EDITORIAL: GOVERNOR SHOULD SIGN BILL MAKING SURE NEW DEVELOPMENT HAS SUFFICIENT FIRE PROTECTION

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By Assemblymember Dave Jones, Candidate, California  Insurance Commissioner

 

More than 2,300 San Diego County structures were destroyed in the Witch, Harris and Poomacha fires. The California Department of Fire and Forestry, (“CalFire”) spent over half a billion dollars on suppression alone that year.

 

Increasingly, CalFire has been called upon to fight fires that threaten new residential development built in high risk fire areas. And increasingly, new residential subdivisions are being built in high risk fire areas throughout California.

 

Counties approve the new residential subdivisions without requiring that there be adequate local fire protection resources to protect these new homes. And so the cost of protecting these new homes
is shifted to the state, even though the state has no say in whether to build the homes in harm’s way to begin with.

For land that has not yet been developed, both state and local government leaders owe it to future residents to allow homes to be built only where we have the fire protection resources needed to fight fires and protect families.

The governor has an opportunity to make sure future developments can be protected. My Assembly Bill 666 is sitting on the governor’s desk where he has until Oct. 11 to veto it or sign it into law.

AB 666 simply requires that, before a county approves a new residential subdivision in a high fire risk area, the county must make findings based on substantial evidence, and on the record, that the design and location of the subdivision is consistent with Cal Fire’s design standards for slope, turnouts and water pressure. If AB 666 is signed into law, counties will also have to make sure that there is adequate local structural fire protection before approving the new development. AB 666 provides flexibility for counties, including allowing contracts with the state for fire protection to be used to meet the new standard.

This is a critical reform. If local elected officials want to over-rule their technical staff about whether a proposed subdivision is safe, they should do it on the record, in the light of day, based on the evidence.

Dead-end subdivisions can be deadly to both residents and firefighters trapped by fire. Assembly Bill 666 requires the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection to consider adopting regulations requiring two separate access roads for subdivisions in state responsibility areas.

AB 666 makes public safety a priority over the profits of new development. Before approving a new residential subdivision, counties should be required to make sure there is adequate structural fire protection available. And if there is not, they should make sure that it is provided before putting more homes and lives in danger.

Contact the Governor today and ask that he sign Assembly Bill 666 into law. You can phone the Governor at (916) 445-4341, write him at State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814, or email him through the web at http://gov.ca.gov/interact#email.


Assemblymember Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) represents Sacramento in the State Assembly and chairs the Health Committee. He previously served on the Sacramento City Council, was a legal aid attorney, and served as Counsel to the United States Attorney General. He is currently a candidate for California Insurance Commissioner.  The opinions in this editorial reflect the views of its author and do not necessarily reflect the views of East County Magazine.  If you wish to submit an editorial for consideration, contact editor@eastcountymagazine.org.

 


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