New CA Legislation for Private Fire

General Discussion
#1

Has anyone seen this new legislation?

AB-2380 Fire protection: privately contracted private fire prevention resources.(2017-2018)

SUMMARY: Requires the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), in
collaboration with the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal FIRE), to develop
standards and regulations for any privately contracted private fire prevention resources (private
fire resource) operating in the state.

Specifically, this bill:

  1. Requires Cal OES, in collaboration with Cal FIRE, to develop standards and regulations for
    any privately contracted private fire prevention resources operating in California. Regulations
    shall include the following requirements:

a. A private fire resource shall heed all evacuation warnings and leave the evacuation area
when prompted.
b. A private fire resource shall register with incident command or the local fire department
before entering an area.
c. A private fire resource shall be equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking
device so incident command can locate the resource in the event of an evacuation.
d. A private fire resource shall have a liaison at incident command that is available to
incident command at all times and can contact the privately contracted private fire
prevention resource at any time.
e. A private fire resource shall monitor incident command radio frequencies. However, shall
be prohibited from communicating on incident command radio frequencies.
f. A private fire resource shall focus on prefire treatment activities and pretreatment of
values-at-risk and other nonemergency activities outside of a restricted area to ensure
safety, clear command and control, and minimize potential liability issues

  1. Requires Cal OES, in collaboration with Cal FIRE, to develop regulations to govern the use of
    equipment used by private fire resources. The regulations shall include, but not be limited to,
    the following:

a. All equipment shall be clearly labeled “nonemergency”.
b. Emergency vehicles shall not use lights or sirens.
c. Emergency vehicles shall not have any labeling that indicates emergency personnel or fire
department.

  1. Authorizes Cal OES consult with both private sector entities that provide privately contracted
    private fire prevention resources and public sector fire agencies before developing the
    regulations.

  2. Authorizes Cal OES to levy a fine not to exceed $5,000 per violation of the provisions or
    regulations adopted pursuant to this bill.

  3. Requires Cal OES to adopt regulations establishing procedures for notices, appeals, and
    hearings for fines.

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#2

I found this link showing some stages of the edits/amendment moments

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB2380

#3

This is probably in response to the insurance-based and utility-based fire companies that are going to be operating in front of the fires to pre-treat structures and infrastructure. I know that Chubb has contractors that will wrap and gel structures that they insure; and PG&E is putting together a wildland program to protect their infrastructure, along with FBANs to monitor fire and pre-fire conditions, and issue “Public Safety Utility Shutoffs” for areas under high fire danger and fire threat.

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#4

So there is an added wrinkle, rumors are flying that PG&E are starting a fire division, and I have seen pictures of PG&E Blackhawks painted in their colors.

#5

Very interesting…
I would like to see the Helicopters…
They could be very useful in my private application and emergencies.
Another tool in the toolbox…

#6

I don’t own any of the pictures, they are on Facebook, but I’ll try to get you a link. The helicopters are sitting on the ramp at PJ helicopters in Red Bluff.

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#7

It looks like the bill passed through committee yesterday.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billHistoryClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB2380

It’s a pretty poorly worded bill IMHO.

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#8
#9

Woow Pretty looking ships…
Flash back to my HECM Days…

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#10

Those UH60’s are privately owned and on contract with PGE. They are CWN rated with CalFire this season.

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#11

No longer a rumor from what I heard. Starting with contract firefighting resources.

#12

Screenshot_20180624-095555_Outlook

#13

PGE st work with Helicopters

#14

Not sure if there is a misunderstanding, the “PGE” uh-60’s are like any other private helicopter operator that fly over fires in CA and the nation. They are CWN rated and on the order list for NOPS and NIFC for initial attack and extended attack. They currently are just available for CalFire, and this weekend were on IA standby for the Red Flag warnings. When they are not on a fire, they will be flying utility work for PGE. In the big picture, yes PGE supports these platforms to backfill the CA firefighting airforce, but getting into the weeds, it is simply two addl Type1’s ordered up in the same pipe next to all the other private vendors. No self dispatch. No helitack crew or private firefighters…

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#15

I known this thread died off back in June but with everything that went on in July and still having large fires in the North you would think that the California Legislation would relook at this bill, with many orders that went unable to fill for days because both state/feds/and local gov being strapped you would have though that maybe they would have looked a some of these Private Company’s out there. In many states private fire assists with wild fire separation for the Forest Service and state agencies. If the company can prove that there personal had the same training as local governments firefighters than say not use them when there is such a draw down on resources. The state will use private hire dozers and water tenders why not firefighter as well. Just my 2 cents as a paying tax person of this state

#16

As you said the state hires private equipment, the feds hire private firefighters to staff fires and through cooperative agreements these units will assist on state incidents especially when providing initial attack while on severity staffing.

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#17

You bring up an interesting point. I have had experiences with private companies providing personnel. There is a time and a place for everything. If there are not enough firefighters then the more apPROpriate thing would be to hire more firefighters not contract it out. In my 20 years of experience, citizens will get what they expect a firefighter to be in a government employee 99999 times out of 100,000.

#18

I see your point to an extent, but I also have 20 + years as local government, I also have worked with contracted firefighters, mainly on Strike Team assignments in the forest and most of these firefighter were and are just as trained and preform as professionals career firefighters, I have a good friend that works for a private fire company who was a BC with a Bay Area Fire Department, and a lot of the personal he works with retired out of local government, forest service, and even cal fire. And to be honest I don’t care who pay them or what color engine they drive but if my house and or community is threatened by a fire I want what ever units are available to help out. Sorry soar subject I had family members who last everything in the Carr fire, and orders were not able to be filled with plenty of private company’s just sitting

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#19

So am I missing something? Isn’t Firestorm, grayback,north tree,evergreen, the vlat owners, pj etc etc private fire companies? Dubbed to the title of “contractors” or “cwn”?

Granted if we are talking IA there is a few checks and balances, but last time I checked there is a Firestorm inc. engine covering the SHF for initial attack.

Is it possible because PG&E more or less said WHAT they were going to do( roaming for crews, apparatus,aircraft), rather than ask HOW to do it…and the Director had to squash it*?
(* As I understand)

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#20

It boils down to money. How much are the tax payers willing to spend on fire protection? For each area I’m willing to guess it varies.