Fire Department and Local Government

Fire Department and Local Government

El Dorado Hills Fire Department:

Facing community challenges and providing critical services

El Dorado Hills Fire Department:

Facing community challenges and providing critical services

The El Dorado Hills Fire Department faces considerable challenges, as do all local government service organizations in the state of California. Budgetary constraints mean that essential services must be provided, yet constantly justified in terms of their necessity for financial reasons. However, the El Dorado Hills Fire Department has risen to the challenge, and continues to not only fight fires but also engage in proactive measures to prevent fires from taking place. Mobilizing the community as a whole has proven to be a critical part of reducing the threat of fires. Encouraging every person to do their utmost to prevent fires is both cost-effective and necessary.

The dry conditions of the El Dorado area are highly conducive to brushfires, thus the fire department must be continually on its guard. El Dorado lies within a Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) which means it is particularly at risk for fires that spread quickly from house to house. Burning is strictly controlled on all premises: residents must apply for a burn permit, and even these may be suspended if the area is deemed to be at particular risk for wildfires.

The risk of wildfires to human life is obvious: it can cause destruction to both life and property. However, wildfires can also cause great damage to the environment. "El Dorado County is situated almost entirely within Sierra Nevada mixed conifer forest, oak woodlands and heavy chaparral vegetation types. The county comprises 1,805 square miles with over half in National Forests and recreation areas" (About El Dorado, 2010, Fire Safety Council). Through its website, through publicity-raising marches, and educational sessions as well as policy enforcement, the Fire Department in conjunction with the Fire Safety Council seeks to unite the community to reduce the risk of brushfires in a multifaceted effort. It impresses upon all residents that it is their moral as well as their legal responsibility to the environment and to their neighbors to unite in this effort.

Since 2006, the El Dorado Hills Fire Safety Council and the El Dorado Hills Fire Department have begun to organize Community Clean-Up days to reduce residential fire hazards, "arranging green waste dumpsters and use of our Residential Chipping Program and assisting you and your neighbors in preparing for a wildfire disaster" (Yorty 2006). The Department strives to keep abreast of recent developments in fire safety to ensure that all existing laws support the most fuel-efficient home and yard construction possible. The Fire Department also strives to meet the new social challenges presented by the current economic environment. According to the June 15, 2010 minutes of the Board of Directors meeting, the Department decided to engage in a "weed abatement" campaign to weed and reduce fire hazards on abandoned properties facing foreclosure.