Fire fees under California state budget

[tcaarabians]

Ok,,, I'm sort of in the dark here with the quote attributed to George Runner. I mean,, read it for yourself and let me know if I missed something.

That said.. if it helps maintain our firefighters I will pay $150 for that.. but I will be darned if I will pay another $150 for the old mobile home that is now a chicken coop.

And, there is something off in this release about the counties.. but, oh well.. I guess it will be in alpha order according to this.. so it is time to change our name to "Zanbernardino." cheryl o7o

[Bob C]

[lynnc]

Actually, I believe fire prevention is just as important as fire suppression.  Maybe even more!

[kew]

K9luvr ~ Any opinions?

[SkierBob]

Actually, I believe fire prevention is just as important as fire suppression.  Maybe even more!

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. 

 My place is 100% defensible, my neighbors place will burn to the ground unless he has an engine and crew in his driveway.  He should pay more!

[Tall Trees]

What type of fire prevention does Calfire actually perform in Wrightwood or the surrounding communities?  I never see any Calfire up here performing any sort of fire prevention.  Please define "Fire Prevention" and what we are being forced to pay for.  We live in the Angeles National Forest which is FRA responsibility and I think it is unfair that we have to pay Calfire for a service that they do not perform in our community.  Is Calfire going to help clear the vegetation around my house or put up Smokey the Bear signs and conduct school programs to teach children not to play with matches?  What do we get for paying a fee to prevent fires in Wrightwood from Calfire?  Please let me know if you have an answer.

[Elk]

After reading an article about Runners position on this fire fee issue, I noticed this comment following the article.

Sherrie D.
"I live in a rural area where there the roads are not maintained, no street lights and a 2-4 hr response to 911 calls even though the sherrif station is a 15 minute drive away. Why should I pay an aditional $150 for a fire truck to arrive after my house has burned down?"

This is pretty much how I feel, living in Pinon Hills. Where I live, I only see SB County Fire respond to 911 calls and they seem to do a pretty good job of responding quickly if not on another call.

I think this is why people call it a money grab. What are we really paying for?

[Nolena]

It's a rip off way for the state to squeeze money out of us. End of story.
I haven't got a good thing to say abot it.
But don't blame the CalFire personnel. It wasn't their decision. They're just firefighters trying to do their jobs, like all firefighters.
And the firefighters will be here to protect us when needed. It's what they do.
Politicians don't seem to mind sucking hard working employees into their little, biased, political worlds.

[Tall Trees]

Well said Nolena.  It is to bad that the politicians have to bring Calfire into this unlawful fee.

[K9luvr]

I think that prevention is greatly needed.  I do not think that the "old model" of Smokey programs and such do much good now days.  I think things like the WW FSC wildfire awareness day and free green waste days and cost shares to treat homes etc. do make a difference, especially at a neighborhood or community level.  And I agree--don't blame the worker bees on the ground for policies made at much higher pay grades than what they are at--or those that are at the whim of politics.  I dread election years because good common sense goes out the window and blowhard rhetoric whipsaws agencies in the resulting hot air winds....  If the prevention dollars collected went into a 50/50 or 70/30 cost share to treat properties or entire communities in the high risk areas--I think the funds might be worth it.  If they are piddled away on other stuff, not so much. 

[Nolena]

Unfortunately, given past state history, I believe that the latter may happen.

[ForestGal]

I'm certainly no expert, but when we see the Fenner crews up here, aren't they somehow connected to CalFire?  They do a lot of brush clearance along the highway, and up near Grassy Hollow. 

[K9luvr]

Cal Fire sponsors the crews.  Under their Granger Thye special use permit to occupy Camp Fenner (it used to be a federal job corps center back in the 1960's) they have to provide free labor to the Angeles National Forest.  The other work that is outside of the forest property--I don't know where that funding comes from.  They are a state prison so a lot of their funding comes thru the state prison system.

And Nolena--methinks you be right....

[kawasaki_girl]

What if you have property but no home on it?? is there still a fee?

[Wrightwood]

No.. It's for property with habitable structures located within State Responsibility Areas (SRA)

[kew]

property with habitable structures

Does this apply to mobile homes that are "Licensed" by DMV. They don't show up as property taxable items.

[SkierBob]

My friend in Bishop lives in a trailer park on the outside of town and every trailer in the park has to pay the fee. 

I'm not sure about travel trailers,, they're not really structures.. good question. 

[kew]

My friend in Bishop lives in a trailer park on the outside of town and every trailer in the park has to pay the fee. 

I'm not sure about travel trailers,, they're not really structures.. good question.

It might be those mobiles were built after '83. Those built before then are considered vehicle trailers under the law,  and are licensed by DMV the same way travel trailers and 5th wheels are.

I'm not arguing, just curious how they're being handled.

[thehallmarks]

[Wrightwood]