The head of the San Diego Fire Chiefs' Association told county supervisors they need to make public education part of their fire-fighting strategy. The comments came as supervisors accepted a comprehensive report on fire fighting resources.
The report was written by Citygate Associates, a private consulting firm. It recommends the county add 14 fire stations at a cost of $92 million.
Augie Ghio, president of the fire chiefs' association, welcomed the report. But he told supervisors education must be part of fire preparedness.
"Because for a small amount of money, very small compared to building more fire stations and putting more boots on the ground, we can have a better prepared community especially in those hard-to-serve areas," said Ghio.
The wildfires of 2003 and 2007 gave the region a good look at its shortcomings in fighting fire, and San Diego County has tried to consolidate services under a regional fire "authority." But county voters in 2008 narrowly rejected a parcel tax to pay for more fire-fighting resources.
San Diego is the only county in California that does not have a county fire department.
