City unsuccessful in obtaining hazard reduction chipping grant
–The San Luis Obispo County Fire Safe Council notified the Atascadero Department of Fire and Emergency Services it was unsuccessful in obtaining grant funds to continue with the hazard reduction chipping program for 2016. 
Since 2008, the Fire Safe Council has successfully secured grant funds to reduce the amount of dead and dying fuels which can contribute to large fires. The Atascadero Department of Fire and Emergency Services, along with a number of fire departments within San Luis Obispo County, have used these funds to make their jurisdictions more fire resistive and created defensible space around structures in areas susceptible to high fire danger.
“It is the Atascadero Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ mission, through its hazard reduction program, to eliminate vegetative growth and refuse which may constitute a fire, life or safety hazard,” said Fire Chief Kurt Stone. “We are very disappointed to hear we will not be able to continue a program that has reduced over 3,400 tons of highly combustible vegetation over the life of the program within the City of Atascadero,” said Stone.
The chipping program not only reduced the accumulation of fire hazardous vegetation, it reduced air pollution created by backyard burning. The program also kept excessive green waste from entering the local landfill.
“The goal and success of the chipping program is to reduce the ladder fuels and highly combustible brush within the high fire severity zones of the city of Atascadero’s west side,” said Fire Captain Scott Hallett, who is also the chipping program coordinator and representative to the Fire Safe Council. “In conjunction with the city’s weed abatement program, the fire hazard reduction/chipping program has been vital to our fire mitigation plan goal of keeping any fire that starts small within our community,” said Hallett. The funding went to other projects in San Luis Obispo County, according to Hallett.
The Atascadero Department of Fire and Emergency Services encourages residents to continue to maintain defensible space around their properties by utilizing green waste recycling when possible. The department will be pursing alternative grants and other funding sources in the hope of continuing this valuable and much need program.
If you have questions or comments regarding this press release, please feel free to contact Bill White, Fire Captain/Public Information Officer at (805) 470-3336.
