State calamities prompt Marin wildfire preparation forum

March 04--After studying the deadly North Bay wildfires and Montecito mudslides, Marin County fire Chief Jason Weber said being prepared for an emergency means educating and engaging the community.

"I mean it when I say we can't do this alone," said Weber, a member of the county's emergency preparedness committee. "We have to do this together."

To that end, the committee is hosting a community forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday to discuss what lessons Marin can learn from those devastating events. Weber also hopes to increase awareness of existing programs and emergency preparations and to solicit feedback from residents, he said.

The discussion is at the Marin County Board of Supervisors chamber in Suite 330 at the Marin County Civic Center at 3501 Civic Center Drive in San Rafael.

The "Wildfire Preparedness Community Conversation" will focus on topics such as vegetation management on public lands and open space, evacuation procedures, emergency notification systems, and resources to help residents prepare for any sort of disaster.

"This is the first opportunity for the Marin public to give direct input to this committee," said Supervisor Dennis Rodoni, who along with Supervisor Judy Arnold formed the committee.

"It's also to let the public know that we've been working on preparedness," Rodoni said. "Although we've been doing that for many years, we need to do better. There are always ways to do a better job, and that's what this is about."

The North Bay fires claimed more than 40 lives, destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and burned more than 100,000 acres, according to reports. Many Marin employees, including Mill Valley fire Chief Tom Welch, were among victims.

The county of Marin contributed to the relief effort by opening a temporary shelter at the Marin Center, and residents, nonprofits and other organizations donated and volunteered to the cause.

Recently, a state report severely criticized Sonoma County's response to the disaster, saying emergency officials were not prepared.

In Montecito, Santa Barbara County, 21 people were killed when torrential rain on burn-scarred land after the Thomas Fire caused a massive mudslide. Marin firefighters assisted in the fire suppression and the regional urban search-and-rescue team were deployed for rescue efforts.

Weber called these mass-scale disasters "uncharted territories" for most of this generation of Marin residents. He said with climate change and recent weather patterns that a year-round fire season is "the new normal."

Marin County Sheriff's Office personnel and county parks staff will also be on hand at the event.

Chris Reilly, the county emergency services manager, said he will be discussing law enforcement, response and the coordination of resource.

"The North Bay fires were very unusual, a once-in-a-lifetime event," he said. "But there are lessons learned about defensible space, and the responsibility of personal property owners, about evacuation, about alert and warning."

Weber said, "We will discuss what we do well, what could be done differently, and what the steps are we can take to get us there."

A committee of fire and law enforcement officials, insurance experts and government officials will collaborate on recommendations for the Board of Supervisors to consider.

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