Presentation for IAFC National Fire Service Mutual Aid System Task Force on the California Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System By CALCHIEFS President Mike Warren California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Kim Zagaris – State Fire and Rescue Chief

Two Primary California Agreements True Mutual Aid vs Assistance-by-hire Master Mutual Aid Agreement –Voluntary Mutual Aid –Obligatory Mutual Aid California Fire Assistance Agreement –Voluntary Mutual Aid period –Converts to Assistance by Hire

Self-Help Mutual Aid Self-Help Mutual Aid Basic Tenets of the Plan

Self-Help The Responsible Agency will reasonably exhaust local resources before requesting Mutual Aid. –This should not preclude requesting Mutual Aid early, when it is apparent the incident will likely exceed local resource capability.

Self-Help Fire and Rescue officials must preplan emergency operations to ensure efficient utilization of available resources. These preplans may include: Mutual Threat Zone Planning –Automatic Aid Agreements –Plans for utilization of other locally available resources, both public and private

Mutual Aid No community has resources sufficient to cope with any and all major emergencies for which potential exists. No party shall be required to unreasonably deplete its own resources in furnishing mutual aid.

Mutual Aid Enabling Legislation Tort Liability Discretionary Immunity Comfort to Locally Elected Officials Worker Comp No cost to participate Reimbursement under most circumstances

Mutual Aid The responsible local official in whose jurisdiction an incident has occurred shall remain in charge at such an incident. Agencies receiving mutual aid are responsible for logistical support to all mutual aid personnel and equipment received.

Plan Limitations Must be supplemented by more detailed plans at the local, operational area, and regional levels Truly fulfilling the incident’s resource requests requires ongoing commitment on the part of local agencies to adequately train and equip their personnel, and respond capable apparatus.

How the Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Works

Regions and Operational Areas 65 Operational Areas- Generally same as counties (exception: Los Angeles County & the Lake Tahoe Basin); Op Area Fire & Rescue Coordinator is elected by County Fire Chiefs Association for three- year term 6 Regions - Made up of 6 to 16 op areas; Region Fire & Rescue Coordinator is elected by the Op Area Coordinators for three-year term They are responsible for maintaining, updating, and activating the Region and Op Area Plan.

California Fire Resources Inventory System An annually-updated inventory of all fire and rescue personnel, apparatus and equipment in California Now also captures qualified Overhead personnel information

California Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Resources Equipment –Engines, Trucks, EMS Units, Haz Mat Units, US&R & Fire Boats, Swift Water Rescue Units, Air & Lighting Units, Portable Pumps, Bulldozers, Air Craft, Personnel –Incident Command Teams –Incident Overhead (ICS Qualified and Specialized)

California Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Resources 3556 Type I Engines 882 Type II Engines 1243 Type III Engines 306 Type IV Engines 5987 Total Engines California can mobilize 20% to 25% of there resources at anytime which is 200 – 250 Strike Teams/Task Forces

California Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Resources 314 Type I ALS Medical Non Transport 353 Type II BLS Medical Non Transport 464 Type I ALS Medical Transport 88 Type II BLS Medical Transport EMT I 791 EMT II 4898 Paramedics There are 2600 Ambulance in California both Public and Private; 27% of those are fire based

114 Type I Haz-Mat Teams 30 Type II Haz-Mat Teams 30 Teams are: Industrial Brigade (IB), Military Fire Dept (MFD), College Campus (CC), State Resource (SR), Federal Resource (FR) Haz-Mat Technician 1415 Haz-Mat Specialist California Fire & Rescue Mutual Aid System Resources

California State OES Resources 110 OES Engines 12 Water Tenders 6 OES Communication Units 10 OES Swift Water Caches 8 US&R Task Forces (Local/State/Federal)

California Fire Assistance Agreement Actual Cost Reimbursement or Minimum Base Rate 12-hour “Free” Period * Standard Staffing (ICS Typing) FEMA Equipment Rates

Interstate Civil Defense and Disaster Compact (Created in 1950) Sub-Agreement to provide interstate assistance between the California and five western states: –Arizona –California –Idaho –Nevada –Oregon –Washington

Emergency Management Assistance Compact (Created in 1992) EMAC is administered by the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) - AB-832 Chaptered September 13, Sunsets March 1, 2007

ICDDC No disaster required International agreements possible Tort liability under sending states laws EMAC Disaster declaration required No provision for international aid Tort liability under receiving states laws Some Differences between ICDDC and EMAC

California OES has Multi-Agency Coordination Experience Southern California Fire Siege - 739,597 acres burned homes destroyed - 24 Lives Lost including 1 Firefighter Local Govt. Engines Mobilized Northridge Earthquake - 57 killed; 9,158 injured - $20 billion damage LA Civil Unrest - 53 killed; 2,383 injured - $469 million damage East Bay Hills Fire - 25 Killed - Destroyed 3,000 dwellings

Incident Response Coordination OES Tasking State Agencies – California National Guard – MAFFS Program and Helicopters OES Tasking State Agencies – California National Guard – MAFFS Program and Helicopters

Incident Response Coordination Local Government Aviation Support Local Government Aviation Support

Old Topanaga Fire Strike Team of Engines Committed within 24 hours Incident Base Stagging Area

Oakland Hills Fire Strike Team of Engines Committed within 16 hours This is 36 Strike Teams for morning Shift

OES deployed engine strike teams and overhead to the following States - Arizona - Nevada - California - Oregon - Colorado - South Dakota - Idaho - Washington - New Mexico - Wyoming - Montana Out of State Responses for 2002

2003 Southern California Resources Mobilized Over 15,000 personnel 240 Engine Strike Teams & Task Forces 1,160 Local Government Fire Engines 306 CDF Fire Engines 102 OES Fire Engines 5 OES Water Tenders 190 Federal Fire Engines 120 Out of State Engines 50 engines from Arizona, Nevada and 20 from Oregon 43 Air Tankers 105 Helicopters

Questions? Thank You