SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   ESHB 2624

         AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES,

                               FEBRUARY 27, 1992

Brief Description:  Mobilizing fire fighting resources.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Orr, Mitchell, Wood, Belcher, R. Meyers, Anderson, Prince, Chandler, Wineberry, Bray, Paris and R. King)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT & NATURAL RESOURCES

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

      Signed by Senators Metcalf, Chairman; Oke, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Barr, Conner, Owen, Snyder, Sumner, and Sutherland.

Staff:  Vic Moon (786‑7469)

Hearing Dates: February 27, 1992

BACKGROUND:

Responsibility for fire control is divided among local fire departments, the Fire Protection Services Division of the Department of Community Development, and the Division of Fire Control in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).  While there are some mutual aid agreements in place among local jurisdictions to provide for the sharing of resources, there is no statewide plan in place for the mobilization of firefighting resources on a larger scale.

SUMMARY:

For the purposes of this act, the state is divided into seven regions, and a regional fire defense board is created within each region.  Each regional board is to develop a regional fire service plan that includes provisions for organized fire agencies to respond to fires or other disasters across municipal, county, or regional boundaries.  Each regional plan is to be consistent with the incident command system, the state fire services mobilization plan, and other regional response plans already adopted and in use in the state.  Counties within the regions and DNR select the members of the regional fire defense boards; these members serve in a voluntary capacity and are not eligible for reimbursement from the state for meeting-related expenses.

A state Fire Defense Board is created, comprised of the state Fire Marshal, a representative from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and a representative from each of the regional fire defense boards.  The state board is to develop the Washington State fire services mobilization plan, which shall include the procedures to be used during fire emergencies for coordinating local, regional, and state fire jurisdiction resources.  The state board will also approve each regional fire service plan.  Members serving on the state board also do so in a voluntary capacity and are not eligible for reimbursement for meeting-related expenses.

The Director of the Department of Community Development is to review the state fire services mobilization plan, recommend any necessary changes, and then approve the fire services plan for inclusion in the state's comprehensive emergency management plan.  The director has the responsibility to mobilize jurisdictions under the state fire services mobilization plan.

The Department of Community Development in consultation with the Office of Financial Management is to develop procedures to facilitate reimbursement to jurisdictions from appropriate federal and state funds when the director mobilizes jurisdictions under the state fire services plan.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

TESTIMONY FOR:

A state fire plan will provide better service at less cost.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Otto Jensen, State Fire Chief; Stan Biles, Dept. of Natural Resources; Karl Denison, Forest Service