"SUMMIT COUNTY —Scrambling to beef up the state’s response capability at the start of what could be a long, hot fire season, Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper said Monday he’ll ask the State Legislature to shake up the agencies charged with responding to public safety emergencies.
Based on the recommendations of a review panel, Hickenlooper said he’ll propose legislation that would put the Division of Emergency Management and wildfire resources at the Colorado State Forest Service under the authority of the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
“So often we see turf battles … we didn’t see that … pretty much everyone came to the table and said what is the best thing we can do for the state of Colorado,” Hickenlooper said at a press conference announcing the planned changes.
An initial review of the Lower North Fork Fire found no blame with state agencies, but questions about the management of the emergency response surfaced in the wake of the fire.
Referring to the potential for a dangerous wildfire season, Hickenlooper said the changes could take effect by early summer, with current structures in place until then, along with a “heightened sense of what kind of response we might need,” he said.
The first review board looked at the prescribed fire managed by the Colorado Forest Service that escaped and triggered the destructive Lower North Fork Fire. That review resulted in some specific recommendations for updating prescribed fire policies and management.
The second review team was charged with developing written recommendations to enhance and define accountability and responsibility for firefighting activities by the State of Colorado.
“We need one central point of accountability and responsibility when it comes to state actions in fighting wildfires in Colorado,” Hickenlooper said. “These suggested changes will enhance coordination among all state agencies involved in emergency situations and result in a single point of command when dispatching resources and personnel.”...." (Read more? Click title)
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