San Diego's County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday on two separate proposals to coordinate the region's fire fighting agencies. Both will have to overcome steep political and financial hurdles for the County to make any progress before the next fire season. KPBS reporter Alison St John has more.
San Diego County dropped out of the business of coordinating fire fighting back in the 1970s. Since then a patchwork of fire districts, many staffed by volunteers, has grown up to protect the backcountry. Now San Diego is the only large California County without a coordinated fire agency.
Supervisor Dianne Jacob has championed a regional plan worked out by a state Commission called the Local Agency Formation Commission. The plan took over four years and much cooperation to put together. But it would cost more than $25 million a year. Jacob is realistic
Jacob: It is not achievable at this time, however it may be possible to put together a hybrid plan which may be cost effective and achieve similar results
A hybrid plan would combine elements of the Commission's plan with other proposals coming from local fire districts and Cal Fire.
Under pressure to do something, even Supervisor Bill Horn voted for county staff to examine a possible hybrid plan, though he's on record as opposing the Commission's proposal .
Horn: They're looking forward to the county putting up at least $20 million without adding a single piece of equipment and I dent want to spend that kind of money just to create a paper fire department .
It won’t cost the county anything to have their chief administrative officer Walt Eckhard review a possible hybrid plan. Eckhard is instructed to report back to the Supervisors in four months.
Meanwhile County Supervisor Ron Roberts pitched the idea he proposed during the State of the City address with San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. Roberts says he and Sanders will co-chair a committee of nine city mayors and fire chiefs from around the county.
Roberts: And this committee will be charged with assessing our regional needs including fire apparatus, helicopters and other fire fighting aircraft, regional communications and surveillance technology, and it will also evaluate possible funding sources.
Roberts rejected suggestions that he invite the Association of Fire Chiefs for their nominated representatives on this committee. David Burke, President of the San Diego Fire Chiefs Association says Roberts' committee may end up going over territory already covered by the Commission.
Burke: Supervisor Roberts' idea -- I don't call it a plan because its just forming a committee -- is to look at much of what we've already looked at.
Chief Burke says the plans do differ. He says the Commission's plan would coordinate the everyday needs of fire fighting agencies all year round. Eighty percent of that is paramedics' services.
Roberts' committee idea, born after the wildfire, is focused on fighting catastrophic events.
All five Supervisors supported both plans. Neither involves spending any money as yet. Both will require the Supervisors or other County leaders to make decisions later this summer before any action is taken.
Alison St John, KPBS News.
