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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFD Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan PPTSan Rafael Wildfire Prevention and Protection Action Plan San Rafael City Council Meeting January 22nd, 2019 1. Be informed & engaged 2. Have & practice a plan 3. Gather & organize supplies 3 steps to Preparedness One Part of San Rafael’s All-Hazard Planning Current Wildfire Prevention Efforts •Mitigation: Fuel reduction and community chipper days •Enforcement: Vegetation inspections, Open Space Police Ranger Patrols, and parking enforcement •Outreach: Firewise, community events, training •Planning: Marin County CWPP-Community Wildfire Prevention Plan •Prepositioning: In coordination with Marin and Cal OES additional resources are prepositioned on high risk fire days Home Ignition Zones Wildfire Safety Action Plan •Immediate Ordinance Changes •Immediate Programs and Projects •Planned Ordinance Changes •Planned Programs and Projects Summary of Objectives •Ordinance changes to mitigate wildfire risk •Additional staffing, funds and resources to address hazards •Expanded and new outreach and education •Expanded and new fuel reduction •Expanded and new preparedness efforts •Improving and increasing Vegetation Management Plans (VMPs) Methodology Action This section includes a description of the proposed action. What this means This section should explain in more detail what this action would mean to those impacted by it. Rationale This section includes a discussion of why we recommend this, including the scale of impact we believe it will have. Concerns This section includes a discussion of political, legal, or cost feasibility concerns that we’ve identified. List any trade-offs, such as the dedication of existing staffing resources away from other projects to do this work. Costs This section includes estimated one-time and on-going costs to the City, as well as any costs the community may incur. The standards for evaluation are listed below. Stakeholders This section includes a list of stakeholders. Timeline This section says if the action is underway and if not, why. For example, note here if the action requires further or extensive legal review, future City Council action, community outreach, program design work, etc. # Objective: Formed from public and City concerns $ Supported by current budget $$ Requires reprogramming of budget $$$ Requires additional funding @ Supported by current staff @@ Requires reallocation of staff time @@@ Requires additional funding Action Plan: Summary of Objectives Immediate Ordinance Changes: Items 1-6 •Eliminate highly flammable vegetation throughout San Rafael •Juniper, Bamboo, Acacia, and Italian Cypress •Require every property owner maintain defensible space •Establish “house out” ignition zone standards (4) •Clarify smoking is prohibited in open spaces all year long by eliminating a specific time frame associated with fire season (5) •Set 2029 (or resale) as the deadline to replace shake and wooden roofs with class A fire resistant material (6) #1 Eliminate highly flammable vegetation throughout San Rafael •2007 ordinance change prohibited Juniper and Bamboo in WUI •Ordinance will be updated to include Acacia and Italian Cypress •Ordinance will be updated to apply citywide •Mill Valley recently made the same change Ordinance Change The Dangers of Juniper #2 Apply vegetation management standards citywide #3 Adopt Public Resource Code 4290 and 4291 •The threat of wildfire extends beyond the WUI •A firesafe San Rafael requires citywide vegetation standards •PRC 4290 & 4291 establish guidelines for defensible space Roof Maintenance Defensible Space 4. HOUSE OUT IGNITION ZONE STANDARDS •Reduce likelihood of embers igniting homes by reducing fuels around structures through a selection of the following: A) Immediate area hardscape. Only short grass and succulents permitted B) No vegetation in contact with structure C) Hardwood trees limbed and maintained in a way the prevents a “fire bridge” D) No vegetation under or near windows, decks, and stairs E) Vines and Ivy shall be well-irrigated and free of dead debris F) No ground covering (mulch) shall have contact with combustible walls or plants •Exemption requests will complete a VMP #5 Apply fire mitigation codes 365 days a year •SRMC will be updated to clarify fire code •Clarifies smoking is prohibited in open space all year Ordinance Change #6 Eliminate fire hazard associated with shake and wooden roofs •Ordinance update will require all shake or wooden roofs be replace by January 1, 2029 or at the time of resale •All new construction will have fire safe roofing •Non-combustible roofs greatly increase the likelihood of a structure surviving a wildfire Ordinance Change #7 Increase funding and resources available for wildfire mitigation •Seek out new funding avenues, partnerships and revenue opportunities to mitigate wildfire risk •CAL FIRE Fire Prevention Grant ~$993,000 requested. Awards in April, funds available in September. •Submitting a project proposal to receive a National Civilian Conservation Corps (AmeriCorps NCCC) in summer of 2019. Focus on fuel reduction. •Hazard Mitigation Grants due April 2019 •Exploring partnerships with the Downtown Street Team Ongoing Project #8 Immediately seize ignition sources at encampments and remove encampments as quickly as possible •Continue immediate removal of flammable items and ignition sources •Continue collaborative Homeless Emergency Action Team (HEAT) efforts •Considerations include item storage Ongoing Project Staffing Requests •#9 –Additional full time Vegetation Management staff •Currently 1 full time fixed term and 1 part time •Increase inspections and enforcement •Coordinate strategic fuel management on public land •Coordinate Community Chipper Days •Increase public outreach and education •#10-Increase Police Ranger Staffing •Currently 2 part time Police Rangers •Increased staffing would allow for year round patrols and earlier detection of encampments #11 Improve public education regarding fire- safe landscaping and planning for wildfire •Increased outreach and education efforts •Increase public education of wildfire prevention and defensible space •Increase outreach and education around evacuation and areas of refuge, including for people with Access and Functional Needs (AFN) •Note: AFN includes mobility, language, age, medical needs, and many other considerations that may require someone to need additional support before, during or after an incident •Incorporate lessons learned from past disasters into outreach and education #12 Increase capability for early fire warnings and detection •Install wildfire detection cameras on San Rafael Hill and San Pedro Ridge •Cameras can be monitored by San Rafael Fire and County resources •Coordinate efforts with PG&E to install additional micro- weather stations Expanded Program #13 Improve public emergency alerting capabilities and policies •Currently SRPD uses opt-in Nixle for alerts and Marin County uses AlertMarin (Everbridge) for opt-in and other alerts •Upgrading SRPD’s Nixle will allow San Rafael to increase messaging •Review and update of policies to coordinate County and City alerts and notifications •Explore additional alerting methods Improved Alerting •Alerts •Rumors •CERT, etc. Nixle: Text zip code to 888-777 (SRPD) Alert Marin: alertmarin.org (SRFD & Marin County) PG&E Alerts: PGE.com/wildfiresafety Sign up for all areas you live, work, & play #14 Analysis of fire roads and strategic fuel breaks •Fire roads provide access and serve as fuel breaks •Improvements to the width and surface of fire roads #15 Expand goat grazing for vegetation maintenance •Goats help manage reoccurring fuels, such as grasses and Broom •After fuel breaks are established goats are effective means to maintain •Removing invasive species allows native plants to thrive #16 Assure that residents can evacuate through garage doors if power is out •Ability to open garage impacts the ability to evacuate •Senate Bill 969 (effective 7/1/19) requires new and replacement automatic garage doors have backup battery •Consider retrofit requirement and public education •Specific concern for AFN Vegetation Management Plans •Provides templates for property owners to develop Fire Resistant Landscaping •Planned ordinance changes will require more VMPs are created and submitted •VMPs will streamline enforcement and serve as reference documents VMP Related Objectives •#17 Improve development and implementation of VMPs •#26 –Explore and determine opportunities to increase the number of completed VMPs •#27 –Incorporate VMPs into resale and transfers #18 Assure that appropriate staff can send and receive emergency alerts •Additional training and testing •Review and consider expansion of staff with access •Database management and inter-agency coordination #19 Reduce fuels along roadways •Fuels along evacuation routes can make escape dangerous or impossible •Establish policy to clarify enforcement of vegetation along roadways •Review SRMC to determine if ordinance changes are needed •Replacing highly flammable plants with hardwoods #20 Reduce fuel around critical infrastructure •Reduce ignitions and protect infrastructure •Partnership with Utilities and property owners •Clarification and education regarding property owner responsibility #21 Assure City staff can communicate during an emergency •Avoid communication breakdowns during high use times •Review current and enroll additional staff into priority communication tools •Wireless Priority Service (WPS) and Government Emergency Telecommunications Service (GETS) •Free services #22 Establish more Firewise communities in San Rafael •Firewise is an NFPA program that “teaches people how to adopt to living with wildfire and encourages neighbors to work together and take action now to prevent losses” •Two new communities recognized in 2019 •Outreach and support of neighborhoods going through program #23 Review and Update WUI map •Identify and correct discrepancies between City and County map •Simplify boundaries •Currently about 45% of San Rafael parcels fall within City WUI •WUI updates may add 2,600 homes to WUI #24 Apply CA Fire Code 7A to additional structures •CA Fire Code 7A establishes fire resistant building material requirements •Currently 7A only applies to new construction and substantial (50%) remodels within the WUI •Consider 7A compliance on citywide new construction •Consider additional thresholds requiring 7A Wildfire Resistant Design #25 Establish a residential hillside “parking box” program •Implement new parking box program on narrow roadways •Replaces “six feet from center” in designated areas •Assures responder access with at least 10 feet of clear roadway •Improve ability to enforce •Increased enforcement on Red Flag Days #28 Prevent potential entrapment by requiring two gates •Requirement for new and replacement fences to have 2 gates in opposing directions •Education around benefit of additional gates for evacuation # 29 Reduce fire risk and keep visitors using short-term rentals safe •Visitors in the area may not be as familiar with wildfire safety or be signed up for local emergency alerts •Short-term rentals have fewer regulations than traditional lodging •Educating visitors will help prevent ignitions and provide them the information they need for emergencies •Requiring a VMP on file will reduce potential ignitions and provide safety through defensible space #30 Review and expand evacuation plans •Collaborative countywide evacuation plans exist •Additional details to be added to San Rafael •Attention to Access and Functional Needs •Increase public education of evacuation plans and best practices Collaboration and Coordination •Countywide Basis •Fire •Police •Office of Emergency Services •Evacuation Types •Structural Defense Tactical Actions •Structural Triage •Mutual Threat Zone Mapping Evacuation Planning #31 Develop comprehensive San Rafael hazardous vegetation study and mitigation measures •Parcel level mapping •Identify specific risk areas and develop mitigation strategies •Special attention paid to Eucalyptus grove locations, density and proximity to structures #32 Establish additional fuel interruption zones •Fuel interruption zones reduce ignitions and slow or stop wildfire spread •Remove hazardous fuels within 30-50 feet of public property bordering private GERSTLE PARK BEFORE AFTER #33 Engage CERT members in fire prevention •Develop program and training to engage CERT in prevention, outreach and education #35 Reengage volunteer “Broom Pull Days” •In Coordination with volunteer program, work to reestablish an ongoing volunteer program to pull invasive broom from public space #34 Reduce hazardous fuels through an abatement process •Abate private unimproved lots not maintaining defensible space •Inspect, notice, and hold public hearing for any property facing abatement •Fines and fuel removal cost billed to property owners via property tax bill or other means #36 Increase fire risk signage •Install new and improved fire risk signs at open space access points and along roads in high risk areas •Increase public awareness of fire risk and wildfire prevention #37 Effectively Coordinate the removal of vegetative debris •Develop a plan to address increased vegetative debris •Considerations to recycling and woody biomass process facility to reduce environmental impact •Public education for “fill your green bin”