NorCal FPO Meeting – September (24), 2004 

Kate Dargan (CDF/Napa County Fire Dept)

Chairs Present:

Kate Dargan

Tonya Hoover

Attendees:

Ethan Foote (CDF)

Bill Robertson (CDF/Napa Co Fire)

Deanna Fister (CoCo Fire) Jim Rust (CDF/San Mateo Co Fire)

Gini Krippner (Dep SFM,ret.) (and some others who I forgot to get the names of…sorry)

1. UWIBS Building Standards: Discussed the upcoming regulations and schedule for FLSAB and Building Standards Commission. Concern was expressed for some of the content of the regs, especially the allowance of redwood as a decking material, and the urgent need to continue development of WUI testing standards. The UWIBS regulations go to the FLSAB on October 8^th and the next UWIBS Work Group is scheduled for October 12^th at SFM in Sac. (Note: In checking the SFM website, the regs have changed and redwood decking is no longer listed as an acceptable deck material in the areas affected by the regs).
2. Defensible Space Inspector (WUI/DSI) Proposal: The co-chairs, Ethan Foote, Leslie Haberek, Rodney Slaughter, Jerry Davies (statewide insurance representative, and Madelyn Glickfeld (Planning expert) presented two different sessions on the need for firewise planning and the WUI/DSI proposal at the annual Cal Chiefs conference in Concord, September 21^st. Both presentations were well received and support for the DSI is moving along.

The next phase of work for the DSI package is to prepare the proposal for legislative language and gather additional consensus from stakeholders, and to continue development of the curriculum in draft form.

3. Damage Assessment – Ethan Foote led several Damage Assessment teams this summer and has placed a form for local use on the FPO’s website. He continues to try and work at streamlining the assessment process and collecting the data necessary for code changes. 
4. Legislative Update: SB 1369 (PRC 4291) passed and was signed. This changes the minimum defensible space in all SRA lands to 100 feet and requires that new construction be certified as meeting the building code.

AB 3065 passed and signed. This bill requires that all General Plans specifically address WUI issues and must be reviewed by the local fire departments in the affected area and that the Wildfire portion of the Safety Element be reviewed by the State Board of Forestry.  

5. Speaking Engagements/Conferences /Meetings
1. October 7^th - Co-chairs will be speaking to the statewide meeting of the USFS Fire Managers about the Defensible Space Inspector proposal.
2. October 20-21^st – Co-chair Dargan will lead a presentation and workshop at the annual California Chapter of the American Planning Association conference in Palm Springs. The workshop is titled "Learning to Burn: What Planners need to know about Wildfire".
3. October 26^th – Co-chairs meet with SFM Grijalva to discuss the DSI proposal and legislative approach.
4. November 3-5^th – Co-chairs are attending the national Firewise Conference in Denver, CO along with three planners from Napa County. They will be touring Boulder, CO Planning Dept and reviewing their WUI program and Fire Plan. Ethan Foote will be presenting a workshop of WUI building issues at this national conference.
5. November 12^th – Co-chairs will present one hour of WUI and Firewise Planning to the state meeting of Planning Commissioners in Pleasanton, CA.

Respectfully submitted,

Kate Dargan

Co-Chair