California Fire Chiefs Association, Fire Prevention Officers Section

Northern Division

Urban Wildland Interface Committee

January 28, 2005

Roseville Meeting

Committee Members Present:

DeAnna Fister – Contra Costa Fire District

Nancy Carver – CDF

Mark Johnson – El Dorado Fire

Dan Thomson – Contra Costa Fire District

Vern Canon – Nevada County Fire

Bill Robertson – CDF/Napa County

Mike Wilson – CDF/Napa County

Forrest Crain – Novato Fire District

Co-Chairs: Kate Dargan – CDF/Napa County

Tonya Hoover- Moraga-Orinda Fire District

Items of Discussion:

  1. The committee discussed the latest news on the UWI standards being proposed for the California Building Code, Chapter 7A. The core committee has continued to meet and the last development meeting is scheduled for February 11, 2005 at the SFM offices. After this meeting the NorCal FPOs will be posting the completed information on the fire prevention officers’ website for interested parties to see. We will also be providing the information to the NorCal Building Standards and Fire Code committees for their information. The expressed terms are expected to go to the Building Standards Commission at their May meeting.
  1. The committee discussed the upcoming FPO workshop and the WUI classes to be offered for three days. The concept for these classes is to walk someone through a fire prevention plan (from submittal to final approval). If you haven’t signed up for the workshop now is the time, rooms are going fast!

  2. Forrest Craig shared with the group his WUI code adoption process. If anyone is interested, please contact Forrest for insight.

  3. The committee will be collecting WUI information and websites to have placed on the FPO webpage within the WUI section. Information will include WUII codes and standards and websites that address the WUI. We thank Fort for making this happen.

  4. The committee is still moving forward with the firesafe inspectors’ curriculum and classes. Kate filled everyone in on the progress and that she is looking for key people to assist with the critic of the materials. There will be a pilot class in April at Napa County with limited space.

  5. The committee did a round table of issues and questions that are affecting the WUI. One question came up concerning EIR requirements for vegetation management and abatement ordinances (what law exempts this from the EIR process).

Meeting was adjourned for lunch. Any questions, please feel free to contact any committee member.

Special Note: The committee would like to thank Leslie Haberek for her commitment to the wildland interface proposed standards and would also like to recognize all the hard work that Ethan Foote and Kate Dargan have put into make sure this project moves forward!

Respectfully Submitted,

Tonya L. Hoover, Co-Chair, WU