City manager shares fire preparedness tips
Atascadero City Manager Rachelle Rickard.
By Atascadero City Manager Rachelle Rickard
–As evidenced by last year’s enormous and devastating wildland fires experienced in northern and southern California, and as we well know from own local history, we live in a beautiful but high fire hazard environment in which weather, fuel, topography and oftentimes the human factor all play significant roles. 2017 brought California its largest and most destructive wildland fires in its history. 2018 is predicted to continue with an unusually high, large fire potential, due in part to dry fuels and unfavorable weather conditions. Despite our lovely surroundings, SLO County has one of the worst fire environments in California.
It is extremely important for everyone to be ready for an actual fire emergency with an evacuation plan, which includes having at least two ways out of your neighborhood and designating a safe meeting place. Ensure everyone in your home is familiar with and practices the plan in advance. Assemble an emergency supply “Go Kit”, which includes important documents, identification and medications. If you have a Voice over IP (VoIP) or cellular telephone, be sure to self-register for Reverse 911 through the Sheriff’s Department. Don’t forget to have an evacuation plan for pets and livestock as well.
All of us can take action to help keep our families and fellow residents safe from devastating wildland fires by eliminating hazardous fire conditions from around our homes. Dry grass and shrubs are fuel for wildfire and removal needs to be completed early in the mornings, early in the season and then as needed throughout the year. Other protections include maintaining a minimum of 100 feet of “defensible space” around structures, which involves regular cleaning of roofs and gutters to remove debris; removal of all dead plants, grass, weeds, leaves and pine needles; and mowing grasses down to a maximum height of four inches. For other details on how to best ready your property for wildland fire, visit www.readyforwildfire.org/defensible-space, or call the Atascadero Department of Fire and Emergency Services at (805) 461-5070. Our fire staff is always very happy to provide information and guidance on how to better prepare your home.
The goal of the City’s Weed Abatement program is to eliminate vegetative growth which may constitute a hazard to the life and safety of our residents. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services conducts annual inspections to confirm that all properties within the City limits are cleared of dangerous vegetation. Notifications regarding weed abatement are mailed out in April; the deadline for owners to clear their own property is June 1st.
Abatement not accomplished by that date will be completed by the City’s contractor and the owner’s property tax bill will be assessed with the amount of the contractor’s actual cost, plus a 150-percent administrative fee. The fee is intended to help ensure compliance with the abatement program and has proven to be very successful.
If you would like more information about this or another government-related related topic, please contact me at rrickard@atascadero.org, or (805) 470-3400.
