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San Diego City Firefighters take pay and benefit cuts

Posted: 15 Apr 2009 07:14 AM PDT

City Reaches Agreement With Three Employee Unions
Impasse Declared With Police And Maintenance Union Workers

SAN DIEGO -- Three of the five unions representing San Diego city employees agreed Tuesday to pay and benefit cuts while the City Council imposed contracts on the other two unions.

The San Diego Municipal Employees Association, San Diego City Firefighters Local 145 and the Deputy City Attorneys Association reached the tentative agreements, which need to be ratified by their members.

Contracts were imposed on the Police Officers Association and AFSCME Local 127, which represents the city government's blue collar workers.

The city was seeking pay and benefit cuts in an effort to avoid layoffs and close a $60 million budget shortfall in the budget for the coming fiscal year, an aide to Mayor Jerry Sanders said.
The firefighters union agreed to about $5.8 million in pay and benefit cuts, according to city negotiations.

Specifics of the contracts with the other four unions were immediately known.

A marathon City Council hearing which ultimately declared an impasse with the Police Officers Association and AFSCME Local 127 municipal unions ended after 10 p.m.
Sanders has asked the city's approximately 10,500 employees to accept a 6 percent across-the-board cut to pay and benefits.

To avoid having to lay off hundreds of city employees, the labor unions need to agree to cut compensation.

Earlier Tuesday, several hundred city workers rallied outside San Diego City Hall to protest a breakdown in labor negotiations.

Workers -- primarily represented by SDMEA -- marched around City Hall blowing whistles and chanting "Fair is fair" and "We work hard."

The protesters, who also included several dozen San Diego city firefighters, carried signs that read "A promise is a promise"; "I've been Jerry slandered"; "Pete Wilson promised -- Jerry Sanders taketh"; and "We already gave at the bargaining table."

Whole story at: www.10news.com - Link

Washington: Wildfire season declared - Summer fire rules are in effect from April 15 through Oct. 15

Posted: 15 Apr 2009 06:19 AM PDT

Washington wildfire season officially begins

Wildfire season officially begins restrictions for workers and recreational visitors April 15 through October 15

OLYMPIA – Consistent with state law, Washington's wildfire season begins tomorrow. Public Lands Commissioner Peter Goldmark urges all Washingtonians to help prevent wildland and forest fires.

"With fire season upon us, we want to remind people how quickly vegetation can dry out and then carry fire if ignited," said Commissioner Goldmark. "With help from everyone, the damage and expense of wildfires this year can be reduced significantly."

"This is the time of year when people should be assessing their property and taking steps to develop defensible space around their homes," said Commissioner Goldmark. "The key is to take actions before there is actual risk from a wildfire."

Seventeen forest fires have already been reported this year on lands protected by DNR.

Last year, ninety-three percent of wildfires on lands protected by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) were contained at less than 10 acres in size. A total of more than 76,076 acres (20,000 square miles) burned all across Washington, about 119 square miles in total.

Washington's summer fire rules
Washington's "summer fire rules" are in effect April 15 through October 15. These rules apply to the 12.7 million acres of private and state forest lands protected from wildfire by DNR.

These regulations affect loggers, firewood cutters, land clearers, road builders, bulldozer operators, off-road motorcyclists, and others.

During fire season, people using motorized equipment in the woods must have approved spark arrester's and follow fire safety precautions.
Restrict cigarette smoking in forested areas to roads, gravels pits, or other clearings.
Prohibit lighting fireworks on forestland.
In addition, those working in the woods must have fire prevention and extinguishing equipment at the job site, in good working order, with staff trained in its proper use.

Woods workers and industrial forest users also must observe Industrial Fire Precaution Levels, which may change daily and which classify varying levels of fire danger in different parts of the state.

More information is available from the following sources:

DNR's website at http://www.dnr.wa.gov . Click on Fire & Burning Regulations to review regional precaution levels, a map of current shutdown zones, and a copy of DNR's Industrial Fire Precaution Level Bulletin.
DNR's toll-free business line at 1-800-527-3305 plays a message identifying daily industrial fire precaution levels, which are listed by geographical region. The hearing impaired can phone Telephone Device for the Deaf at 1-800-833-6388.
DNR e-mail at RPD@dnr.wa.gov . Ask questions or request a copy of DNR's Industrial Fire Precaution Level Bulletin or additional information on safe outdoor burning of forest debris and safe recreational campfire tips.

Firewise: Wildfire community assistance
With Washington State Department of Natural Resources help, more forest landowners and communities are better prepared for wildfires each year.

Forty communities completed wildfire protection plans.
Twenty-seven communities have received national recognition for their fire prevention efforts through the Firewise Communities USA program.
With DNR's assistance last year, 60 fire districts acquired Wildfire Personal Protective Equipment that increases their capability to suppress wildfires while they are small in their communities.

DNR's four fire prevention teams are dispatched at the times and places of greatest fire danger in the state. These teams save money, natural resources, and lives by focusing fire prevention efforts when and where they are most effective.

DNR's wildfire mission
Administered by Commissioner of Public Lands Peter Goldmark, DNR is responsible for preventing and fighting wildfires on 12.7 million acres of private, state and tribal-owned forestlands. DNR is the state's largest on-call fire department, with over a thousand employees trained and available to be dispatched to fires as needed. During fire season, this includes over seven hundred DNR employees who have other permanent jobs with the agency and about 375 seasonal workers. Additionally, Department of Correction inmates participate in the DNR correctional camps program. DNR also participates in Washington's coordinated interagency approach to firefighting.

Info Source: www.dnr.wa.gov - Link

CAL FIRE drops demand for $2.9 million from charity

Posted: 15 Apr 2009 06:09 AM PDT

Carousel Ranch bill for Buckweed Fire goes up in smoke

CalFire rescinds its demand for $2.9 million in Buckweed Fire costs

State fire officials Monday backed down from their demand for $2.9 million from Carousel Ranch, a local children's-aid charity.

The change of heart came after local elected officials went to bat for the Agua Dulce organization, which was billed for the cost of fighting the October 2007 Buckweed Fire.

"This is fabulous news," said Carousel Ranch's director Denise Tomey minutes after she heard CalFire was rescinding its letter on Monday.

"That means we are no longer being held responsible," Tomey said. "We've been very (stressed) over what something like that could to do our organization."

Carousel Ranch is a charity that provides therapy for more than 90 handicapped children through specialized interaction with horses.

The organization received a letter from The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on March 26 demanding $2.9 million to cover the cost of fighting the Buckweed Fire.

Tomey called upon state Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster, and Assemblyman Cameron Smyth, R-Santa Clarita, for help, as she believed the ranch was not responsible for the fire.

Following an earlier meeting with the representatives, a CalFire spokeswoman confirmed Monday evening the department would rescind its letter.

The fire destroyed 21 homes in the Santa Clarita Valley and ravaged more than 38,000 acres, mostly in Saugus and Canyon Country, in October 2007.

It was accidentally started Oct. 21 by the 10-year-old son of a ranch employee.

In November 2007, the county District Attorney's office decided not to file charges against the boy, who was playing with matches during winds as high as 70 mph.

"We were closed, we had no control, it wasn't a child from our program, it wasn't our employee and it wasn't on the property," Tomey said Thursday.

Tomey said in 2007 the fire's origin was 30 feet off the property.

A CalFire legislation official met with Smyth's Deputy Chief of Staff Kevin O'Neill and Runner's Deputy Chief of Staff Will Smith in Sacramento on Monday afternoon.

O'Neill and Smith presented a letter jointly signed by Smyth and Runner requesting CalFire look deeper into the situation and extend the 30-day deadline to pay the $2.9 million.

"Basically, based on preliminary reports, so-called letters of demand are sent to any party that we in good faith believe may be potentially liable for starting a fire. This is done in efforts to recover taxpayer dollars that are spent in suppressing fires," said Janet Upton, a CalFire spokeswoman.

"In this particular case, information that would typically be brought forth during the litigation process was brought to light early in a letter that the ranch sent to elected representatives Senator Runner and Assemblyman Smyth. In response to their inquiry to us, the letter of demand will be rescinded."

Smyth said CalFire was quick to respond to concerns.

"We just had the meeting ... and obviously, we conveyed that going after a nonprofit like Carousel Ranch was definitely not the best course of action," he said Monday. "They agreed, to their credit."

"When a nonprofit has made such a tremendous commitment and done so much for the community ... for them to be caught in the middle of something like this is not right and we're happy we could help out," Smyth said.

Runner said while he supports keeping individuals accountable for creating an expense to the state, that "was certainly not the case here."

"I think in their view, rightfully so, on paper it kind of met some criteria they had. But once they understood the issue and the facts, they saw that it was the right thing to do," Runner said.

Tomey said she is grateful to Smyth and Runner's office for their help.

"That's certainly (the outcome) we were hoping for," she said.

Source: www.the-signal.com - Link
Previous related post: Charity gets $2.9 million bill from CAL FIRE