Existing law provides that fire companies in unincorporated and incorporated towns may be organized, as provided, and be subject to specified provisions and requirements. Existing law provides that the city council of an incorporated city may, by ordinance, regulate the formation and continued existence of fire companies providing service within its city. Existing law establishes in state government, within the office of the Governor, the Office of Emergency Services. Existing law requires the office to be responsible for the state’s emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies, including responsibility for activities necessary to prevent, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of emergencies and disasters to people and property. Existing law, the FIRESCOPE Act of 1989, requires the office to establish and administer a program, known as the FIRESCOPE Program, to maintain and enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of managing multiagency firefighting resources in responding to an incident.

This bill would require the office, in collaboration with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the board of directors of the FIRESCOPE Program, to develop standards and regulations for any privately contracted private fire prevention resources operating during an active fire incident in the state, as provided, and to develop regulations to govern the use of equipment used by privately contracted private fire prevention resources during an active fire incident, as provided.