City Manager's fire comment

CITY COUNCIL MEETING OF JULY 17, 2007

Date: July 12, 2007

TO: Honorable Mayor and Council

FROM: City Manager

SUBJECT: REPORT ON RECOMMENDED STEPS NEEDED TO BE TAKEN BY CITY GOVERNMENT IN RESPONSE TO ANGORA FIRE – Challenges and Opportunities

“Anything less than a conscious commitment to the important is an unconscious commitment to the unimportant.”

Management works in the system; Leadership works on the system.”
Stephen Covey

RECOMMENDATION:

Direct the City Manager to initiate those steps necessary and required, with the assistance of appropriate staff and counsel, to proceed with a work plan to achieve the objectives defined in the report below and to present same to the City Council for approval and inclusion in the City’s adopted Strategic Plan.


ISSUE AND DISCUSSION:

The Angora Fire and the emergency response to it was an experience few of us will forget for a long time. The fire illustrated on one hand our vulnerability as a community and Basin. On the other hand, the fire while reminding us of our vulnerability reminded us of important public safety issues that need to be addressed to reduce the hazard of fire in the future and to make our community and Basin more fire safe.

Fire Chief Gigliotti and I have collaborated on a review of the fire and the public safety and community improvements issues it raises. We believe that steps can and should be taken to aggressively address the threat of fire issues and are ones that complement and support actions already underway and supported by the City Council. Where appropriate, I have quoted Chief Gigliotti (“ “) within the body of the report.

The following is a list of issues that need to be addressed and steps taken to deal with identified public safety issues:

Amendment the Uniform Fire Code (UFC)

“The State of California recently completed their update of the fire hazard analysis. The fire hazard analysis map of El Dorado County shows the City of South Lake Tahoe consisting of approximately 80% very high hazard. On February 9th, after briefing the City Council, I issued a letter of concurrence with the States findings (Attached). By concurring with the States findings, we triggered Article 86 of the California Fire Code which contains safety standards for building in the Wild Land Urban Interface. While there is no requirement for the City to formally adopt Article 86, we can certainly do so by the first meeting in August.”

Amend the Uniform Building Code (UBC)

Fire Division Chief Zachau will be discussing amendments to the Building Code with the City’s Building Official Ron Ticknor. The exercise is intended to ensure that the UFC and UBC are consistent. Emphasis will be placed on the use of building materials that are not vulnerable to fire in new construction and major remodels.

Eliminate Dangerous Fuel Accumulation on City-Owned Properties

The Fire Department is currently engaging fire fuels management work through grants from Proposition 40. These grants, we have received two of them, are in the amount of $50,000. Fire staff enlisted the professional services of Steve Daus, a registered professional forester, to develop the needed prescriptions and obtain the appropriate waivers needed for us to proceed to the next step which is to request proposals for services from a hand crew to perform the work. City Purchasing released an RFP approximately three weeks ago and did not receive any bids. It is likely that the Angora Fire played a role in the lack of response. I anticipate receiving bids from Lake Valley, Tahoe Douglas, North Lake Tahoe (Incline) and possibly, North Tahoe.

In the upcoming 07/08 budget request, the Fire Department is asking for an additional $50,000 in General Fund support of the fuels treatment program, and I am recommending it be funded. This amount is over and above the Proposition 40 funding we have received and will receive.

Use Efficient Mechanized Equipment to Remove Fire Fuel More Rapidly

Fire officials face limitations in the work they can perform or can have performed in fuels management when working in or around lands deemed stream environment zones within the City limits. Lahontan Water Quality Board limits the use of mechanized equipment within these areas in favor of hand crew work with restoration and monitoring. When Fire staff engages work in and around the SEZ, they are required to obtain a timber harvest waiver from the Board. While there is no fee for the waiver, fire officials believe this may change should any significant funding come into the basin to fund fuels work. A hand crew typically consists of 10-25 people who remove fuels by hand and either chip on site or hand carry the debris off site and chip at another location. While the work is effective, it is more costly than using machines with a limited 3-4 person crew and it takes more time.

Lahontan rules need to be amended, repealed or revised to allow for the use of mechanized equipment (Masticator) to more rapidly and efficiently reduce fire fuels in the City limits and within the California portion of the Tahoe Basin. As we learned from the Angora Fire, time is of the essence. The greatest threat to environmental quality comes from fire not the use of mechanized equipment like the masticator to remove forest fuels.

Require Reduction of fuels on all publicly-owned properties within the City limits

Public agencies own a vast amount of land located within the incorporated limits of the South Lake Tahoe. A recently completed map of publicly owned properties was completed on 4-01-07 and is available for review. Publicly-owned lands range in size from individual parcels located in residential neighborhoods to large parcels.

The City’s adopted Municipal Code needs to be amended on an urgency basis to include specific provisions that require all public entities owning property within the City limits to make their properties fire safe and hazard free in conformance with standards set forth by the Fire Department for private lands. Public agencies must be held accountable for the safety of their land and the protection of the community as we hold owners of private property.

In addition, owners of private property must be allowed to remove fire hazards located on their properties in the most efficient and expeditious manner possible. Steps have already been initiated to allow Fire prevention officials to issue permits for hazardous tree removal on private properties.

Take Appropriate Steps to See Improvements Made to Fire Flow Capacity in the Lukins Water System

The Lukins Water System must be improved to provide adequate water supply for fire protection. Beginning in late 2005 (November), City officials began expressing concerns with the condition of the existing Lukins Water system to serve domestic and fire flow needs of its customers. The Angora Fire demonstrated that present system must be updated to meet both domestic and fire flow needs. Had the Angora Fire “jumped” into the Lukins area served by this private water company, the ability of fire agencies to respond effectively would have been limited and compromised and the safety of residents and the environment severely threatened. The present condition of the system should no longer be tolerated or accepted.

Currently Lukins is on notice that their system is below standard according to the Fire Chief. “…This has been reinforced by enforcing the fire code and requiring development to provide alternate means to required protection which has produced development agreements between Lukins and the South Tahoe Public Utility District to provide water to various projects within the Lukins service area (Forest Hills Acres). The Lukins service area currently maintains an ISO rating of 9/10 which is the worst insurance rating that an agency can achieve. A Majority of the City of South Lake Tahoe enjoys an ISO rating of 5. The area within the Lukins service area that is rated a 9 is limited to those areas within 500 feet of a fire hydrant. Additionally, the average fire flow available from the Lukins Water System is approximately 300 gallons per minute which is far below the fire code minimum of 1000 gallons per minute for residential construction and 1500 and above for commercial construction.

Ways to correct the Lukins Water System include funding improvements through redevelopment. This would require the system to be publicly owned. Another way to improve the system would be to increase user fees to pay for bonds issued to improve the system. This option places the burden on the rate payer which is not in line with the intent of the Council. Yet another option would be to place major system improvements on development as it occurs. This option, I believe, would require the system to be publicly owned as I believe the ability of the private company to levy development related fees to be limited at best.” All of these solutions in their various forms would involve public financing for a publicly-owned water system.

Estimates to upgrade the system based on a report commissioned by STPUD is in excess of $18 million. There are no known sources of grant funds to update a private water system that does not meet fire flow. City staff examined the issue with various State and Federal grant sources. City staff has again asked State OES for assistance in locating grants to improve the system.

Upgrades to the system must be made. The City Manager should be authorized to communicate directly with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to determine ways they can assist in bringing the system into compliance. CPUC governs the operation of private water systems in the State of California. Staff should continue to pursue Federal and State options for system upgrade and see that program is then established for a capital replacement program for any new system installed.

Encourage and Support Creation of Fire Safe Council Chapters with the City limits

Keeping the City safe from fire takes rules that can and are enforced, funding, and education and support from the public.

The Fire Chief reports that in order to further this initiative, “(Division Chief (and Fire Marshal) Zachau is working on forming several fire safe councils within the City. The first will most likely be a fire safe council chapter in the Gardner Mountain subdivision. We foresee chapters in Gardner Mountain, Tahoe Valley, Barton, Tahoe Isle Park, Tahoe Keys, Al Tahoe, Sierra Tract, Bijou, Heavenly Valley and Stateline. Chief Zachau is in the beginning stages of preparing this venture, so we cannot provide a timeline at this point, however, as things develop with this project, we will keep you apprised of our progress.”

Advocate extension of the current building season

Building and earth work should not occur when weather conditions could create unwanted water runoff into streams and the Lake. Building should be allowed when weather conditions allow for it to occur. The present building season is May 1 through October 15th. People who need to rebuild their homes destroyed by fire should be allowed to undertake foundation work and site work as long as weather permits. To do otherwise, could delay victims of the fire of getting back into their homes for one year.

Advocate a rapid reforestation of burned forest areas

Advocate and support efforts of the U.S. Forest Service to develop and implement a reforestation plan for forest service properties damaged and destroyed during the Angora Fire.


FINANCIAL AND/OR POLICY CONSIDERATION:

Estimated costs to undertake activities outlined above are contained to the extent they are available in the body of the report.

David Jinkens


Note: In addition to policy initiatives outlined above, the Fire Chief has provided below a list of equipment needs that can and should be discussed during the budget process.

Equipment needs

Radios – “We discussed needed equipment, we found from our experience with the Angora Fire that we need to purchase at least 10 programmable radios (Bendix King) which cost approximately $1200 each. You mentioned that Councilmember Crawford suggested using the promotion funds for fuels work and equipment needs we may have. If this is available, I would hope to see $75,000 of the $101,000 go to fuels work and would like to use $25,000 to purchase some equipment needed ($12,000 for radios) to prepare us for future events.”

Wild Land Fire Engine – “In the 2007/2008 budget request we have proposed the purchase of a Type III Wild land Fire engine. This piece of equipment I feel is needed to help us fight these types of fires. While we maintain Type VI patrol vehicles, they only carry 200 gallons of water and have very limited firefighting capability. The Type III can go off road, carries 500 gallons of water and can pump while the vehicle is in motion allowing us to mobile pump rapidly moving fires. Our fleet of structural engines can only really support wild land operations from a paved roadway and once the pump is engaged, cannot move. We have applied for grant funds to purchase the Wild Land Fire Engine, however, if grant funding does not materialize, alternative means to fund the purchase of this vehicle will be needed.”