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SB-1611 Natural resources: fire prevention and suppression.(2003-2004)

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SB1611:v96#DOCUMENT

Passed  IN  Assembly  August 25, 2004
Passed  IN  Senate  August 27, 2004

CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2003–2004 REGULAR SESSION

Senate Bill
No. 1611

Introduced  by  Senator Ducheny

February 20, 2004

An act to add Sections 4114.3 and 4122 to the Public Resources Code, relating to natural resources.


LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


SB 1611, Ducheny. Natural resources: fire prevention and suppression.
Under existing law, the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is responsible for protecting the state’s forest, range, and brushland resources from fire. Existing law requires the department to organize fire crews and patrols.
This bill would require the department to staff at least 4 persons on all department fire engines in certain counties, in southern California, as defined, and in the entire state, as specified. The bill would provide that if the department determines, based on a specified report required to be prepared by the department, that the staffing requirements for fire engines described above does not result in significant savings to the department, the department would be required to not implement those staffing requirements on or after January 1, 2010.
This bill would also require the department to prepare a biennial California fire prevention plan that documents the activities of the department, including its individual units, and contains the fire prevention plans and goals of the department and other specified information regarding fire safe inspections, fuel reduction and treatment efforts, prescribed burning, and educational, fire planning, and outreach activities.
The bill would require the department, on or before January 1, 2009, to report to the budget and appropriation committees of both houses of the Legislature on the effectiveness of specified firefighting measures, which shall include a quantification of savings resulting from those measures. The bill would require the Legislature, if the report does not demonstrate that those measures result in significant savings to the department, to consider modifications to the specified firefighter staffing requirements for fire engines in the state.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:


SECTION 1.

 Section 4114.3 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

4114.3.
 (a) The department shall staff at least four persons on all department fire engines, as follows:
(1) In the Counties of Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego, as follows:
(A) On and after January 1, 2005, to January 1, 2007, inclusive, during fire season.
(B) On and after January 1, 2007, year round.
(2) In southern California, as follows:
(A) On and after January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2008, inclusive, during fire season.
(B) On and after January 1, 2008, year round.
(3) On and after January 1, 2007, in the entire state during fire season, except as provided in paragraphs (1) and (2).
(b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:
(1) “Fire season” means the period, declared by the director, during which weather and fuel conditions present a constant fire hazard to the people of the state.
(2) “Southern California” means the area of the state that is south of Santa Barbara and the Tehachapi mountain range.
(c) If the department determines, based on the report required to be prepared pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 4122, that the staffing requirement for fire engines prescribed in subdivision (a) does not result in significant savings to the department, the department shall not implement the requirements of subdivision (a) on and after January 1, 2010.

SEC. 2.

 Section 4122 is added to the Public Resources Code, to read:

4122.
 The department shall prepare a biennial California fire prevention plan that documents the activities of the department, including its individual units, and contains the fire prevention plans and goals of the department and specific information including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(a) Data pertaining to fire safe inspections around homes and other structures in state responsibility and other areas, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Number of inspections.
(2) Number of citations issued.
(3) Number of prosecutions initiated by a district attorney.
(4) Five-year trends for clearance inspections on a statewide and unit basis.
(b) Data on fuel reduction and treatment efforts, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Acreage covered.
(2) Whether each effort involved mechanical, manual, or another specified means of treatment.
(3) Five-year trends for fuel reduction and treatment efforts on a statewide and unit basis.
(c) Data on prescribed burning, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) Acres burned.
(2) Number of projects planned and completed, including those undertaken with federal or local agencies, fire safe councils, or other organizations.
(d) Events at which the department participated in educating the public about its fire prevention activities and five-year trends for these activities.
(e) Fire planning activities, including participation in community fire prevention plans and activities carried out to implement the California fire plan.
(f) Outreach to local governments on the use of fire resistant building materials.
(g) (1) The department on or before January 1, 2009, shall report to the budget and appropriations committees of both houses of the Legislature on the effectiveness of an added firefighter on each fire engine, in terms of increasing initial attack capabilities, the number of fires kept to a one-day burn of 10 acres or less, reduced injuries to firefighters and concommitant savings, which shall include a quantification of savings resulting from those firefighting measures.
(2) If the report required pursuant to paragraph (1) does not demonstrate that the firefighting measures described in paragraph (1) result in significant savings, the Legislature shall consider modifications to current staffing requirements for fire engines prescribed in subdivision (a) of Section 4114.3.