August 15, 2009
Lockheed Fire Wrapping Up
Praise Cal Fire for the quick, professional and effective response to this incident. Let no one doubt this is the most remarkable firefighting force on the planet. Another textbook fire response.
Two outbuildings destroyed, a few thousand acres, no serious injuries. There was some hand to hand combat by Cal Fire and cooperating agency engine crews, dozers, hand crews, helicopter and air tanker pilots that saved dozens of homes in and near Bonny Doon, Davenport and Swanson.
Note: I think it's funny that Fox News and the other news agencies are blasting this fire all over the airwaves as an ongoing emergency. Better really late than never. The Governor is planning a photo op near the fire lines today as well.
Proximity to the populous S.F Bay Area invited the press to the Lockheed Fire and that made it sexy.
The more interesting fire is the La Brea Fire in the Los Padres National Forest, 150 miles to the south.
The closest population center to the 100,000 acre La Brea Fire is Santa Barbara.
2,000 firefighters are sweating on the lines in the national forest and their contributions should be acknowledged.
Another fire burning out of control with the same proximity to the Bay Area as the Lockheed Fire is the Corral Fire near Livermore. Cal Fire surrounded that runner as well with no media fanfare.
Remarkably in all three fires not one home burned!
Two outbuildings destroyed, a few thousand acres, no serious injuries. There was some hand to hand combat by Cal Fire and cooperating agency engine crews, dozers, hand crews, helicopter and air tanker pilots that saved dozens of homes in and near Bonny Doon, Davenport and Swanson.
Note: I think it's funny that Fox News and the other news agencies are blasting this fire all over the airwaves as an ongoing emergency. Better really late than never. The Governor is planning a photo op near the fire lines today as well.Proximity to the populous S.F Bay Area invited the press to the Lockheed Fire and that made it sexy.
The more interesting fire is the La Brea Fire in the Los Padres National Forest, 150 miles to the south.
The closest population center to the 100,000 acre La Brea Fire is Santa Barbara.
2,000 firefighters are sweating on the lines in the national forest and their contributions should be acknowledged.
Another fire burning out of control with the same proximity to the Bay Area as the Lockheed Fire is the Corral Fire near Livermore. Cal Fire surrounded that runner as well with no media fanfare.
Remarkably in all three fires not one home burned!
Labels: 2009 Fire Season, Cal Fire, Corral Fire, Lockheed Fire
August 12, 2009
You Order, You Pay. La Brea Fire May Usher In New Era Of Interagency Cooperation
The La Brea fire may be offering hints of a new direction in the long standing cooperative agreement between Cal Fire and the Feds. Mike Dubrasich, Executive Director of the Western Institute for Study of the Environment shared with Firefighter Blog readers the following passage in last evening's 209 report.
"At 1200 the fire entered into Unified Command with Cal Fire because the fire threatens state DPA. The threat is from a slop over off Sierra Madre Road into Foothill Road located in Branch Four. There is a cost share agreement with Cal Fire for “you order you pay”. The slop over Sierra Madre Road in Moon Canyon has the potential to go to the valley floor. Evacuation order issued for the 14 threatened residences on Foothill Road and evacuation warning issued via reverse 911 to the 104 residences in Cottonwood Canyon."
Mike opines;
"You order you pay? I think that means the USFS is billing CalFire for any actions that CalFire "orders". Such as the Martin Mars. Who takes responsibility when poorly managed Fed land blows up in a massive fire and threatens private land on the other side of the fence? Evidently CalFire will be billed for suppression actions at the "interface". The old co-op suppression agreements are burning up along with the landscape."
Mike may be right, apparently if Cal Fire orders in equipment they will have to pay the entire cost billed by their contractors, even if sloppy work by the Feds requires a state response. I'm not saying the La Brea incident is mismanaged, not suggesting this at all.
Are we entering an era of a leaner, meaner USFS? Getting budget minded all of a sudden? Ms Pincha-Tulley did not just pull this rabbit out of her hat, no this came from a policy change.
As I understand the current policy if a fire runs into another jurisdiction, that jurisdiction must pay their own freight, nothing new here. What is new is the direct wording. I have never heard that phrase before.
I have a feeling Pincha-Tulley wants the 747 and DC-10 Supertanker, (Tanker 910) on scene but doesn't want to pay. Typically, once aircraft are above a fire air attack keeps track of what drops go where. Say a tanker drops 40 loads, 20 on state land and 20 on Fed land. The drops are billed accordingly.
More often in practice the drops are blurred, whereupon the bill is absorbed by one party or another, or a good guess at a split is attempted. That era may be over. It appears now that if Cal Fire orders equipment they bear the brunt of the costs.
Cal Fire could get tough by calling up the tankers, order drops on their designated area of operation and send them home.
Will we need for an arbitrator at incident bases in the future. The "Incident Legal Office", or ILO would be inexpensive compared to costs of overhead, equipment, personnel, food, lodging and transportation.
Worth keeping an eye on, let's see how this plays out.
"At 1200 the fire entered into Unified Command with Cal Fire because the fire threatens state DPA. The threat is from a slop over off Sierra Madre Road into Foothill Road located in Branch Four. There is a cost share agreement with Cal Fire for “you order you pay”. The slop over Sierra Madre Road in Moon Canyon has the potential to go to the valley floor. Evacuation order issued for the 14 threatened residences on Foothill Road and evacuation warning issued via reverse 911 to the 104 residences in Cottonwood Canyon."
Mike opines;
"You order you pay? I think that means the USFS is billing CalFire for any actions that CalFire "orders". Such as the Martin Mars. Who takes responsibility when poorly managed Fed land blows up in a massive fire and threatens private land on the other side of the fence? Evidently CalFire will be billed for suppression actions at the "interface". The old co-op suppression agreements are burning up along with the landscape."
Mike may be right, apparently if Cal Fire orders in equipment they will have to pay the entire cost billed by their contractors, even if sloppy work by the Feds requires a state response. I'm not saying the La Brea incident is mismanaged, not suggesting this at all.
Are we entering an era of a leaner, meaner USFS? Getting budget minded all of a sudden? Ms Pincha-Tulley did not just pull this rabbit out of her hat, no this came from a policy change.
As I understand the current policy if a fire runs into another jurisdiction, that jurisdiction must pay their own freight, nothing new here. What is new is the direct wording. I have never heard that phrase before.
I have a feeling Pincha-Tulley wants the 747 and DC-10 Supertanker, (Tanker 910) on scene but doesn't want to pay. Typically, once aircraft are above a fire air attack keeps track of what drops go where. Say a tanker drops 40 loads, 20 on state land and 20 on Fed land. The drops are billed accordingly.
More often in practice the drops are blurred, whereupon the bill is absorbed by one party or another, or a good guess at a split is attempted. That era may be over. It appears now that if Cal Fire orders equipment they bear the brunt of the costs.
Cal Fire could get tough by calling up the tankers, order drops on their designated area of operation and send them home.
Will we need for an arbitrator at incident bases in the future. The "Incident Legal Office", or ILO would be inexpensive compared to costs of overhead, equipment, personnel, food, lodging and transportation.
Worth keeping an eye on, let's see how this plays out.
Labels: 2009 Fire Season, 747 Supertanker, Cal Fire, DC-10 Supertanker, politics, USFS
July 13, 2009
Supertankers Standing Guard Over California
The Cal Fire air program secured the use of the massive 747 Supertanker for the 2009 fire season according to Rim Of The World.Net. This amazing aircraft, with its 20,000 gallon payload joins Tanker910, the State contracted DC-10 behemoth in Victorville.Both aircraft will be less than 45 minutes to any spot in Southern California.
Tanker 910 has already proven to be a tremendous asset during its two years of service. The DC-10 carries a 12,000 gallon payload.
If this is not good enough another firefighting industry giant will call Southern California home this season. The Village News reports the Martin Mars JMR3 waterbomber with a 7,200 gallon payload is scheduled to arrive from it's home base in Vancouver British Columbia this week for positioning at Lake Elsinore.
The Martin Mars is a water plane and can scoop its load from a lake or bay making reloading quick and inexpensive. The Martin Mars is under contract with the U.S. Forest Service.
Cal Fire's commitment to the additional Supertanker while welcomed is also puzzling. In an ordinary year it might be considered a budget buster. With the state essentially broke it begs the question why now?
Perhaps this is posturing by Cal Fire principals, pump the budget before being forced to submit revised numbers. I don't know. Or maybe after crunching the numbers Cal Fire has decided extensive use of these weapons during initial attack can stop those $20 million campaign fires in their tracks, more than paying for the expensive bombers.
In any case I am all for extensive use of these firefighting weapons. Stomping out fires early for budget considerations is great but I view it from a firefighter safety standpoint.
The longer a campaign is drawn out the more firefighter injuries occur. Just look at the incident 209 reports for campaign fires. Injuries mount as the days wear on. Fatigue invites mistake, the numbers game catches up as acreage mounts and time on scene expands.
No price can be placed on safety.
I look forward to watching how these resources are put in play. I envy the guys and gals on the fire ground where these magnificent aircraft drop their loads. Imagine, between the three aircraft they can leave a trail of 40,000 gallons of water, retardant and gel.
For a look at the complete fleet of aircraft of aircraft at the disposal of Cal Fire click here.
Thanks to Michael E. Dubrasich of The Western Institute for Study of the Environment for the heads up!
Labels: 747 Supertanker, Cal Fire, Martin Mars, Tanker 910
May 29, 2009
California Budget Woes, Cal Fire Particulars To come
Reports from various sources hint that Cal Fire stands to lose $17 million from their budget due to the State being broke.
One source quotes the Governor declaring there will be a 5% pay cut across the board for state workers.
Other sources suggest Governor Schwarzenegger wants to eliminate the California Youth Authority, another consideration proposes closing down the state parks.
It seems to me the Cal Fire cuts will be seen in equipment attrition. I drove a 20 year old engine and an even older crew bus in my day so I see no harm in putting off purchases of shiny new model 5's and water tenders. Bulldozers age well generally and their tenders only need to get across the state a few times a year.
Cal Fire equipment is well maintained. I forget the schedules but as I recall we changed the oil on the apparatus every 1,500 miles. Safety equipment is inspected daily. A well maintained fire engine can last for decades so the dream of a new fire engine in the driveway of every station is over.
Where it will hurt is if the cuts begin to claim personnel.
Who is likely to be hurt first? At first no one in my opinion. The hiring has already been done for the 2009 fire season. At least for 2009 I don't see much pain.
2010 will be a different story. I expect some stations and possibly some camps will be closed. I can see the state offering early retirement to guys and gals within reach. I expect many of these positions will not be filled, possibly ever.
I cannot see air attack, fixed wing or rotary aircraft affected at all. Any attempt to save a buck or two by eliminating air support would be a mistake.
If I was the Governor I would draw on help from the President's gargantuan list of service corps or whatever his regime is calling it.
Tens of billions of dollars is appropriated for various volunteer programs funded through the Omnibus or Stimulus/Porkulus Bills, some have to do with conservation projects. Among the myriad of funded programs under the banner of the National Service.gov there has to be funds that can be used for essentials like fire suppression. Here is a list of funded projects for California through Americorps.
If there is money available and able body men and women who want a truly useful and rewarding job I say train them for fire crew assignment or incident base support. This is not unheard of, California Conservation Corps members, covered to some extent by Americorps already help.
The California budget pains cannot be avoided by California's elite firefighting force. The true pain may be deferred until next year but with a little imagination and smart lobbying the cuts can be minimized.
In the meantime a potentially brutal fire season is upon us.
One source quotes the Governor declaring there will be a 5% pay cut across the board for state workers.
Other sources suggest Governor Schwarzenegger wants to eliminate the California Youth Authority, another consideration proposes closing down the state parks.
It seems to me the Cal Fire cuts will be seen in equipment attrition. I drove a 20 year old engine and an even older crew bus in my day so I see no harm in putting off purchases of shiny new model 5's and water tenders. Bulldozers age well generally and their tenders only need to get across the state a few times a year.
Cal Fire equipment is well maintained. I forget the schedules but as I recall we changed the oil on the apparatus every 1,500 miles. Safety equipment is inspected daily. A well maintained fire engine can last for decades so the dream of a new fire engine in the driveway of every station is over.
Where it will hurt is if the cuts begin to claim personnel.
Who is likely to be hurt first? At first no one in my opinion. The hiring has already been done for the 2009 fire season. At least for 2009 I don't see much pain.
2010 will be a different story. I expect some stations and possibly some camps will be closed. I can see the state offering early retirement to guys and gals within reach. I expect many of these positions will not be filled, possibly ever.
I cannot see air attack, fixed wing or rotary aircraft affected at all. Any attempt to save a buck or two by eliminating air support would be a mistake.
If I was the Governor I would draw on help from the President's gargantuan list of service corps or whatever his regime is calling it.
Tens of billions of dollars is appropriated for various volunteer programs funded through the Omnibus or Stimulus/Porkulus Bills, some have to do with conservation projects. Among the myriad of funded programs under the banner of the National Service.gov there has to be funds that can be used for essentials like fire suppression. Here is a list of funded projects for California through Americorps.
If there is money available and able body men and women who want a truly useful and rewarding job I say train them for fire crew assignment or incident base support. This is not unheard of, California Conservation Corps members, covered to some extent by Americorps already help.
The California budget pains cannot be avoided by California's elite firefighting force. The true pain may be deferred until next year but with a little imagination and smart lobbying the cuts can be minimized.
In the meantime a potentially brutal fire season is upon us.
May 14, 2009
New Threat to California Cuts, San Quentin Prison
Last week California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to cut firefighters from the state budget in a deliberate attempt to scare voters into accepting his package of initiatives coming to market May 19.That didn't impress anyone so I guess selling San Quentin prison and the L.A. Coliseum and a few other odd holdings like the Cow Palace will?
The Santa Cruz Sentinel has a run down of the properties proposed for sale but not after looking at the list I say sell it all.
I toured San Quentin as part of a class field trip in college and my first thought as we approached the grounds was why do prisoners get to live on beachfront property?
San Quentin is situated on 450 acres on Point Quentin in Marin County. It's on the leeward side of the San Francisco Bay, sporting perfect weather all year long. Not too hot, never too cold.
Sell to developers and hold out for a pretty penny. We have a lot of cheap desert land in California featuring endless views of cactus and Joshua trees for incarcerated convicts.
I do think Arnold will be forced to lay the smack down on Cal Fire but I have a feeling it will not include any direct firings. Positions will likely be lost by attrition. Retirees will not be replaced by new hires. Seasonal firefighters will be affected to the extent that engine crews will sport one or two seasonal firefighters to assist the captain or engineer.
Three engine stations will become two, two engine stations become single engine stations.
Rural counties like Merced could see stations closings. Planada may have to contract with Merced City, Dos Palos with Los Banos. In time Cal Fire might become a seasonal firefighting force. Does California in the condition it's in can support a full time wildland firefighting force? I believe we do but some might argue we don't.
The state is contracted with numerous cities to provide fire service but the writing is on the wall, some of these contracts will have to be renegotiated.
My suggestion to some of these communities is to beef up your volunteer force, be ready to protect yourself.
You have to think a day of reckoning is coming to larger city departments as well. I look for stations to consolidate, head counts to drop. For a number of reasons there are fewer fires, fewer big fires. Cities will be forced to lean on volunteers more in years ahead.
The fire service in California is not a growth industry at the moment. From the looks of it it may not be for some time to come.
May 05, 2009
Cal Gov. Schwarzenegger Threatens To Gut Cal Fire
In an attempt to drum up support for his confusing package of budget initiatives California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has threatened to eliminate 1,700 positions from Cal Fire. SFGate.com has the story.
According to the article the Governor wants to:
"...slashing $80.8 million from Cal Fire's spending plan - a 10 percent reduction - by eliminating 602 full-time positions and 1,100 seasonal firefighting positions. The cuts would be part of a series of deep cuts to the state budget.
Cal Fire, the state's fire agency, has about 5,000 full-time firefighters. At the peak of last year's fire season, more than 2,700 wild fires ravaged the state and the agency hired extra help: 3,000 seasonal firefighters.
The plan would also shutter 11 conservation camps and 20 single-engine stations throughout California.
Closing fire stations would affect response times and the agency's ability to make inspections on defensible spaces, according to the document...."
Who is he kidding? This is politics at its lowest. Why always tug at the fears of the electorate by scaring them into voting your way?
I'll be the first to admit there are some stations that could disappear and maybe some of the camps could close or consolidate. I drove a 20 year old engine for a time, we don't need a revamped fleet of Model 5's every 2 years. Surely the department can accommodate cuts here and there and they should expect cuts.
What I can't stand is these politicians plying on the fears of their constituents. It's cheap and ugly.
BTW I am voting NO!
According to the article the Governor wants to:
"...slashing $80.8 million from Cal Fire's spending plan - a 10 percent reduction - by eliminating 602 full-time positions and 1,100 seasonal firefighting positions. The cuts would be part of a series of deep cuts to the state budget.
Cal Fire, the state's fire agency, has about 5,000 full-time firefighters. At the peak of last year's fire season, more than 2,700 wild fires ravaged the state and the agency hired extra help: 3,000 seasonal firefighters.
The plan would also shutter 11 conservation camps and 20 single-engine stations throughout California.
Closing fire stations would affect response times and the agency's ability to make inspections on defensible spaces, according to the document...."
Who is he kidding? This is politics at its lowest. Why always tug at the fears of the electorate by scaring them into voting your way?
I'll be the first to admit there are some stations that could disappear and maybe some of the camps could close or consolidate. I drove a 20 year old engine for a time, we don't need a revamped fleet of Model 5's every 2 years. Surely the department can accommodate cuts here and there and they should expect cuts.
What I can't stand is these politicians plying on the fears of their constituents. It's cheap and ugly.
BTW I am voting NO!
January 22, 2009
Cal Fire Promo Video
Cal Fire promotional video. I have to admit I felt a true sense of pride watching this 90 seconds of excitement. I like the choice of music, it reminds me of a track from the movie "Gladiator"!
Labels: Cal Fire
December 16, 2008
Cal Fire's Contribution To Budget Crisis, 160 Seasonal Firefighters
Making the point that the department is basically immune from the state budget crisis Cal Fire offered up some modest cuts by laying off seasonal firefighters in Riverside County. The Press Enterprise (PE.com) offers up particulars that include the shuddering of seasonal stations.
Seasonal firefighters used to be hired in May and released in September. Seasonal stations used to be fully staffed only during the fire season then closed for the winter months.
In the aftermath of the Cedar Fire pressure was put on the state to staff stations in Southern California year round. In response Cal Fire extended the seasonal tour to 9 months for some "seasonal" firefighters.
In reality these are phantom budget moves. These positions have been padding for years. These extended seasonal positions were not even in the budget 5 years ago. These easy cuts make state fire officials look like they are contributing. It looks good but six million dollars in savings doesn't cover one-tenth the suppression costs of the Indians Fire back in June.
What is made clear in the PE.com article is the lay-offs will not compromise local firefighting efforts in Riverside County.
For instance;
"Corona Fire Chief David Waltemeyer said without the Cal Fire station, the city may not be able to get assistance as quickly. But he expects few if any wildfires in the next few months.
"I think there are other resources to fill in any gaps that exist," Waltemeyer said. "I don't have any tremendous concerns about it."
If this is the extent of the cuts asked from Cal Fire then the department escaped the mother of all budget deficits unscathed.
Seasonal firefighters used to be hired in May and released in September. Seasonal stations used to be fully staffed only during the fire season then closed for the winter months.
In the aftermath of the Cedar Fire pressure was put on the state to staff stations in Southern California year round. In response Cal Fire extended the seasonal tour to 9 months for some "seasonal" firefighters.
In reality these are phantom budget moves. These positions have been padding for years. These extended seasonal positions were not even in the budget 5 years ago. These easy cuts make state fire officials look like they are contributing. It looks good but six million dollars in savings doesn't cover one-tenth the suppression costs of the Indians Fire back in June.
What is made clear in the PE.com article is the lay-offs will not compromise local firefighting efforts in Riverside County.
For instance;
"Corona Fire Chief David Waltemeyer said without the Cal Fire station, the city may not be able to get assistance as quickly. But he expects few if any wildfires in the next few months.
"I think there are other resources to fill in any gaps that exist," Waltemeyer said. "I don't have any tremendous concerns about it."
If this is the extent of the cuts asked from Cal Fire then the department escaped the mother of all budget deficits unscathed.
Labels: Cal Fire
July 09, 2008
Cal Fire Rep. On Firefighter Heat Related Injuries
Yesterday I posted my concern for firefighters as heat related injuries mount.
A reporter at Redding.com caught up with the the Public Information Officer for Cal Fire Carol Jolley.
Jolley offered this to Rob Rogers of Redding.com concerning firefighter heat related injuries,
"That was on my mind when I woke up this morning," said Carol Jolley, information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
In order to stay safe, firefighters need to be in good physical condition and be acclimated to the region they are working in, she said.
"That -- acclimatization -- is tough (for them) to meet," Jolley said.
After that, it's vital they keep themselves hydrated, find a break from the heat at some point and get plenty of rest, she said.
Jolley then acknowledged that can be pretty difficult to do if you're on a fire line.
"They can't always get to shade," she said.
Concerning firefighter treated for heat exhaustion in the past few days?
"We're starting to see stuff like that," Jolley said.
You have to be kidding me. Cal Fire fire professionals deserve better advocates in Sacramento than that. Her curt responses are insulting and frankly embarrassing. It would have been better for her to have the actual statistics, you know the "stuff" like how many have been injured.
It would also be nice to hear the representative for Cal Fire, the most professional wildland firefighting outfit in the world, tell us they are actually monitoring firefighter health.
112 degrees in Redding and west foothills today, working in the sun all day and into the night, day after day and the mounting injury total just occurred to them last night?
I would like to see a medical team at each base camp as well as portable hydrating stations within a reasonable distance from each hand crew strike team. Step in Arnold!
A reporter at Redding.com caught up with the the Public Information Officer for Cal Fire Carol Jolley.
Jolley offered this to Rob Rogers of Redding.com concerning firefighter heat related injuries,
"That was on my mind when I woke up this morning," said Carol Jolley, information officer for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
In order to stay safe, firefighters need to be in good physical condition and be acclimated to the region they are working in, she said.
"That -- acclimatization -- is tough (for them) to meet," Jolley said.
After that, it's vital they keep themselves hydrated, find a break from the heat at some point and get plenty of rest, she said.
Jolley then acknowledged that can be pretty difficult to do if you're on a fire line.
"They can't always get to shade," she said.
Concerning firefighter treated for heat exhaustion in the past few days?
"We're starting to see stuff like that," Jolley said.
You have to be kidding me. Cal Fire fire professionals deserve better advocates in Sacramento than that. Her curt responses are insulting and frankly embarrassing. It would have been better for her to have the actual statistics, you know the "stuff" like how many have been injured.
It would also be nice to hear the representative for Cal Fire, the most professional wildland firefighting outfit in the world, tell us they are actually monitoring firefighter health.
112 degrees in Redding and west foothills today, working in the sun all day and into the night, day after day and the mounting injury total just occurred to them last night?
I would like to see a medical team at each base camp as well as portable hydrating stations within a reasonable distance from each hand crew strike team. Step in Arnold!
Labels: Cal Fire
September 28, 2007
Cal Fire Hiring Firefighters and Fire Apparatus Engineers
Want to become a member of the greatest wildland firefighting force in the world?
Job listings for Firefighter
Job listing for Fire Apparatus Engineer
Job listings for Firefighter
Job listing for Fire Apparatus Engineer
Final filing date: November 8, 2007
Labels: Cal Fire, CDF, firefighter jobs
July 01, 2007
Expect To See More Of This
California's Tulare County has assumed fire protection control from CDF(Cal Fire). According to The Fresno Bee;
"Fire and county officials have spent 18 months creating a department they say will save the county about $1 million a year. The move also gives the Board of Supervisors control over labor negotiations.
Building a department in less than two years is no small feat. Tasks ranged from monumental -- hiring more than 80 fire officers and chiefs -- to mundane -- developing an employee handbook...."
"...Cal Fire firefighters pleaded with the county to maintain its contract. Many claimed savings figures were exaggerated and the county would struggle to retain employees because it couldn't compete with state pay."
"Fire and county officials have spent 18 months creating a department they say will save the county about $1 million a year. The move also gives the Board of Supervisors control over labor negotiations.
Building a department in less than two years is no small feat. Tasks ranged from monumental -- hiring more than 80 fire officers and chiefs -- to mundane -- developing an employee handbook...."
"...Cal Fire firefighters pleaded with the county to maintain its contract. Many claimed savings figures were exaggerated and the county would struggle to retain employees because it couldn't compete with state pay."
