California Fire News - Updates in your mail box

CA-SHU - wildland grass fire - Eastern Shasta County - 11 acres Posted: 18 Apr 2009 09:27 PM PDT A wildland grass fire - Eastern Shasta County - 11 acres "It's not contained at this point, but we've got everybody out there," the Cal Fire spokeswoman said about 8:30 p.m. tonight, - California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spokeswoman said. Update: 18:45 - 10 acres 0% IA: 18:10 p.m. Fire reported to be in the area of Hopeful Place and Winoxy Lane. Location: Southeast of Millville near Highway 44, Eastern Shasta County

Wildfire Erupts in Lockwood Valley Posted: 18 Apr 2009 05:03 PM PDT CHP officers stopped traffic on Lockwood Valley Road as a wildfire moved northwest into a stand of pine trees. [Meyer photo] FRAZIER PARK, Calif. (Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 3:45 p.m.)—A wildfire broke out in Lockwood Valley just before 12:30 p.m., about a half mile west of Chuchupate ranger station. Approximately 20 to 30 acres have burned, according to Mt. Pinos District Forest Ranger Tom Kuekes. "So far, the fire has laid down pretty good. We have two dozers on-scene that will work to get some line built. Two air tankers are on the way and two helicopters—one from Ventura County and one from Santa Barbara—are now providing water drops," Kuekes said. No injuries have been reported. No estimate was available on containment. CHP began escorting groups of motorists on Lockwood Valley Road, past the fire area, at approximately 2:30 p.m. U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Battalion Chief John Abel is the Incident Commander. Assisting agencies included Kern County Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, USFS personnel from Angeles National Forest, California Highway Patrol and Kern County Sheriff's Department. The Mountain Enterprise spoke with Bob Stowell who, while driving westbound on Lockwood Valley Road before 12:30 p.m., observed smoke and flames to the south side of the highway. Stowell had to drive further to the west in order to get a cell phone signal where he reported the fire at 12:31 p.m. While parked he says he observed someone walking near the fire area, and then observed a later model beige Ford F-250 truck leaving the fire area and driving east on Lockwood Valley Road toward Lake of the Woods. Stowell says he drove into the area where the truck had emerged, to see whether anyone else was in the area. He saw a tent, an ice chest with a lot of beer cans and litter strewn around the makeshift campsite. Source: The Mountain Enterprise

CA-LPF- Lockwood - 20 acres in Timber - 50% Posted: 18 Apr 2009 09:38 PM PDT Update: 1745 - The District Ranger is reporting the fire is laying down. As the photos show the fire is burning in timber. A spot fire about a quarter mile to the south was cooled down with water drops and crews were able to take care of that. http://www.mountainenterprise.com/atf.php?sid=4763 Update: 1735 - Mt. Pinos District Forest Ranger Tom Kuekes reports that the fire's spread has been stopped and the fire is 50% contained within a burn area of 20 acres. Update: 1700 - approx 30 acres, No injuries have been reported. Update: 1615 - IC report approx 25 acres and 50% contained. CHP officers stopped traffic on Lockwood Valley Road as a wildfire moved northwest into a stand of pine trees. . Update: 1545 - Approximately 20 to 30 acres have burned, according to Mt. Pinos District Forest Ranger Tom Kuekes. "So far, the fire has laid down pretty good. We have two dozers on-scene that will work to get some line built. Two air tankers are on the way and two helicopters—one from Ventura County and one from Santa Barbara—are now providing water drops," Kuekes said. Update: 1400 - WJF (Fox) Airtanker Base being opened for reload. Tanker 17 currently just north of the Tohono O' Odham Reservation. Tanker 00 currently approaching the NM/AZ stateline. Copter 301 from CA-RRU requested. Update: 1300 - Lockwood IC reports 10 acres in PJ and Sage. IA: 1229 - LP Wildcad reporting one mile west of Chuchupate on Lockwood Valley Rd. near Frazier Park Road IC: Lockwood IC - LPF - U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Battalion Chief John Abell is the Incident Commander. Location: Lockwood Alley / Frazier Park Road area, Lockwood Valley about a half mile west of Chuchupate ranger station. Initial sizeup: 1215 - 3 acres in Timber. Resources: Assisting agencies included Kern County Fire Department, Ventura County Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, USFS personnel from Angeles National Forest, California Highway Patrol and Kern County Sheriff's Department. Second alarm resources enroute. Aircraft Assigned: ASM Bravo 5 VNC Copter 6 SBC Copter 308 Tanker 00 from New Mexico Tanker 17 from Arizona AT 00 and 17 requested and coming from out of region. Santa Barbara County fire H-308 responding to 10 acre fire in lockwood valley and Chucapate area. 2 Additional Air Tankers: Tanker 27 enroute from Chico, CA. Tanker 55 requested from Minden, NV. BDU sent a crew ST that way earlier today Weather: Chuchupate RAWS reporting 69 degrees, 17% RH and clam winds Sanner/Streaming audio: http://216.66.69.100:3072/listen.pls (Winamp) Additional info: The Mountain Enterprise spoke with Bob Stowell who, while driving westbound on Lockwood Valley Road before 12:30 p.m., observed smoke and flames to the south side of the highway. Stowell had to drive further to the west in order to get a cell phone signal where he reported the fire at 12:31 p.m. While parked he says he observed someone walking near the fire area, and then observed a late model beige Ford F-250 truck leaving the fire area and driving east on Lockwood Valley Road toward Lake of the Woods. Stowell says he drove into the area where the truck had emerged, to see whether anyone else was in the area. He saw a tent, an ice chest with a lot of beer cans and litter strewn around the makeshift campsite. Compiled from info sources: mountainenterprise.com - Link Wildland Hotlist - Link Photos: Mountain Enterprise - Gary Meyer photo; below, Linda Curtis photo

Future regional fire department in the Tri city area? Posted: 18 Apr 2009 12:00 PM PDT Tri-City area Fire Department one day? Some interesting information in a Newark staff report for next week's council meeting. Newark has given up on combining fire departments with Union City. Too expensive and unpopular with the unions, according to the report. But it still can't afford to keep its own department of very well-paid firefighters without some help so it has turned to other options including Fremont. Here's where it gets interesting: In accordance with this direction, Citygate (the consultant) focused their efforts in Phase II by contacting the City of Fremont to determine their level of interest in participating in regional fire protection and refining the information provided by ALCO. Fremont staff indicated that they were interested in discussing scenarios that may be in the best interest of all involved parties. As a result, discussions occurred between the City Managers of Newark, Union City and Fremont, as well as a series of facilitated meetings and discussions among the Fire Chiefs from Newark, Union City, Alameda County, and Fremont. The Phase II analysis and the operational discussions focused on the possibility of a fire service model for the City of Newark that shows the potential to reduce current fire service costs while providing Newark with the means to meet SOC level staffing. This model involves a contract for fire protection with the Alameda County Fire Department with a "fee for service" contract with the City of Fremont for the use of a fire company (e.g., truck, engine, and/or Battalion Chief). Reading the entire staff report, it looks like Newark is going to try to contract with the County Fire Department and Fremont, not form a regional fire department like they have in San Mateo County. But it's interesting that that all three cities have been talking about fire. Fremont and Union City still have bad blood from their fire department divorce several years back. Newark City Manager John Becker would have to do his best Anwar Sadat impersonation to ever get those two cities back in bed together. Source: Tri-City Beat - Link

National Volunteer Week- April 19-25, 2009: Posted: 18 Apr 2009 11:45 AM PDT FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) Citizen Corps supports weekly and monthly outreach themes which encourage and promote civic engagement, public safety, preparedness, resilience, and volunteerism. The outreach themes are intended to be used as an opportunity to jumpstart work with additional Citizen Corps Affiliates and Partners on promoting awareness, planning events, and media outreach to strengthen community preparedness at the state and local level. Local Citizen Corps Councils and partners may contact local representatives from the organizations below to learn how the community can benefit from involvement, reach out to citizens about participation, and involve the local media in distributing information on these events. These events will help raise awareness for local Citizen Corps activities and ultimately increase community preparedness, training, and volunteer participation. The following are the upcoming events for April… National Volunteer Week- April 19-25, 2009: National Volunteer Week takes place the week of April 19-25 to honor volunteers who are dedicated to taking action and solving problems in their communities. National Citizen Corps Affiliate, the Points of Light Institute and the HandsOn Network, believes through volunteerism and civic engagement, volunteers can meet the needs of the 21st Century. To learn more about National Volunteer Week, visit http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/seasons/nvw/. Additionally, the Points of Light Institute offers a variety of resources on volunteer management and engagement that can benefit Citizen Corps Councils and partners. Visit their Resources Page to learn more http://www.pointsoflight.org/resources/. Established by the United States Congress and sponsored by the E-9-1-1 Institute, a National Citizen Corps Affiliate, National 9-1-1 Education Month asks safety officials, schools, government officials, and industry leaders to educate children, seniors, and the general public about the importance and appropriate use of the 9-1-1 system. To learn more about how Citizen Corps Council and partners can work within their community to build on existing state and local 9-1-1 education efforts and work more closely with their local call centers (PSAPs), visit http://www.e911institute.org/Education%20Month/911educationmonth.html.

Corning - Fire Chief gets tuff on weeds and brush Posted: 18 Apr 2009 11:47 AM PDT Cut weeds or get fined City issues fire hazard clean-up warning Friday, Apr 17 2009, 7:10 pm Corning Fire Chief Martin Spannaus looks at a yard that doesn't meet the city's weed abatement standards. - Photo by Julie R. Johnson City residents have until June 15 to clean up their property. It's time to cut down weeds and brush before they dry up and become fuel for fires. Those who don't meet a June 15 deadline could get fined, Corning Fire Chief Martin Spannaus said. "The potential is out there for fires that could not destroy only one home, but many," said Spannuas. "If we have to come out and clear property, the property owner gets the bill and/or gets a fine." He said the removal of weeds and brush also helps keep vermin and pests away. "Now is the time to get ready for the fire season," Spannaus explained. "Don't just clear grass and weeds, clean up bushes, clean up garbage and the junk lying around. All of these can be fuel for fire, light flash fuels that burn into heavier fuels like structures and heavy brush." Clearing debris, dry grass, weeds and brush away from structures is especially important, he said. Mowed grass can be no more than 4 inches above the ground, according to city regulations. "We may require additional abatement due to terrain, height of growth, location, brush or use of land," said Spannaus. The county is also issuing abatement notices after a September update of its fire hazard abatement ordinance. Property owners or occupants will be notified of non-compliance and allowed 14 days to abate the hazard. If fire agencies have to clear the hazard, the clean-up costs will be added to the owner's property tax bill, and the property owner could be fined or jailed. "We currently have firefighters going out every day inspecting properties in an effort to educate and keep residents in compliance to the abatement regulations," said Shane Galvez, a Cal Fire engineer in Corning. The most important regulation is keeping a 100-foot clearance around all structures, he said. "I can't express how important clearing space around structures is," said Galvez. "When clearing, it is best to disc the area, but if you can't, be sure and cut the grass and weeds extremely short." According to the Tehama County Rural Fire Department/Cal Fire 2008 report, the agencies responded to more than 300 fires last year and conducted more than 3,630 defensible space inspections. Source: Corning Observer - Link

New Haven Firefighter Denied Promotion Because He’s White Posted: 18 Apr 2009 11:26 AM PDT Reverse discrimination case could transform hiring By JESSE WASHINGTON – 34 minutes ago NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Inside a burning building, fire doesn't discriminate between Matthew Marcarelli and Gary Tinney. Inside the New Haven Fire Department, however, skin color has put them on opposite sides of a lawsuit that could transform hiring procedures nationwide. This week, the Supreme Court will consider the reverse discrimination claim of Marcarelli and a group of white firefighters. They all passed a promotion exam, but the city threw out the test because no blacks would have been promoted, saying the exam had a "disparate impact" on minorities likely to violate the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Besides affecting how race can be considered in filling government and perhaps even private jobs, the dispute also addresses broader questions about racial progress: Do minorities and women still need legal protection from discrimination, or do the monumental civil rights laws that created a more equal nation now cause more harm than good? Also, beneath the specific details of the firefighters' lawsuit lies an uncomfortable truth: On most standardized tests, regardless of the subject, blacks score lower than whites. Reconciling that reality with efforts to ensure "justice for all" remains a work in progress — one that will be molded by the Supreme Court. New Haven's population is 44 percent white, 36 percent black and 24 percent Hispanic (who can be any race). At the time of the 2003 test, 53 percent of the city's firefighters, 63 percent of lieutenants and 86 percent of captains were white. Blacks were 30 percent of the firefighters, 22 percent of lieutenants and 4 percent of captains. The promotion exams were closely focused on firefighting methods, knowledge and skills. The first part had 200 multiple-choice questions and counted for 60 percent of the final score. Candidates returned another day to take an oral exam in which they described responses to various scenarios, which counted for 40 percent. Tinney, a black lieutenant who has been a firefighter for 14 years, was seeking a promotion to captain when he took the exam. He says both the test and his fire department have hidden biases against minorities: The department is historically white, with the first blacks joining in 1957, and jobs, relationships, knowledge and choice assignments are passed on from friend to friend and generation to generation. "I just call it 'the network,'" Tinney says. The white firefighters' attorney, Karen Torre, said they would not be interviewed for this story. In a conversation on Fox News' "Hannity" program, Marcarelli said it was "gut wrenching" to learn that he was No. 1 on the test but would not get promoted. "It's something that shakes what you believe in. Because you believe if you work hard, you're rewarded for that, and that's not necessarily the case," Marcarelli said. Torre said whites have no special advantage in promotions because of laws requiring use of a race-blind, score-based system. She added that many blacks have relatives on the force, including high-ranking officers. One hundred and eighteen people took the tests; 56 passed. Nineteen of the top scorers were eligible for promotion to 15 open lieutenant and captain positions. Based on the test results, the city said that no minorities would have been eligible for lieutenant, and two Hispanics would have been eligible for captain. (The lawsuit was filed by 20 white plaintiffs, including one man who is both white and Hispanic.) The exams were designed by a professional testing firm that followed federal guidelines for mitigating disparate racial outcomes, the plaintiffs say. But after the results came back, the city says it found evidence that the tests were potentially flawed. Sources of bias included that the written section measured memorization rather than actual skills needed for the jobs; giving too much weight to the written section; and lack of testing for leadership in emergency conditions, according to a brief filed by officers of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. "I'm sure there are numerous reasons why (blacks didn't do as well), and not because we're not as intelligent," Tinney says. "There's a lot of underlying issues to that ... these folks are saying, 'We studied the hardest, we passed the test, we should be promoted.' But they're not talking about all the other things." Torre argues that discarding a test because no minorities would have been promoted violates the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which forbids discrimination because of race. Call it a legal riddle only the Supreme Court could solve: The white firefighters say Title VII prohibits discrimination against them for being white; New Haven says Title VII prohibits it from using a test that has a disparate impact against blacks. "All were afforded the same notice, the same study period, the same exam syllabi, etc.," said Torre, who would only answer questions by e-mail. "The rest was up to the individual." There are long-standing divisions over the concept of hardworking, qualified whites being "victimized" by laws or practices designed to help minorities overcome America's history of racism. What's different today is that the landscape has shifted in many ways, big and small. The biggest is the election of President Barack Obama, and the support he received from millions of white voters. "It is not white racism that plays the deciding role in the success of minorities any more," says Edward Blum, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who believes that race should not be considered in employment decisions. "That was the case in the '60s and '70s and maybe even part of the '80s," he says. "But it is no longer the case in the 21st century that because you are black you are being held back from achieving what your parents and your ambitions will allow you to achieve. I think that has been crystallized with the election of President Obama." Obama's election has been a boon to the movement that developed years ago seeking to reshape civil rights laws designed to remedy discrimination. Besides the firefighters' lawsuit, the Supreme Court will soon hear a case seeking to overturn a Voting Rights Act requirement that all or parts of 16 states with a history of discrimination must get approval from the Justice Department before changing election procedures. And in 2007, the court struck down voluntary integration plans in two public school districts. Even though it may result in less opportunities for qualified minorities, "the use of race does greater harm to our social fabric by being there than by being eliminated," Blum says. Another major shift has been in the balance of the Supreme Court. Conservatives gained a 5-4 majority during the Bush administration, although Justice Anthony Kennedy is seen as a potential swing vote. In Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion in the 2007 school ruling, one line rang loudest: "the way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race." That statement was seen as a harbinger of future rulings that would end the use of race in employment, voting and awarding government contracts. It also rebutted a famous statement by Justice Harry Blackmun in the landmark Bakke affirmative action case: "In order to treat some persons equally, we must treat them differently." Mary Frances Berry, a history professor at the University of Pennsylvania and head of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights during the Clinton administration, said the firefighters' case has broad implications. "This is about whether we are going to see a sea change in how the judiciary looks at the need for these (protections), and how the popular culture and electoral politics influence their perceptions," Berry said. The Obama administration has said such laws are needed and it is committed to enforcing them. The Justice Department's brief in the firefighters case supports New Haven's position that the city acted properly in throwing out the tests. But in what many call a political maneuver designed to avoid taking sides, the Justice Department stopped short of saying the firefighters' case should be dismissed, instead recommending that it be remanded to a lower court to determine if city's decision was a pretext for intentional discrimination. Polls show varying levels of support for affirmative action programs. In an AP-Yahoo poll conducted in December 2007 through January 2008, one-quarter of respondents favored affirmative action programs and 37 percent opposed them. Another 36 percent neither favored nor opposed them. A September 2007 Pew poll, which did not give people the option to say they had no opinion, found that 46 percent of people said they favored affirmative action programs that give special preferences to qualified blacks in hiring and education, while 40 percent opposed such programs. Last November, Colorado voters became the first in the nation to reject a ban on state affirmative action programs. Similar measures have been approved in Nebraska, California, Michigan and Washington. Supreme Court observers predict the firefighters' lawsuit will be decided by a 5-4 margin, with Justice Kennedy casting the deciding vote. His past decisions give hope to both sides. In the recent Voting Rights Act decision that made it harder for some minority candidates to win election when voting districts are redrawn, Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion that "racial discrimination and racially polarized voting are not ancient history. Much remains to be done to ensure that citizens of all races have equal opportunity to share and participate in our democratic processes and traditions." "It would be an irony, however," Kennedy continued, if civil rights laws were used to "entrench racial differences." Source: AP - www.google.com/hostednews - Link Related posts: New Haven Firefighter Denied Promotion Because He's White Affirmative action news: Latino Group, Black Group and NAACP Backs White Firefighters

Loma Linda: Second firehouse for city - temporary fire station near I-10 Posted: 18 Apr 2009 11:12 AM PDT Loma Linda opens second fire station Looking to provide faster emergency responses to the north side, Loma Linda has opened a temporary fire station near the 10 Freeway. The station is on city-owned land at the southwest corner of Ohio Street and Redlands Boulevard. "This is a great thing for the people on the north side of town, where they can have quicker responses to medical and fire emergencies than they had before when we only had a station on the south side of town," Councilman Rhodes Rigsby said. City leaders had a ceremony last week to mark the opening. The city spent about $450,000 for the station, which consists of a prefabricated home to serve as crew quarters and a metal building for vehicles and equipment. The money came from city redevelopment funds. "It's great to have local tax dollars stay local," Rigsby said. "This is the purpose of the (city) Redevelopment Agency." Fire Chief Jeff Bender said the station was needed for two reasons. Firefighters are supposed to arrive at the scene of an emergency within five minutes on 80 percent of all calls. But the Fire Department was meeting that standard only about one-third of the time on the north side, Bender said. About one-third of the department's responses are to the north side of the city, which is considered north of the Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The new station "was a big operational need for us," Bender said. Another factor in the need for the station has to do with geography. The city is divided by bridges across Anderson Street, Mountain View Avenue and Barton Road west of California Street. If any of the bridges are shut down in an earthquake, the ability of firefighters to respond to the north side would be severely hampered, Bender said. "With a large earthquake being one of our greatest worries, we felt it was tactically appropriate to get resources on both sides of the city," Bender said. The new station is staffed by firefighters who were moved from the main station at the Civic Center on Barton Road. The City Council last week approved the purchase of a new fire engine that will be housed at the station and used to fight brush fires. The engine, which is expected to arrive around the start of the fire season in the fall, will replace a roughly 20-year-old engine that has mechanical issues and isn't always reliable, Bender said. The new engine will cost a little more than $300,000. The money will come out of a special account that uses development-impact fees to pay for fire facilities. The temporary station will be used until a location for a permanent station can be found, Bender said. The city planned to include a fire station on the site of a large housing and retail project north of Mission Road. But those plans fell through. A permanent station could be built as part of a future development in the area, Bender said. Source: www.insidesocal.com -By Joe Smilor on April 17, 2009 9:00 PM - Permalink

You are subscribed to email updates from California Fire News - Structure, Wildland, EMS To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of California Fire News - Structure, Wildland, EMS in a feed reader.
If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: California Fire News - Structure, Wildland, EMS, c/o Google, 20 W Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610