Module 3 SLP: A Study on the San Diego County Fire Authority

The National Park Service communicates with surrounding areas to help prevent fires. They also have specialists to investigate when a burn ban needs to be in effect, this is all depending on certain reasons and moisture content in the area Angie (2006). Firefighters fight wildfires by depriving them of one or more of the fire trio basics. Traditional methods include water drenching and spraying fire retardants to

Additionally, the Fire Chief and his administration are ultimately responsible for the safety and well being of the department. Safe work practices are paramount at all levels of the fire service. My department addresses these areas through the National Firefighter Safety Down Day where current issues and concerns with firefighter safety are address, and teaching material is presented to improve overall safety.

These fires highlighted that there were not enough fire fighters and resources to combat such fires. They highlighted areas that lacked emergency service protection and showed a lack of preparedness (San Diego Fire Facts, 2016). Years after the fires, some changes that came about include: wood shake shingles being banned on new construction and could not be used as roof replacements (Mainar, 2013) and 100 feet became the new defensible space, an increase from 65, between the fuel, for example vegetation, of the fire and the structure (Mainar, 2013). There’s an increase in code compliance officers in the field from two to seven (Mainar, 2013). Evacuation procedures and notices were

Tragic events that cause damage to property and life may destroy the social, cultural and economic life of a community. Communities must be engaged in the various phases from prevention to recovery to build disaster resilient communities. In order to do this, there must be a disaster preparedness plan in place that involves multiple people in various roles.

Having these plans in place give the Disaster Recovery team the instructions they need when disaster strikes

Policies regarding the handling of wildland fires continue to change and evolve as new information is learned each fire season. Attitudes have changed between complete wildland fire suppression to no suppression at all. We now seem to have reached a balance between the two schools of thought and fall somewhere in the middle.

Having adequate resources, including personnel, equipment, and water is essential to a successful operation. Improper implementation of the ICS system, as well as not having accountability for the firefighters involved in a fire as large as the Pawtucket event, are serious safety issues that could have proved disastrous for the firefighters in this incident. Safety is the first rule in firefighting with the end goal that everyone goes

In 2012, Insurance Services Office (ISO) conducted a review of the fire suppression capabilities of the Council Bluffs (IA) Fire Department (CBFD). The resulting Public Protection Classification (PPC) was a Class 2. This classification puts the CBFD into the top 1% of the approximately 49,000 fire departments ISO reviews. In an effort to maintain the highest level of service to the public, the current fire administration has established an organizational goal of achieving a Class 1 designation.

Connell, II, Disaster Management Solutions Inc., MA [M] Melody Eady, Georgia Fire Academy, GA [SE] Richard J. S. Karasaki, Jr., Honolulu Fire Department, HI [U] Wesley V. Kitchel, Santa Rosa Fire Department, CA [L] Timothy A. Kovacs, Phoenix Fire Department, AZ [L] Timothy J. Lombardi, Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, OH [L] Rep. NFPA Fire Service Section J. Michael McCreary, American Emergency Response Training, TN [SE] Robert N. Moody, Montgomery County, Maryland, MD [L] Robert E. Rhea, Fairfax County Fire & Rescue Department, VA [U] Brian Rousseau, State of New York, NY [E] Robert J. Schappert, III, U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, DC [U] Peter M. Schecter, Government of the British Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands [E] Rep. International Association of Fire Chiefs Ralph Sproul, Chevron Products Company, CA [U] Michael L. Walker, Oklahoma City Fire Department, OK [U] Charles A. Wehrli, Spec Rescue, IL [SE] Ernest R. Wright, Wright Rescue Solutions, Inc., FL [SE] Leonard E. Yox, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, MD [SE] Andrea Zaferes, Lifeguard Systems, RIPTIDE, AZ Training, NY [SE] Alternates Brad Eveland, U.S. Air Force, AK [E] (Voting Alt. to U.S. Air Force Rep.) Fred J. Jackson, Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, OH [L] (Alt. to T. J. Lombardi) Rep. NFPA Fire Service Section Frank E. Florence, NFPA Staff Liaison

Fire district 13 is located in the forested valleys and steep foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range at the base of Mount St. Helens. Access to our district, primarily reached by one main county road, is limited. With automatic mutual aid to neighboring districts with, major rail, and freeway- interoperability is key. Located above the Cascadia Subduction zone, Clark County is due for a catastrophic earthquake. The area that includes fire district 13 is a transitional zone between unoccupied forest land and human development. Being a part of the wildland urban interface zone puts us at a higher risk for wildfires.

I have researched and learned so much information about the state of California and its Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. My purpose is to inform and educate readers about the following topics: the history of the department, the jobs and duties of the department, and also the purpose of the department.

Visionary style leaders might respond to the aftermath of a Category 4 hurricane by laying out the overall team emergency plan which will explain where to get resources, how to distribute them, which areas need rescue services, establish safe shelters, and mobilize organizations such as the Red Cross to tend to injured persons. A visionary leader's plan is strategic to saving lives in a timely manner during such a catastrophic event. The leader's ability to convey his or her plan effectively will expedite the team's ability to take action.

On the actual day of the fire, the fire planners will again check such conditions as wind and moisture content in the vegetation. The wind direction will determine where the fire is started. Fire crews start the burn with a device called a drip torch. A drip torch is a can of fuel with a flame-carrying wick at the end. When the crewmember tilts the wick toward the ground, a flame streams out and ignites the vegetation. Most of the effort that goes into a prescribed fire is making sure that it is contained in the boundaries set for the fire. Firefighters and fire suppression equipment are near the site if the fire grows out of control (www.nps.gov/wica/fir-why.html, pgs. 1-3).

Thousands of fires occur on a yearly basis throughout the United States. Whether it is forest fires, house fires, or any other event that involves uncontrollable flames, the outcome will always be the same; high amounts of destruction and physical damage. When fire emergencies occur, responding to the incident may not be much of a complication as apposed to determining the source from where the fire started or what triggered its behavior, which is truly the challenge. In order to do so, a fire investigator has to be present at the scene of the fire after it has been eliminated. The investigator, after reviewing any possible marks or behavior trails, will conclude if the incident was indeed an accident or intentional, thus making it an act

An effective crisis management response plan outlines specific procedures for administrator, teachers, and students during evacuation emergencies. Administrators work with teachers, students, parents, law enforcement officers, business and community members, to develop an effective emergency and crises plan. The administrator provides leadership in developing and monitoring the school safety plan and also establishes procedures for emergency evacuation and crisis management at different stages of the plan. However, an effective leader develops a comprehensive prevention education plan, and regularly reviews the code of conduct manual for revisions and current laws.