CALIFORNIA’S LARGEST FIRE FIGHTING AGENCY
MANAGEMENT
Seven thousand men and women are involved, but few citizens in the large cities know the work of the California Department of Forestry.
The California Department of Forestry (CDF) provides forestry and brush fire fighting and also other services to smaller cities, fire districts and counties as part of a cooperative program. The CDF also is involved in fire prevention and fire law enforcement activities in these areas.
In addition, the department is responsible for slate forests, tree nurseries and reforestation, forest practice regulation, forest insect and disease control, vegetation management and forest improvement programs, operation of conservation camps, fire and watershed research, and environmental protection.
The department is headed by Director David E. Pesonen and has its general policy made by the State Board of Forestry Directed from state headquarters in Sacramento are regional headquarters in Santa Rosa, Redding, Fresno, Monterey and Riverside. Under these regional headquarters are 23 CDF ranger units (ranger units frequently function inside county boundaries), 220 state-owned fire stations, 276 county/fire district-owned stations operated by CDF, seven helicopter attack crews, one training unit, 50 conservation camps from which members assist in fire fighting, eight forestry conservation centers, 75 lookout towers, a department training academy at lone in the Sierra foothills east of Stockton, and three nurseries.
Forestry fire apparatus
There are 352 state-owned fire engines, 548 county/fire district CDF operated engines, 63 bulldozers, 130 buses and camp crew vehicles and 550 other vehicles ranging from jeeps and pickup pumpers to dump trucks and loaders
The air operations function from 13 air tanker bases with 21 chartered air tankers and seven department-owned helicopters, plus others as needed.
Six counties (Kern, Los Angeles, Marin, Orange, Santa Barbara and Ventura) operate their own county fire departments which receive funds from the state through the CDF for the protection of “state interest” watershed lands. CDF operated the Orange County Fire Department (OCFD) until 1982, when that county became so urbanized (in the state’s evaluation) that the CDF withdrew its operations and the OCFD was established, using many state stations and equipment.
Pesonen forecast major problems for the CDF and other agencies because of the effects of Proposition 13 and the recession of the California budget.
“We are faced with problems in every area,” the director said. “We may have to trim allocations to counties, we have certain personnel freezes, we are deferring equipment and capital purchases, and some of our counties and districts are facing budget cuts which may force closure of stations or trimming of manpower
“We are pushing our equipment far beyond what it was designed to do,” he comments Some of our fire trucks have run more than 100,000 miles and are 12 years old “
The director points out that CDF maintains the only really mobile fire fighting force in California since it has units in virtually every county except San Francisco and those under contract.
Statewide communications
“We have a very sophisticated statewide radio system which allows our units to move throughout the state and still maintain communications with our headquarters and other fire fighting agencies,” he said.
Pesonen also notes that federal budget cuts have affected U.S. Forest Service fire fighting units throughout the state and, when bad fire weather occurs, he forecasts unprecedented demands on all forest and brush fire fighting personnel throughout California.
“We will do our best, but when the weather turns bad, the high winds occur, all of our resources will be stretched to their limits.”
Periodically these wildfires occur near urban areas. There have been major fires in recent years in San Bernardino, the foothills of Burbank, Glendale, Chatsworth, near the San Fernando Valley, as well as in the Malibu region of the Santa Monica Mountains, and in Orange and San Diego Counties.
An annual average from 1976-1980 as reported by CDF shows 13,225 wildfires with 335,000 acres burned
Helicopter use
Pesonen is proud of CDF’s new helicopter programs which have dual functions.
“We obtained 12 surplus VH-1F large helicopters from the Air Force. Seven will be in operation by the fall. These will be the first helicopters operated by CDF rather than leased.
“The Legislature agreed to allocate some Tideland oil-generated funds to rehabilitate these helicopters, which are currently being used in fire prevention forestry work under our ‘Helitorch’ program. During the fire season they will be used to carry personnel and can be fitted with a 300-gallon tank for water drops With the helitorch, they can be used for much more efficient backfiring operations
MANAGEMENT
The helitorch is a 200-gallon tank with an igniter attached. It is carried in a sling below the helicopters. The pilot activates the igniter using a remote control when he is over the area that has been carefully selected for prescribed burning This releases the thickened gasoline, which is ignited as it falls into the brush below The helitorch is effective and accurate. It is greatly aiding in vegetation and chaparral management in previously inaccessible areas.
Photos by Bruce Tuberville
Public information emphasis
In a major change earlier in 1982, Pesonen transferred Battalion Chief Bruce Turbeville to Sacramento in a new position as chief CDF information officer responsible for statewide public information and mass media programs. Turbeville, a veteran of nearly 18 years with CDF, was the Oange (County) Ranger Unit’s information officer For the past three years he was at the fire academy where he was primary instructor in hazardous materials
The director made the move to improve the CDF’s overall public information programs. Each region and ranger district has a fire prevention officer who also functions as a public information officer.
Turbeville notes that many times in rural or remote areas CDF fire fighters must deal with highway emergencies that involve hazardous materials. He said extensive training is given both during basic training and in-service on the latest techniques in combatting these problems on the state’s roads and highways.
Pesonen emphasized that although fire protection operations may be more visible to the public, the department’s forestry programs are vital to the state.
Resources must be saved
California is unique because of its geography,” he notes. “We have big trees in our mountains, including priceless redwoods, and also chaparral and grass. As civilization moves into the hills and mountains, the need for better resource management increases because we must protect these resources.”
The director also noted that CDF currently has a number of women fire fighters and two captains and that most are fully accepted by their male counterparts. (In contrast, neither Los Angeles City or County Fire Departments have any women fire fighters, although the city has many women paramedics.)
The director is proud of the CDF’s achievements, but is pessimistic about the future unless the budgetary problems are overcome by the Legislature.
