Tom Fudge : Last week, the San Diego County Regional Fire Authority went into effect. The fire authority was created by a vote of the county supervisors early in the summer.
It consolidates a dozen rural fire departments into one agency. The county was hoping it could throw a little more money in the direction of the regional authority. Unfortunately, voters failed to approve Prop A, the fire parcel tax, which got less than the needed two/thirds of the vote.
Many people say creating a regional fire authority in San Diego County was a step in the right direction. Fire fighting has been a tremendous weakness in local services in recent years, and that's putting it mildly. You might say our inability to fight wildfires has been nothing short of disastrous, given the death and destruction we saw in 2003 and 2007. Will the creation of a regional fire authority make any difference?
Guest
- Rick Halsey , director of the California Chaparral Institute .
