPOSED BY THE
ADMINISTRATION IN THE STATE I'M
URGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER ACCOUNT
TRAILER BILL IT'S A SMALL.
AMOUNT BUT ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL
IN THE BIG SCOPE OF THINGS TO BE
ABLE TO MOVE -- ARE AT THAT THE
FORWARD.
NOW STARTING WITH COMMUNICATIONS
ALL JUST BACK UP AND TALK ABOUT --
OF ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'VE
BEEN LOOKING AT AND IT WAS
MENTIONED A COUPLE OF TIMES HERE
AS AN ABSOLUTE ABSOLUTE NESS
NECESSITY. TO IMPROVE OUR
ABILITY TO RESPOND PREPARE FOR
AND AND WE COVER AND THAT IS
IMPLEMENTING TECHNOLOGY AND A
MUCH MORE -- OF AFFECTED WAY --
I MENTIONED BRIEFLY ALERT AND
WARNING -- THE ALERT MORNING STE --
GUIDELINES THAT REALLY GREW OUT
OF THE TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN
FIRES -- WE'VE HAD COUNTIES --
USING A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT
KINDS OF ALERT WARNING METHOD
DOT MET MYTHOLOGY METHODOLOGIES
AND PLATFORMS.
AND WHAT WE WERE DOING HERE IS
TO TRY TO TO LOOK AT ALL OF THAT
AND BUILD CONSISTENCY IN
TERMINOLOGY CONSISTENCY AND
MESSAGING AND CONSISTENCY AND
WHEN AND HOW THE ISSUE -- THOSE
OF A WARNING SO -- YES THEY PUT
TOGETHER A A SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERT GROUP FROM -- AB PUT
TOGETHER UNDER THE STANDARDIZED
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
ALERT MORNING COMMITTEE -- WAS
MADE UP OF VARIOUS STATE LOCAL
AND INDUSTRY REPRESENTATIVES TO
CREATE THOSE GUIDELINES -- AND
THAT REALLY MET -- SB EIGHT
THREE THREE WHICH WAS -- SENATOR
MAGUIRE'S BILL IN TWO THOUSAND
EIGHTEEN ON THE GUIDELINES
REPRESENT THAT COLLABORATIVE
EFFORT TO ESTABLISH THAT
STATEWIDE GUIDELINE FOR THE
PURPOSE OF ENABLING.
AND ENCOURAGING CONSISTENT
APPLICATIONS OF THOSE WARNINGS --
AS OF MARCH TWENTY SECOND THOSE
GUIDELINES WERE PUBLISHED AND
MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL OF THE
DIFFERENT -- COUNTIES IN PUBLIC.
AS A PART OF THAT WE ENCOURAGE
THE USE OF WE ARE THE WIRELESS
EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM -- IT'S
USED THE SAND -- TEXTILE
MESSAGES -- TO WE ARE CAPABLE
MOBILE DEVICES DURING EMERGENCY --
THAT'S IT INTEGRATED PUBLIC
ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEM I PAUSE
WHICH IS A FEDERAL SYSTEM WHICH
IS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT OF THAT --
BEING ABLE TO SEND THOSE
MESSAGES OUT ALL CELL PHONES
WHETHER YOU'RE OPTING IN OR
OPTING OUT OR TRAVELING THROUGH
AN AREA -- VISITOR TO THE AREA
IF YOU'RE IN THE TARGET ZONE
WHERE THAT MESSAGE IS BEING
PUSHED OUT YOUR GOING TO GET THE
MESSAGE -- HOWEVER WE ARE YOU
KNOW WE IS NOT OF NOT THE HOLY
GRAIL OF ALERT AND AND WARNINGS --
IT ALSO HAS LIMITATIONS -- THERE
SOME CHARACTER RESTRICTIONS --
THERE'S ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF
BLEED OVER AND IF YOU'RE NOT ON
UP -- A COMPLIANT.
IPHONE OR OR A ANDROID THEY CAN
CAN TAKE THESE KIND OF MESSAGES
LIKE IF YOU'RE ON AN OLD STAR
FLIP FLORA CENTER YOU MAY NOT BE
GETTING THESE MESSAGES.
SO WE NEED TO LOOK AND AND
EXPAND -- MULTIPLE DIFFERENT
METHODOLOGIES OF BEING ABLE TO
SEND EMERGENCY MESSAGING --
INCLUDING EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM -
PUSHING OUT INFORMATION VIA --
TV AND AND RADIO -- AND ALSO --
AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED HERE THERE
ARE SOME COMMUNITIES THAT ARE
PUTTING SIRENS AND AND YOU KNOW
OUR OUR MESSAGES -- HOWEVER WE
GET THE MESSAGE OUT IS IT IS
IMPORTANT AS LONG AS IS
CONSISTENT AND AND AND MEET SOME
CRITERIA -- AND IF YOU'RE GONNA
USE IRAN'S THERE HAS TO BE
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND TRAINING --
THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
THE OTHER IMPORTANT THING I WANT
TO TALK ABOUT IS OUR ABILITY TO
GET GREATER SITUATIONAL
AWARENESS.
SO.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IN AN
EVENT LIKE A FAST MOVING FIRE IS
ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL IT'S
CRITICAL FOR THE INCIDENT
MANAGEMENT TEAMS ON THE GROUND
IT'S CRITICAL FOR THE MUTUAL AID
ASSETS THAT ARE RESPONDING IN.
IT'S CRITICAL FOR US AT THE
STATE OPERATIONS CENTER.
RIGHT NOW IN MANY CASES THESE
FAST MOVING FIRES ARE MOVING SO
FAST OR COMPLEX -- WHAT KIND OF
BLIND IN THE FIRST FIRST HOURS
OF THIS RIGHT AND -- AND WE'RE
NOT REALLY SURE EXACTLY WHAT IS
HAPPENING AND SO PART OF THAT
CAN BE DRIVEN BY INCREASING THE
MUCH OF THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT
WERE MENTIONED HERE.
TODAY BUT ALSO -- IN A
COLLABORATIVE EFFORT -- WITH
WITH -- WITH -- WE ASSN AND CAL
FIRE WE HAVE -- BUILT OUT
SOMETHING CALLED SCOUT ITS THE
SITUATION ALL COLLABORATIVE --
TOOL -- FOR FOR IF DECISIVE
STANCE FOR ROB [inaudible]
SITUATIONAL GUYS THE RIVERS AS
FOR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS A
FIX.
COOPERATE COMMON OPERATING --
PICTURE THANK YOU SORRY -- THIS
THIS TOOL REALLY IS -- IT IT'S A
VITAL -- CAPABILITY FOR BEING
ABLE TO INTEGRATE A NUMBER OF
DIFFERENT.
PIECES OF INFORMATION COMING
INTO THE FIELD.
IT HAS THE ABILITY TO BRING IN.
THE CAMERAS THAT ARE BEEN TALKED
ABOUT THE SATELLITE DATA --
RADIO COMMUNICATIONS IT ALSO HAS
THE ABILITY TO TRACK OF FIRE
APPARATUS AND RESOURCES THAT ARE --
THROUGHOUT THE STATE SO RECENTLY
CAL FIRE PUT AUTOMATIC VEHICLE
LOCATORS ON ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT --
YESES BUT AUTOMATIC VEHICLES A
LOCATOR ON THE SHOW A QUICK
MINUTE WE CAN SEE THOSE STRIKE
TEAMS MOVING AND MUCH OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT.
HAS THAT WE ARE WORKING TO GET
THAT ON TO THE REST OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT -- THROUGH THE
EFFORTS THAT.
ARE PUT FORTH IN A PRE
POSITIONING CAPABILITY --
CURRENTLY THAT THAT SCOUT IS
USED IN THE FIELD IN THE
INCIDENT MANAGEMENT TEAMS AS
WELL AS AT THE STATE LEVEL -- IN
THE STATE OPERATIONS CENTER --
TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS USING IT
FACTORS SOME CLOSER NOW 200-0
USERS UNDER SCALP -- AND REALLY
THAT IT'S BEEN A A GREAT STEP
FORWARD TO BE BE ABLE TO PROVIDE
AS REAL TIME -- SITUATION
AWARENESS BUT IT IS AGAIN NOT
THE SILVER BULLET AND WE
CONTINUE TO BUILD.
ON ALL OF THAT -- SEVERAL OTHER
AREAS THAT -- WE HAVE BEEN
EVALUATING -- IMPLEMENTING --
THAT HAVE A A CRITICAL COMPONENT --
YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE CAMERAS
THERE'S ALSO THE ABILITY TO DO --
DATA DATA MINING IT'S THE
ABILITY TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORMS IN IN BEING ABLE -- TO
RAPIDLY ASSESS -- DATA THAT MAY
BE -- CAPTURED BY INDIVIDUALS
PUSHING INFORMATION OUT ON THE
SCENE.
CITIZENS THROUGH TWITTER OTHER
KINDS OF EVENTS WHERE WE CAPTURE
THAT INFORMATION AND THEN AND
THEN WE ARE PUT INTO AN
ALGORITHM TO BE ABLE TO GIVES US
SOME.
IDEA ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN
IN A VERY FAST AND AFFECTED
MANNER -- IT GIVES US THE
ABILITY TO ALSO LOOK AT WHETHER --
WE'VE ALSO MOVED FORWARD NOT
JUST OUTSIDE A WILDFIRE BUT
UNDER TECHNOLOGY WITH EARTHQUAKE
EARLY WARNING FLOOD MONITORING
TSUNAMI PREPAREDNESS IN
RADIOLOGIC DETECTION.
IS A LOT OF INTEGRATED
TECHNOLOGY HAPPENING AND OF
COURSE -- EARTHQUAKE.
EARLY WARNING.
ALERT AND WARNING TO THE PUBLIC --
THE ABILITY TO USE SCOUT AND
COMMUNICATE ALL COMES BACK TO
THE ABILITY TO HAVE A SOUND AND
SOLID TELECOMMUNICATIONS BACK
BACK BOND.
NOW LET ME JUST TRANSFER IT
TALKING ABOUT OUR MUTUAL AID
SYSTEM A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE IT'S
IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT THERE'S
BEEN.
SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE
MUTUAL AID SYSTEM SINCE
SEVENTEEN BUT WE HAVE FAR MORE
TO GO -- THE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM
IN CALIFORNIA WHICH MANAGED BY --
YES IS -- IS -- NOT JUST THE
FIRE SYSTEM IS A LAW ENFORCEMENT
SYSTEM IT'S A IT'S A MERCY
MEDICAL SERVICES SYSTEM -- IT'S
AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM --
AND IF IT BELT BUCKLE BUT ABOUT --
SOME OF THE RESPONSE -- TO THE
EIGHTEEN FIRES TO GET CONTEXT ON
HOW THE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM
OPERATED.
AND REALLY TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN
RECORDED ALMOST THIRTY FOUR
THOUSAND RESOURCES THROUGH THE
FIRE AND RESCUE MUTUAL AID
SYSTEM -- THAT INCLUDED A
ROUGHLY EIGHT HUNDRED FORTY
THREE STRIKE TEAMS AND TEN
THOUSAND SIXTY FOUR SIX HUNDRED
FORTY SIX ENGINES AND OVER
TWENTY SEVEN HUNDRED WATER
TENDERS.
COLLECTIVELY THROUGH THE TWO
THOUSAND EIGHTEEN PERIOD -- THE
SYSTEM IS.
A LOCAL GOVERNMENT [inaudible]
BACKBONE SYSTEM -- CAL FIRE
PARTICIPATES IN THAT SYSTEM AS
DO ALL THE OTHER FIRE
DEPARTMENTS A CAL FIRE IS ALSO A
USER OF THE SYSTEM.
ON A CAL FIRE INCIDENT THEY WILL
TURN TO THE SYSTEM AND REQUEST
ASSETS TO BE ABLE TO GET.
THOSE RESOURCES THERE -- IN
SUPPORT OF THE FIRE THOSE
RESOURCES ARE SYSTEMATICALLY
COORDINATED AND OBTAINED.
THROUGH REGION -- FORMATTING SO
THAT WE'VE GOT WE DON'T DRAW
DOWN ALL OF ONE PART OF THE
STATE BUT WE WE WE CAREFULLY
STRATEGICALLY MOVE THOSE
RESOURCES AND THEY COME FROM
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
PONIES UP RESOURCES IN A STRIKE
TEAM FORMAT OF FIVE ENGINES OR
CELL AND THEN WE WE MOVE THEM
INTO AREAS AND AT TIMES AS I
MENTIONED ALL THOSE FIRES IT
TOOK PLACE IN.
IN EIGHTEEN WE HAD.
HUNDREDS OF FIRE ENGINES AND
THOUSANDS OF FIREFIGHTERS MOVING
ALL OVER THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
SIMULTANEOUSLY -- TO MANAGE
THOSE THOSE THOSE FIRES -- IN
ADDITION -- SOMETIMES WE GET
OVERWHELMED -- AND WE KNOW THAT
THESE FIRES SINCE THERE ARE SO
COMPLEX AND AND HAVE BECOME SO.
EXTREME THAT WE NEED TO GO OUT
OF STATE FOR ADDITIONAL
RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE THE
ABILITY TO DO THAT THROUGH THE
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE
COMPACT OR STATE TO STATE MUTUAL
AID -- AND IN THE CASE OF THE
FIRESIN -- TWO THOUSAND
EIGHTEEN YOU KNOW WE ACTUALLY
WENT OUT FOR THREE HUNDRED AND
TWENTY ENGINES FROM STATES ALL
OVER WESTERN UNITED STATES.
AND WE ACTUALLY WENT TO TWO
COUNTRIES -- AUSTRALIA AND NEW
ZEALAND -- AS WELL AS GOING TO
OUR ACTIVE DUTY MILITARY SUPPORT
THOSE.
IN ADDITION WE HAD -- LAW
ENFORCEMENT MUTUAL AID FROM
THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA -- OVER
THOUSAND ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS SIX DIFFERENT STATE LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THREE
DIFFERENT FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES SUPPORTING
AND OF COURSE AS GENERAL BALL
IMAGINE A TREMENDOUS COMPONENT --
BY THE NATIONAL GUARD WHICH THE
NATIONAL GUARD -- FOR FEELS MANY.
MANY.
FUNCTIONS DURING A DISASTER NOT
JUST SUPPORTING THE WILDFIRE
FIREFIGHTING BUT SECURITY
LOGISTICS SUPPORT MEDICAL
SUPPORT -- THERE ARE TREMENDOUS
ACTION ARM -- SUPPORT -- TO THE
STATE IN THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT
CIVIL AUTHORITY -- ONE OTHER IN
IN A KEY IMPROVEMENT TO THE
MUTUAL AID SYSTEM AND CHIEF
GOSSLER MENTIONED IT -- SINCE
TWO THOUSAND SEVENTEEN WAS OUR
ABILITY TO PRE POSITION.
RESOURCES IN FRONT OF OF A
POSSIBLE MAJOR FOOTBALL AND FIRE
SITUATION.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE
AS A MENTION.
CHIEF GAZA MENTION IT TOOK A FEW
HOURS TO GET THE REASON SHE
CALLED FOR THE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM.
HISTORICALLY HAS BEEN DESIGNED --
TO BE A A FEEL KIND OF SYSTEM
OTHER WORDS LOCAL GOVERNMENT
RESPONSE TO AN EVENT -- OR CAL
FIRE RESPONSE TO SOMETHING A
STATE RESPONSIBILITY LAND.
THEY MANAGE IT THEY REALIZE IT
BECOMES.
BROADER OR MORE COMPLEX THEY
NEED ASSETS THEY PUT THE REQUEST
IN THE REQUEST GOES THROUGH THE
SYSTEM AND IT'S PHIL.
THERE IS A LAG TIME.
TODAY WE'RE SEEING IN THE
EXTREME NATURE OF THESE EVENTS
THAT THAT WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE
GAP OF THAT LAG TIME THIS IS
WHAT YOU'VE GOT YOUR SAYING HE
HAD TO WAIT FOR A FEW HOURS.
AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS REALLY.
TO GO BACK TO TECHNOLOGY AND
TELECOMMUNICATIONS TO BE ABLE TO
HAVE GOOD SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
OF WHAT'S HAPPENING SO WE LOOK
AT THINGS LIKE.
FIRE WEATHER -- FUELS CONDITION --
INTELLIGENCE ARE ON UP FROM
SATELLITE IMAGERY CLIMATOLOGY --
AND THIS IS WHERE YOU HER CHIEF
GOZER MUCH TIME SEVERAL TIMES
FUSION FUSION CENTER IT'S REALLY
THIS ABILITY THROUGH THE
NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN GEOGRAPHIC
AREA AS THE THE INCIDENT.
LOOKING AT THE WEATHER DATA.
I'M LOOKING AT THE TOPOGRAPHY
ASSESSING THE FIRE CORRIDORS
PASS FIRE HISTORY.
AND THEN BEING ABLE TO MAKE
RECOMMENDATIONS -- UP THROUGH
THE STATE OPERATIONS CENTER
WHERE WE'RE KIND OF LOOKING AT
THE STATE WIDE PICTURE TO SAY
LOOK THIS IS A HIGH POTENTIAL
THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A FIRE
SO NOW WHEN THERE'S A RED FLAG
CONDITION.
WHERE THEY USED TO SAY WELL
WE'RE GONNA OF A RED FLAG
CONDITION IT'S GOING TO BE OVER
EIGHT COUNTIES WHAT EXACTLY DOES
THAT MEAN?
A RED FLAG CONDITION OVER A
COUNTIES WITH THIS.
EFFORT IN THE DIRECTION THAT
WE'RE MOVING IT IS TO BRING THAT.
THAT WHETHER THREATEN DOWN TO
THOSE KEY AREAS WITH THE HIGHEST
POTENTIAL. FOR FIRE STARTS SO
WHERE THE WINDS ARE GOING TO BE
THE WORST WERE THE FEW
CONDITIONS ARE THE WORST WITH
THE HUMIDITY IS THE LOWEST WITH
THE TEMPERATURES THE HIGHEST.
ECCENTRIC AND WE TIE THE CAMERAS
IN ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGIES TO BE
ABLE TO MAKE THAT ASSESSMENT AND
IT'S THAT POINT.
EVEN PRIOR TO THE FIRE STARTING
AT THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AT THE REQUEST
OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR IN
SUPPORT OF WHAT WE'RE WANTING TO
TO MOVE. TO PREVENTIVE AT WE
WILL PRE POSITION -- ASSETS --
INTO -- AN AREA AND WE DID THAT
ALMOST A HUNDRED TIMES -- THIS
LAST YEAR -- AND IN FACT -- SOME
SOME VERY -- POSITIVE SUCCESS
STORIES IN BEING ABLE TO HAVE
THOSE RESOURCES.
IN PLACE STANDING BY IN ADVANCE
AND AND IN EACH CASE -- EVENTS
HAPPENED WHERE WE ACTUALLY MOVED
ARE WE SURFACTANTS IN SANTA
BARBARA ONE OF THE FIRST ONES WE
DID -- WE HAD A A STRIKE TEAM
STAGED -- AT THE CATHEDRAL OAKS
FIRE STATION -- WHEN THERE WAS A
SON DOWN A WIN CONDITION THE
FIRE STARTED THE STRIKE THE
RESPONSE TO THE HOLIDAY FIRE AND
THEY WOULD LITERALLY ON C.
WITHIN MINUTES?
OF THAT WAS AN AUGMENTATION TO
THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES THAT
RESPONDED AND THESE ARE JUST
FIRE STRIKE TEAMS THESE --
FIREFIGHTERS FIRE ENGINES
HELICOPTERS INCIDENT MANAGEMENT
TEAMS AND IN OTHER KINDS OF
THREATS WE MOVE SWIFT WATER
RESCUE TEAMS URBAN SEARCH AND
RESCUE TEAMS WHATEVER THE NEEDS
ARE WE CAN PRE POSITION AND IT'S
A MAJOR STEP FORWARD.
IN OUR ABILITY -- TO TO BUILD
THE CAPABILITY TO DEAL WITH THE
NEW NORM -- SO IN PLANNING
TRAINING IN AND EXERCISES --
THERE IS A LOT HAPPENING WE
GUARDING -- WORK WITH OUR LOCAL
COUNTERPARTS NOT JUST IN FIRE
BUT IN THE OTHER DISCIPLINES WE
HAVE MUTUAL AID REGIONAL
COORDINATION MEETINGS --
THROUGHOUT THE STATE -- AT OUR
CALIFORNIA SPECIALIZED TRAINING
INSTITUTE -- WORKING WITHOUT A
WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENTS IS DOING
OF EXCEPTIONAL NUMBER OF
TRAINING AND EXERCISES -- TO
BRING EVERYBODY UP TO SPEED WITH
REGARDS -- TO THE ABILITY.
TO EFFECTIVELY RESPOND.
BUT THERE'S MORE TO DO -- AS WE
CONTINUE TO UNDERSTAND THE
THREAT AND UNDERSTAND THE
HIGHEST RISK AREAS WITH.
LOSING SIGHT THAT WE OFFER
EARTHQUAKE FAULTS AND OTHER
KINDS OF RISKS THAT WE HAVE IN
THE STATE -- BALANCING THAT OUT
AND LOOKING AT FROM ALL HAS OUR
PERSPECTIVE ONE KEY AREA THAT WE
ARE -- HAVE BEEN WORKING ON IS
THE ISSUE OF HAZARD MITIGATION.
AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF
HAZARD MITIGATION PROJECTS AS
YOU AS YOU ALL KNOW -- EVERY
DOLLAR INVESTED HAZARD
MITIGATION -- RESULTS AN AVERAGE
OF SIX DOLLARS SAVED --
PREVENTING THE LOSS OR
PREVENTING DAMAGE FROM A
DISASTER AND SO WE WORK --
EXTENSIVELY WITH OUR LOCAL
AUTHORITIES TO TRY TO GET -- AS
MANY -- HAZARD MITIGATION
PROJECTS IN PLACE -- BEFORE THE
EVENT PRE DISASTER MITIGATION
BUT THE WAY THAT THIS PROGRAM
WORKS WHICH IS REALLY FUNDED BY
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THAT
WE GET UP 220%.
OF THE COST OF A FEDERAL
DISASTER AFTER THE DISASTER TO
BE ABLE TO GO IN AND BY DOWN THE
RISK OF FUTURE DISASTER LOSSES
SO YOU CAN IMAGINE FOURTEEN
PRESIDENTIAL DISASTER
DECLARATION IS.
SINCE TWO THOUSAND THIRTEEN
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF MONEY COMING
INTO THE STATE WITH REGARDS --
TO ABILITY TO DO -- DISASTER
MITIGATION CLOSE TO A BILLION
DOLLARS SO -- IN A GOOD FOR
EXAMPLE TWO THOUSAND EIGHTEEN WE
HAD A HUNDRED THIRTY SIX
PROJECTS -- THAT WE PUT IN PLACE
TOTALING CLOSE THE THREE OVER
THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
THEY DID EVERYTHING FROM.
HELPING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
BUILDER HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS --
TO DOING A ROACH IN CONTROL AND
SELL STABILIZATION AFTER THE
FIRE AREA TO DOING -- PROJECTS
TO REDUCE WALL FIRE RISK -- MANY
OF THE SAME AREAS THAT WERE
AROUND THE AREAS THAT HAVE BEEN
IDENTIFIED BY CAL FIRE -- IN A
NUMBER OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT --
INCLUDED -- OTHER KINDS OF
THREATS AS WELL BEYOND ALL WHILE
FIRE.
HAZARD MITIGATION IS A KEY.
AREA THAT WE ARE LEVERAGING AND
WE WANT TO HAVE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LEVERAGE MORE -- IN ADDITION.
ALL WE HAVE BEEN WORKING A LOT
WITH UTILITIES -- THE IOUS IN
THE RECENT MONTHS -- TO GET THEM
TO FOCUS ON A COLLABORATIVE
EFFORT -- OF PREPAREDNESS AND
PLANNING -- THAT INCLUDES A MUCH
MORE AGGRESSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH
LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND AND DOING PUBLIC EDUCATION --
WITH WITH THAT WITH THEIR
CUSTOMERS AND WITH.
PEOPLE IN GENERAL IN CALIFORNIA --
TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE
CHALLENGES THEY FACE BUT THE
OUGHT TO ALSO SHARE.
THIS CONCEPT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
POWER SHOT OFFICE.
IT IS NOT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS
SUMMER -- IN THE HEIGHT OF OUR
SUMMER SEASON THE HEIGHT A
WILDFIRE THAT THE THE UTILITIES
COULD POTENTIALLY SHUT OFF THE
POWER MULTIPLE TIMES -- AND
THEY'RE LOOKING AT SIMILAR KINDS
OF THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT
IN FACT THEY SHOULD BE LOOKING
AT THE SAME THING WE'RE LOOKING
AT WHEN WE DO OUR PRE
POSITIONING.
IS A COORDINATED EFFORT RIGHT SO --
WE'VE BEEN WORKING --
COLLECTIVELY CAL FIRE CALIFORNIA
PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION AND
AND YES WITH UTILITIES TO BE
ABLE -- TO STANDARDIZED -- AND
AND GET EVERYBODY ON THE SAME
PAGE WITH TERMINOLOGY WITH WITH
THE STEPS THAT THEY TAKE OUT IN
THE ANALYSIS THEY MAKE ON THE
SCIENCE SIDE -- THAT'S
CONSISTENT WITH WHAT WE ARE
SEEING IN THE NORTHERN AND%
SOUTHERN GEOGRAPHIC AREA
OPERATIONS CENTER AND IF THE
STATE OPERATIONS CENTER SO IT IS
ALL ON THE SAME PAGE -- IN THIS
EFFORT TO MOVE FORWARD AND AND
ARE YOU MAY HAVE HEARD RECENTLY --
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS ON
YOUR RADIO -- TALKING ABOUT --
PUBLIC SERVICE A PUBLIC SAFETY
POWER SHOP -- THAT'S THE FIRST
OF THE PUBLIC -- AWARENESS
CAMPAIGN THAT THE UTILITIES ARE
DOING AND THERE'S MORE GOING TO
BE COMING HERE IN THE IN THE
COMING COUPLE WEEKS WITH THE I.
DIGITAL PUSH OUT IT IMMEDIATE
EXCEPT TRUCK -- AND REALLY THIS
FOCUS ON HOW INDIVIDUALS HOW
PARTICULAR DEMOGRAPHICS LIKE
INDIVIDUALS ACCESS AND
FUNCTIONAL THESE EXCEPT A NEED
TO BE PREPARED.
LASTLY -- THE GOVERNOR -- IS --
SETTING UP FOR A OF ALL
CALIFORNIA FOR ALL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT SUMMIT WHICH REALLY
WILL BE FOCUSED ON LOCAL -- AND
REGIONAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT -- TO
UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITY OF
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TO STEP UP
THE ROLE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
WORK ON BUILDING CAPACITY AT THE
LOCAL LEVEL -- TO SAYS BE
SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT TO THE
KINDS OF EVENTS THAT WERE
HAPPENING THE TRANSITIONS
EVERYTHING FROM PLANNING. TO
RESPONSE INTO RECOVERY AND THAT
SUMMIT -- WILL BE -- SCHEDULE
HERE FOR EARLY EARLY JUNE -- AND
AND A VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT
pTHE OTHER THING THE GOVERNOR AS
DONE AS YOU KNOW -- IN THE
BUDGET WAS TO ALLOCATE FIFTY
MILLION DOLLARS ON PREPAREDNESS
GRANTS FOR LOCALS AND AREAS
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES TO BUILD
LOCAL CAPACITY.
WITH REGARDS -- TO NON
GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
GROUPS LIKE CERTAIN LEAST DOES --
TO BE ABLE -- TO FURTHER BILL
THE CAPACITY FOR THOSE PARTS OF
THE COMMUNITY THAT -- GENERALLY
YOU KNOW YOU'RE YOU KNOW DON'T
GET THE MESSAGING MAY NOT HAVE
THE RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE BUT
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY
ARE.
AS PREPARED -- FOR A DISASTER AS
POSSIBLE.
SO WITH THAT -- I WOULD JUST SAY
THAT -- UP THERE'S A LOT
HAPPENING -- IN THE PREPAREDNESS --
AREA -- THIS IS NOT A SOUL
GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBILITY THIS
IS A HALL OF COMMUNITY ALL OF US --
AND U. S. TRUSTED AGES IN YOUR
COMMUNITIES HAVE SUCH A CRITICAL
ROLE IN THIS -- AND AS I SAY IT
IS A ONE TEAM. ONE FIGHT EFFORT --
MOVING FORWARD SO THAT THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR THAT
REALLY COMPREHENSIVE
PRESENTATION LOVE NO NO STONE
UNTURNED ALMOST -- ALTERNATE
OVER TO MY FELLOW COMMITTEE
MEMBERS FOR QUESTIONS.
SENATE JACKSON.
WELL I HAVE A NUMBER OF
QUESTIONS BUT IT IS NOON BUT THE
ONE THAT CAN.
REALLY STRIKES ME IS THIS NOTION
THAT -- THE COMMUNICATIONS
NETWORK TO INFORM THE PUBLIC
ABOUT PENDING FIRES IS IN THE
PRIVATE SECTOR HANDS.
AND I'M I'VE BEEN DOING SOME
LEGISLATION ON THIS WE'RE WE'RE
MEETING INCREDIBLE RESISTANCE.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE
BEEN WORKING WITH THEM.
IF THERE'S SOME WAY WE CAN GET
THEM TO PUT SOME SKIN IN THE
GAME THEY'VE GOT.
VIRTUALLY A MONOPOLY ON WIRELESS.
REGARDLESS WHAT COMPANY IT IS
IT'S THE PRIVATE SECTOR -- ANY
SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE GET THEM
TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY.
THEY MAKE A LOT OF MONEY HERE IN
CALIFORNIA.
AND IT THAT THEY SHOULD ALSO BE
PART OF THE SOLUTION.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF YOU
HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE WAY TO
GO OR ANY CONVERSATIONS YOU BEEN
HAVING HOW DO WE GET THEM TO
STEP UP.
AND HELP PROTECT THE LIVES OF
THE PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA WHO PAY --
FOR THEIR SERVICES AND TO
PROVIDE THEM WITH THE PROFITS
THAT THEY REAP [inaudible]
WELL.
THANK YOU CENTER IT'S A GOOD
QUESTION -- LET ME ANY KIND OF
SAY THAT I I I I I DON'T WANT TO
LEAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT
THEY'RE DOING NOTHING -- YOU
KNOW THEY BAY WHERE THEY AT CAN
I THINK THAT THEY ARE -- WORKING
ON DOING HARDENING OF SOME OF
THEIR FACILITIES -- I THINK -- I
COULDN'T TELL YOU THE SPEED OR
THE OR THE THAT HOW HOW MUCH OF
THAT THAT'S HAPPENING -- THEY
HAVE WORKED CLOSELY WITH US TO
BE ABLE TO HAVE.
CONNECTIVITY AND LINK INTO THE
STATE OPERATIONS CENTER WE BRING
THEM INTO THE STATE OPERATIONS
CENTER.
AS A PART OF OUR STATE'S
RESPONSE OPERATION -- THEY HAVE
COMMITTED ON PROVIDING --
CELLULAR ON WHEELS AND OTHER
KINDS OF MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS --
BUT IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS AND
UP I THINK MOVING FORWARD -- BUT
PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITY AYE
AYE AYE TAKEN AND JUST IN
GENERAL IS IS IS WORKING --
BRINGING THEM AROUND THE TABLE --
TO REALLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF
THEM SOME OF THESE ON GOING
CHALLENGES IT CONCERNS WE HAVE
AND AND AND AND YOU KNOW.
I'D I THINK IN SOME CASES OTHERS
WERE TALKING PAST EACH OTHER AND
THAT REALLY IS GOING TO BE
NECESSARY TO GET EVERYBODY ON
THE SAME PAGE AND WE'VE DONE
THAT WITH OTHER.
OTHER UTILITIES VERY
SUCCESSFULLY -- BECAUSE THEY ARE
A CRITICAL CRITICAL ASSET TO
THIS OVERALL PICTURE.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND ENOUGH AND
ALL STOP THIS QUESTION I ONLY
HAVE ABOUT A HUNDRED MORE BUT
I'LL I'LL STOP THIS -- ONE THE
UTILITIES WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT
MORE -- REGULATORY AUTHORITY
OVER THE TELEVISION IT SEEMS TO
ME THAT IN THEIR PROCESS ALL IN
I MENTIONED EARLIER I THINK OF
SAN DIEGO GAS ELECTRIC WHICH
BROUGHT IN THE STATE OF THE ART.
EQUIPMENT PEOPLE THEY'VE REALLY.
TAKEN SERIOUSLY AS A RESULT OF
LITIGATION THAT THAT KIND OF
HELD THEM. TO TO PAY FOR THE
LACK OF THIS KIND OF CONCERN
MANY YEARS AGO BUT THEY HAVE
STEPPED UP.
AND THEY HAVE STATE OF THE ART
EQUIPMENT THEY HAVE -- WEATHER
SYSTEMS IN EVERY HILL SIDE THAT
THAT IS IN A HIGH RISK AREA.
AND I'M WONDERING IF NOW
ASSUMING THAT THE OTHER
UTILITIES PARTICULARLY P.
JEANNIE ARE TAKING SERIOUSLY
THAT THEY DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT
ROLE IN ALL THIS THEY'RE DOING
THAT KIND OF WORK.
IS THERE SOME WAY TO WE NEED TO
DO LEGISLATION.
IS REGULATION I'M NOT SURE WHAT
IT IS TO INCORPORATE IN SO THAT
WE DON'T REPLICATE ARE
UNNECESSARILY -- DUPLICATE I
SHOULD SAY.
A LOT OF THAT TECHNOLOGY THAT
THEY'RE BRINGING TO THE TABLE IS
THERE IS THERE SOMETHING WE CAN
DO OR SHOULD BE DOING OR OR NOT
DOING I MEAN.
THERE MAY BE.
I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER BUT
HERE'S ALL THIS NEW EQUIPMENT
THE HOT THE BEST AND THE MOST
ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE
COMING ONLINE.
VIA THE UTILITY COMPANIES IS
THERE SOME WAY WE CAN GET THEM --
INCORPORATED IN COLLABORATING
WITH THE STATE WITH THE FEDERAL
AGENCIES WITH OUR LOCAL FOLKS.
TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE IN THE USE
OF THAT STATE OF THE ART
TECHNOLOGY IN NOTIFYING THE
PUBLIC WARNING US IN ADVANCE
FIGHTING THE FIRES DOING ALL THE
THINGS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED.
SUCH AS FIRES BUT YOU KNOW SOME
THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE A
EARTHQUAKE IN THIS STATE AND
JUST INEVITABLE AND AND WHAT CAN
WE DO TO GET.
THE KIND OF ADVANCED SYSTEMS
THAT ARE BEING DEVELOPED SHOULD
BE DEVELOPED AS PART OF THE
WHOLE INTEGRATED PROGRAM TO
PROTECT THE PEOPLE CALIFORNIA.
I MEAN YOU KNOW I THINK
IMMIGRATION OF ALL THESE ALL
THESE EFFORTS IS I MEAN WE WORK
WITH UTILITIES.
WEEKLY WERE HAVING MEETINGS WITH
THEM. TO ADDRESS JUST THIS ISSUE --
I WOULD SAY THAT -- AND TOM
COULD WEIGH INTO HERE -- AYE
DAVE WE WE'VE WE'VE.
WE'VE BROUGHT A LOT OF THAT. TO
A PLACE WHERE.
WERE ALL ON THIS SIMILAR PAGE.
THE CENTER IS NOT YET A 100%
BAIT WHERE WE WOULD LIKE IT --
AND THEY'RE OUT LIARS THAT STILL
NEED TO BE BROUGHT INTO THE INTO
THE FOLD BUT I THINK WE'VE ALL
LEARNED EXTENSIVELY -- ON BOTH
SIDES OF THAT -- YOU KNOW HOW
THEY'RE CAPABLE HOW THE JOINT
CAPABILITY WORKS AND THEN HOW WE
CAN BRING IT.
INTO THE STATE TO BE ABLE TO
PUSH IT BACK OUT -- IT IS A VERY
COMPLEX -- SET OF OF CHALLENGES --
IN A STATE THE SIZE WITH THE
NUMBER OF DIFFERENT I UTILITIES
IN THE TOPOGRAPHY EXCEPTION BUT
I DON'T.
YEAH I I JUST LIKE TO ADD TO
THAT THAT -- THE GEOGRAPHIC
COORDINATION CENTERS THE GAC IN
THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH --
READING AND AND IN RIVERSIDE IN
THIS CASE -- THEIR JOINTLY
OPERATED -- CAL FIRE -- BUT
THERE FEDERAL THROUGH THE U. S.
FOR SERVICE -- PROGRAMS AND
THEY'RE GAPS THROUGHOUT THE
UNITED STATES -- BUT WE HAVE TO
IN CALIFORNIA WE'RE UNIQUE ONLY
STATE IN THE NATION THAT HAS
ACTUALLY -- TO AND THEIR UNIQUE
TO US -- THAT INFORMATION THAT
THEY ARE GATHERING WILL RELATED
TO FIRE WEATHER AND ALL OF THOSE
THINGS IS THE SAME DATA THAT'S
BEING USED BY THESE UTILITY
COMPANIES -- WHAT WE ARE STILL
WORKING ON IS AN UNDERSTANDING
OF HOW THEY'RE USING THAT DATA?
TO MAKE THEIR DECISIONS SO --
THERE'S MORE COORDINATION THAT
WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH
ON THAT -- BUT FOR THE TIME
BEING.
THE INFORMATION THAT'S COMING
INTO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT
WEATHER SO -- SERVICE AND AND
COORDINATION CENTERS IS THE SAME
DATA BECAUSE THAT'S THE DATA
THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR THE BROAD
PICTURE OF WEATHER.
AS TIME GOES ON WE NEED TO
MAINTAIN -- THAT GOVERNMENTAL
CONNECTION TO WHERE THE DATA IS
COMING FROM AND BE ABLE -- TO
COORDINATE HOW -- HOW WE'RE
USING THAT DATA BUT DECISIONS
THAT ARE BEING MADE TO TURN OFF --
POWER FOR INSTANCE ARE BEING
MADE BY.
THE UTILITY COMPANIES THAT ARE
LOOKING AT THE SAME DATA THAT WE
HAVE AVAILABLE TO US THEY'RE
JUST LOOKING AT IT THROUGH A
DIFFERENT LENS [inaudible]
THANK YOU.
THANK YOU THIRTY GALGIANI
QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU CAN I HAVE ONE FOLLOW
UP QUESTION I THINK YOU KNOW THE
TWO PRIOR PANELS AND AND YOU
GENTLEMAN SPOKE TO WHAT WE'RE
DOING TO INTERACT WITH OUR
REGIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
IN MITIGATION OF RISK AND WE
KNOW THAT SOME OF THAT AT THIS
POINT SIMPLY COMES DOWN. TO A
MATTER OF RESOURCES AND TIME FOR
IMPLEMENTATION BUT WHAT WE
HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT AS THE MAP
INDICATES 58%.
OF FOREST LAND IN THIS STATE IS
FEDERALLY RESPONSIBILITY.
AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW OUR
PRESIDENT HAS ADVOCATED FOR A
MORE ROBUST WREAKING PROGRAM.
I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD --
SPEAK TO WHAT ADDITIONALLY WE
MIGHT BE DOING AND HOW THE
LEGISLATURE CAN SUPPORT OUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IN MITIGATING RISK IN
THOSE FEDERAL RESPONSIBILITY
AREAS.
OKAY AGAIN TOM PORTER -- CAL
FIRE DIRECTOR -- SEVERAL THINGS --
WE ARE WORKING AND WE ARE VERY
CLOSE WITH OUR OUR COUNTERPARTS --
AT REGION FIVE FOR SERVICE OF
REGION FIVE AS CALIFORNIA AND
THE PACIFIC ISLANDS -- BUT AS AS
RECENTLY AS THIS MORNING BEFORE
COMING HERE -- I'VE BEEN IN CON
A CONVERSATION ABOUT --
STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENTS AND GOOD
NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY IN THESE ARE
ALL ALL DIFFERENT ADORED USE
THAT THAT WE CAN ENTER INTO
AGREEMENTS WITH THE THE U. S.
FOR SERVICE AND OTHER FEDERAL
AGENCIES TO DO.
JOINT FUELS PROJECT WORK -- TO
DO FOREST RESILIENCE WORK AND
AND THE RESILIENCE WORK IS
REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR
THE LONG TERM TURNING THE TIDE.
GETTING BACK TO WHERE WE WERE A
HUNDRED AND FIFTY TWO HUNDRED
YEARS AGO.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE IT PLACES
WHERE WHERE THE FOR SERVICE --
REALLY COMES INTO PLAY --
ANOTHER THING THAT'S THAT'S
INTERESTING AND AND I WILL SAY
ABSOLUTELY APPROPRIATE.
IS OF THE ROUGHLY A HUNDRED AND
SIXTY THOUSAND I MEAN MILLION
DOLLARS THAT HAS BEEN EXPANDED
THUS FAR.
IN -- FOREST RESILIENCE AND
FORCED HEALTH PROJECT WORK FROM
MY PREVIOUS -- PRESENTATION --
ABOUT. 51% OF THAT HAS BEEN
EXPENDED ON FEDERAL LAND OR WILL
BE EXPENDED ON FEDERAL LAND ON
FOREST SERVICE PROJECTS THAT WE
ARE IN -- COLLABORATION --
PUTTING ON THE LANDSCAPE IN
ORDER TO PROTECT.
THE LIVES PROPERTY ENVIRONMENT
OF CALIFORNIA AND SO WHAT
CALIFORNIA IS DOING IS INVESTING
IN ALL LANDS WITH ALL THE TOOLS
THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE TO US.
NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE IN THE
LANDSCAPE BASED ON THE THE
CRITICAL NATURE OF THOSE
PROJECTS TO THE RESOURCES AND
PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA.
ON BEHALF OF CALIFORNIANS I
THINK WE GETS A WEEK WE
APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE'RE
NOT LOOKING AT THOSE COLOR
BOUNDARIES INSTEAD WERE FOCUSING
ON AREAS OF RISKING KEEPING OUR
POPULATIONS SAFE REGARDLESS OF
THE FEDERAL.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AND
STEPPING UP TO WHAT IS THIS NEW
NORMAL CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS MAKING
ALL OF YOUR JOBS MUCH MORE
CHALLENGING AND RISKY SO I
APPRECIATE THAT THAT'S BEEN.
THE FOCUS BUT AGAIN IF THERE'S
ANYTHING THAT THIS LEGISLATURE
CAN DO AND HELPING FACILITATE
THOSE CONVERSATIONS THOSE --
AGREEMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT
FEDERAL PROPERTY IS MAINTAINED
TO A LEVEL THAT KEEPS OUR
CITIZENS SAFE THAT SOMETHING
THAT I KNOW WE'RE ALL HAPPY. TO
ENGAGE IN.
THAT SAID IS ARE THERE ANY
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM THIS
FINAL PANEL.
ALL RIGHT WELL I THINK -- WE
HAVE A NUMBER OF ACTION ITEMS TO
FOLLOW UP WITH ALL ALLOW MY VICE
CHAIR SOME CLOSING REMARKS WHICH
IS LIKE SURE VERY BRIEF I WANT
TO THANK YOU AND SEEING YOU
HEARING GEAR SO AFTER THE
LITERALLY THE THE SMOKE IS
CLEARED FROM OUR EYES FROM MARK.
A MAJOR FIRE IN -- THE BEEN
TURNED SANTA BARBARA AREA YOU
YOU WERE INCREDIBLE -- AND I
KNOW EVERYONE OF MY COMMUNITY
APPRECIATED AND THEN OF COURSE
GOING FORWARD SO FIRES ARE.
ACTUALLY I HATE TO CALL THE NEW
NORMAL IT'S NEW ABNORMAL AND TO
APPRECIATE.
THE DISCUSSION BOTH FROM THE
LOCAL UP THROUGH THE STATE
NATIONAL LEVEL -- IN ALL THE
WORK YOU'RE DOING A COUPLE MY
TAKEAWAYS IF I MAY AND AND I'D
LOVE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH
YOU ON THEM.
IS OUR MUTUAL AID SYSTEM WE'VE
GOT A IT'S GONNA GET QUICKER AND
AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAS BEEN A
PROBLEM IS.
JUST GETTING MUTUAL AID COMING
FORWARD AND PERHAPS THIS IS PART
OF THE COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE THAT
WE ARE.
DEALING WITH WE'VE GOT TO BE
ABLE TO GET THE THE RESPONSES
MORE QUICKLY I KNOW IN SOME
AREAS YOU GOT TO GET APPROVAL
FIRST BUT THAT FIRES COMING IN
AN ACRE A SECOND YOU DON'T HAVE
A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO GET THAT
APPROVAL.
MAYBE THIRTY YEARS AGO WHEN THEY
WERE MOVING QUITE AS FAST --
THAT'S SOMETHING I I YOU KNOW
HOPE THAT WE CAN HELP HELP YOU
WITH BUT THE THE KEY THING --
AGAIN COMMUNICATIONS THE WORKING
WITH THE UTILITIES THEY HAVE GOT
TO BE A PARTNER HERE -- IN THE
PRIVATE SECTOR THAT THE WIRELESS
COMPANIES SAID THAT THE WHOLE
IDEA OF EARLY ADVANCED WARNING
WAS SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED
DRESSING RIGHT IS LITERALLY THE
THOMAS FIRE BROKE OUT.
WE WEREN'T DOING ENOUGH UP IN
THE NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE
PEOPLE WERE NOT GETTING OUT
QUICKLY ENOUGH TO WARRANT BEING
NO NOTIFIED.
IT'S A DIFFERENT WORLD THE
TECHNOLOGIES ARE DIFFERENT I'M
CONCERNED THERE IN THE
PROPAGANDA THE PRIVATE SECTOR
WE'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO
GET THEM TO PARTICIPATE BECAUSE
THEY HOLD THE KEY.
WE JUST DON'T USE CHURCH BELLS
ANYMORE FOR THESE KINDS A
WARNING SO -- I HOPE THAT WE CAN
CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT AND
BRING THEM TO THE TABLE I'M NOT
SURE.
WHAT THE INCENTIVES ARE WITH THE
HOW WE GO ABOUT IT BUT I KNOW
THAT YOU FOLKS HAVE BEEN?
DOING YOUR BEST TO MAKE SURE
WE'RE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE
THAT WE CAN RESPOND AS QUICKLY
AS POSSIBLE TO SAY PROPERTY AND
MOST IMPORTANTLY -- HUMAN LIFE
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING
THESE DISCUSSIONS I WANNA THANK
THE CHAIR OF FOR HER WORK AND
STAFF -- FOR ALL OF US HERE DID
THIS IS JUST.
AGENCIES AND PARTY CALIFORNIA'S
DNA AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL BE
ABLE TO RESPOND.
EFFECTIVELY THE PUBLIC'S
EXPECTING IT THEY DESERVE
NOTHING LASSEN AGAIN THANK YOU
ALL FOR YOUR WORK.
THANK YOU SENATOR JACKSON AYE.
CONCUR WITH HER COMMENTS AND AND
SUMMARY OF AREAS AND I THINK --
POINTS TO GO TO THAT THIS
COMMITTEE CAN CONTINUE TO LOOK
OUT AS WE MOVE THIS CONVERSATION
FORWARD PARTICULARLY AROUND
BRINGING IN THE TELECOM --
COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGICAL
IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL ENHANCE
OUR MUTUAL AID SYSTEM BUT I ALSO
THINK CRITICALLY WE DO NEED TO
LOOK AT STAFFING BECAUSE WE CAN
PAY FOR STAFFING NOW OR WE CAN
PAY FOR REBUILDING LATER.
AND THAT'S A COST BENEFIT
ANALYSIS THAT I THINK WE IT'S
TIME TO MAKE SO AGAIN I ECHO THE
SENTIMENTS OF GREATLY
APPRECIATING YOUR HELP AND
PARTICIPATION IN ALL OF THOSE
WHO CAME TODAY -- WE WILL
CONTINUE TO BE HERE TO BACKSTOP
YOU STAY IN CONTACT IF THERE'S
SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE THIS
COULD COMMITTEE TO TAKE UNDER
CONSIDERATION PLEASE DO REACH
OUT TO STAFF OR MYSELF.
I'M MORE HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK
AND CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH YOU
IN THIS WORK THANK YOU