WHERE’S THE PORK? NO MONEY FOR FIRE STATIONS OR FIRE PREVENTION IN SAN DIEGO’S PROPOSED STIMULUS PROJECTS

Thursday, March 5, 2009

WHERE’S THE PORK? NO MONEY FOR FIRE STATIONS OR FIRE PREVENTION IN SAN DIEGO’S PROPOSED STIMULUS PROJECTS

“The City and County never asked the fire departments…We are very disappointed,” – August Ghio, President, San Diego Fire Chiefs Association

March 5, 2009 (San Diego)—Why didn’t a city and county that have suffered through the worst wildfires in California history request funds through the federal stimulus program for any fire protection projects?

The website www.stimuluswatch.org lists “shovel-ready” projects submitted by cities in the 2008 U.S. Conference of Mayors Report. There are dozens of fire-related projects such as building new fire stations, remodeling older stations, and creating training facilities for firefights in cities across the country and elsewhere in California. But none in San Diego.

San Diego has nearly $351 million in projects listed, ranging from the Rose Creek Bike Path to repairing streets and upgrading street lights. But not a single fire-related project is on the list.

“The City and County never asked the fire departments,” August Ghio, president of the San Diego County Fire Chiefs Association, told East County Magazine in an exclusive interview. “We are very disappointed that there was no outreach to fire districts.” The County Fire Chiefs Association and Fire Districts Association will be meeting with SANDAG (San Diego Association of Governments) this week in hopes of identifying some crucial fire projects, he added. “We hope it’s not too late.”

After the devastating 2007 wildfires, Senator Diane Feinstein chaired a Congressional hearing in San Diego to investigate wildfire prevention, including local officials actions. The Senator blasted San Diego officials for failing to provide adequate fire resources for the region. “People have to understand there will eventually be loss of life on a massive scale if nothing happens.”

San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman testified that her department lacked resources needed for rapid response time to save more homes. In Rancho Bernardo, where over 350 homes burned, the city had just one fire station protecting 24 miles. The national standard for accreditation is one station for every nine miles. San Diego needed at least 22 more fire stations to meet that standard.

Jarman’s predecessor, Chief Jeff Bowman, told the panel he resigned in “abject frustration” because repeated recommendations were ignored, including pleas for more fire stations and engines.

City and County leaders have faulted voters for failing to pass bond initiatives for more fire funding. But now, federal stimulus dollars are available—if only City and County leaders would ask.

Ghio has this message for local officials. “If you’re really looking to do something good for the public, let’s take advantage now to improve fire service delivery, or at least improve dramatically our regional district training.” Fire districts have shovel-ready projects, Ghio said, including proposed new fire stations, replacing dilapidated stations, and building regional training centers. “There’s a perfect example,” he said, citing a regional training facility proposed in partnership with the Otay Water District on land that is already available.

“We will open it up to Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, and all of the East County and South County Fire departments—full paid and volunteer,” said Ghio. The facility would also include a mobile training program to bring live fire search-and-rescue trailers to train personnel in backcountry areas.

“We have tons of these things going on,” Chief Ghio concluded. “But nobody asked us.”

Source: East County Magazine - Link

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Thursday, March 5, 2009