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President to name first responder Craig Fugate to head FEMA Posted: 04 Mar 2009 11:12 AM PST Craig Fugate volunteer firefighter, Paramedic, to Lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue, his 15 year career in local government included serving 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County, Florida. "From his experience as a first responder to his strong leadership as Florida's Emergency Manager, Craig has what it takes to help us improve our preparedness, response and recovery efforts and I can think of no one better to lead FEMA. I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated. Craig Fugate was named by Obama in a statement issued by the White House today. Fugate has been director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management since 2001. Obama says Craig Fugate will travel with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to the Gulf Coast on Thursday to meet with local officials still struggling to recover from 2005 hurricanes. On the nomination of Craig Fugate, President Obama said, "From his experience as a first responder to his strong leadership as Florida's Emergency Manager, Craig has what it takes to help us improve our preparedness, response and recovery efforts and I can think of no one better to lead FEMA. I'm confident that Craig is the right person for the job and will ensure that the failures of the past are never repeated. Fugate will join Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano for an event in New Orleans tomorrow. More details to follow. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Napolitano said, "FEMA must have experienced leadership to succeed in its challenging mission. Craig Fugate is no stranger to emergency management or to FEMA. He is one of the most respected emergency managers in the nation, and the work he's accomplished in Florida serves as a model for other states to follow. He will be a tremendous asset to FEMA and its employees, and I look forward to working with him." BIO: Craig Fugate, Nominee for FEMA Administrator As the Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Mr. Fugate oversees an agency with 138 full time staff. The Division coordinates disaster response, recovery, preparedness and mitigation efforts with each of the state's 67 counties and local governments. In September 2003, the Florida Emergency Management Program became the first state emergency management program in the nation to receive full accreditation from the Emergency Management Accreditation Program. From volunteer firefighter, Paramedic, to Lieutenant with Alachua County Fire Rescue, his 15 year career in local government included serving 10 years as the Emergency Manager for Alachua County, Florida. In May of 1997, he was appointed Chief of the Bureau of Preparedness and Response with the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Over the next four years, the State of Florida faced numerous disasters while continuing to build a nationally recognized emergency management program. In October of 2001, Mr. Fugate was appointed by Governor Bush as Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management. With the events of September 11, 2001, the Division was tasked with the role of managing the Federal Homeland Security funding and developing Florida's Domestic Security Strategy with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Florida's program is recognized as a model for other states. In 2004, Florida was impacted by 4 major land falling hurricanes (Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne) setting a record in both numbers of storms as well as damages for the State of Florida. In 2005, Florida was again impacted by 4 hurricanes with Hurricane Dennis and Wilma striking as major hurricanes (Category 3 or greater). 2005 also saw Florida's largest mutual aid response to another state due to impacts of Hurricane Katrina along the Mississippi Coast, over 7000 responders from state and local agencies provided assistance to the State of Mississippi and local communities, additional resources were sent to the State of Louisiana. In December 2006, Governor Crist reappointed Fugate as Director, the role he continues today. Director Fugate has served as the State Coordinating Officer in 23 Declared State Emergencies, 11 of which were Presidential Declared Disasters totaling over 4.5 billion in federal assistance. Fugate is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. Fugate previously served as Florida's assistant director for emergency management for nearly five years. Fugate has been praised for his efforts steering Florida through numerous hurricanes in the past decade.

Wildland Fire Skills "Gap" Courses Now Available Posted: 04 Mar 2009 10:50 AM PST Emmitsburg, MD – The United States Fire Administration (USFA) announced today the availability of wildland fire skills Gap courses for structural firefighters. The USFA's National Preparedness Network (PREPnet) has produced a Webcast that explains the requirements, availability, and distribution of these newly packaged Gap course materials. The Webcast, Crosswalk: Bridging the Skills Gap, is available for viewing anytime on the USFA Web site. The Gap courses are based on the Wildland Training for Structural Firefighters Skills Crosswalk. The Crosswalk effort, lead by USFA in partnership with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs, identified parallel technical competencies between structural firefighters and officers (NFPA Standard 1001 and 1021) or equivalent with those of four NWCG positions: Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2), Firefighter Type 1 (FFT1), Engine Boss Single Resource (ENGB), and Strike Team Leader Engine (STEN). The Crosswalk also identified wildland skills and knowledge that qualified and experienced firefighters would not already have acquired through their structural firefighting training, such as specific wildland fire tactical concepts and wildland fire behavior. Learning modules were identified with the NWCG training courses to address these gaps. The Gap courses take advantage of the existing skill sets of structural firefighters and minimize redundancy and classroom time for those seeking to develop their wildland fire skills. Each Gap course is composed entirely of NWCG training material pulled into specific courses. The new Gap courses are: G-130, Wildland Training (FFT2) for Structural Firefighters G-131, Wildland Training (FFT1) for Structural Firefighters G-231, Wildland Training (ENGB) for Structural Firefighters G-330, Wildland Training (STEN) for Structural Firefighters These new courses accomplish one of the goals stated in the National Association of State Foresters' 2003 report to Congress titled The Changing Role and Needs of Local, Rural, and Volunteer Fire Departments in the Wildland Urban Interface. Visit the Wildfire section of the USFA Web site for additional information on this wildland training endeavor and to view the Crosswalk and Frequently Asked Questions section. The United States Fire Administration recommends everyone should have a comprehensive fire protection plan that includes smoke alarms, residential sprinklers, and practicing a home fire escape plan.

California Seismicity Report for the week Posted: 04 Mar 2009 10:14 AM PST Northern California Seismicity Report for the week ending Feb 26, 2009 This report provides a brief summary of earthquake activity recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey Northern California Seismic Network in Menlo Park and the University of California Berkeley Seismological Laboratory. It is automatically generated each Wednesday shortly after midnight, Universal time (UT). UT (ie., Greenwich Mean Time) is 8 hours ahead of PST or 7 hours ahead of PDT. Because it is not possible to review all of the earthquakes before this report is generated, it may contain errors. Please report errors or provide suggestions and comments to ncsn@andreas.wr.usgs.gov Information about seismicity for other regions is available from the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program Website. In addition, all earthquake data can be retrieved from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center. Please note that some of the earthquake data in this report have been reviewed by seismic analysts. Consequently, the parameters that describe the hypocenter, magnitude, origin time, and solution statistics may differ slightly from the information provided at the Northern California Maps of Recent Earthquake Activity website. The differences reflect revised arrival times at seismic stations and the analysts' decisions to include or exclude information from seismic stations. The minimum magnitude ( M) values in the following bullets reflect the smallest earthquake which the network can routinely record within the region. During the previous seven-day period ending at midnight (UT) Wednesday, our seismic networks recorded 30 M >2.0 earthquakes in Northern and Central California (map) (within dashed polygon of figure). The largest event to occur this week in this region was a minor earthquake of magnitude 3.7, 1 miles N of The Geysers, CA at 10:29 AM UTC Friday, 02 20, 2009 (02:29 AM PST Friday, Feb 20, 2009). 19 M >1.2 earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay area (map). The largest event to occur this week in this region was a minor earthquake of magnitude 3.2, 4 miles ENE of Union City, CA at 07:01 PM UTC Saturday, 02 21, 2009 (11:01 AM PST Saturday, Feb 21, 2009). 5 M >1.2 earthquakes in the Long Valley region (map). The largest event to occur this week in this region was a microearthquake of magnitude 1.5, 10 miles WSW of Toms Place, CA at 05:16 AM UTC Saturday, 02 21, 2009 (09:16 PM PST Friday, Feb 20, 2009). The following table provides a listing of all M >2 earthquakes that occurred this week. An explanation of the entries in the table is available. ---ORIGIN TIME (UT)--- -LAT N-- --LON W-- DEPTH N RMS ERH ERZ LOC PREF AZ MIN S. PAGE 1 YEAR MON DA HRMN SEC DEG MIN DEG MIN KM RD SEC KM KM REMKS MAG GAP DS PF 2009 FEB 19 0026 22.92 39 14.47 123 19.60 4.03 18 .05 .2 .8 2.3D 55 5 2009 FEB 19 0028 43.51 36 41.02 121 18.67 5.08 69 .07 .1 .3 2.9D 53 4 2009 FEB 19 0244 4.74 39 14.20 123 19.58 4.53 22 .07 .2 .7 2.0D 58 4 2009 FEB 19 0449 43.05 38 48.85 122 48.44 2.75 43 .05 .1 .2 2.3D 35 1 2009 FEB 19 1727 39.69 39 14.01 123 19.89 6.70 19 .12 .4 .4 2.4D 175 27 2009 FEB 19 2142 1.59 36 52.00 121 35.90 5.06 53 .10 .2 .3 2.2D 50 2 2009 FEB 20 0226 2.92 36 41.52 121 19.80 7.08 55 .06 .1 .4 2.3D 38 6 2009 FEB 20 0621 1.24 36 51.58 121 35.88 6.58 72 .08 .2 .3 2.7D 54 3 2009 FEB 20 1029 27.61 38 48.62 122 48.58 2.30 65 .08 .1 .2 3.7W 22 1 2009 FEB 20 2241 17.81 40 29.11 124 16.86 20.24 13 .06 .4 .3 2.4D 118 5 2009 FEB 20 2251 53.48 38 47.53 122 44.73 2.41 64 .07 .1 .2 2.8D 27 2 2009 FEB 21 0519 22.81 38 49.38 122 49.49 2.51 44 .06 .2 .2 2.1D 35 1 2009 FEB 21 0843 23.18 36 19.33 120 22.10 11.83 77 .15 .2 .4 2.8D 78 8 2009 FEB 21 1051 41.95 36 35.04 121 10.88 5.23 58 .06 .1 .3 2.7D 33 1 2009 FEB 21 1158 44.02 38 47.14 122 43.58 2.09 48 .07 .2 .2 2.4D 37 1 2009 FEB 21 1527 6.91 36 25.72 120 57.26 8.14 77 .10 .2 .5 3.2W 60 13 2009 FEB 21 1901 2.54 37 37.57 121 57.00 11.79159 .22 .2 .4 3.2L 13 2 2009 FEB 21 2123 28.45 36 40.37 121 17.81 4.62 43 .05 .1 .3 2.0D 66 2 2009 FEB 21 2226 39.99 38 50.26 122 49.57 2.04 45 .06 .1 .2 2.1D 38 1 2009 FEB 21 2359 27.68 36 32.65 121 3.75 8.30 46 .08 .1 .3 2.4D 55 4 2009 FEB 22 0249 34.72 39 29.89 123 6.97 5.74 24 .10 .2 .8 2.3D 47 9 2009 FEB 22 0811 57.92 38 49.49 122 49.69 2.39 49 .06 .1 .2 2.5D 35 1 2009 FEB 22 1332 57.56 36 35.76 120 20.10 14.59 39 .22 .5 .7 2.1D 130 21 2009 FEB 22 1709 53.80 39 23.78 123 18.00 4.46 21 .06 .2 2.0 2.3D 63 21 2009 FEB 22 1916 35.00 39 0.45 123 39.90 5.92 35 .12 .3 .4 3.1L 225 11 2009 FEB 23 1847 4.79 38 49.09 122 48.86 3.39 38 .08 .2 .3 2.2D 41 1 2009 FEB 24 0059 25.33 38 46.17 122 44.52 2.58 59 .07 .1 .2 2.5D 37 2 2009 FEB 24 0535 8.98 38 47.46 122 46.27 4.42 47 .06 .2 .2 2.0D 44 1 2009 FEB 24 1353 44.38 37 39.12 121 48.91 14.70 65 .15 .2 .3 2.5D 34 4 2009 FEB 25 0254 12.32 36 56.09 121 25.88 6.64 72 .08 .1 .3 2.3D 45 6 ------------------------------------------------------ Southern California Earthquakes in the Past Week Anthony Guarino Seismological Laboratory Sue Hough U. S. Geological Survey California Institute of Technology February 26, 2009 This report covers the seven day period ending 16:00 on February 26, 2009. During this period we detected and analyzed 228 earthquakes. The table below lists the quakes during the past week that were M2.0 or larger in the central part of the coverage area. Times are local times; if you want Greenwich Mean Time, add 7 hrs to the Pacific Daylight Time or 8 hrs to the Pacific Standard Time listed. Mag. PST Date PST Time Lat. Long. Depth Descriptive location ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10377693 3.7 2009/02/20 04:19:14 35 59.0 N 117 18.3 W 1.9 25 km (15 mi) NNE of Trona, CA Felt near Trona and surrounding area 10377713 2.7 2009/02/20 05:54:40 32 22.9 N 115 17.4 W 6.0 37 km (23 mi) SSE of Calexico, CA 10377721 2.1 2009/02/20 06:41:56 35 58.8 N 117 18.3 W 0.0 24 km (15 mi) NNE of Trona, CA 10377765 2.4 2009/02/20 10:55:04 34 49.5 N 118 57.3 W 14.3 1 km ( 1 mi) NW of Frazier Park, CA Felt at Frazier Park 10377889 2.3 2009/02/20 22:19:13 36 50.8 N 117 44.0 W 8.1 40 km (25 mi) NE of Lone Pine, CA 10377989 2.1 2009/02/21 10:13:47 35 58.2 N 117 18.9 W 0.9 23 km (14 mi) NNE of Trona, CA 10378005 2.4 2009/02/21 12:04:19 33 38.3 N 116 42.9 W 17.4 10 km ( 6 mi) NNW of Anza, CA 10378141 2.1 2009/02/22 04:21:45 33 31.0 N 116 28.4 W 8.9 19 km (12 mi) ESE of Anza, CA 10378181 3.2 2009/02/22 10:13:43 34 34.6 N 121 33.0 W 6.0 82 km (51 mi) W of Pt. Arguello, CA 10378305 2.3 2009/02/23 04:33:46 36 12.5 N 117 54.9 W 0.0 11 km ( 7 mi) SE of Olancha, CA 10378365 2.7 2009/02/23 06:53:28 32 10.7 N 115 51.3 W 6.0 63 km (39 mi) SSE of Ocotillo, CA 10378421 2.3 2009/02/23 14:55:49 34 39.3 N 116 17.0 W 3.1 58 km (36 mi) N of Joshua Tree, CA 10378473 3.2 2009/02/23 22:07:27 32 7.9 N 115 45.1 W 6.0 64 km (40 mi) SSW of Calexico, CA 10378545 2.0 2009/02/24 13:34:14 34 56.5 N 119 5.2 W 14.6 14 km ( 9 mi) W of Grapevine, CA 10378601 2.0 2009/02/24 19:25:07 32 9.9 N 115 17.3 W 6.0 59 km (37 mi) SSE of Calexico, CA 10378733 2.2 2009/02/25 16:03:33 34 8.1 N 116 50.7 W 11.7 4 km ( 3 mi) NNW of Mt. San Gorgonio, CA 10378773 2.0 2009/02/25 20:55:51 33 40.2 N 116 41.7 W 17.0 8 km ( 5 mi) SSE of Idyllwild, CA 10378869 2.6 2009/02/26 14:50:11 35 19.7 N 118 34.2 W 3.8 25 km (15 mi) NNW of Tehachapi, CA Felt near Tehachapi

The fire chief of Isleton has a DUI court hearing Posted: 04 Mar 2009 10:17 AM PST LODI, Calif. -- The fire chief of Isleton has a court hearing Thursday in San Joaquin County on a drunken-driving charge.Robert Bartley was arrested just before 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Day, along Walnut Grove Road west of Interstate 5. Robert Bartley The California Highway Patrol said officers were initially called for a vehicle stuck in the mud. They found a white 2003 Ford Explorer registered to the city of Isleton, which the CHP said Bartley had been driving. Bartley was cooperative during a sobriety test and arrest, the CHP said. There was no damage to the vehicle, which was towed from the scene. The city of Isleton secretary said Bartley is still the fire chief. Source: KCRA - Link

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