I have always believed using the military in these capacities is a slippery slope at best. It is an abuse of their status and availability for state and national security.
And to the “first strike team in the nation” notion…well we all know the facts there. It is another PR grab by OES or just pure ignorance by the writer.
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That’s the Govenor’s baby (OES)!
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If fire departments don’t find employees who will want to go on mutual aid. This will turn into one strike team to many. I guess you can’t blame oes for staffing them. Some of the new generation is really weak. When I started 34 years ago. U went no questions ff’s fought to go. I wonder if they will work 24 hour shifts? LG personnel will run them? Who will train them? Is this an issue with CPF or IAFF? Just covering all bases.
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Yeah poorly written IMO
I’d love to live in a world where those sorts of OES resources could be loaned out to volunteer departments and PBAs to support big rangeland burns and WUI prescribed fire in the winter.
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Who raised and mentored Gen Z…….?
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The internet
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I found this on the internet. It’s about ownership.
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Keep in mind that Taskforce Blaze is similar to the Rattlesnake Hand crews. These are soldiers that VOLUNTEER for the assignment. They are committed for 18-24mo and primarily do fuels work. The Rattlesnakes have all become T1 crews with many B level fallers and a hand full of C level fallers due to the time they spend with fuel reduction.
The info at hand says the Team Blaze folks will be similar in nature. Long-term(18mo+) dedicated to the mission. I believe they will be part of the fuels reduction crews as well when not supporting large incidents.
As for the CPF/IAFF part. With staffing nationwide between 70-80% staffed and shortages only growing, why would they care? The existing positions cannot be filled, yet the job must still be done.
On a side note, when the idea fairys come for a visit and don’t bring a solution to the problem identified. They only add to the problem. Or as I put it to my FF “Don’t come to me with problems, come to me with solutions” otherwise your just complaining.
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Give the funding to cal fire for more ff1s and engines staffed w dedicated staffing and not LG . Just a solution and my opinion
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02350, CF has plenty of funding.
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There are over 1500+ positions in the budget that took effect.
In the last 3yr CF has added over 3,000 positions, expanded the academy 3 fold and is in the process of bringing a 3rd academy(Castle) one line, with talk of bringing a 4th facility on line in the next 12-24 month’s. Every unit in the state is hiring as Deen by the recent mid summer FF1 application process. CF CANNOT be the only answer. Finally come 2027, CF will have more employees than FDNY. Let that sink in for a min and then add to the thought process they still work a 72 and not 56hr work week. Now add how many ADDITIONAL employees will need to be hired to fill out a 3rd platoon.
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Calfire has plenty of money
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I understand cal fire. However. The significant amount of type 6 “super six”. Engines that oes purchased and have just sitting should be a clue that oes is not the answer. In my opinion. Most departments do not want oes equipment due to the staffing issues . I support this opinion from many comments and departments turning and returning engines So why keep giving oes more money and engines.
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The answer to your question is in name of OES
“California Governor’s Officer of Emergency Services”
One must remember, The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection is part of the Resource Agency.
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Keep in mind if you know business a organization can only grow as fast as leadership. Money and extra positions don’t get you leadership. Cal fire is a bomb just waiting to go off. Same with all these new programs. Going to take years to build the force California will need.
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Understood but using the Guard as the answer isn’t the answer. I’m not saying I have the answer, but this type of mission creep is not good. Let’s say that we lean on them this hard and a large military need comes up. We lose them at a real bad time. Its better than nothing but I still dont support that kind of mission creep
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As an additional comment, before I retired we used the guard crews that were stood up during exceptional activity and they were good force multipliers, then were deactivated when the activity waned.
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How is this any different than hiring PVT fire crews on calfire incidents?
Let’s give reservist with no experience some fire engines and tell them they are “all risk” fire fighters…. What could go wrong
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So you lost me with Cal Fire is a Bomb just waiting to go off?