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Please ask sheriff candidates about wildfire plans
- Ann Imse
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21 Oct 2022 15:49 #1
by Ann Imse
Please ask sheriff candidates about wildfire plans was created by Ann Imse
The sheriff is the chief wildfire officer in the county under Colorado law, so electing a candidate who will pay attention to wildfire is essential for us. It would be better for everyone if both candidates had serious plans for wildfire, so we would have action, no matter who wins.
Before Wednesday night’s wildfire event in Conifer, I sent emails to both sheriff candidates asking them both to bring a written plan for wildfire. I hoped that both would do so. I noted that no other threat in Jefferson County comes close to the possibility of losing 86 people, as in the Paradise fire in California, or 1300 homes, as in the Marshall fire in Boulder County.
Ed Brady sent an email about his good intentions on wildfire. No policy. He did not attend the meeting.
Regina Marinelli said that she could talk to me about her wildfire plan but didn’t have time to write it down before the meeting. Candidates were not allowed to speak during the meeting, only before and after. After the meeting, she told me she plans to give wildfire training to the deputies, which has not been done in a long time. She said she wants to be able to reverse lanes on US 285 for evacuation. She said she plans to conduct “table-top exercises” for evacuation. I encouraged her to go farther and do an actual practice evacuation with deputies and the public. I also encouraged her to publicize her wildfire plan.
Please, consider asking both candidates for a serious plan to prevent a catastrophic wildfire should they be elected. Conifer has their attention now, more than after the election.
Thank you.
Before Wednesday night’s wildfire event in Conifer, I sent emails to both sheriff candidates asking them both to bring a written plan for wildfire. I hoped that both would do so. I noted that no other threat in Jefferson County comes close to the possibility of losing 86 people, as in the Paradise fire in California, or 1300 homes, as in the Marshall fire in Boulder County.
Ed Brady sent an email about his good intentions on wildfire. No policy. He did not attend the meeting.
Regina Marinelli said that she could talk to me about her wildfire plan but didn’t have time to write it down before the meeting. Candidates were not allowed to speak during the meeting, only before and after. After the meeting, she told me she plans to give wildfire training to the deputies, which has not been done in a long time. She said she wants to be able to reverse lanes on US 285 for evacuation. She said she plans to conduct “table-top exercises” for evacuation. I encouraged her to go farther and do an actual practice evacuation with deputies and the public. I also encouraged her to publicize her wildfire plan.
Please, consider asking both candidates for a serious plan to prevent a catastrophic wildfire should they be elected. Conifer has their attention now, more than after the election.
Thank you.
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- homeagain
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- Mountain Legend
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21 Oct 2022 16:21 #2
by homeagain
Replied by homeagain on topic Please ask sheriff candidates about wildfire plans
GOOD on u for THE PROACTIVE STANCE.......BUT,if it is not in writing and legally recorded,it is all just words. There were alot of mistakes/miscommunication/screw ups and LACK of line of authority n the North Fork Fire....reverse 911 was hosed,notices NOT SENT or sent to wrong areas not involved....radio channels were incompatible,,so communication between agencies was next to impossible......I AM NOT SURE THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN CORRECTED,PLEASE DO CORRECT THIS POST IF I AM IN ERROR
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- ScienceChic
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- Mountain Champion
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26 Oct 2022 00:38 #3
by ScienceChic
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
Replied by ScienceChic on topic Please ask sheriff candidates about wildfire plans
The communication issues between agencies has been vastly improved since the Lower North Fork Fire, the fire departments and USFS work much more closely together now, area maps the fire departments used were improved (also a contributing factor in LNFF), and Jeffco switched from the emergency alert notification system it had been on to CodeRED, and then recently again to LookoutAlert, because each provided better functionalities (although no system can overcome people not signing up for the alerts, and the percentage of residents who have is woefully lacking).
Brady is endorsed by Shrader and while I like Sheriff Shrader, he has not been a good leader on wildfire preparedness for unincorporated Jeffco and I would not support someone whom he does. Regina Marinelli seems to have more concrete plans for JCSO to have a more active role in wildfire preparedness.
The Sheriff's Office used to have a wildfire team of deputies, that was quietly disbanded during Shrader's tenure. The biggest push the office has done on wildfire preparedness has been this past year's campaign, "Be Your Own Hero," which encourages residents to take responsibility for preparing and evacuating early. I 100% agree that each and every person is responsible for getting ready for the worst, but the agencies that are charged with leading that assistance should be doing more themselves in preparing. Why is it that Jeffco has never held an evacuation drill while far more understaffed and underfunded Park County has conducted multiple drills coordinated by/with Park County Dispatch, PCSO, South Park Ambulance, and the fire department of the district in which the drill occurs) over the past several years?
Also during his tenure, he switched the scanner communications to being encrypted so none of us, general public nor fire department personnel, can hear what the deputies are relaying to dispatch. I protested that decision publicly as I believe it makes us less safe. I understand and agree with the desire to protect deputies during active incidents, but I think there were other ways to solve that problem than denying the public access to vital, real-time information.
Finally, the sheriff, the chief wildfire officer, is the one who decides when we go into Fire Restrictions, but that decision is done without transparency as to the data upon which the decision is made. We have no clue if it's consistent or arbitrary, and the fire departments whom are directly affected have no say in the process, nor is there any desire by the sheriff to change this authority. I think that is deserving of a conversation on policy and decision making.
If you'd like to hear what the candidates had to say about their positions on wildfire, the Canyon Courier covered it here: www.canyoncourier.com/stories/wildfire-p...ff-candidates,400557 .
Brady is endorsed by Shrader and while I like Sheriff Shrader, he has not been a good leader on wildfire preparedness for unincorporated Jeffco and I would not support someone whom he does. Regina Marinelli seems to have more concrete plans for JCSO to have a more active role in wildfire preparedness.
The Sheriff's Office used to have a wildfire team of deputies, that was quietly disbanded during Shrader's tenure. The biggest push the office has done on wildfire preparedness has been this past year's campaign, "Be Your Own Hero," which encourages residents to take responsibility for preparing and evacuating early. I 100% agree that each and every person is responsible for getting ready for the worst, but the agencies that are charged with leading that assistance should be doing more themselves in preparing. Why is it that Jeffco has never held an evacuation drill while far more understaffed and underfunded Park County has conducted multiple drills coordinated by/with Park County Dispatch, PCSO, South Park Ambulance, and the fire department of the district in which the drill occurs) over the past several years?
Also during his tenure, he switched the scanner communications to being encrypted so none of us, general public nor fire department personnel, can hear what the deputies are relaying to dispatch. I protested that decision publicly as I believe it makes us less safe. I understand and agree with the desire to protect deputies during active incidents, but I think there were other ways to solve that problem than denying the public access to vital, real-time information.
Finally, the sheriff, the chief wildfire officer, is the one who decides when we go into Fire Restrictions, but that decision is done without transparency as to the data upon which the decision is made. We have no clue if it's consistent or arbitrary, and the fire departments whom are directly affected have no say in the process, nor is there any desire by the sheriff to change this authority. I think that is deserving of a conversation on policy and decision making.
If you'd like to hear what the candidates had to say about their positions on wildfire, the Canyon Courier covered it here: www.canyoncourier.com/stories/wildfire-p...ff-candidates,400557 .
"Now, more than ever, the illusions of division threaten our very existence. We all know the truth: more connects us than separates us. But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers. We must find a way to look after one another as if we were one single tribe.” -King T'Challa, Black Panther
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it. ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is. ~Winston Churchill
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- homeagain
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26 Oct 2022 05:52 - 26 Oct 2022 10:10 #4
by homeagain
Replied by homeagain on topic Please ask sheriff candidates about wildfire plans
THANK U for updated info.
Finally, the sheriff, the chief wildfire officer, is the one who decides when we go into Fire Restrictions, but that decision is done without transparency as to the data upon which the decision is made. We have no clue if it's consistent or arbitrary, and the fire departments whom are directly affected have no say in the process, nor is there any desire by the sheriff to change this authority. I think that is deserving of a conversation on policy and decision making.
While living in DCVR,I spent a lengthily period of time on the phone,trying to find a solid answer to this issue,Back in 2012,I spoke to USFS. (someone at a hi level of responsibility).......here is what I was told, IT IS ALL BASED ON TOURISM,MONEY. THEY R RELUCTANT TO CALL A SEVERE BAN, OR FOR THAT MATTER A BAN IN GENERAL. The popularity of the mountains and the tourists that come, EXPECTING a
quality outdoor experience is major factor,and all the agencies involved need to be in agreement because it is REVENUE that is affected. Since that time, much has happened....CLIMATE CHANGE and severe fire
conditions,so perhaps some of the factors have been revised. It STILL is a multi agency decision and THAT is where TRANSPARENCY then becomes an issue per USFS (ten years ago)
Kinda like when CDOT (Steve Harrelson) stated....285 is a priority WHEN THERE R ENOUGH FATALITIES...we have the same problem here (off topic abit) because 550 to Telluride is obscene and
has the same problems as 285.
Finally, the sheriff, the chief wildfire officer, is the one who decides when we go into Fire Restrictions, but that decision is done without transparency as to the data upon which the decision is made. We have no clue if it's consistent or arbitrary, and the fire departments whom are directly affected have no say in the process, nor is there any desire by the sheriff to change this authority. I think that is deserving of a conversation on policy and decision making.
While living in DCVR,I spent a lengthily period of time on the phone,trying to find a solid answer to this issue,Back in 2012,I spoke to USFS. (someone at a hi level of responsibility).......here is what I was told, IT IS ALL BASED ON TOURISM,MONEY. THEY R RELUCTANT TO CALL A SEVERE BAN, OR FOR THAT MATTER A BAN IN GENERAL. The popularity of the mountains and the tourists that come, EXPECTING a
quality outdoor experience is major factor,and all the agencies involved need to be in agreement because it is REVENUE that is affected. Since that time, much has happened....CLIMATE CHANGE and severe fire
conditions,so perhaps some of the factors have been revised. It STILL is a multi agency decision and THAT is where TRANSPARENCY then becomes an issue per USFS (ten years ago)
Kinda like when CDOT (Steve Harrelson) stated....285 is a priority WHEN THERE R ENOUGH FATALITIES...we have the same problem here (off topic abit) because 550 to Telluride is obscene and
has the same problems as 285.
Last edit: 26 Oct 2022 10:10 by homeagain. Reason: add
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