Federal Resources Assist Residents, Firefighters Responding to Southern California Wildfires

October 23, 2007, WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As fires continue to rage throughout communities in Southern California, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is swiftly mobilizing federal resources and assets in coordination with the state of California and other federal agencies. DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff and FEMA Administrator David Paulison traveled to the affected area today to meet with state officials and asses the federal response to the wildfires.

"Our priority is to support federal, state and local responders in critical life saving and life sustaining missions that protect people from the multiple wildfires," said Paulison. "We have many resources on the ground and are deploying additional assets to assist the thousands who are displaced from their homes as a result of the fires."

Many federal agencies in coordination with FEMA are aiding in the response to the Southern California wildfires. Among the key operational activities underway:

FEMA

* Under the Emergency Declaration signed by President Bush for California, FEMA is providing greater federal aid to supplement state and local response activities in the affected areas to save lives and protect property and public health and safety.
* FEMA approved seven requests for Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs). Under those grants, FEMA pays for 75 percent of the state's eligible fire-fighting costs. Some of those eligible costs include costs for equipment, supplies, and emergency work such as evacuations, shelters, and traffic control.
* FEMA's National Response Coordination Center (NRCC) and the Regional Response Coordination Center in Oakland, California are at 24 hour activation in support of the state. The centers are comprised of federal agencies including the Department of Defense, Department of the Interior, Department of Transportation, United States Forest Service, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Health and Human Services, and The Department of Homeland Security's Infrastructure Protection and other emergency support functions.
* A federal Emergency Response Team has been identified and is deploying to assist California as needed.
* FEMA opened a Joint Field Office in Pasadena on Monday, October 22, 2007 to coordinate federal, tribal, state and local response operations throughout Southern California.
* FEMA has a Distribution Center located in California at Moffett Field that stores commodities such as water, meals, cots and blankets that are being used to supply the response. FEMA has been working closely with our partners such as American Red Cross, Defense Logistics Agency, General Services Administration, US Army Corps of Engineers and others to identify available commodities in the local area and nationally. We have begun to utilize the national logistics supply chain to properly meet the needs that have been identified, and to preplan for any possible issues relating to sustainable commodities that may arise in the near future.
* FEMA has sent a liaison to the State Emergency Operations Center in Sacramento to work with the state's response and recovery staff to compile information on the fires and ensure that any request is expedited and the right resources are sent to the right places. A FEMA liaison is also coordinating response efforts with the California Wild Land Fire Services in Riverside County.

Other federal assets employed to assist California include the Department of Defense and the National Guard Bureau, the Department of Transportation, U.S. Fire Service, General Services Administration, Health and Human Services, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Some of the federal and nongovernmental assets active in the response include:

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

More than 500 American Red Cross workers have been hard at work since Sunday morning providing food, shelter, blankets and hygiene supplies, first aid and mental health support. More than 3,000 people from Southern California spent last night at 11 Red Cross shelters in safe areas outside of threatened neighborhoods.

In addition, the Red Cross is providing water and food to firefighters and emergency workers. Red Cross mental health counselors are also on site to help people manage their stress and concerns. The Red Cross continues to urge those who have or will evacuate to register themselves on the Red Cross Safe and Well Website. On this site, people can leave a status message for their loved ones, letting them know their general location and well-being. Access this site via www.redcross.org.
The Red Cross has deployed:

*25,000 cots
*50,000 blankets
*50,000 pre-packaged meals
*25,00 comfort kits (containing toiletry items)
*75 mobile feeding trucks and 2 Southern Baptist Kitchens
*1000 shelter workers
* 1000 workers to help with feeding, distribution of supplies, mental health and first aid support.

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) was the first Federal law enforcement agency to provide resources and assistance to the fire efforts in California. DEA has contributed tents, clothing, air conditioning units, meals ready to eat, cots, medical supplies, sleeping bags, firefighting equipment, generators and water to help the effort in San Diego County. DEA offices from the El Paso Field Division, Los Angeles, and Phoenix have all contributed agents and equipment. A mobile command center has been provided for assistance to local law enforcement and firefighters.

THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

The Department of Defense (DOD) has deployed Defense Coordinating Officers (DCO) and Defense Coordinating Elements to Pasadena, and to Boise, Idaho. A Command Assessment Element was deployed to San Diego to support emergency response efforts in Southern California. Each DCO will provide command and control of any responding active-duty forces, should they be requested, and will facilitate requests for any additional DOD support through US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM).

USNORTHCOM has also designated Air Forces North as the Joint Force Air Component Commander (JFACC) that will provide command and control coordinating authority over Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System equipped C-130 aircraft. The JFACC's intent is to rapidly and effectively support USNORTHCOM's efforts to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in order to mitigate the effects of wildland fires.

DOD personnel in the affected area include nearly 300,000 servicemen and women, government employees and their families. The DOD has additional capabilities as part of a larger federal response if requested by the state and approved by the Secretary of Defense.

THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR'S US DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

More than 2,000 members of the interagency wildland firefighting community mobilized through the National Interagency Coordination Center are engaged in a wide range of wildfire response efforts to several fires in Southern California. Requests for assistance through the National Interagency Fire Center began on October 21 and firefighters and incident management teams were mobilized from across the country. These professionals come from across the spectrum of federal, tribal, state and local wildland fire organizations.
Some of the assets deployed:

* One area command team (5 persons per team) to provide communication and coordination assistance for several fires,
* Four type one incident management teams (20 persons per team) to establish an effective firefighting organization and develop the tactics and strategies for containment,
* 31 crews which include 25 elite firefighter hot shot crews specially trained to handle difficult and extreme incidents,
* 90 fire engines with support from 22 strike teams (110 persons total for strike teams) to work directly on fire lines,
* 11 water tenders which support the fire and aviation activities,
* 11 heavy air tankers to support the ground firefighters in attacking sides of the fire,
* 14 medium and heavy helicopters to assist the ground firefighters with strategic pinpoint drops on identified areas of the fire, and six bulldozers to establish the line to halt further spread of the fire.

The DOI agencies include the Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs. The NIFC is working closely with state and other federal responders to coordinate the deployment of more firefighters and firefighting equipment to the affected areas.

US COAST GUARD

Crews from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento are currently delivering thousands of pounds of disaster response gear to the victims of the Southern California wildfires.

Crews began flying at 1 a.m. carrying more than 20,000 pounds of blankets and portable beds to the San Diego area in a joint mission with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Coast Guard crews will continue to fly these humanitarian missions until the wildfire threat has been resolved.

THE NATIONAL GUARD BUREAU

* The National Guard has deployed helicopters with crews to assist with fire suppression in Los Alamitos, and to Mather, CA, to coordinate ongoing response needs in coordination with California Office of Emergency Services. One Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) fueler has also been sent to Los Alamitos to conduct refueling operations.
* The National Guard is supporting firefighting efforts with a combination of 1 CH-47 and 5 UH-60 helicopters.
* The National Guard is also supporting state Command and Control and Interoperable Communications through deployment of personnel and equipment, and providing ongoing logistical support for the federal - state response. The Guard has also deployed personnel under Title 32 orders for security support at evacuation centers, and in support of law enforcement activities in San Diego. The National Guard is also assisting transportation needs by identifying and mobilizing available assets in support of the state.

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

HHS wants residents to be aware of health and safety hazards from wildfires. Smoke from wildfires is a mixture of gases and fine particles from burning trees and other plant materials. Smoke can hurt your eyes, irritate your respiratory system, and worsen chronic heart and lung diseases. HHS advises that people in the affected areas take precautions to and recommend the following actions to protect yourself:

* Limit exposure to smoke
* Pay attention to local air quality reports.
* If you are advised to stay indoors, keep indoor air as clean as possible. Keep windows and doors closed unless it is extremely hot outside. Run an air conditioner if you have one, but keep the fresh-air intake closed and the filter clean to prevent outdoor smoke from getting inside. If you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed, seek shelter elsewhere.
* Do not add to indoor pollution.
* When smoke levels are high, do not use anything that burns, such as candles, fireplaces, or gas stoves. Do not vacuum, because vacuuming stirs up particles already inside your home.
* Do not smoke, because smoking puts even more pollution into the air.
* Follow your doctor's advice about medicines and about your respiratory management plan if you have asthma or another lung disease, Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
* Do not rely on dust masks for protection. Paper "comfort" or "dust" masks commonly found at hardware stores are designed to trap large particles, such as sawdust. These masks will not protect your lungs from smoke. An "N95" mask, properly worn, will offer some protection. For more information about effective masks, see the Respirator Fact Sheet provided by CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Citizens in the affected area are urged to listen for messages from state and local emergency officials and be aware of evacuation and sheltering orders in their communities.

FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.

Source: FEMA

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