Blog note: this article references a grand jury report.
This past week, we all received a sober reminder of the direct impact wildfire can have on our lives and our safety. From the devastating Kincade fire up north, to last week’s Muir fire in West Marin, to the ongoing power shutoffs and smoke, we are all experiencing the reality that wildfire is a constant threat in California. This is especially true for communities like Marin, with lush vegetation and development intermixed with areas of natural wildlands. While Marin’s local fire and emergency service agencies are prepared as first responders, there is no countywide coordinated program for proactive preparedness, prevention and education.
Over the past several months, Marin’s fire chiefs, city and town managers, and the County of Marin, have worked together to create the legal and conceptual framework for establishing a single coordinated joint powers authority called the Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority in order to implement a comprehensive wildfire prevention and emergency preparedness initiative with the following goals:
• Improving emergency alert and warning systems ensuring early, organized and safer evacuations
• Improving evacuation routes and infrastructure to enhance traffic flow and promote organized, safer evacuations
• Expanding coordinated efforts to reduce hazardous vegetation
• Expanding and enhancing defensible space and home-hardening evaluations while educating homeowners how to reduce the ignitability of their home and neighborhood from wildfires
• Providing grants and support to seniors, low-income homeowners and those with access and functional needs who may need assistance maintaining defensible space and making their homes fire resistant
• Creating and sustaining a coordinated and neighborhood wildfire public safety and preparedness program
Several reports published in recent years have highlighted the need for increased coordination on wildfire prevention and preparedness in Marin. The 2016 Marin County “Community Wildfire Protection Plan,” and 2018 “Lessons Learned — North Bay Fire Siege” report, and this year’s “Marin Civil Grand Jury Report Wildfire Preparedness: A New Approach,” all emphasize the importance of a countywide, multi-agency approach to better prepare and protect our residents.
Since July, fire chiefs have conducted over 50 public informational meetings in communities throughout Marin to collect community input on the proposed coordinated wildfire prevention and preparedness initiative. Seventeen public agencies responsible for fire services, who have taxing authority in Marin, have joined the MWPA and supported placing a countywide parcel tax on the March 2020 ballot to fund the identified wildfire preparedness, prevention and mitigation efforts.
The proposed funding measure — to be considered by Marin voters in March of 2020 — would levy up to 10 cents per building square foot and provide approximately $20 million annually for 10 years in dedicated, locally controlled funding to be used only for wildfire preparedness, prevention and mitigation projects. All funds generated by the proposed measure would stay in Marin and could not be taken by the state. An independent citizens’ oversight committee and annual audits would ensure funds are used only for wildfire prevention, preparedness and mitigation efforts. Additionally, the new revenue source would help Marin qualify for state and federal grants that otherwise will go to other counties.
This coordinated effort, supported by over 85 elected officials and encompassing 98% of the land mass within Marin County and 96% of Marin’s population, has received broad support from the community. The Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers, Marin Conservation League, FireSafe Marin, Firewise Neighborhood Groups and Citizens for Wildfire Preparedness have all stepped forward in support of this coordinated program for proactive preparedness, prevention and education.
Marin has been fortunate to avoid any recent, large and damaging wildfires. The time to act is now. Local fire agencies and communities must come together and implement wildfire prevention and preparedness through improved planning for organized evacuations, maintaining defensible space, reducing combustible vegetation and making homes fire resistant. Individual homes and properties are more fire resilient when preparedness is approached at the community scale. A collective effort by all citizens and property owners is necessary to build a resilient community and reduce the threat of wildfire to life, property, and our local infrastructure.
October 31, 2019
Marin Independent Journal
By Bill Tyler (president of the Marin County Fire Chiefs Association and fire chief of the Novato Fire Protection District) and Jason Weber (fire chief of the Marin County Fire Department)
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