Fire Safety
Our public safety net has been stretched to the breaking point. We must generate more funding for fire departments before it’s too late.
There is not enough funding to fight fires, let alone manage forests to prevent fires. It’s time for California to close the corporate loophole and protect ourselves from devastating wildfires.
Due to climate change, California wildfires are hotter, larger, and burn longer than ever before.
In 2020 wildfires burned over 4 million acres, more than doubling the previous record
Five of the six largest wildfires ever recorded in the state happened in 2020
By July 2021, over three times as many acres had burned compared to the previous year through that date.
Josh Edelson/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
For Firefighters, The Situation is Dire.
Noah Berger, AP Photo
From 1994-2014, firefighter staffing based on population was cut by 24%
In order to save nearly $100 million a year, 37% of the CalFire firefighters are prisoners working for just $2 a day. In 2022 so far, six people have suffered serious burns while fighting fires in this program.
Federal firefighters can earn as little as $13.45 per hour, significantly less than California minimum wage.
CA’s Increasingly stressed firefighters are suffering a mental health crisis — in 2021 more firefighters died from suicide than on the job injuries for the first time in American history.
Due to low wages and skyrocketing housing costs, many firefighters are unable to live where they work.
ABC News
Closing the corporate loophole will generate at least $390 million in new revenue that will go directly to fire districts, with billions more for cities and counties which directly provide fire services.
With new threats from climate change, population increases, and federal and local budget cuts, it is time to find a long term solution. It’s time to make corporations pay their fair share.