* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:08] UH, THANKS Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY. [Austin Joint City / County Wildfire Preparedness Press Conference] MY NAME'S ANDY BROWN. I'M THE TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE, AND WE'RE HERE TO RECOGNIZE WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH IN TRAVIS COUNTY. IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UH, SPRINGTIME BRINGS A LOT OF GREAT THINGS, WARMER WEATHER, LONGER DAYS, MORE CHANCES TO ENJOY THE OUTDOORS. ALSO MORE ALLERGIES, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN, UH, BUT IT ALSO BRINGS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF WILDFIRES. WE OFTEN SEE DRY GRASS, LOW HUMIDITY, AND STRONG WINDS, AND THESE ARE THE PERFECT CONDITIONS TO START A SMALL FIRE THAT GETS BIGGER AND GETS OUTTA CONTROL VERY QUICKLY. SO HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS, UM, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THESE DEADLY WILDFIRES AND THE DEADLY WILDFIRE THREATS. WE'VE SEEN WILDFIRES, THREATEN HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS, AND ENTIRE COMMUNITIES, AND SOMETIMES WITH VERY LITTLE WARNING. THAT'S WHY WE'RE ASKING EVERYBODY TO TAKE WILDFIRE SAFETY SERIOUSLY, AND TO TAKE SOME SIMPLE STEPS TO GET PREPARED. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU CAN DO IS TO CREATE WHAT WE CALL A DEFENSIBLE SPACE AROUND YOUR HOME. AND SO THIS MEANS CLEARING AWAY ANYTHING THAT COULD CATCH FIRE EASILY, LIKE DRY LEAVES, DEAD PLANTS, TALL GRASS, AND EVEN WOOD PILES STACK TOO CLOSE TO YOUR HOUSE. AND THIS DEFENSIBLE SPACE REALLY MEANS IN THE RURAL AREAS, MAYOR, NOT, NOT, YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO DEFEND YOUR SPACE IF YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, IF YOU'RE IN A CONDO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, YOU MIND IN YOUR SPACE. . YEAH, . SO, UM, I THINK YOU WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM SOME ESC FOLKS THAT'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT IT, IT CAN MEAN TRIMMING TREE RANCHES, SO THEY'RE AT LEAST 10 FEET AWAY FROM YOUR ROOF AND NOT HANGING OVER IT. AND IT'S A PRETTY SIMPLE GOAL WHEN A, IF A WILDFIRE COMES CLOSE, YOU WANT IT TO SLOW DOWN BEFORE IT REACHES YOUR HOME. THINK OF DEFENSIBLE SPACE AS GIVING YOUR HOME A FIGHTING CHANCE DURING A WILDFIRE. WE ALSO WANNA REMIND EVERYONE TO PAY ATTENTION TO RED FLAG WARNINGS FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. THAT MEANS THE AIR IS DRY, THE WINDS ARE STRONG, AND IT WOULD TAKE ALMOST NOTHING TO START A WILDFIRE. IF YOU HEAR THERE'S A RED FLAG WARNING, DON'T BURN ANYTHING OUTSIDE. AVOID USING TOOLS THAT CAN CREATE SPARKS. AND EV EVEN SOMETHING LIKE PARKING YOUR CAR ON SOME DRY GRASS CAN START A FIRE. SO DON'T DO THAT. ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE A WILDFIRE, A WILDFIRE PLAN. MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW AT LEAST TWO WAYS OUT OF YOUR HOME AND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN CASE YOU NEED TO EVACUATE QUICKLY AND HAVE AN EMERGENCY KIT READY. MAKE SURE THAT HAS WATER, SNACKS, MEDICATIONS, COPIES OF IMPORTANT PAPERS, A PHONE CHARGER, ANYTHING ELSE, UH, YOUR FAMILY, PETS OR LOVED ONES MIGHT NEED. IF YOU EVACUATE, THE CHOICES YOU MAKE NOW COULD SAVE YOUR HOME, YOUR FAMILY, AND YOUR NEIGHBORS. AND HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS ARE TRAINED AND READY TO ACT WHEN WILDFIRES THREATEN, BUT NOBODY CAN DO IT ALONE. WE NEED ONCE AGAIN TO WORK TOGETHER. AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, IS WORKING WITH ALL THE EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE OTHER CITIES WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THE SOLUTION, AND I'M GOING TO PASS IT OVER TO MAYOR WATSON. GREAT. WELL, THANK YOU, JUDGE. AND, AND I, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT HE JUST, WHERE HE JUST FINISHED, AND THAT IS THAT, THAT WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND WE ALL WORK TOGETHER AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT. AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HERE BEHIND ME, UM, AND, AND BEHIND THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE JUDGE AND, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN BECAUSE EVERYBODY PLAYS A ROLE IN THIS, UH, AS HE INDICATED. MY NAME'S KIRK WATSON. I'M THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND, AND I APPRECIATE ALSO HAVING THE MEDIA HERE SO THAT WE CAN GET THE MESSAGE OUT ON THIS. THE JUDGE HAS SAID IT, BUT IT BEARS REPEATING AND THAT THAT IS, THAT MAY IS WILDLIFE AWARENESS MONTH. AND AS HE'S POINTED OUT, THAT'S FOR A VERY GOOD REASON. THE WEATHER, THE WEATHER IS ALREADY STARTING TO HAVE THAT WARM FEELING TO IT. IT'S ALREADY WARMING UP DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE'VE HAD SOME RECENT RAIN. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY OVER AND OVER AGAIN, WE ARE STILL IN DROUGHT CONDITIONS. AND WE KNOW THAT WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT TEXAS SUMMERS, WE HAVE A VERY REAL THREAT OF THOSE WILDFIRES THAT THE JUDGE TALKED ABOUT. AS WE'VE EXPERIENCED VERY VIVIDLY OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WEATHER IS INTENSIFYING. THE JUDGE HAS SUGGESTED THIS AND SAID, THIS WEATHER IS INTENSIFYING DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE, AND WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE WAY WE PREPARE FOR THESE EMERGENCIES. WE'RE SEEING HOTTER SUMMERS, WE'RE SEEING LONGER DROUGHTS, WE'RE SEEING MORE FREQUENT WINDY DAYS, WHICH ALL CONTRIBUTE TO THE HIGHER RISK OF WILDFIRE. JUST LAST MONTH, WE SAW A FIRE BURN OVER 10,000 ACRES IN GILLESPIE COUNTY NEAR FREDERICKSBURG. AND I MEAN, WE GOT TO LITERALLY SEE IT BECAUSE THE SMOKE AND THE ASH THAT FIRE HAPPENED IN GILLESPIE COUNTY ACTUALLY DARKENED THE SKIES HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. [00:05:01] AND YOU FELT THESE PEOPLE SAW THE ASH IN THEIR BACKYARDS. IT'S ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT FOR THOSE OF US IN AUSTIN TO BE AWARE AND BE PREPARED. WHY IS THAT AUSTIN RANKS FIFTH IN THE NATION IN THE NUMBER OF HOMES AT RISK OF WILDFIRE? AND THEN YOU ASK, WHY IS THAT THE CASE? PART OF THAT ANSWER IS THAT AL THE AUSTIN AREA CONTINUES TO EXPERIENCE HIGH POPULATION GROWTH. MANY NEW HOMES ARE BEING BUILT IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, THE ZONE, WHAT'S CALLED THE ZONE OF TRANSITION, OR THE INTERFACE BETWEEN UNOCCUPIED LAND AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT'S WHERE THE BUILDINGS MEET THE UNDEVELOPED LAND LIKE FORESTS AND FIELDS. MORE THAN 90% OF WILDFIRES ARE CAUSED BY PEOPLE OR INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE POWER LINES. SO THE RAPID GROWTH IN HOMES BEING BUILT IN THAT ZONE OF TRANSITION INCREASES WILDFIRE RISK TO LIVES, HOMES, AND BUSINESSES. AND EVERYONE SHOULD REMEMBER THAT FLAMES AREN'T THE MAIN WAY THAT THESE FIRES SPREAD DURING A WILDFIRE. EMBERS CAN TRAVEL MORE THAN A MILE FROM THEIR SOURCE, AND THOSE ARE WHAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAJORITY OF HOME IGNITIONS. SO WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY OR DOWNTOWN, OR ANYWHERE IN BETWEEN, WILDFIRE COULD AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL APPROVED AN UPDATE TO THE MAP THAT DEFINES THE WILD AUSTIN'S WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE, OR WHAT IS REFERRED TO AS THE WOOEY, AS WE CALL IT. AND AS A RESULT OF THAT 51 THAT, THAT THE UPDATE, I'M TALKING ABOUT 51% OF AUSTIN'S HABITABLE LAND, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES ARE NOW DE DETERMINED TO BE A RISK ZONE THAT'S UP FROM 38% NEARLY A DECADE AGO. THAT'S LARGELY IN PART TO AN INCREASE OF THE DESIGNATED AREAS OF LOWEST RISK, BUT WHERE BURNING EMBERS COULD TRAVEL AND IGNITE IN A NEW LOCATION. SO FIRE DANGER IN CENTRAL TEXAS IS UNIQUE WITH OUR UNIQUE VEGETATION TO TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE. OUR WILDFIRE RISK IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT HERE. SO CHECK OUT, READY, SET, GO@WILDFIRECOALITION.ORG. READY, SET, GO@WILDFIRECOALITION.ORG FOR GUIDANCE SPECIFICALLY FOR AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY RESIDENTS. WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THEM HERE WITH US THAT HAVE DEVOTED THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES TO FIGHTING AND PREVENTING FIRES. AND, AND THEY ARE HELPING BY PROVIDING US WITH IMPORTANT TIPS AND INFORMATION AND WE, WE NEED TO HAVE, WE NEED TO LISTEN TO THAT. SO WITH THAT, LET ME BRING UP COMMISSIONER BRIDGET SHAY. THANK YOU, MAYOR. HE SAID IT SO WELL. WE'VE GOT JEFF FROM GOMEZ, I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE. YEAH. WE ALSO HAVE, UH, OUR, OUR COLLEAGUES FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, COMMISSIONER, UH, GOMEZ AND UH, JEFF ILIAN. UM, OUR REGION IS GETTING HOTTER AND DRIER. I MEAN, WE'RE ALL EXPERIENCING THAT. UM, THE WEATHER IS GETTING MORE EXTREME DRIVEN BY CLIMATE CHANGE. AND SO THE THREAT IS INCREASING. UH, AND I THINK WE ALL SAW THE FIRES IN, UH, IN CALIFORNIA. UM, IT WAS A TERRIFYING SITE AND IT'S A WAKE UP CALL FOR ALL OF US. WE ARE ALSO SEEING FIRES IN OUR REGION AND THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS BE PREPARED. SO, UH, THE, UM, FIRE THE BOTH IN AUSTIN, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, THE ESDS, UM, CAN ALL HELP YOU DO WHAT'S CALLED A HOME IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT. UM, CONTACT THEM AND FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY CAN COME, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, WHAT THE RESOURCES ARE, UH, TO DO THIS. BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO MAKE YOUR HOME SAFER AND LESS VULNERABLE TO A WILDFIRE. AND IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SIGNED UP FOR WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS, GO ONLINE AND DO THAT. THAT IS THE CHIEF MECHANISM FOR GETTING A NOTIFICATION WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM IN YOUR AREA. UM, I ALSO HAVE A PROP. IT'S, UH, A QR CODE FOR A, UM, A WILDFIRE RESOURCE PAGE, UM, THAT MY STAFF MEMBERS, THEY'RE STANFIELD COMPILED. UM, THIS HAS LINKS TO EVERYTHING ALL IN ONE PLACE, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO BE BETTER PREPARED TO PROTECT YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR HOME AND YOUR COMMUNITY. AND IT'S REALLY UP TO ALL OF US, UH, TO TAKE THOSE ACTIONS. UM, THE HOME EX IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT CAN ALSO [00:10:01] POTENTIALLY HELP YOU LOWER YOUR FIRE INSURANCE. SO THERE'S ADDITIONAL INCENTIVES, UH, TO DO IT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS BE PREPARED. UH, WE NEVER KNOW WHEN SOMETHING LIKE THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN AND WE NEED TO KNOW IN ADVANCE WHAT TO DO. SO THANKS SO MUCH TO EVERYONE HERE. AND, UM, I'M GONNA INTRODUCE MY COLLEAGUE ANN HOWARD NEXT, AND THEN WE'LL HEAR FROM THE FIRE CHIEFS. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. THANK YOU. BRIDGE. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER SHEA. I WANT TO, UH, REITERATE THAT THE PROFESSIONALS BEHIND US COOPERATE, COLLABORATE, AND COORDINATE. THEY ARE READY AND WE THE PUBLIC NEED TO DO OUR PART BUILDING ON WHAT THE THREE OTHER OFFICIALS HAVE SAID. I WANNA LAY DOWN TODAY THE THREE C CHALLENGE. I NEED YOU TO CHECK YOUR PROPERTY TO CLEAR THE F ANYTHING THAT WOULD FUEL A FIRE AND TO COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. WE ALL NEED TO DO OUR PART. AND JUDGE BROWN TALKED ABOUT THE DEFENSIBLE SPACE, SO THAT'S CLEARING THE FUEL FOR FIRE. AND THEN COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS. 'CAUSE WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. IF THEIR PROPERTY IS MESSY AND GONNA BURN, YOU'RE GONNA BURN. SO GET TOGETHER WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS AND MAKE SURE THAT YOUR AREA IS SAFE AND DEFENSIBLE TO WILDFIRE. I AM SO IMPRESSED WITH THE PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTING COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND CENTRAL TEXAS, AND WE NEED TO HEED THE WARNING AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR PROPERTY IS PREPARED. THANK YOU. THANKS, COMMISSIONER HOWARD. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TO DISCUSS AND HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS ACROSS TRAVIS COUNTY. MY NAME'S DAVID WILSON. I'M THE FIRE CHIEF WITH TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NUMBER NINE. AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED, WE'RE SEEING HOTTER SUMMERS, LONGER DROUGHTS, AND MORE FREQUENT WINDY DAYS. THESE ALL CONTRIBUTE TO A HIGHER RISK OF WILDFIRE. UH, WE'RE SEEING CONTINUED HOMES BUILT IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE WHERE BUILDINGS MEET UNDEVELOPED LAND LIKE FORESTS AND FIELDS. MORE THAN 90% OF WILDFIRES ARE CAUSED BY PEOPLE. SO WE ALL MUST DO OUR PART TO PREPARE AND PREVENT WILDFIRES. THE TIME IS NOW TAKING SIMPLE STEPS CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE. UH, WE ENCOURAGE YOU AS, UH, COMMISSIONER SHAY SAID, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS@WARRENCENTRALTEXAS.ORG. WE WANT YOU TO IDENTIFY MULTIPLE EVACUATION ROUTES FROM YOUR HOME OR WORK AND HAVE A GO BAGG READY. UH, HARDENING YOUR HOME IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE YOUR VULNERABILITY FOR WILDFIRES. THIS INCLUDES CLEANING YOUR GUTTERS, REMOVING TREE LIMBS FROM YOUR ROOF, AND KEEPING GRASS AND LANDSCAPING TRIM TO PREVENT FUELS FOR A WILDFIRE. YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS CAN ASSIST YOU WITH WAYS TO PROTECT YOUR HOME BY REQUESTING AN IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION, WHERE A FIRE DEPARTMENT MEMBER WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE YOUR HOME HARDENING. NO MATTER WHERE YOU ARE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WILDFIRE COULD AFFECT YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. FIRES ARE USUALLY CARRIED TO HOMES BY EMBERS, WHICH CAN TRAVEL MORE THAN A MILE. THE BEST WAY TO PROTECT YOUR HOME IS TO MAKE IT RESISTANT TO FIRES, NO MATTER WHERE THE FIRE'S COMING FROM WHILE YOU DO YOUR PART TO PLAN YOUR EMERGENCY SERVICES. DISTRICTS IN TRAVIS COUNTY STAND READY TO RESPOND TO A WILDFIRE EVENT. ALL TRAVIS COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENTS COLLABORATE AND COORDINATE RESOURCES. AND DURING HIGH FIRE DANGER, THE COUNTY RESOURCE COORDINATOR CONDUCTS DAILY COORDINATION CALLS WITH OPERATION STAFF TO ASSIST IN RESOURCES AND FIREFIGHTING STAFFING PLANS, INCREASE OUR SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND ALLOW RESOURCES NEEDS ON INCIDENTS. THIS COORDINATION ALLOWS FOR THE RIGHT RESPONSE TO THESE COMPLEX INCIDENTS WITH THE GOALS OF PROTECTING THE COMMUNITY. AGAIN, WE ARE, WE URGE THE COMMUNITY TO TAKE THE TIME NOW TO PREPARE FOR A WILDFIRE AND TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT FOR AN IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION ON WAYS YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR HOME AND KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE. AND I'M GONNA INVITE, UH, CHIEF KENNEDY WITH AUSTIN FIRE. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JEFF KENNEDY, ASSISTANT CHIEF WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. I WILL BE, UM, PROVIDING REMARKS THAT WILL BE REDUNDANT BUT NECESSARY. SO, UH, PLEASE FORGIVE ME IF YOU'VE HEARD IT ALREADY, BUT WE WANT YOU TO HEAR IT MORE THAN ONCE. SO, UM, AS HAS BEEN SAID BEFORE, AUSTIN HAS A LARGE WILD URBAN INTERFACE, WHICH MEANS THAT PEOPLE, PETS, AND PROPERTY ARE AT RISK ACROSS THE CITY. THE MAIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONTRIBUTORS TO WILDFIRE IN OUR AREA, OF COURSE, ARE THE FUELS OF GRASS, TREES, AND HOMES TO INCLUDE WEATHER AND TOPOGRAPHY. ON THE EAST SIDE OF I 35, WE HAVE PREDOMINANTLY FLAT AND GRASSLANDS. [00:15:02] ON THE WEST SIDE, WE HAVE ROLLING HILLS AND TREES, BUT BOTH OF THOSE ENVIRONMENTS CAN THRIVE OR ALLOW FOR WILDFIRE TO THRIVE. WEATHER IS ALSO A VARIABLE AND IT'S ONE THAT WE CAN'T CONTROL, BUT WE DO PAY STRONG ATTENTION TO WIND EVENTS, EXTENDED DROUGHT, HUMIDITY, AND HEAT, BECAUSE THEY CAN CREATE HIGH RISK CONDITIONS. AND WE DO THAT WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF OUR, UH, ESDS. A FDE HAS AND CONTINUES TO PREPARE. ACCORDINGLY, ALL OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRAINED IN BASIC WILDFIRE FIGHTING. I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE THE LARGEST MUNICIPAL DEPARTMENT TO TRAIN PERSONNEL WITH THESE STRATEGIES AND TACTICS, BUT WE NEED YOU TO DO YOUR PART AS WELL. HOME AND BUSINESS OWNERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT MITIGATING THE WILDFIRE RISK. AND SOME OF THOSE WAYS THAT YOU CAN DO THAT ARE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR GUTTERS ARE CLEAN AND YOU DO THAT REGULARLY. DO NOT ALLOW LEAVES TO COLLECT AROUND YOUR RESIDENCE OR THE ROOF, PARTICULARLY WHEN THERE IS AN INCREASED WILDFIRE RISK. AS SAID BEFORE, EMBERS CAN TRAVEL UP TO A MILE AND A HALF AWAY FROM THE FIRE SOURCE. SO ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO AT YOUR HOME IS COVER THE VENTS IN ATTIC SPACES AND OTHER OPENINGS WITH AN EIGHTH OF AN INCH MESH TO PROTECT YOUR STRUCTURE AGAINST ANY TYPE OF FIRE. UH, WILDFIRE, KEEP YOUR TREES TRIMMED AT LEAST EIGHT FEET AWAY FROM ANY STRUCTURE. ANN, AS SAID BEFORE, YOU CAN REQUEST A FREE STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION FROM THE A FD WILDFIRE DIVISION OR ANY OF OUR ESDS. WHAT WILL HAPPEN IS AN ADVISOR WILL COME OUT AND THEY WILL WALK THE EXTERIOR OF YOUR HOME AND THEY WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE ON HOW TO HARDEN YOUR RESIDENTS AGAINST WILDFIRE RISK. THE WILDFIRE DIVISION IS ALSO AVAILABLE TO PROVIDE NEIGHBORHOOD PRESENTATIONS AND ATTEND COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT WILL HELP DISCUSS AND HELP YOU PREPARE, PREPARE FOR WILDFIRES BEYOND HARDENING HOMES AND BUSINESSES AGAINST FIRE. OUR COMMUNITY HAS THE POWER TO PREVENT FIRES BY PROPERLY DISPOSING OF SMOKING MATERIALS. SO THAT MEANS NOT THROWING OUT CIGARS OR CIGARETTES OUT THE WINDOWS OF YOUR VEHICLES OR ONTO THE GROUND. IT ALSO MEANS THAT THERE ARE CITY ORDINANCES THAT YOU PROBABLY NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO. AND THAT FOR ONE, IS THE PROHIBIT, UH, PROHIBITING FLAMES AND BURNING INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN PERMITTED OR YOU RECEIVE A PERMIT FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT. AND FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TOWING TRAILERS, PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THOSE CHAINS ARE NOT DRAGGING THE GROUND, CREATING SPARKS WHICH HAVE THE POTENTIAL ON DRY DAYS AND WINDY DAYS TO CREATE FIRES. IF YOU SEE SMOKER FLAMES, PLEASE DIAL 9 1 1 BECAUSE THAT QUICK ACTION CAN PREVENT A SMALL FIRE FROM TURNING INTO A DISASTER. AND FOR THE RESIDENTS OF AUSTIN, THE CITY HAS THE AUTHORITY TO MANDATE EVACUATIONS, AND WE WILL UTILIZE THAT POWER IF VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE FAILS. BUT WE BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE IN DANGER, YOUR SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT. AND AS I CONCLUDE, THE MESSAGE IS PREPARE. NOW. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE AN EVACUATION KIT READY THAT INCLUDES THE ESSENTIALS, LIKE WATER, FOOD, MEDICATION, PET SUPPLIES, IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS, AND A FLASHLIGHT. HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THOSE THAT YOU LIVE WITH ABOUT EVACUATIONS. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH ALL THE ROUTES THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO GET OUT, IDENTIFY A MEETING SPOT OR SPOTS AWAY FROM THE IMPACTED AREA, AND ESTABLISH HOW YOU'LL STAY IN COMMUNICATION IN THE EVENT THAT CELL PHONES ARE AFFECTED BY THE DISASTER. SIGN UP FOR WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS FOR NOTIFICATIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU RECEIVE THE ALERTS ABOUT EVACUATIONS AND OTHER CRITICAL INFORMATION. MINIMIZING WILDFIRE RISK IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT, BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING THIS GOAL. SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WILL NOW TURN THIS OVER TO THE JUDGE AGAIN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD JOB. ALL RIGHT. Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT HERE? MICROPHONE. HI, MICROPHONE. OH, HI, KELSEY WITH KU NEWS. UM, I WANTED TO KNOW FEMA'S A BIG RESOURCE WHEN IT COMES TO TACKLING THESE LARGER WILDFIRES, AND I KNOW THEY'RE RESTRUCTURING RIGHT NOW, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, AND RECENTLY GOVERNOR ABBOTT JOINED A COUNCIL. HOW ARE YOU GUYS TACKLING THE IMPACTS OF THE RESTRUCTURING AND GOING FORWARD WITH THIS NEW COUNCIL? IF YOU EVEN HEARD OF IT, 'CAUSE IT WAS ANNOUNCED TODAY. YEAH, I, I'M ACTUALLY VERY HAPPY WITH THE RELATIONSHIP THAT I HAVE WITH CHIEF KIDD, WHO RUNS THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. THE MAYOR AND I TALK TO HIM OFTEN ABOUT PREPARATIONS FOR EMERGENCIES IN EMERGENCIES. HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER AND GREAT HELP. AND I, I'M CONFIDENT THAT THAT'S GONNA CONTINUE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. UH, MAYOR, I'LL, [00:20:01] I'LL REITERATE, UM, WE COULDN'T HAVE A BETTER PARTNER THAN CHIEF KIDD. UH, AND I THINK EVERYBODY THAT HAS EVER HAD A CHANCE, YOU SEE ALL THESE HEADS NODDING, UM, THE, THE WAY HE GOES ABOUT HIS BUSINESS, HE'S VERY PROACTIVE. SO, SO WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A PARTNER THAT, YOU KNOW, I DON'T ALWAYS NEED TO CALL BECAUSE HE'S CALLING AND CHECKING. I DO WORRY AT THE FEE AT, AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. I WORRY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN TERMS OF WHAT WE, HOW WE DEAL WITH, UH, LACK OF FUNDING IF FUNDING'S NOT THERE OR THE, THE ACTUAL PEOPLE ON THE GROUND IF THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE FUNDING FOR PEOPLE THAT WORK AT FEMA. BUT WITH REGARD TO THE, THE STATE RELATIONSHIP THAT IS, UH, ONE OF THE BETTER RELATIONSHIPS THAT OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE WITH THE STATE. GOTCHA. SO IF THERE IS SOME TYPE OF IMPACT WITH FEMA, ARE YOU GUYS TACKLING OTHER RESOURCES OR HOW ARE YOU GUYS HANDLING THAT? IF THERE IS A IMPACT ON FEDERAL LEVEL? WELL, IT'S GONNA, IT, IT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE THE, THE, THE, THE, THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THE ABILITY TO, WE, WE RELY UPON FUNDING THAT GOES TO FEMA. AND SO, UH, SOMEBODY HAS TO FIND THE FUNDING IF YOU AS, AS IMPLICIT IN YOUR QUESTION, IF YOU'RE GOING TO REPLACE THAT. SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT, IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO REACT IN CERTAIN DISASTERS. AND NOT JUST FIRES, BUT IT'S IN, IN OTHER DISASTERS, WHETHER IT'S, UH, EXTREME COLD OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE, WE SHOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT THAT. UM, AND, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING THAT, THAT WE, WE DON'T MESS WITH BECAUSE WE NEED, WE WE'RE GOING TO NEED THOSE RESOURCES. YEAH. AND JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT, LIKE THERE, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL DISASTERS IN TRAVIS COUNTY IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN COUNTY JUDGE. AND FEMA HAS HELPED US IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE THAT I CAN THINK OF, UM, WHETHER IT'S REIMBURSING US AFTER THE FACT, UH, IN, IN WINTER STORM URI BRINGING WATER ACTUALLY FROM A FEMA WEAR FROM TWO DIFFERENT FEMA WAREHOUSES, I THINK TO TRAVIS COUNTY AND, AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHEN WE HAD ISSUES WITH WATER SUPPLY. UM, SO YOU, IT, IT IT'S IMPORTANT WHAT FEMA DOES AND AND WE ABSOLUTELY RELY ON IT. AND I FRANKLY, I HOPE THAT STAYS AS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR US. YEAH, YEAH. UH, MAYOR WATSON, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, THE FIRE OUT IN GILLESPIE COUNTY, THE, UH, CRAB, APPLE FIRE BURNED OVER 10,000 ACRES. THAT WAS THE ONE WHERE WE SAW THE SKIES HERE IN AUSTIN GET DARKER. IS THAT ONE OF THOSE FIRES THAT REALLY POPPED FOR YOU GUYS THAT MAKES IT SUCH A POINT TO BE OUT HERE TODAY TO TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE SAFETY? WELL, SURE. I MEAN, IT, IT'S, IT'S A CONSTANT. WE, WE HAVE CONSTANT REMINDERS. UH, WHAT I TELL FOLKS ALL THE TIME IS THAT 2011 ACTUALLY I THINK WAS THIS REGION'S LA IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE IN 2011, WE HAD MAJOR WILDFIRE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND WE HAD A, A REALLY MAJOR FIRE IN BASTROP COUNTY. AND IT WAS AFTER THAT FIRE THAT A, A LOT OF FOLKS HERE, UH, AND PREDECESSORS OF THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE, THEY, THEY SAID WE IN 2011, 2012, THEY SAID, WE NEED TO PAUSE AND WE NEED TO BE PREPARED AND TAKE ACTION SO THAT WE ARE ALWAYS PREPARED. FOR EXAMPLE, AS AS YOU HEARD, UH, THE, THE D CHIEFS SAY, UH, ALL OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE TRAINED IN WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT THAT CAME DIRECTLY OUT OF THE RESULTS OF THE 2012 FIRE, AS HE POINTED OUT. MOST BIG, WE'RE THE LARGEST BIG CITY THAT CAN SAY THAT. WELL, SO WHAT WHAT CRAB APPLE DOES IS IT IS IT SERVES AS A CONTINUOUS REMINDER, NOT ONLY FOR US TO STAY DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT TO UPDATE AS WE GO ALONG AND TO STAND IN FRONT OF Y'ALL AND ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR CITIZENS TO PLAY A ROLE IN THIS. BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE ALL DOING IT TOGETHER AND WE'RE ALL DOING OUR PART IN WHAT WE CAN DO, WE'RE ALL GONNA BE BETTER OFF. OKAY. , HI. UM, THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT JURISDICTIONS IN TRAVIS COUNTY, SO IF AN EVACUATION IS NECESSARY, WHERE WILL FOLKS GET THAT MESSAGE FROM AND WHO WILL THEY GET THAT MESSAGE FROM? AND WHAT ARE EMERGENCY OFFICIALS DOING TO ENSURE THERE ISN'T GRIDLOCK TRAFFIC DURING AN EVACUATION? YEAH, SO WE HEARD EARLIER IN COMMISSIONER'S COURT, ESD 11 I THINK GAVE US SORT OF A RUNDOWN OF HOW THE EVACUATIONS WORK. I DON'T KNOW, UH, CHIEF OR ANYONE ELSE WANTS TO COME UP HERE, BUT BASICALLY EVACUATIONS CAN BE A LARGE AREA, THEY CAN BE A VERY SMALL AREA. AND THE ESDS, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HAVE A CRUCIAL ROLE IN, IN MAKING SURE THAT IF YOU'RE ON THIS ONE BLOCK OR IF YOU'RE IN THIS ONE HOUSE AND YOU NEED TO BE EVACUATED, THEY WILL, IF NECESSARY, GO TO YOUR DOOR, TELL YOU YOU NEED TO GET OUT OF THERE. WE CAN HAVE WIDER SWATHS OF EVACUATION IF WE SEE A DISASTER IMPENDING WHERE THE, THE MAYOR OR I CAN ORDER PARTS OF THE COUNTY OR THE CITY TO BE EVACUATED. BUT IT REALLY FALLS TO, I THINK THE ESDS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. IF Y'ALL, DOES ANYONE WANT TO COME TALK ABOUT EVACUATIONS? YEAH. [00:25:01] WHAT, WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS, IS I'M GONNA KILL TWO BIRDS WITH ONE STONE BECAUSE I WANT TO INTRODUCE SOMEBODY THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT MET. AND THAT IS JIM REDDICK. UH, HE IS NOW THE DIRECTOR OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE. UM, RELATIVELY NEW STARTED IN FEBRUARY. SO MANY OF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO MEET HIM, AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD'VE A, A A REASON FOR YOU TO MEET HIM HERE TODAY. SO I'M GONNA BRING HIM UP, ASK HIM TO INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND SPEAK TO EVACUATION IF YOU DON'T MIND. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU MR. MAYOR COUNTY JUDGE COMMISSIONERS FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. UM, SO WILDFIRE IS A HIGH PROBABILITY, HIGH IMPACT THREAT, WHETHER IT'S OUR FREQUENT ISSUE OR NOT. WE KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. ALONG WITH THE OTHER, THE OTHER THREATS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE HAZARD MITIGATION PLANS. THIS PARTICULAR THREAT, WILDFIRE, WE ACTUALLY EXERCISED LAST FRIDAY. SO WE HAD ALL OF THE PARTNERS, NOT ONLY THE TRADITIONAL RESPONDERS YOU SEE BEHIND ME, BUT OTHER FOLKS FROM CAP METRO, FROM AMERICAN RED CROSS, FROM ALL THE DIFFERENT FOLKS FROM AN INFRASTRUCTURE STANDPOINT AND RESOURCES AND MASS CARE. SO THE EVACUATION ORDER WOULD BE COMING FROM THE RESPONDERS WHO HAVE THAT DELEGATED AUTHORITY FROM THE MAYOR OR THE COUNTY JUDGE. WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THOSE EVACUATION ROUTES MIGHT BE 'CAUSE IT'S GONNA BE DEPENDENT ON YOU WHERE THE, WHERE THE COMPLICATION IS IS HAPPENING AND THE WIND SPEEDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO WE'LL BE WORKING A LOT WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT PARTNERS ARE COMING TO THE TABLE SO WE CAN ESTABLISH UNITY OF EFFORT, CLEAR LINES OF COMMUNICATION, NOT ONLY TO OUR LEADERSHIP, BUT TO YOU. AND THEN TO GO BACK TO THE MESSAGING EARLIER, WE NEED YOU TO BE A RESPONDER AS WELL. YOU MAY BE CALLED ON TO EVACUATE QUICKLY. SO HAVE THAT PLAN ON WHERE YOU WOULD GO, WHAT YOU WOULD DO, WHAT YOU WOULD TAKE WITH YOU, WHAT IMPORTANT PAPERWORK OR MEDICINES, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE GONNA STAY INFORMED BY REGISTERING FOR CENTRAL TEXAS, WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG. UM, AND ALSO LISTENING UP FOR, FOR OTHER MESSAGING. AND LASTLY, IT WAS SAID EARLIER, IT'S SUCH AN EASY THING TO DO AND SO MANY OF US DON'T DO IT. IT'S GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR NE YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SITUATION YOUR NEIGHBOR MIGHT BE IN. SO YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHETHER THEY HAVE MEDICAL NEEDS OR MOBILITY NEEDS. THEY MIGHT NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP AND YOU COULD BE THAT RESPONDER AND ASSISTANCE FOR THEM. SO THE EVACUATION PLAN IS BEING FINALIZED AND THAT'LL BE OUT AND FOR PUBLISHING AT LEAST ON JULY, OR I'M SORRY, JUNE ONE. UM, AND WE WILL LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO SERVE FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH ALL THESE EFFORTS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HI. HELLO. I'M HERE FROM, UH, TELEMUNDO AUSTIN. UM, OH, HE WANTS TO SPEAK ONE SEC. OKAY, COME HERE. JUST LET CHIEF BAILEY WENT OVER EARLIER, IF YOU DON'T MIND. YEAH, THANKS. RE REGARDING EVACUATIONS, JUST WANTED THE, THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS. UH, DIRECTOR REDICK SAID WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG IS GONNA BE A GREAT PLACE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE THOSE ALERTS. BUT WE HAVE, UM, MULTIPLE DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENTS CAN UTILIZE, WHETHER THAT'S A MASS EVACUATION, A LARGE AREA, BUT GENERALLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA FIND IS MAJORITY OF 'EM MAY BE A, A FOCUSED AREA EVACUATION WHERE WE'RE EVACUATING SEVERAL STREETS. BUT WHEN WE'RE DOING THAT, WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE PREPARED AND BE READY. AND SO THERE'S MULTIPLE OPTIONS. LIKE I SAID, WE CAN USE A FOCUSED, UM, MASS EVACUATION AND THEN WE CAN PHASE IT AS WELL. SO PHASE, WE MAY PHASE THE EVACUATION WHERE WE'RE CLOSEST TO THE FIRE, WE HAVE THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT AREA OF THE COMMUNITY GET READY AND THEN, UH, PREPARE FOR EVACUATION IF IT'S NEEDED THAT OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS CALL FOR THAT. UM, BUT AGAIN, WE, WE WOULD RECOMMEND, UH, WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG, UH, TO RECEIVE THOSE MESSAGES AND NOTIFICATIONS. ALRIGHT. UM, HI, I AM HERE FROM TELEMUNDO AUSTIN. I WANNA TAKE ADVANTAGE AND ASK IF ANYBODY FROM YOUR TEAM SPEAKS SPANISH. IF YOU GUYS CAN, YOU KNOW, GIVE ME A, A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT YOU GUYS JUST TALKED SO WE CAN SHARE IT WITH THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AS WELL. CHIEF, THANK CHIEF. ANY FIREFIGHTERS OR ANYBODY FROM THE TEAM? TEXAS? UM, [00:30:04] ANYONE HAVE A BETTER SHOT OF THIS? ALL. ALRIGHT, SO LAST QUESTION. WHAT ARE THE PREDICTIONS LOOKING LIKE? OH, SORRY. WHAT ARE THE PREDICTIONS LOOKING LIKE FOR THIS SUMMER? IS THERE, UM, A HIGHER RISK THIS SUMMER FOR WILDFIRE WITH LACK OF RAINFALL? UM, I GUESS JUST LIKE OVERALL, WHAT DOES THAT KIND OF SUMMER OUTLOOK LOOK LIKE, AS WELL AS, UM, ARE THERE ANY SPECIFIC AREAS THAT ARE MORE, MORE PRONE TO WILDFIRE? UM, WHAT, WHAT'S THE SUMMER LOOKING LIKE WEATHER-WISE? WHAT'S THE WEATHER FOR THE SUMMER? YEAH, EXACTLY. GIVE US A PREDICTION. KERRY HALL, TRAVIS COUNTY FIRE MARSHAL. I, I UNDERSTAND THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKING. THE, A PREDICTION FOR, UH, THE OUTLOOK FOR THE SUMMER. IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR A, A HOT DRIVE SUMMER. THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE FOR YOU. I I IT'S HARD TO TELL RIGHT NOW WHY YOU GET WHAT YOU YEAH. HARD TO TELL RIGHT NOW. BUT YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE UNDER UH, DROUGHT CONDITIONS NOW AND I DON'T LOOK FOR THAT TO CHANGE. ALRIGHT FOLKS. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.