VIDEO: On Tuesday, agencies from across San Diego County gathered in the late August heat to explain the importance of their partnerships. โWe all come together in the event of a fire to suppress the fire,โ said Cal Fire San Diego Unit Battalion Chief Sam Friedman. โSan Diego County really has set the precedent for agencies working together.”
The participating agencies were Cal Fire, San Diego Gas & Electric, San Diego Fire-Rescue, the U.S. Forest Service, and the San Diego County Sheriffโs Office. โWe help with evacuations when fires necessitate that and we also fly with Cal Fire on a daily basis,โ said San Diego County Sheriff Kelly Martinez. In the event of a wildfire, crews from Cal Fire and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office fly together on a shared helicopter. A sheriffโs deputy pilot sits on one side of the helicopter while a Cal Fire firefighter sits on the other side so they can monitor different radios, communicate with other aircraft and coordinate water drops.
These partnerships are especially important due to increased fire risk across the region. โThis year, itโs even worse than weโve seen in some other years because we did not have a lot of rain,โ said SDG&E Vice President of Wildfire and Climate Science, Brian DโAgostino. It was a dry January for San Diego County. Last year, the region only received about half as much rain as it normally does, according to D’Agostino. โSo we are primed for wildfires as we head into the fall,โ said DโAgostino. The fall is also when Santa Ana winds begin to pick up, which can turn a little spark into a large wildfire.
Agencies across San Diego County are ready to respond at a momentโs notice. โIt doesnโt matter whether weโre wearing a Cal Fire patch, U.S. Forest Service patch, San Diego City patch…we are all here to work together,โ said Chief Friedman.
