Due to a significant increase in fire activity in multiple geographic areas, as well as increased competition for shared resources, the National Preparedness Level has been elevated to Preparedness Level 4 (PL4).
In the last 20 years, 2002, 2008, and 2012 are the only previous fire years when the National Preparedness Level has been increased to PL4 in the month of the June. Since 1990, today is the second earliest we have increased to PL4.
Yikes, I could be wrong but isn’t there relatively little going in CA (deploymentwise) to contribute to this? The LPF and a few smallish lighting fires?
California is contributing, but not much. There has been lots of 2-3 days fire.
The PL 4 mostly has to do with the fires in AZ and the weather events in OR. R5 is still pretty well manned but not much to backfill if more than 1 big incident breaks out
Well manned? Not sure about that, having over 200 vacancies.
Very valid point! And at these wages I am not surprised!
That being said, the state and LG is still available when needed (dependent on Fed paying LG and state resources, of course, if there is the need for Fed DPA support).
The staffing in R5 is reaching bare bones and in some areas it has reached it. I have some stats, need to dig for them. LOP is right about staffing on shortages and how that affects available depth to send people on overhead assignments. No depth on engs, crews and other ff’ing resources to allow someone to leave on an overhead assignment to a level needed to support incidents.
There are 17 Incident Management Teams Deployed throughout the country and 10,000 firefighters assigned to large fires.