Opinion: AB 470 will make our communities safer from wildfires
An aircraft drops retardant over Clairemont Mesa West as crews battle a brush fire Photo courtesy of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department If we ve learned anything this year it s that the threat of wildfire has expanded beyond what has traditionally been thought of as fire season Wildfires can break out almost anywhere at any time Because of this new reality there is work to be done to improve the safety and connectivity of communities in the face of natural disasters especially as these events continue to grow in scale and size Strengthening the resiliency of our communities demands to be a priority for our policymakers This is why the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation is proud to backing Assemblymember Tina McKinnor s Assembly Bill which is as of now moving through the California State Legislature Over the last several months framework leaders and key stakeholders representing a variety of interests have held collaborative conversations to ensure AB represents the demands of diverse communities across the state including the residents safety locality The impact is sound program that represents a thoughtful forward-looking approach to modernizing California s communications setup The San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation s mission is to strengthen the capabilities of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department by providing enhanced equipment training device and vital society outreach and campaign tools In short we aren t the heroes but we buy them their capes We make sure our San Diego first responders are the the majority effective as they possibly can be in doing their jobs saving lives AB will provide the information and tools to do just that As a state prone to natural disasters and unpredictable weather events we must have modernized communications systems that ensure Californians have access to reliable information in real time We also need to ensure our populace safety public has the tools needed to locate people faster communicate clearly during emergencies and issue alerts and warnings among other critical information demands We need to be smart and plan for a future that demands faster better communications as wild weather evolves our communities grow and our connectivity demands and demands increase Our current system will not be able to handle the increasing year-round demands being put on the general safety infrastructure AB provides fundamental information that will strengthen our communications networks because it incentivizes stake in more resilient reliable technologies that will improve urgency response First responders know best that the evolving use of advanced communications technologies before during and after emergencies is extremely vital for situational awareness and decision-making in firefighting responding to floods landslides earthquakes school safety search and rescue response recovery operations and much more The reality is during an exigency mobile technologies are proven to be safer and more reliable than outdated alternatives Investments in modern connectivity that make these technologies workable will ensure that inhabitants safety agents can meet the population where they are through modern safe and reliable options That s why we need AB Multiple departments are already in the process of migrating their networks and implementing a inhabitants safety communications system that provides enhanced - - including video and text-to - - but this capability requires investments in updated and evolving technologies As AB continues to move through the Legislature we encourage policymakers and stakeholders to assistance this landmark rule that best serves the population safety interests while also protecting consumers preserving access to essential voice services and positioning our residents safety leaders and Californians for success Wendy Moore is executive director of the San Diego Fire-Rescue Foundation
