Latest news with #FightforFirefightersAct
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Our View: Wildfire strategies require thoughtful legislation
There seem to be few things Democrat and Republican state legislators can agree on. But one thing is the need to better protect Californians from the ravages of wildfires. In the wake of historic January wildfires that claimed lives and left Los Angeles County communities, neighborhoods and businesses in ashes, a flurry of bipartisan fire-safety and rebuilding proposals have surfaced. Prominent among them is the Fight for Firefighters Act, proposed by Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire, D-North Coast, and a bipartisan coalition of state senators. Among other things, it would phase out CalFire's approximately 3,000 firefighters and transition them into full-time jobs. Typically, seasonal firefighters only work during the 'fire season' — traditionally from April to December. But is that realistic? What is today's wildfire season? Wildfires have become a frequent, year-round threat. 'More aggressive fires, and an unrelenting year-round wildfire season, demands more aggressive responses,' said McGuire, who contends 'wildfires don't take three months off. So, the elite CalFire firefighting force that is our first and last defense in protecting lives and homes across the state should be year-round, too. This investment will make communities more wildfire safe and greatly improve fire and emergency response in every corner of California.' Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar bill, not because he didn't agree with the objective, but because he said the state was already planning on hiring more firefighters. McGuire's plan would cost an estimated $175 million per year. Bakersfield's Republican state Sen. Shannon Grove is a co-sponsor of the Fight for Firefighters Act. 'We are in a pivotal time when it comes to preparing for wildfire season and that includes addressing the CalFire staffing shortage,' Grove said in a news release. 'This legislation will serve as a critical down payment to support our firefighters while they protect life, property and natural resources for all Californians.' Noting that Kern County has experienced many devastating wildfires, most recently the Borel Fire that burned south of Lake Isabella last summer, Grove said, 'Wildfires have devastated communities across our state, leaving countless families displaced and businesses struggling to recover.' Bolstering CalFire's firefighting force and implementing aggressive fire prevention strategies are more urgent now as the Trump administration has frozen spending to hire federal seasonal firefighters and fund forest clearing on federal land. The Fight for Firefighters Act also proposes to have all CalFire's fire engines and vegetation management crews operational year-round, and require all CalFire helicopter bases be fully staffed year-round. Grove also has introduced SB 375, which proposes to balance the needs of endangered and threatened wildlife, with prevention and rebuilding needs. 'SB 375 provides a comprehensive approach to wildfire preparedness, cutting bureaucratic red tape and delivering real solutions to protect lives, homes and our natural resources,' Grove said. In a mind-boggling rush to introduce wildfire-related bills, Assembly and Senate lawmakers are proposing price gouging penalties; temporary mortgage relief; rent controls; creation of a commission to centralize wildfire mitigation plans; and require developers to make buildings more fire-proof. Other bills propose expanding the one-year non-renewal insurance moratorium; easing coastal development permits; stiffening criminal penalties for looting and other criminal activities; making it a felony to impersonate a police officer or a firefighter during a state of emergency; making it a felony to fly a drone over the scene of an emergency; increasing water storage; and giving tax credits to homeowners who make fire-resistant improvements. Sigh, and there are so many more bills. It's like politicians are throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Every politician seems to want to get into the act — and, cynically speaking, get a piece of the publicity. There are lots of lessons to be learned from the recent devastating wildfires. But to effectively address those lessons requires a coordinated, focused package of legislation — not a bunch of spaghetti.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
After brutal fire season, California lawmakers call for seasonal firefighters to be employed year-round
With Southern California still in the thick of an exceptionally brutal winter fire season, lawmakers are calling for the state's largest firefighting agency to extend the bulk of its staffing and operations year-round, instead of employing a seasonal schedule. A bipartisan group of California lawmakers this week announced legislation that would transition about 3,000 seasonal firefighters who work for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to year-round employees. The legislation would also ensure fire engines, helicopters and vegetation management crews are working every month of the year. 'More aggressive fires, and an unrelenting year-round wildfire season, demands more aggressive responses,' Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, a Sonoma County Democrat, said in a statement. 'Wildfires don't take three months off. ... This investment will make communities more wildfire safe and greatly improve fire and emergency response in every corner of California.' The transition to full-time staffing would cost the state an estimated $175 million each year, according to McGuire's office. It wasn't immediately clear where those dollars would come from. Cal Fire currently lays off some of its lowest ranking firefighters — yet the largest proportion of its workforce — during the winter after they work for nine months, though they can be called back during emergencies. Cal Fire firefighters typically work April to December. But in recent years, Cal Fire officials have continued to warn that California no longer has a fire season but instead has a year-round threat as human-caused climate change worsens, which has been found to intensify fires and made them more explosive. UC Irvine researchers found that climate change and increased development has lengthened the historical fire season. Read more: Opinion: California's inmate firefighters deserve more than a raise. Make them employees 'January has highlighted a new reality of climate change, one that demands we fully prepare for year-round, climate-driven disasters, making legislation for increased staffing levels essential," Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) said in a statement. "Firefighters are experiencing these staffing shortages firsthand and need additional personnel to ensure they can respond effectively to disasters wherever they occur." The bill has not yet been formally introduced, but McGuire said it will be referred to as the Fight for Firefighters Act. Lawmakers announced the effort just weeks after two devastating fires razed parts of Los Angeles County in January — typically one of the slowest months for fires. Jesse Torres, a Cal Fire spokesperson, said the agency was forced to call back in firefighters who'd been laid off for January, February and March to respond to the major conflagrations. We "are getting more devastating fires in months we never expected," Torres said. He said when he first started at Cal Fire in the late 1990s, he worked a seasonal shift from June to November. Now, seasonal fire crew staffing takes place from April through December, and is still not long enough, he said. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar bill, not because he didn't agree with the objective, but because he said the state was already planning to hire 2,000 new full-time firefighters who would work a new, shorter workweek. But lawmakers say Cal Fire's crews deserve steady work that will not only improve the state's preparedness for fire, but also improve the firefighters' mental health and working conditions. A CalMatters investigation in 2022 uncovered a worsening mental health crisis among the agency's firefighters, who said they struggled to recover from grueling shifts and trauma from the front lines, with little assistance. "From battling wildfires to responding to emergency calls, we owe the brave men and women of Cal Fire our highest debt of gratitude," Sen. Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) said in a statement. "We have much more work to do, but this bill is a critical first step to giving our firefighters the job stability and support they need and deserve.' Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
After brutal fire season, California lawmakers call for seasonal firefighters to be employed year-round
With Southern California still in the thick of an exceptionally brutal winter fire season, lawmakers are calling for the state's largest firefighting agency to extend the bulk of its staffing and operations year-round, instead of employing a seasonal schedule. A bipartisan group of California lawmakers this week announced legislation that would transition about 3,000 seasonal firefighters who work for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to year-round employees. The legislation would also ensure fire engines, helicopters and vegetation management crews are working every month of the year. 'More aggressive fires, and an unrelenting year-round wildfire season, demands more aggressive responses,' Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, a Sonoma County Democrat, said in a statement. 'Wildfires don't take three months off. ... This investment will make communities more wildfire safe and greatly improve fire and emergency response in every corner of California.' The transition to full-time staffing would cost the state an estimated $175 million each year, according to McGuire's office. It wasn't immediately clear where those dollars would come from. Cal Fire currently lays off some of its lowest ranking firefighters — yet the largest proportion of its workforce — during the winter after they work for nine months, though they can be called back during emergencies. Cal Fire firefighters typically work April to December. But in recent years, Cal Fire officials have continued to warn that California no longer has a fire season but instead has a year-round threat as human-caused climate change worsens, which has been found to intensify fires and made them more explosive. UC Irvine researchers found that climate change and increased development has lengthened the historical fire season. 'January has highlighted a new reality of climate change, one that demands we fully prepare for year-round, climate-driven disasters, making legislation for increased staffing levels essential,' Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez (D-Pasadena) said in a statement. 'Firefighters are experiencing these staffing shortages firsthand and need additional personnel to ensure they can respond effectively to disasters wherever they occur.' The bill has not yet been formally introduced, but McGuire said it will be referred to as the Fight for Firefighters Act. Lawmakers announced the effort just weeks after two devastating fires razed parts of Los Angeles County in January — typically one of the slowest months for fires. Jesse Torres, a Cal Fire spokesperson, said the agency was forced to call back in firefighters who'd been laid off for January, February and March to respond to the major conflagrations. We 'are getting more devastating fires in months we never expected,' Torres said. He said when he first started at Cal Fire in the late 1990s, he worked a seasonal shift from June to November. Now, seasonal fire crew staffing takes place from April through December, and is still not long enough, he said. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar bill, not because he didn't agree with the objective, but because he said the state was already planning to hire 2,000 new full-time firefighters who would work a new, shorter workweek. But lawmakers say Cal Fire's crews deserve steady work that will not only improve the state's preparedness for fire, but also improve the firefighters' mental health and working conditions. A CalMatters investigation in 2022 uncovered a worsening mental health crisis among the agency's firefighters, who said they struggled to recover from grueling shifts and trauma from the front lines, with little assistance. 'From battling wildfires to responding to emergency calls, we owe the brave men and women of Cal Fire our highest debt of gratitude,' Sen. Minority Leader Brian Jones (R-San Diego) said in a statement. 'We have much more work to do, but this bill is a critical first step to giving our firefighters the job stability and support they need and deserve.'
