Senator Dave Min and Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) Chief Brian Fennessey held a press release regarding the state’s $16.95 million grant to enlarge Orange County’s hand crew program on Oct. 19.
Due to increasing amounts of fires, Station 18 of the Orange County Firefighters Association is projected to hire more hand crew firefighters, fund equipment and expand housing with the grant.
Station 18 is located in Trabuco Canyon, a high fire severity zone and with increased fire risk throughout the state, it is necessary to anticipate disaster with fire suppression and wildlife mitigation tactics.
Hand crew firefighters are on the front lines of wildfires, hiking beyond where fire hoses and four-wheelers can reach. Last year, crew members spent a total of 5,000 hours on fire prevention.
The size of hand crews in Orange County has doubled since 2021. Their equipment is scattered among different stations in the county and will remain this way until the expansion is complete.
“We’ve all heard it, seen it [and], felt it. We are now living in a year-round fire season with larger, faster-burning wildfires than we have ever seen,” Fennessy said in a comment to the Orange County Register.
The urgency to put the new program in place is felt beyond the OCFA. Senator Dave Min echoeds Fennessy’s concerns.
“As California wildfires grow stronger and more persistent, so does the urgency to act quickly and decisively to mitigate them,” Senator Dave Min said in a press release. “We have a responsibility to give firefighters the tools and resources they need to keep communities safe, while also addressing personnel shortages that put our first responders at risk.”
The expansion began as an OCFA pilot project and has evolved into a permanent program. After the gGovernor approved a 2022-2023 budget increase, it became apparent to Fennessy that they did not have the space to accommodate new personnel.
“Senator Min heard our concerns, advocated on our behalf and helped secure the state funds that will provide our expanding Hand Crew with the station and equipment to better protect our communities,” Fennessy said in a press release.
The OCFA Hand Crew Program started as a single, seasonal 20-member crew in 2010. Today, there are two crews: one 10-member seasonal crew and another year-round crew with 20 members. The members take turns on duty throughout the week and are responsible for all of Orange County.
The OCFA plans to build a state-of-the-art facility to accommodate the changes and required equipment, but the exact location for the new fire station remains undecided.
“I am proud that the $16.95 million secured in this year’s state budget will do both: hire more firefighters and provide for the expansion of a new, state of the art Hand Crew facility,” Min said. “Thank you to Chief Fennessy and the strong partnership with the OC Fire Authority to make this a reality for Orange County.”
Juliette Fesas is a City News Intern for the fall 2022 quarter. She can be reached at jfesas@uci.edu.