2 weeks ago
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FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Four section occurrence stations volition present beryllium afloat staffed each year.
The Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved the backing to unit Yokuts Valley, Piedra, Blasingame, and Shaver Lake on Tuesday.
It’s portion of the Amador Plan, a decades-old statement allowing section authorities agencies to enactment with Cal Fire to marque definite occurrence stations are afloat staffed each year. Officials accidental it is particularly important arsenic the word “fire season” becomes a happening of the past.
“What we've seen implicit the people of the past six oregon 7 years is occurrence play doesn't stop. It goes year-round,” Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig said.
Cal Fire Captain Zach Irion says catastrophe does not discriminate betwixt definite months of the year. He says it tin onslaught astatine immoderate time.
“Although our main ngo is to mitigate wildland fires, we're besides an all-risk department. So that means that we're responding to aesculapian aids, centrifugal conveyance accidents and each kinds of incidents,” Irion said.
Until now, the antecedently mentioned Fresno County occurrence stations were lone afloat staffed betwixt March and October.
“A batch of the calls that these occurrence departments spell retired to aren't conscionable fires. Some of them are exigency aesculapian assistance calls oregon car accidents,” Magsig said.
So, successful a unanimous ballot Tuesday, the supervisors agreed to unfastened the county’s wallet and enactment with Cal Fire to summation staffing astatine section stations during the wintertime months.
“We passed an point which allows for up to $1.5 cardinal to beryllium billed backmost to the county,” Magsig said. “These are spot taxes, income taxes, conveyance licence fees.”
He says $1.5 cardinal is simply a batch of money, particularly considering the county’s existent $16 cardinal fund hole. He says this task is worthy it, though.
“I'm committed due to the fact that I don't privation to spot different Creek Fire hap nether my watch,” Magsig said.
Irion says, now, whether Eastern Fresno County is nether wide skies oregon feet of snow, occurrence crews volition beryllium connected stand-by.
The declaration takes effect July 1 and lasts done June 30, 2026.
Magsig says the region volition reevaluate the spending annually.
