Blue Ribbon Task Force Urges State to 'Get Real' About Fire Threat; includes Corona Fire Chief Mike Warren.

The extraordinary rash of lightning-caused wildland fires in Northern California has dramatically underscored the critical statewide natural disaster risk facing California in the 21stCentury. So says the Blue Ribbon Task Force, a watchdog panel of fire service professionals.

The 18-member Task Force, first established in 2004 and revived after the 2007 Fire Storm, today renewed its call for California’s policy makers at all levels to “get real” about the ongoing fire threat with more equipment and personnel and a serious commitment to fire-safe land-use planning.

“The June fires prove, if we needed any further proof, that the fire threat isn't regional and it isn't seasonal." said California Professional Firefighters President Lou Paulson, who sits on the Task Force. "It's a 12-month, statewide marathon that gets more serious every year. If we're going to do our jobs to protect the citizens of the state, California needs to get real about this threat and do what it takes to protect the tens of millions who live and work in harm’s way."

The Blue Ribbon Task Force, first established in the aftermath of the 2004 Southern California firestorm and revived after the 2007 fires, is made up of 18 individuals representing management and labor, and local, state and federal fire agencies. CPF is one of the co-sponsors of the panel, along with the California Fire Chiefs Association. The chair of the Task Force, Corona Fire Chief Mike Warren, said that Task Force supports, in concept, Governor Schwarzenegger's fire protection insurance fee, but warns the public won't accept it if it only keeps us treading water.

"We can’t keep waiting for the next major incident to act." Warren said. "California needs to make an ongoing commitment to disaster protection and prevention at all levels of government. Our citizens demand it, and their safety depends upon it."

In its interim report issued in January, the Task Force called for more than a dozen specific recommendations to increase permanent state and local emergency services, including:

More firefighters: Expand CALFIRE statewide, with permanent three-person staffing year-round and four-person staffing statewide during periods of highest fire risk. Establish reasonable standards of coverage for wildland-urban interface, and build strong statewide fire training program;

More fire engines: Fund purchase of 150 new engines by the state Office of Emergency Services. The OES engines would be deployed with local fire departments throughout the state, boosting local protection and providing rapid response during all disasters, including wildland fires;

More aircraft: Accelerate upgrade of CALFIRE helicopter fleet and redeploy functioning resources to local fire agencies as available to provide additional surge capacity.

Broader “surge” capacity: Insure that equipment and personnel are available during peak periods so that mutual aid response doesn’t leave local fire protection vulnerable or under-funded.

Fire-safe construction and land-use: Create a working group to develop a model hazard-reduction strategy, including specific fire-safe land-use guidelines, defensible space standards, model building and fire codes, and public education efforts.

Secure disaster response funding: Financing expanded wildland fire response as an ongoing budget item, as opposed to a year-to-year “emergency” expense.