Tom Fudge:
Today, the mayor of San Diego and the chairman of the
County Board of Supervisors
will host a news conference, focusing on the wildfires of last October. They are expected to release what are being called "after-action" reports on the wildfires.
Last week, a task force called the San Diego Regional Fire Safety Forum concluded its work. The group of fire experts was, of course, responding the fact that last year, our region suffered its second round of devastating wildfires in just three years. In October, the Witch Fire, the Harris Fire, and other smaller fires killed ten people and destroyed 1,700 homes. Members of the forum, which was headed by former San Diego Fire Chief Jeff Bowman, came up with some suggestions to improve fire service.
The upshot of the report was that San Diego County needs to get serious about creating a better system of fire protection. The primary recommendation is that the county needs to create a consolidated, regional fire department: a department that would take the lead in fighting regional fires, and would focus on protecting unfunded and underfunded parts of the county.
Guests
- Steve Miller, Chula Vista firefighter and president of the firefighter's union in Chula Vista .
- William Middleton, retired assistant fire chief of the San Diego Fire Department .
