The following was provided by CALFIRE to provide direction in regard to the private resources that we are starting to see on wildfires. This is being shared to enable other departments to use this as a boiler plate document for their own communities as this year's fire season.

TCSS, CB

With the emergence of private resources providing services to clients of insurance
companies in the wildland urban interface, many questions have been brought
forward related to command and control, safety, and accountability within an
emergency incident environment. These issues are being discussed and
addressed in the fire service community throughout the country. While several
entities are providing guidelines, including IAFC and FIRESCOPE, I felt it was
necessary to provide direction to CAL FIRE employees and guidelines for contract
counties providing SRA protection.

Private resources (contractors) may be allowed to operate on an emergency
incident, within a restricted area, only if they are under contract (by order and
request number) to the agency having jurisdiction. Private fire brigades may also
be integrated within the incident if they have legal authority and jurisdiction to
operate, are fully qualified and have a working relationship with neighboring fire
agencies.

All other private resources should be restricted to non-emergency activities outside
of the evacuated or restricted area to ensure safety, command and control, and
minimize potential liability issues. Private resources may include utility
companies, contractors or laborers providing defensible space/ fire protection, etc.
These resources have a role before, during and after the emergency incident, but
only within areas deemed safe and with the expressed authorization of the Incident
Commander. If they are given evacuation orders, they must comply.
Private property owners have the legal right to protect their property if they are onsite
during the emergency incident, but are not allowed re-entry during said
incident when a mandatory evacuation order is in place.

Private Resource Guidelines

• The Incident Commander and law enforcement have complete authority and
legal right to control an emergency incident. Private resources are not first
responders and are completely subject to the directions and limits set forth
by public safety agency personnel. The private resource has no claim or
stake in unified command and will not have any role in incident command.

• Private resource vendors shall provide a representative that reports to the
Incident Commander or designee and can communicate with their
resources. Private resources are responsible to communicate their location
and movements through the private resource representative to the Incident
Commander or designee.

• Incident Commanders and line resources need to maintain situational
awareness regarding private resources and their compliance with
evacuation orders.

• A message should be included in the incident action plan and briefed at
operational briefings regarding known private resources activity on or near
the incident.

• Private resources shall refrain from using incident radio frequencies.

• Private resources should focus their activities on pre-fire activities and
pretreatment of values-at-risk prior to an evacuation order. Once an
evacuation is ordered, they must comply and leave the area and cannot
return until the area is reopened, or until they have received authorization to
re-enter. The Incident Commander or local law enforcement officials having
jurisdiction must authorize access to any community under
evacuation/restriction.

• Private fire protection resource contractors who are employed on an
incident (as a local, State or Federal resource) are not allowed to sub
contract with the insurance industry or freelance to local home owners while
mobilized on the incident.