Wealthy Calif. homeowners get private fire crews

By Catherine Saillant and Jia-rui Chong
The Los Angeles Times

MONTECITO, Calif. — As Southern California deals with the reality of recurring, destructive wildfires, a sometimes-controversial cottage industry of private response teams has sprung up to help save the homes of well-to-do clients.

Such teams were highly visible in the Tea fire, which raged across one of the nation's costliest neighborhoods, destroying 210 homes and damaging nine others.

More at http://www.firerescue1.com/fire-news/439904-wealthy-calif-homeowner...

Is this fair? Why can't all citizens have this level of protection?

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Permalink Reply by Mark Montgomery on November 28, 2008 at 2:51am

Under current New Zealand rural fire laws we cannot order a Mandatory Evacuation. We, like you guys, have the pecuniary interest clause in the legislation.

Having said that if the situation gets bad enough a "State of Civil Defence Emergency" can be declared by the local Mayor or by the central Government and Mandatory Evacuations become just that Mandatory with both Police and the Military involved.

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Permalink Reply by Jenny Holderby on November 28, 2008 at 3:27am

Ahhh but in America, new developments are built usually between two existing towns/cities or near a town and after a few years they grow into a village or town that requires its own fire protection and/or law enforcement agencies and their own form of government. Fire departments spring up in these areas all the time. Fire departments range from strictly volunteer to paid on call to part paid to municiple paid departments.
Twenty or thirty years ago the area I live in was mostly hay fields, tobacco beds and apple orchards. Today, $300,000.00 (+) homes stand where barns were back then. In 1962, we didn't have a fire station @ all, the truck was stored in someones garage. One fire truck with a 250gpm pump and 10 to 15 fire fighters provided fire service in thetownship. Today the population has more than tripled in size. We have 2 stations, 2 engines, 2 tankers, a pumper/rescue, a first responder vehicle and a brush truck. There are 40+ fire fighters on our roster. Its a matter of
supply and demand, just like gas stations, banks & grocery stores. Oh yea, and red lights :)

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on November 28, 2008 at 3:47am

The timber industry brigades have been known to leave their own plantations, but totally under the CFA. A few of my old Brigade were with Hancocks for instance in the north east in 2003. They may not get far off their own land, and it's only at our invitation. But it can happen. Funny isn't it, they fall under the CFA, not the DSE?

As for the other private companies, I was under the impression those on some of the military bases came outside the fence to assist locals if there was a big structure fire? I could be mistaken of course.

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on November 28, 2008 at 3:54am

And they planted them on the banks of the Mediterranean too! Mad fools! Oh wait, the Med is a Sea isn't it? So I should have said 'shores'. Then again, with no tides it's more like a lake. Or a sewage pond...

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Permalink Reply by Tony P on November 28, 2008 at 4:08am

A couple of big differences here Jenny. In Victoria, there is nowhere that isn't part of a municipal area. I can't speak for the whole country, I simply don't know, but that's how it is in my State. The other one is that nobody can start a new fire brigade, whether they want it to be volunteer of career, without official sanction. And that sanction is from the Country Fire Authority - which is made up of all the existing volunteer fire brigades. (Some have career support) The reason for this being that once a Brigade is started, then the CFA is responsible for it's overall running - building maintenance, new building in years to come, replacement of vehicles. That's how the law is written.

Municipal government here is very different also from what you're used to. Things such as police, fire, ambulance, education are all a State matter, not local government. One of the biggest differences may well be to do with the supply and demand you mention. The supply of water controls the demand for housing in many areas of the state. We simply don't have the water available.