Minutes

GREATER LAGUNA COAST FIRE SAFE COUNCIL

August  10, 2002

9:00 am Laguna Beach City Hall

AGENDA

I.          Welcome and Introductions

David Horne, Chairman, Board Member

Beverly Farrier, Scribe

Pat Cooper, Board Member, Red Flag Patrol Coordinator

Ilse Lenschow, Board Member

Wayne Peterson, Board Member

Mark Baker, LBFD

Paul Van Lingen, Landscaper

Mary Applegate, Resident, Volunteer

Don Bester, Farmers Insurance

Holly Dix, Volunteer

Warren Cleary, Board Member

Randy Marsile, So. Cal Edison

Barbara Norton, Board Member Volunteer, Park Ranger Laguna Wilderness Park

II.          Approval of Minutes - Motion to approve the minutes of the June 15th Meeting moved by Wayne Peterson, seconded by Ilse Lenschow, and approved unanimously.

III.      Announcements :

A.  Grant Award

-  Council awarded a second grant - from the  Bureau of Land Mgmt for $50,000  administered by the Sacramento Regional Foundationfor the landscape plant and maintenance guide for the establishment of recommendations for the preservation of hillside and urban conditions. 

- The grant runs for 18 months with a report due every quarter noting explicit progress.

B.  Statewide Fire Safe Council

- David Horne attended the statewide meeting in San Diego on July 18 and gave a presentation of Laguna’s progress. 

- Statewide Fire Safe Council, a diverse group and becoming more formalized,  relied heavily on LB’s by-laws. 

- David won a seat representing the Southern California area on the Statewide Fire Safe Council Board

Linkage with the Laguna Beach Emergency Preparedness

Focus

- Offer information linking preparedness with fire safe information and what to do in case of emergency

- Include information on other organizations involved with community support, i.e. Laguna Relief

- Link organizations to a website (Laguna Beach) in emergency situations

- Provide a non-emergency number to LBFD

Communication key

- Public need to know where to go for information in emergency situation

- Tabled for further investigation

- Reverse 911 program available in a year

Research Proposal for Landscape Planting/Maintenance Guide

Use of College Class

-  David Horne suggested the use of a college class on qualitative methods of research to build mock formats from which people will respond

- Minimal cost - $200-300

- Proposal to be submitted to Board of Directors

- Time frame starts in Spring, completed in the Fall

Focus of Guide

- Individual home and property owners

- To inform and encourage preparedness vs. the broader picture

- Intent is to produce the guide, then look into the next step – long term goals—become visible so people will read, then look into larger space control long range strategy

VI.       Landscape/Botanist Expert Call for Proposals

- Experts be identified for involvement in aiding the council

- Suggest meeting with a couple of landscapers - email suggestions to Board

- Rough draft to be produced prior to next meeting – how to design and communicate

- Motion to proceed moved by Warren Cleary, seconded by Pat Cooper, unanimously passed

Red Flag Progress

First Session

- Pat Cooper reported on the first training session

- 30 volunteers

- Wade Sterns volunteered to assist with training volunteers and to set up a computer program to alert people when red flag situation exists

- Volunteers cover from 6 am to 10 pm—if 50 % attend, a patrol can respond every 2 hours

- Need more volunteers

- Alert lasts 24-72 hours

Kits

-Kits contain cool hats, magnetic signs for cars, maps, IDs, flags, and camera

- All that is needed is the red bag to complete kit

- Money available for outfitting 100 volunteers, about $70 per volunteer

C.  Large flags

- Use at schools and businesses to fly during Alerts

- Ilse Lenschow volunteered to coordinate contacting businesses to fly large flags

D. Other

- Outlooks at Emerald Bay, 3 Arch Bay, and private streets

- Good press contact, channel 2 news and newspaper want to go along on first training session

- WWW.incident.com provides information on state OES emergency issues

- Anyone can apply to get alerts sent on email

Next meeting: 

September 21, Sat morn, 9:00 am at City Hall in Conference Room A.

Adjourned at 9:55 am

Submitted by Beverly Farrier