FIRE CHIEFS SUPPORT GOVERNOR SCHWARZENEGGER FIRE PROTECTION PROPOSAL

California Fire Chiefs’ Association, Fire Districts Association of California, Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Association of California, and the Association of Contract Counties protecting over 32 million Californians, praised the Governors proposal to improve the state’s ability to prepare for and respond to devastating wildland fires. This proposal directly addresses the high priorities of the 2003 Blue Ribbon Commission, and the 2007 Blue Ribbon Task Force, charged with identifying, analyzing, and reducing the negative impacts of devastating wildfires in California.

The fire chief’s recognize that when California burns as it did last fall, there are no jurisdictional boundaries. The California fire service operates as one statewide fire department when disasters happen. The risk is statewide, the response is statewide, and the economic and environmental impacts affect all Californians. The fire chief’s applaud this innovative and collaborative approach from the Governor to address this ever-increasing life safety issue.