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EVERYBODY, AND WELCOME TO THE 2026 CITY OF AUSTIN WILDFIRE SYMPOSIUM.
[Austin Wildfire Symposium on August 5, 2026.]
MY NAME IS DAVID SKOWRON, AND I SERVE AS THE DIVISION CHIEF OVER AUSTIN FIRE'S WILDFIRE DIVISION.IN A MOMENT, I'M GOING TO INTRODUCE SEVERAL OF THE EXPERTS WHO HAVE BEEN KIND ENOUGH TO MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TODAY, BUT I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY THANKING MAYOR WATSON, AUSTIN AREA FIRE WISE ALLIANCE PRESIDENT FRED RICHARDSON AND THE OTHER FIRE WISE VOLUNTEERS FOR THEIR HARD WORK IN PUTTING THIS SYMPOSIUM TOGETHER AND FOR THEIR WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS ADVOCACY THAT EXTENDS FAR BEYOND THIS SINGLE EVENT.
WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT DAY AHEAD OF US, FILLED WITH PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND PROBLEM SOLVING SESSIONS THAT WILL HIGHLIGHT HOW AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS ARE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP TO ADDRESS WILDFIRE RISK AND TOGETHER EXPLORE IDEAS FOR EXPANDING AND TAILORING THOSE EFFORTS.
WILDFIRE IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST RISKS FACING THE AUSTIN AREA, AND IT IS A RISK THAT'S INCREASING.
TODAY'S SYMPOSIUM BRINGS TOGETHER LOCAL, REGIONAL AND STATE AGENCIES ALONG WITH UTILITY, PUBLIC HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY AND PROFIT PARTNERS WHOSE COORDINATED ACTION WILL DETERMINE HOW WELL THE REGION PREVENTS RESPONSE TO AND RECOVERS FROM A MAJOR WILDFIRE EVENT.
NO SINGLE AGENCY CAN ELIMINATE WILDFIRE RISK.
RESILIENT COMMUNITIES DEPEND ON INFORMED, PREPARED AND ENGAGED RESIDENTS WORKING ALONGSIDE GOVERNMENT. WE'RE FORTUNATE TODAY TO HAVE MANY EXPERTS ON THE PROBLEM OF WILDFIRE, INCLUDING ASSISTANT CHIEF PAUL GUNNELS OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, CHIEF GUNNELS, A VETERAN EMERGENCY SERVICES LEADER WITH MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, OVERSEES EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, RECOVERY AND MITIGATION ACROSS A 30 COUNTY REGION, INCLUDING TRAVIS COUNTY CHIEF J.J.
WITTIG ALSO JOINS US. CHIEF WITTIG SERVES AS FIRE CHIEF OF OAK HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT, TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NUMBER THREE. HE'S ALSO THE FORMER STATE COORDINATOR OF THE TEXAS INTRASTATE FIRE MUTUAL AID SYSTEM AND IS PRESIDENT OF THE TIFMAS FOUNDATION ROLES, IN WHICH HE HAS HELPED COORDINATE THE DEPLOYMENT OF FIREFIGHTERS AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT RESOURCES TO MAJOR WILDFIRES AND OTHER DISASTERS ACROSS TEXAS.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO WELCOME AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR JIM REDDICK.
DIRECTOR REDDICK LEADS THE CITY'S COMPREHENSIVE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND OVERSEES PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE, RECOVERY MITIGATION AND PUBLIC WARNING FOR ALL HAZARDS.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO INTRODUCE AUSTIN AREA FIREWISE ALLIANCE PRESIDENT FRED RICHARDSON.
FRED HEADS A COALITION OF VOLUNTEER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS DEDICATED TO MAKING OUR COMMUNITY'S WILDFIRE RESILIENCE RESILIENT THROUGH EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, AND ON THE GROUND ACTION.
THE ALLIANCE WORKS WITH AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES TO CREATE WILDFIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT THE GREATER AUSTIN AREA.
I'M PROUD TO HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THIS ORGANIZATION OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS ON THIS AND OTHER ENDEAVORS TO MAKE AUSTIN SAFER.
IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE THE PRESIDENT OF THE AUSTIN AREA FIRE WISE ALLIANCE, FRED RICHARDSON. THANK YOU CHIEF.
MUCH APPRECIATED. GOOD MORNING ALL.
IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A TIME WHEN EVERYTHING IS BURNING ACROSS THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE.
WE HAVE FIRES NOW GOING ON IN OREGON, WASHINGTON STATE, NEVADA, MONTANA, COLORADO, NEW MEXICO, ARIZONA, FIRES IN FRANCE, SPAIN AND GREECE.
WE ARE SEEING THIS ON TOP OF WHAT WAS A TERRIBLE FIRE SEASON IN THE LATE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING IN OKLAHOMA, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, GEORGIA, FLORIDA. WE KNOW IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IF, BUT WHEN WE SEE FIRE AGAIN.
PERHAPS SOMETHING LIKE THE BASTROP COMPLEX OF FIRES IN 2011, OR PERHAPS WORSE. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED.
WE'RE HERE TODAY, TODAY, IN ORDER TO SHOWCASE FOR THE PUBLIC ALL THE CAPABILITIES THAT THE AGENCIES OF AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BRING FOR WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS. WE'RE ALSO HERE TO ASK THE PUBLIC IF THEY'LL ENGAGE WITH US IN MAKING OUR COMMUNITY SAFER. WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE LEDGER WITH WILDFIRE.
ONE SIDE IS RESPONSE SUPPRESSION AND RECOVERY.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LEDGER IS PREPAREDNESS.
WE KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING DONE FOR SUPPRESSION, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY. WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT HERE TODAY.
BUT THERE'S THIS OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE WORK ON ITS PREPAREDNESS.
AND THAT REQUIRES THE PUBLIC GETTING INVOLVED.
AND SO THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MAYOR WATSON FOR REQUESTING THIS SYMPOSIUM.
IT'S THAT KIND OF ACTION, THAT KIND OF LEADERSHIP THAT BRINGS ATTENTION TO THIS CRITICAL ISSUE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK HIS STAFF, LOUISE BRINSMEAD AND PHILLIP DOOLAN, FOR THEIR CRITICAL SUPPORT AND HELPING MAKE THIS EVENT HAPPEN HERE AT CITY HALL.
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AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE BEEN SUPPORTERS OF THIS EFFORT. COUNCIL MEMBER MARK DUCHIN.COUNCIL MEMBER JOSE VELASQUEZ AND COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN ALTER.
WE GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.
THAT'S THE SUPPORT THAT BRINGS RESOURCES TO THE TABLE AND THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE WHEN FIRES BREAK OUT. IT ALSO MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO FUND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS EFFORTS.
AS FAR AS CAPABILITIES, WHAT WE HAVE AT THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS VERY IMPRESSIVE. THEY'VE GOT INCREDIBLE SUPPRESSION CAPABILITIES NOW THAT ARE EXPANDING EVERY DAY. WILL WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE CAPABILITIES OF AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT'S WILDFIRE DIVISION, SPECIFICALLY BATTALION FIVE, AND THE ASSETS THAT THEY HAVE, WHICH BENCHMARK VERY WELL AGAINST OTHER LEADING METRO AREAS THAT ALSO FACE SIMILAR HIGH RISK OF FIRE.
AND THEY'RE ALSO A LEADER IN TEXAS AND NATIONALLY IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS. AND WE'RE GREATLY THANKFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP THAT CHIEF SKOWRON IS HELPING LEAD AND MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
THAT DEPARTMENT IS ALSO GOING TO BE WORKING WITH THE TRAVIS COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS AND THE TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE AND THE TEXAS INTERSTATE MUTUAL FIRE AID SERVICE, TIFMAS, TO HELP BRING A RANGE OF CAPABILITIES THAT MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
AS FAR AS OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS EFFORT FOR PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE.
WE HAVE HERE JOINING US TODAY ON THE PANEL.
MISS LISA MARTIN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
LISA OVERSEES THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PROGRAM FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AND IS A CRITICAL PART HERE. I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS TAKING THIS QUITE SERIOUSLY AS SERIOUSLY AS ANY PUBLIC SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THE RESULTS OF THE UTILITY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS CURRENTLY PREPARING.
THANK YOU, LISA, FOR JOINING US.
SPEAKING OF OUR UTILITIES, AND WE'RE BLESSED HERE IN AUSTIN TO HAVE PUBLICLY OWNED UTILITIES.
ANOTHER MAJOR IMPORTANT UTILITY IS AUSTIN WATER.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT FIRE, WE DON'T TYPICALLY THINK ABOUT WATER, BUT AUSTIN WATER CURRENTLY OVERSEES ABOUT 5000 ACRES OF LAND IN TRAVIS AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES, AND IS A CRITICAL PLAYER IN TERMS OF HELPING MAKE THAT LAND SAFE AND REDUCE FIRE RISK THROUGH HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION PROGRAMS PRESCRIBED BURNS AND HABITAT CONSERVATION. WE'LL BE HEARING FROM JUSTIN BATES, DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION PROGRAM AT AUSTIN WATER.
ANOTHER PANELISTS THAT WE HAVE IS JUSTICE JONES.
JUSTICE SPENT HIS CAREER WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AS WILDFIRE MITIGATION OFFICER, AND ALSO WITH THE TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE.
JUSTICE IS NOW WITH THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL, WHERE HE DEVELOPS BUILDING CODES FOR WILDFIRE SAFETY.
AND I THINK JUSTIN IS A JUSTICE AS KIND OF THE WILLIE NELSON OF CODE COMPLIANCE.
HE IS AN UNPARALLELED LEADER THERE.
AND WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE, THANKS TO HIS LEADERSHIP IN AUSTIN, SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED GLOBALLY AND ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT COME OUT, WE SHOULD START TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADOPTING AND STICKING TO IN BUILDING IN AUSTIN. WE ALSO HAVE DOCTOR DESMAR WALKS FROM.
AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. SHE'S GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT SMOKE, THE IMPACTS OF SMOKE ON PUBLIC HEALTH.
AND I THINK IT'S PROBABLY TRUE THAT WE DON'T TALK ENOUGH ABOUT SMOKE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WILDFIRE. ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO IN RUSSIA IN 2010, THERE WERE TERRIBLE FIRES THAT RAGED ACROSS RUSSIA THAT ENDED UP BLANKETING MOSCOW AND SMOKE FOR ABOUT TWO WEEKS.
AND ESTIMATES ARE THAT ABOUT 50,000 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES DUE TO THAT SMOKE.
THAT'S THE KIND OF SCENARIO THAT I THINK WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HERE IN AUSTIN AND WHAT THAT MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
AND SO DOCTOR WALTZ AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH ARE A CRITICAL PLAYER HERE IN THIS WHOLE EQUATION. AND WE'RE GREATLY APPRECIATIVE FOR HER TAKING THE TIME TO JOIN US.
WITH THAT SAID, I'D LIKE TO HAND THIS OVER TO LUKE BALL, WILDFIRE MITIGATION OFFICER FROM THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WILDFIRE DIVISION, AND CORY HINES FROM THE TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE.
THEY'RE GOING TO DELIVER A PRESENTATION ON RISK IN AUSTIN AND SET THE STAGE FOR THE PANEL CONVERSATIONS THAT FOLLOW.
THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING, CARRIE HINES.
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I'M WITH TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE.I'M THE FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITIES COORDINATOR FOR THE STATE.
I ACTUALLY STARTED MY CAREER HERE AS A WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE SPECIALIST FOR TRAVIS AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES.
SO I HAVE SPENT THE MAJORITY OF MY WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS CAREER HERE LOCALLY.
YOU'LL HEAR FROM ME IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. YEAH. MY NAME IS LUKE BALL.
I'VE ALSO BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SPEND MY CAREER MOSTLY HERE IN TEXAS.
STARTED AT THE FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE SOME TIME WITH AUSTIN WATER, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND NOW I'M WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.
HAPPILY GETTING TO WORK IN MY IN MY HOMETOWN.
IT'S GOOD TO SEE A GOOD TURNOUT TODAY.
I'M SEEING SOME NEW FACES TOO.
SO HAPPY TO SEE THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK, AS FRED SAID. AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALL HERE, RIGHT? THE WILDFIRE HAPPENS IN THE WOODS, AND NOBODY SEES IT DOESN'T MATTER.
BUT ONCE WE START GETTING INVOLVED IN WILDFIRES, THAT'S WHERE WE START TO TAKE SOME CONCERN ABOUT IT, RIGHT? SO FIRE IN THIS AREA ALWAYS, ALWAYS BEEN HERE.
THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN FIRE IN CENTRAL TEXAS. A FIRE ADAPTED, YOU KNOW, AS FAR BACK AS AS YOU WANT TO GO.
IN MODERN HISTORY, THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN FIRE HERE.
IT'S BEEN NATURAL, CAUSED FIRES UP TO A POINT WHEN THE FIRE REGIME MAY HAVE CHANGED BY HUMAN CAUSED FIRES. THEN THE POST POST-COLUMBIAN FIRE REGIME HERE AS AS DIFFERENT GROUPS STARTED IMMIGRATING INTO THE AREA.
THERE'S A VERY LONG HISTORY OF FIRE HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
IT'S A FIRE ADAPTED LANDSCAPE.
SO THIS AREA, AS THEY SAY, IT'S NOT IF, BUT WHEN THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A THREAT. THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT WORKS HERE.
THE FIRE. THE FIRE IS GOING TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY ACROSS THIS LANDSCAPE.
FOR BEST VEGETATION HEALTH, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY IN THE PAST, BUT NOW YOU KNOW IT'S STILL WANTS TO BURN.
SO THE IDEA OF JUST, LET'S NOT HAVE ANY FIRES, LET'S PUT THEM ALL OUT. LET'S PREVENT THEM ALL. IT'S THAT'S PRETTY UNREALISTIC.
SO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS LIVE WITH FIRE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE OUR WILDFIRE RISK TO DO SO.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
DIFFERENT FACTORS. HOW OFTEN A FIRE COULD HAPPEN AND HOW INTENSE THAT FIRE COULD BE, HOW IMPACTFUL THAT FIRE COULD BE.
BECAUSE AGAIN, YOU MAY HAVE A HIGH RISK OF A FIRE HAPPENING VERY OFTEN, BUT THAT FIRE MAY NOT DISRUPT YOU, YOUR COMMUNITY OR ANYTHING THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT CAN'T RECOVER QUICKLY.
YOU ALWAYS WE'VE BEEN RECENTLY HEARING ABOUT AUSTIN BEING NUMBER FIVE IN FIRE RISK IN THE COUNTRY. RIGHT? PEOPLE HEAR THAT.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE RISKS ARE, HOW THESE ARE CALCULATED, AND FOR WHAT PURPOSES.
THAT NUMBER FIVE IN THE COUNTRY IS THAT AUSTIN IS THE WOULD HAVE THE FIFTH HIGHEST INSURANCE REPLACEMENT COST FOR STRUCTURE LOSS IN CASE OF A WORST CASE SCENARIO, FIRE. SO YES, IF AUSTIN HAD A FIRE IN HIGH FIRE DANGER AREA AT THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, THERE WOULD BE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF, OF OF ECONOMIC LOSS THERE AND A HUGE REPLACEMENT COST. AND THAT'S A FACTOR OF WHERE WE HAVE OUR WHERE WE HAVE OUR RESOURCES AND OUR HIGH FIRE RISK.
THEN THEY'RE COMBINED IN PARTS OF AUSTIN.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THESE, YOU KNOW, THESE MAPS HERE, YOU CAN'T REALLY READ THEM. BUT THESE ARE THREE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES OF HOW WE CAN GET RISK.
THERE'S THE LOCAL AUSTIN RISK MAP.
THERE'S THE STATE LEVEL AND THEN THERE'S THE NATIONAL RISK MAP. SO EACH ONE OF THESE, IF YOU GO LOOK AT THEM, LOOK YOUR ADDRESS UP OR SOMETHING, YOU MAY SEE SLIGHT DISCREPANCIES IN FIRE RISK.
BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE MAY ALSO INCORPORATE OTHER FACTORS TO HELP YOU DIAL IN YOUR RISK. THE LOCAL AUSTIN RISK MAP IS CONSIDERING THINGS LIKE STRUCTURE DENSITY, AND IT IS EXCLUDING THE AREAS WHERE FIRE IS NOT REALLY IN CONTACT WITH THE THE URBAN INTERFACE. OTHER FIRE MAPS ARE JUST GOING TO SHOW YOU THE RISK OF A FIRE HAPPENING IN THAT PLACE. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR RISK AND YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY, I'M IN A HIGH RISK AREA. WELL, THERE'S DIFFERENT WAYS TO CHARACTERIZE FIRE.
THERE'S DIFFERENT KIND OF FIRE BEHAVIOR WE CAN HAVE HERE. SO WE COULD HAVE A HIGH FREQUENCY, LOW INTENSITY FIRE.
THAT'S THE KIND OF THING YOU SEE IN THE GRASSLANDS OUTSIDE OF MAYBE ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE COUNTY. HISTORICALLY, THE GRASS WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY TO BURN.
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IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT COULD CATCH FIRE ON ALMOST ANY GIVEN DAY BURN QUICKLY AND YOU KNOW, VERY QUICKLY AND, AND FLASH ACROSS THE LAND, KEEP THAT AREA CLEAR FROM VEGETATION.YOU MIGHT HAVE A HIGH FREQUENCY, HIGH INTENSITY FIRE.
SO GET DOWN TO SOME OF THE RIVER BOTTOMS. YOU GET SOME OF THAT CANE BREAKS ALONG THE, THE RIVER BIG TALL PATCHES OF JOHNSON GRASS AND PLACES LIKE THAT. AND THEN AS YOU GET UP NORTH, AUSTIN AND THE GREAT PLAINS, THAT'S THE KIND OF PLACE WHERE YOU COULD HAVE A FIRE THAT'S GOT EXTREMELY LONG FLAME LENGTHS, EXTREMELY FAST MOVING GOES QUICK, GOES OUT QUICK, EASY TO START. THOSE COULD HAVE YOU KNOW, THEIR OWN CERTAIN KIND OF RISK.
THEY'RE A LOW FREQUENCY, LOW INTENSITY FIRE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T SEE THAT OFTEN, BUT OCCASIONALLY WE DO SEE A FIRE BURNING THROUGH THE UNDERGROWTH IN IN OUR SHADY FORESTS, PERHAPS ON A REALLY DRY SEASON, WE COULD HAVE LEAF LITTER AND FIRES THROUGH THERE, MOVE SLOWLY AND AND CAUSE VERY LITTLE IMPACT.
BUT THEN WHAT WE'RE REALLY WORRIED ABOUT HERE, AND WHAT HAS A GOOD POTENTIAL TO AFFECT US ACROSS THE COUNTY WOULD BE THESE LOW FREQUENCY, HIGH INTENSITY FIRES. THIS IS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO FIRE THAT WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR.
AND IT'S A CHALLENGE AT TIMES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR AND BE SERIOUS ABOUT THE RISK OF SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN, BUT WHEN IT DOES, IT COULD BE EXTREMELY IMPACTFUL TO A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE CITY.
THE LOW FREQUENCY, HIGH INTENSITY FIRES, THE KIND OF FIRE THAT'S GOING TO GENERATE THOSE EMBERS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE RISK FROM.
IT'S GOING TO GENERATE THAT AIR QUALITY IMPACTS.
IT COULD BE VERY DISRUPTIVE TO TRANSPORTATION, TO INFRASTRUCTURE AND TO OUR RESIDENCES, TO THE HOUSING STOCK.
SO THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, SLOW TO RECOVER.
BUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR OURSELVES IS MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE RESILIENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WE'VE HAD FIRES IN THIS AREA, THOSE LOW INTENSITY FREQUENCY FIRES.
WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THOSE, BUT WE HAVE SOME RECORDS OF HISTORIC FIRE ACTIVITY OUT HERE. 1903 MAJOR PORTION OF BURNET COUNTY BURNED OVER THE.
AT THE TIME THEY SAID $250,000 WORTH OF TIMBER WAS LOST IN THAT FIRE, WHICH IN 1903 IS A LOT OF FENCE POSTS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE TIMBER WAS THERE.
1925 THERE WAS A 10,000 ACRE FIRE IN DRIPPING SPRINGS.
WE'VE GOT SOME RECORDS ON THAT. 1948 BULL CREEK LARGE FIRE IN BULL CREEK 1959, THERE WAS A, ABOUT A 1500 ACRE, 1200 ACRE FIRE IN OAK HILL.
I ACTUALLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT UNTIL I TALKED TO A LONG TIME OAK HILL RESIDENT WHO TOLD ME WHEN SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL, THERE WAS A FIRE.
DADDY DROVE HER INTO THE CITY, WHICH WAS OAK HILL, AND DROPPED HER OFF AND WENT BACK OUT TO THE, TO THE RANCH AND THEN 1961, ALTHOUGH IT'S UNCLEAR, 61 OR 62 WAS THE WEST WEST BANK FIRE THAT BURNED FROM WESTLAKE HILLS OVER TO WILD BASIN. THAT'S WHY WESTLAKE HAS A FIRE DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'VE GOT THESE HISTORICAL RECORDS OF FIRE.
OF COURSE, WE'VE RECOVERED FROM ALL OF THESE, BUT IT'S NOT 1961 ANYMORE.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WE ARE ALWAYS CONSTANTLY REASSESSING THAT RISK.
WE MAY NOT HAVE FIRES THAT BURN 10,000 ACRES OUT IN OAK HILL ANYMORE BECAUSE THE LANDSCAPE IS FRAGMENTED BETWEEN HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS, ROADS GONE IN THERE.
THERE'S AGRICULTURE. THERE'S A LOT OF REASONS THAT THE AREA HAS BEEN FRAGMENTED.
SO THE SCALE OF THESE FIRES MAY CHANGE.
BUT THAT INTRODUCES A NEW RISK, A NEW IMPACT, BECAUSE BY BREAKING UP THAT LANDSCAPE, WE'VE ADDED MORE HUMAN CONSTRUCTION THERE.
SO WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY REASSESS THAT RISK.
AS THE WUI, THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CHANGES AS WE ENCROACH, AS WE AS WE SEE CHANGES IN LAND USE, AS WE SEE CHANGES IN CLIMATE.
WE NEED TO BE TRACKING RISK CONSTANTLY AND THEN INCORPORATING THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VALUES WE HAVE INTO THAT RISK ASSESSMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, HERE'S OUR 2026 OR 2000 AND 6 TO 2024 FIRE HISTORY.
YOU CAN SEE FIRE SCATTERED ALL ACROSS THE COUNTY. WE HAVE RISK ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTY. 2011 WAS OUR SEASON OF RECORD.
IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS THAT. I THINK SOME FOLKS DO MULTIPLE TIMES THE NUMBER OF, OF NORMAL FIRES. YOU KNOW, WE, WE CALCULATE RISK FOR AN AREA ON THOSE
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MAPS. WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT RISK ON A DAILY BASIS.EVERY FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTY IS MONITORING WILDFIRE RISK TO LOOK FOR THAT TYPE OF THAT TYPE OF DAY, THAT TYPE OF SEASON LIKE WE HAD IN 2011.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW ON LANDSCAPE.
THE THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS BECOME A HUGE METROPOLIS.
WE'RE NOT THE SMALL TOWN WE WERE ANYMORE.
AND WE ARE PERHAPS ONE OF THE LARGER CITIES THAT IS IN A FIRE ADAPTED LANDSCAPE LIKE THIS FOR VEGETATION. SO WE HAVE TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT IT.
AND I CREDIT MY TOWN PREDECESSORS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THIS TOWN FOR SETTING UP THE MECHANISMS TO DO THIS WORK PROACTIVELY LONG BEFORE IT WAS A, A CRISIS. THERE WAS SOME, THERE WAS SOME VISION THAT IT NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED. WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD ACTIVE WILDFIRE MITIGATION ACTIVITIES, PRESCRIBED BURN PROGRAMS WELL ESTABLISHED IN AUSTIN.
SO IN ORDER TO HAVE A FIRE, THOUGH, AS WE DISCUSSED THAT RISK OF THE LANDSCAPE, THE RISK OF FIRE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO WE HAVE TO HAVE CONDITIONS THAT ARE PROPER CORRECT FOR A WILDFIRE.
IF IT'S IN AN AREA WHERE THERE'S FUELS THAT FUEL AVAILABILITY, THE THE ARRANGEMENT, THE CONDITIONS THAT FUEL ARE ONE SIDE OF THAT TRIANGLE.
THE WEATHER IS SOMETHING WE CAN MONITOR AND THE TOPOGRAPHY.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS FIRE BEHAVIOR TRIANGLE, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT EVERY DAY FOR A DAILY FIRE RISK ASSESSMENT OR DAILY PROBABILITY OF FIRE THAT DAY. WHAT CAN WE CHANGE ON THIS TRIANGLE THOUGH? THAT'S THE QUESTION. WE CAN'T REALLY DO MUCH ABOUT WEATHER EXCEPT MONITOR.
IT CAN'T REALLY DO MUCH ABOUT TOPOGRAPHY BECAUSE WE CAN'T CUT DOWN THE HILLS.
THOSE FUELS, THOUGH, ARE SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS A FACTOR IN THE FIRE TRIANGLE THAT WE CAN THAT WE CAN AFFECT.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT YOU'LL HEAR DISCUSSION OF AND BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT LATER TODAY. THIS SLIDES IN HERE BECAUSE IT'S JUST KIND OF ILLUSTRATES WHAT WE'VE GOT AROUND AUSTIN AND WHO'S ACTUALLY DOING THIS WORK.
SO CITY OF AUSTIN, I KNOW IT'S HARD TO READ YOU KNOW, NEARLY 400,000 ACRES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND ABOUT HALF OF THAT IS OR MORE THAN HALF OF THAT IS DEVELOPED IN THIS AREA.
THERE ARE 66,000 ACRES IN ALL OF TRAVIS COUNTY THAT ARE IN RESOURCE CONSERVATION.
SO WE TALK ABOUT WE TALK ABOUT PRESERVES, GREENBELTS, PARKS. THAT'S ABOUT 66,000 OF THE 654,000 ACRES IN TRAVIS COUNTY ARE ACTUALLY IN IN PUBLIC LAND CONSERVATION.
SO IT'S COOL THAT OF THAT PERCENTAGE, THAT 10% OR SO.
WE'VE GOT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE AGENCIES THAT MANAGE A LARGE PORTION OF THAT IN THE ROOM HERE TODAY, BECAUSE THEY'RE TAKING THEIR WILDFIRE RISK SERIOUSLY.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT THE PUBLIC HERE WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT OTHER 90% OF THE LAND. SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S PART OF THE, THE SHARED RESPONSIBILITY FOR WILDFIRE MITIGATION WE'VE GOT HERE IN THIS AREA IS MAKE SURE IT HAS TO BE A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP. THERE'S NO WAY THE GOVERNMENT CAN DO THE TYPE OF WORK THAT REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE ALONE. IT HAS TO HAVE WE HAVE TO HAVE ENGAGEMENT FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DO SYMPOSIUMS LIKE THIS.
SO I'M GOING TO LET CARRIE TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL HAVE PANELS.
YOU CAN ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT. THANKS SO MUCH, LUKE. SO WE KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT RISK NOW THAN MAYBE WE DID BEFORE.
HOWEVER, I WOULD LIKE EVERYONE FOR A SECOND TO LOOK AROUND THE ROOM AT THEIR NEIGHBORS, IF YOU WOULD, AND NOTICE ARE THESE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE COME ACROSS BEFORE AT OTHER MEETINGS LIKE THIS? ARE THEY PROFESSIONALS THAT YOU HAVE WORKED WITH BEFORE? RIGHT. THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE PROBABLY MOST ENGAGED.
I THINK IT'S SAFE TO SAY, WHOEVER YOU ARE, WHETHER YOU'RE LIKE ME IN A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE, WHETHER YOU'RE A CONCERNED RESIDENT, WHETHER YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO I SEE YOU STARTED A NONPROFIT, THE ONLY ONE IN THE STATE RIGHT NOW THAT'S SOLELY DEALING WITH WILDFIRE.
WE ARE THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT WITH THIS MESSAGE, RIGHT? THE TRICK IS, HOW DO WE TAKE OUR CONCERN AND SHARE IT WITH THE REST OF THE
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PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE? WE KNOW FOR NOW 40 YEARS, WE'VE HAD RESEARCH THAT SHOW US WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO.AND WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A FEW AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE LATER TO DECREASE RISK, WHICH WE HAVE DEFINED BY LUKE THIS MORNING.
SO VERY OFTEN THIS CONCERN ABOUT WILDFIRE THAT WE HAVE.
LET'S TAKE A I MEAN, MY OWN HOUSE, GUYS, I HAVE ISSUES AT MY HOUSE THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT I COULD PROBABLY CHANGE THAT HAVE NOT REACHED YET MY RISK TOLERANCE.
RIGHT. IF THE STATE FIREWISE COORDINATOR FOR THE FOR THE FOR TEXAS HAS VEGETATION WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE FEET OF HER HOUSE.
RIGHT. I HAVE CONSTRUCTION FEATURES THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE UPDATED BECAUSE THERE'S SOME ROT AT THE BOTTOM AND IT'S WOOD.
SO HOW DO WE TAKE OUR CONCERNS AND THIS KNOWLEDGE, THIS 40 YEARS OF RESEARCH THAT WE KNOW CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S USUALLY BY PAIRING IT WITH OTHER THINGS, RIGHT? THAT'S THAT'S USUALLY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO. TAKING THESE AUDIENCES THAT LIVE IN THIS INTERSECTION BETWEEN WILDLAND FUELS ARE HISTORICALLY ADAPTED FOR WILDFIRE, NATURAL VEGETATION, AND AND THE INTERSECTION NOW OF THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF FIRES IN TEXAS. AND WHO'S THAT? WHO IS THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF FIRE IN TEXAS? ANYBODY? US. RIGHT. IT'S US.
SO WE HAVE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF FIRE.
WE HAVE IT IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THESE FUELS THAT ARE HISTORICALLY ADAPTED TO BURNING AT SOME LEVEL. RIGHT. WE HEARD THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF SEVERITY, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF INTENSITY.
SO WHAT THE HECK DO WE DO ABOUT THAT? WE NEED TWO THINGS. WE NEED ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND WE NEED COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.
YOU CAN HAVE MORE OF ONE OR THE OTHER DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF COMMUNITY YOU ARE.
IT MIGHT BE MORE NATURAL TO FALL ON ONE OF THESE SIDES VERSUS THE OTHER, BUT WE NEED BOTH THE PEOPLE TO COME ALONG FOR THE PARTY.
THAT'S YOU GUYS. YOU'RE YOU'RE OUR LOWEST HANGING FRUIT HERE.
AND WE NEED THE ABILITY, THE RESOURCES TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE.
SO WHAT YOU SAID 66,000 ACRES OUT OF ALMOST 600,000 ARE IN PUBLIC LAND.
THAT MEANS THE MAJORITY OF THE LAND ISN'T SOMETHING WE CAN DO ABOUT RIGHT.
IT'S PUBLIC PROPERTY OR PUBLIC PRIVATE PROPERTY.
EXCUSE ME. SO HOW ARE WE BUILDING WILDFIRE RESILIENCE IN AUSTIN? WE'VE HEARD ABOUT IT ALREADY. WE ARE BUILDING CAPACITY IN OUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS.
THAT MEANS THE TRAINING, THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, THE THE ACTUAL EQUIPMENT, THE FIRE TRUCKS.
AT TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE, WE GOT THE HEAVY EQUIPMENT.
WE HAVE CONTRACTS AND SOON TO BE AVIATION, RIGHT.
WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE IS GETTING OUR OWN AVIATION NO LONGER JUST ON CONTRACT.
SO THAT'S THE, THE ABILITY TO RESPOND, BUT THAT'S AFTER IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED.
WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING BEFORE COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS MEANS THAT RESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS ARE PREPARED FOR THAT WILDFIRE.
IT MEANS WHEN WE SAY FUEL MITIGATION, THAT'S THE VEGETATION WE'RE TRYING TO REPLICATE, THE NATURAL ROLE THAT FIRE WOULD HAVE PLAYED IN OUR ECOSYSTEMS. WHEN WE GO OUT AND DO SOME SORT OF VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, WHETHER THAT'S WITH MULCHERS, CHAINSAWS, PRESCRIBED FIRE, HERBICIDE, SOME SORT OF COMBINATION OF WE'RE DOING IT AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT IT'S A DROP IN THE BUCKET FOR WHAT OUR ECOSYSTEMS WOULD HAVE ONCE UPON A TIME LOOKED LIKE. AND OF COURSE, PUBLIC AWARENESS, RIGHT.
WE ARE ONE OF THE TOP THREE DISASTER STATES IN THE COUNTRY.
ANYBODY WANT TO GUESS THE OTHER ONES? CALIFORNIA. I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY IT.
FLORIDA, CALIFORNIA, TEXAS HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DECLARED DISASTERS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. WILDFIRE IS ONE OF THOSE.
WE GOT HURRICANES. WE GOT TORNADOES.
POCALYPSE WHAT? THAT'S THAT WAS A NEW ONE.
THAT WAS FUN. RIGHT? SO HOW HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT JUST WILDFIRE? THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HONESTLY.
THEY'RE NOT. WE'RE GOING TO PAIR IT WITH OTHER THINGS THAT THEY ALSO CARE ABOUT.
AND I WOULD LIKE YOU TO THINK WHAT THINGS THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THAT ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIORS AND HOW MAYBE WE CAN START TAKING THOSE THINGS, PAIRING THEM WITH WILDFIRE, AND ENCOURAGING BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
SO WHAT DOES THAT EFFECTIVE FIREFIGHTING LOOK LIKE? LUKE MENTIONED IT. WE ARE LOOKING ON A REGULAR BASIS ON WHAT CONDITIONS LOOK LIKE IN HOUSE. MEANS ARE WE PREPARED AND OUT OF HOUSE MEANS WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE TODAY? WE HAVE AT TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE.
WE ARE BLESSED TO HAVE A PHENOMENAL PREDICTIVE SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT TAKES VEGETATION CONDITIONS FROM AROUND THE STATE, COMPARES THAT AND ADDS INTO WHAT WEATHER CONDITIONS. AND WE GET DAILY MAPS THAT SHOW US WHERE FOR THAT DAY AND THE COMING DAYS,
[00:30:02]
AND FOR THE SEASON WHERE OUR HIGHEST FIRE DANGERS ARE GOING TO BE.THOSE MAPS ALSO EXIST AT A AT A NATIONWIDE LEVEL LIKE WE'RE SEEING HERE AT A MORE LOCAL LEVEL. YOU HAVE LAND MANAGERS WHO ARE LOOKING AT THE CAPACITY FOR RESPONSE IN THEIR OWN PUBLIC LANDS AREA. THAT'S THE OTHER MAP THAT WE SEE THERE THAT SAYS SOUTH LAKE AUSTIN MANAGEMENT UNIT. WE'RE SAYING, CAN A BULLDOZER GET IN THERE OR ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO USE SOMETHING ELSE? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO MAKE ENTRY TO THOSE LOCATIONS? WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FIRE IN THOSE LOCATIONS? AND WE'RE DOING PRE-PLANNING FOR THOSE PLOTS OF LAND.
TRAINING AND READINESS ACTUALLY TODAY.
REGIONAL FIRE CHIEF OR OR REGIONAL OPERATIONS CHIEF.
I SAID YOUR NAME WRONG FOR TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE TODAY.
WE HAVE SOME OF OUR RESPONDERS, TEXAS PARKS AND WILDLIFE RESPONDERS, LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS, COUNTY REPRESENTATIVES OUT AT BASTROP STATE PARK DOING A READINESS DRILL.
THAT'S THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WESTLAKE. I SAW TRENT EARLIER.
HEY, THERE. OH, YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF BRIAN. HI. WE WERE OUT WITH WESTLAKE HILLS EARLIER THIS YEAR, DOING SOME EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS RESPONSE, LOOKING AT AT EVACUATION PREPAREDNESS.
AND IF A FIRE HAPPENED IN THIS AREA, IT'S CALLED A SAND TABLE EVENT, RIGHT, WHERE WE'RE SIMULATING FIRE, BUT WE'RE JUST IN A CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS ROOM AND SAYING, HEY, CHIEF, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO IF A FIRE STARTS HERE AND NOW YOU HAVE A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT THAT CLOSED THIS ROAD, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT NOW? THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING ON A REGULAR BASIS AT YOUR LOCAL LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
AND OF COURSE, TRAINING YEAR ROUND. TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE HAS HAS CLASSES, HAS TWO ACADEMIES EVERY SINGLE YEAR WHERE PEOPLE FLOOD THROUGH AND GET THEIR TRAINING.
WHAT CAN YOU GUYS DO? RAISE YOUR HANDS IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS GRAPH BEFORE.
I, I, I WOULD HOPE THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
RIGHT. THE HOME IGNITION ZONE OR WHAT'S ALSO CALLED NOW THE IGNITION ZONE IN IN RECOGNITION THAT MORE THAN JUST HOMES ARE THE THINGS THAT MAYBE ARE AT RISK FROM WILDFIRES.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT WHO'S GOING TO SHOUT IT OUT.
THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA, THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA TO TAKE ACTION FIRST FIVE FEET. AND IT'S A COMBINATION.
THE STRUCTURE ITSELF, WE LOVE TALKING ABOUT THE VEGETATION AROUND OUR HOMES. WE CAN DO THAT.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE ACTIONABLE, RIGHT? WE CAN TAKE ACTION IN THAT AREA.
IT'S A LOT HARDER. IT'S A LOT MORE EXPENSIVE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO PREPARE THE STRUCTURE. SO THE STRUCTURE ITSELF AND THE FIRST FIVE FEET ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT AREAS THAT WE TAKE ACTION ON.
AND BY AND LARGE, THOSE ARE PLACES THAT UNLESS YOU LIVE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND YOU NOW HAVE A CODE THAT TELLS YOU WHAT TO DO IN SOME OF THOSE AREAS, BUT BUT BY AND LARGE, THESE ARE PRIVATELY OWNED, RIGHT? WE HAVE CONTROL OVER THOSE, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE.
SO YOU'RE MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO ANYWHERE THAT.
WHAT IS THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF STRUCTURE LOSS FROM FIRES? THANK YOU. I TOLD YOU, YOU GUYS KNEW WHAT YOU WERE DOING. YOU COULD COME UP HERE AND DO THIS PRESENTATION WITH ME.
EMBERS ARE THE THING THAT, UNFORTUNATELY, WE TEND TO IGNORE, RIGHT? THERE ARE THESE LITTLE PIECES OF BURNING MATERIAL THAT FLY AHEAD OF THE FIRE, THAT THAT LAND AND SLOWLY BUILD UP HEAT OVER TIME.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE ENTERING INTO OUR EVENTS THAT ARE GATHERING IN THE FIREWOOD PILES THAT ARE GETTING INTO THE MULCH THAT'S RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE BUSH, THAT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE WOODEN PRIVACY FENCE, THAT'S RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE EAVES RIGHT THERE. THESE STAIR STEPPING EFFECTS THAT HAPPEN THAT WE NOW KNOW ARE THE MAJOR CAUSE OF OF HOME LOSS.
OF COURSE, THE VIDEO THAT WAS PLAYING EARLIER, THE SPRING FIRE, WHEN WE WERE COMING IN THE ROOM, THAT WAS A CONTINUOUS FLAMING FRONT.
YOU HAD FROM NATURAL GRASS A HAY FIELD INTO A WOODEN FENCE LINE.
WOODEN FENCE LINE DIRECTLY TO HOME'S RIGHT, BUT EMBERS WERE CERTAINLY THERE.
BUT IT IS THAT STAIR STEPPING EFFECT.
WE WANT TO KEEP FIRE AS LOW TO THE GROUND AND AS SLOW MOVING AS POSSIBLE AS IT EXITS THE WILDLANDS AND APPROACHES OUR STRUCTURES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS ENTIRE CONCEPT IS BASED ON.
RAISE YOUR HANDS IF YOU'VE HAD A HOME IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT DONE AT YOUR HOUSE.
FABULOUS. LOVELY. TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS WE GOT PEOPLE WHO WILL DO IT.
LOOKING AT YOU GUYS. A HOME IGNITION ZONE OR A STRUCTURED IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT WILL GIVE YOU INDIVIDUALIZED INFORMATION ON SPECIFICS FOR YOUR PROPERTY.
YOU CAN GO AND YOU CAN READ ONLINE.
YOU CAN WATCH THE JACK COHEN VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE.
THOSE EXIST. BUT IF YOU WANT SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FOR YOUR PROPERTY, A STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT IS WHERE IT'S AT.
WE'LL GO WITH THERE. WE'VE HEARD ALREADY ABOUT, I'M GOING TO CALL IT VEGETATION OR FUEL MITIGATION.
IT'S A LOT OF THAT IS GOING TO BE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
[00:35:01]
LET'S RECOGNIZE THAT THAT'S EXPENSIVE.I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S SO MUCH EASIER TO SAY, LET'S DO VEGETATION MANAGEMENT THAN ACTUALLY GOING OUT AND COMPLETING IT.
RIGHT? IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BEING PART OF A FIREWISE SITE IS ALL ABOUT IS NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS, INSTEAD OF IT JUST BEING YOU OUT THERE WITH YOUR LITTLE HANDSAW TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WE CAN DO COMMUNITY WORKDAYS, AND WE CAN PARTNER WITH SOME LOCAL NONPROFITS OR BUSINESSES THAT NEED VOLUNTEER HOURS OR RIGHT THERE. THERE ARE WAYS OF COMPLETING THESE SORTS OF PROJECTS, AND I'M HOPING THAT YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHETHER IT BE YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS REACHING OUT TO US AT TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE, WE'RE LOOKING AT PREPLANNING THOSE EVENTS INSTEAD OF JUST LETTING VOLUNTEERS RUN WILD ON ON THE LAND, WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW GETTING SOME INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW WE CAN MAKE UP THOSE HOURS MEAN THE MOST, RIGHT? DOING SOME PRE-PLANNING ON WHAT ARE WE ACTUALLY TRYING TO COMPLETE? PRESCRIBED FIRE IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE.
HAS ANYBODY SEEN SMOKE COME UP AND THAT YOU KNEW IT WAS A PRESCRIBED FIRE IN TRAVIS COUNTY? A HANDFUL. OKAY.
DOES ANY DO YOU GUYS KNOW THAT WE DO PRESCRIBE FIRE ON A REGULAR BASIS? RAISE YOUR HANDS IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
MAYBE YOU JUST HAVEN'T SEEN THE SMOKE BEFORE THAT THAT MEANS WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB, RIGHT? IF THEY HAVEN'T SEEN THE SMOKE, BUT THEY KNOW THE FIRES ARE HAPPENING. WE KNOW THAT PRESCRIBED FIRE IS OF COURSE THE MOST HISTORICALLY ACCURATE.
AND LET'S BE HONEST, THE MOST INVESTMENT FRIENDLY WAY OF TREATING LARGE ACRES OF LAND.
LET'S ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT CAN BE SCARY, RIGHT? ABSOLUTELY. WHEN WE'RE PUTTING FIRE ON THE GROUND AS PRACTITIONERS, WE TAKE THAT EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY.
BUT IT IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF DOING VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND HABITAT PROTECTION AND AQUIFER PROTECTION IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S ALL I WANT TO SAY ON THAT ONE.
IT'S, IT'S PERSONALLY, IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE DAYS OF THE JOB.
IT'S ALWAYS A REALLY GOOD DAY.
AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY TRAINED BACKGROUND, BEING ABLE TO GO OUT THERE AND IMMEDIATELY SEE POSITIVE IMPACTS FROM THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. THAT'S A REWARDING DAY.
AND OF COURSE, THERE'S JUST PUBLIC AWARENESS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
RIGHT. YOU GUYS ARE HERE BECAUSE YOU DO KNOW.
HOW DO WE GET EVERYBODY ELSE TO KNOW? HOW DO WE GET OTHER PEOPLE TO CARE? WE WE DO SO MUCH OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, BUT IT'S VERY HARD TO GET PEOPLE IN THE ROOM IN TODAY'S DAY AND AGE, RIGHT? WE HAVE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE CARE ABOUT.
IT IS THE CONSTANT JOB OF PEOPLE LIKE LUKE AND I AND OUR PEERS AND OTHER STATE AGENCIES TO TRY TO GET THE BEST INFORMATION INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE KNOW THAT NEED IT. AND THAT'S DIFFICULT.
AND WE OFTEN LOOK AT OUR PARTNERS IN COMMUNITIES LIKE NON-PROFITS, LIKE OUR RESIDENT LEADERS OF FIREWISE SITES.
FOR ME, AT A STATE LEVEL, WORKING WITH MY PEERS AT LOCAL COMMUNITIES, HOW DO WE AMPLIFY OUR MESSAGES? HOW DO WE SAY THE SAME THING AT THE SAME TIME? OF COURSE, WE HAVE EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH MATERIAL.
WE HAVE A BLAZER. HE'S NEW, ISN'T HE? YEP. SO WE HAVE A BLAZER.
HE'S GOING TO BE YOUR MASCOT COMING UP SOON.
WE HAVE OUR FIRE DANGER SIGNS.
IF THOSE AREN'T UPDATED ON A REGULAR BASIS, PEOPLE START IGNORING THEM, RIGHT? EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS TRYING TO GET INFORMATION ON WHAT RISK LOOKS LIKE, BOTH ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS, SEASONAL BASIS, AND IN GENERAL INTO THE HANDS OF THE PEOPLE AND THEN GIVING THEM SOMETHING TO DO ABOUT IT, NOT JUST LEAVING PEOPLE WITH THE SCARY MESSAGE THAT WE HAVE POTENTIAL FOR WILDFIRE.
BUT WHAT CAN YOU DO? AND WITH WILDFIRE, WE HAVE SO MANY CHOICES.
SOMEBODY ONCE SAID TO ME THAT WILDFIRE IS THE ONLY NATURAL DISASTER THAT WE ASK OUR FIRST RESPONDERS TO STAND IN FRONT OF AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT.
WE DON'T ASK FIREFIGHTERS TO STAND IN FRONT OF A HURRICANE AND TELL IT TO STOP.
WE DO ASK OUR FIREFIGHTERS TO STAND IN FRONT OF WILDFIRES AND MAKE THEM STOP.
AND THAT'S DIFFICULT. AND OFTEN WE CANNOT.
THERE ARE DAYS WHERE I'VE GONE TO OPS BRIEFING IN THE MORNING, ESPECIALLY UP IN THE PANHANDLE.
HEY GUYS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 85 MILE PER HOUR WINDS TODAY AND GUSTS OF 90.
WE ARE NOT GETTING IN FRONT OF THAT FIRE.
WE NEED THE COMMUNITIES TO DO THINGS BEFOREHAND.
AND YOU GUYS ARE THE ONES WHO ARE MAKING IT HAPPEN IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE TASK OF GETTING EVERYBODY ELSE TO CARE A LITTLE.
ASK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CARRIE, AND THANK YOU, LUKE, FOR THAT WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
WE COULD, IF YOU'D LIKE TO. YEAH, WE COULD DO A FEW MINUTES OF QUESTION AND
[00:40:01]
ANSWER. CARRIE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE IT AWAY? I VOLUNTEERED MYSELF FOR Q AND A, SO IT'S FAIR THAT I HAVE TO HOLD THE MICROPHONE. NO QUESTIONS IS ALSO FINE.YES, MA'AM. I'LL REPEAT IT TO THE GROUP.
SOMETHING ABOUT SOMEBODY THAT COMES TO YOUR HOME.
YES. YES. HOW? HOW DO WE DO THAT? SO THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE GET SOMEBODY TO OUR STRUCTURE TO DO THAT IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT. AND OH IF ARE YOU IN AUSTIN CITY LIMITS BY CHANCE.
ONE ON ONE. OKAY. THOSE PEOPLE ARE BOTH IN THE ROOM TODAY.
SO CONTACTING WESTLAKE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND TRENT, WOULD YOU RAISE YOUR HAND? YOU'LL GET TRENT TO COME OUT IF YOUR TO YOUR FIRE OR TO YOUR PROPERTY IN WESTLAKE. SO CALL UP THAT THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT SAY, HEY, I WANT A WILDFIRE IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT AND IT'LL MAKE ITS WAY TO TRENT.
AND I THINK THERE'S THERE'S A SUBMISSION, WE HAVE A TABLE OUT IN THE LOBBY HERE WHERE YOU CAN PICK UP A FLIER THAT WILL GIVE YOU INFORMATION ON HOW TO REQUEST AN ASSESSMENT INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS.
SAY THAT AGAIN. OH, WHAT WHAT DO YOU NEED, A WILDFIRE ASSESSMENT.
WILDFIRE ASSESSMENT OR A STRUCTURE IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENT.
IF YOU SAY WILDFIRE, YOU'LL YOU'LL GET TO THE PEOPLE.
IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, YOU CAN CALL 311 AND THEY WILL ROUTE YOU THAT DIRECTION. YES, MA'AM.
WILDFIRE ASSESSMENT. YES, JOYCE.
I WAS NOT HEARING EVERYTHING YOU SAID, BUT AT ONE POINT YOU SUGGESTED PAIRING WILDFIRE CONCERNS WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT SOME OF THOSE SOMETHING ELSES MIGHT BE? SURE. REALLY GOOD QUESTION.
VERY OFTENTIMES WE'RE GETTING CALLED TO WE THE STATE, AND I'M SURE AT A LOCAL LEVEL AS WELL, SOMEBODY HAS BEEN CONCERNED ENOUGH ABOUT WILDFIRE. AND THEN WE GET INVITED LIKE TO AN HOA MEETING OR A ROTARY CLUB OR A GARDEN CLUB. AND WE TALK ABOUT WILDFIRE, A VERY AUDIENCE DEPENDENT.
OF COURSE, THE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT TO AN HOA MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN LIKE A MASTER NATURALIST GROUP.
THINGS THAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT WILDLIFE HABITAT, POLLINATOR HABITAT, DROUGHT RESILIENCY, FIRST RESPONDER SAFETY, FAMILY PROTECTION. SO WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP KEEP OUR.
THERE ARE SOME POPULATIONS THAT VERY MUCH CARE ABOUT SUPPORTING FIRST RESPONDERS.
COOL. YOU WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT? MAKE IT SO THEY HAVE A SAFER PLACE TO OPERATE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT WILDLIFE HABITAT? YOU REALLY LIKE LOOKING OUT THE DOOR AND SEEING DEER EVERYWHERE, RIGHT? WE GOT A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
THAT MEANS THEY NEED TO PREFERABLY NOT JUST BE EATING CORN ON A REGULAR BASIS, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT GREAT FOR THEM. THEY NEED NATURAL FORAGE.
HOW DO THEY GET NATURAL FORAGE WITH HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS? HOW CAN WE GET HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS? BY DOING THE THINGS THAT WILDFIRE HISTORICALLY WOULD HAVE DONE.
AND WE CAN REPLICATE THOSE THROUGH SOME SORT OF ECOSYSTEM APPROPRIATE LAND MANAGEMENT.
YES, SIR. ARE THE ARE THE PROPERTY INSURANCE COMPANIES? THE QUESTION IS WHAT SIGNALS ARE INSURANCE COMPANIES SENDING ABOUT WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS? I ANSWERED THIS QUESTION YESTERDAY FOR THE SENATE NATURAL RESOURCE SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING IN FREDERICKSBURG THAT WE HAD.
WHAT ARE INSURANCE COMPANIES DOING? FOR THE FIRST PART OF MY CAREER WITH THIS AGENCY? THERE WERE CARROTS THERE.
THERE WERE THINGS THAT PEOPLE COULD DO, AND THEY COULD TELL THEIR INSURANCE AGENT ABOUT THEM, AND THEY MIGHT GET A DISCOUNT, DISCOUNT, A REWARD. HERE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THE DIRECTION THAT THE INSURANCE AGENCIES ARE GOING IS LESS CARROT AND MORE STICK IF YOU DON'T DO THESE THINGS, YOU WILL GET A RATE INCREASE OR YOU WILL NOT GET RENEWED.
INSURANCE AGENCIES, OF COURSE, HAVE THEIR OWN RISK MAPPING.
LUKE SHOWED A SLIDE AT THE VERY BEGINNING WITH SOME OF THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ONES, WHETHER IT'S AUSTIN, TEXAS OR NATIONAL INSURANCE AGENCIES HAVE THEIR OWN PROPRIETARY RISK MAPPING. SO WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON OUR MAP MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN THAN WHAT YOU'RE BEING RANKED BY YOUR INSURANCE.
[00:45:01]
IN SOME STATES. THERE HAVE BEEN MANDATES BY STATE LEVEL POLITICIANS SAYING THAT THE INSURANCE AGENCIES HAVE TO HAVE RATE DIFFERENCES FOR CERTAIN ACTIONS.HOWEVER, IF IT HAPPENS IN ENOUGH, MAYBE OTHER PLACES IN THE COUNTRY, IT MIGHT JUST BECOME STANDARD OPERATING.
AND, AND I THINK WE'LL, WE'LL SEE THAT HAPPEN SOONER THAN LATER.
YES, SIR. YES, MA'AM. WE'RE HOPING TO DEDICATE THE NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING TO LOOKING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, INTO INSURANCE AND HOW TO WORK WITH THEM, AND HOW TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO WORK MORE WITH US.
AND, VICKY, WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND MORE ABOUT JOINING THOSE QUARTERLY AUSTIN AREA FIREWISE ALLIANCE MEETINGS? I'M GOING TO HAND YOU THE MICROPHONE.
WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND MORE ABOUT ALLIANCE MEETINGS? SURE. IF YOU JUST SEARCH ON YOUR FAVORITE SEARCH ENGINE FOR AUSTIN AREA FIREWISE ALLIANCE, YOU'LL FIND OUR WEB PAGE.
WE ARE GOING TO BE UPGRADING THAT SOON, SO STAND BY.
BUT YOU'LL FIND OUR PAGE RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY HOUSED ON THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT HUB.
VICKY, ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANT ME TO OFFER ON THAT? YOU CAN PICK UP A FLIER ON WHAT WE DO AND MORE INFORMATION AS JOYCE IS SHOWING YOU RIGHT THERE. AND SHE'S IN THAT VESTIBULE TABLE.
AND THERE WILL BE MORE OF THOSE ON THE TABLES OUTSIDE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE DO HAVE, THOSE PARKING VOUCHERS THAT WE PROMISED FOR SOMEONE AT THE TABLE OUTSIDE WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE THIS TO YOU IF YOU PARK TO THE GARAGE.
THANK YOU. VICKI. WE'LL DO ONE MORE QUESTION.
TRY TO KEEP YOU MOSTLY ON SCHEDULE.
YES, SIR. MY COLLEAGUE AND I ARE HERE FROM A.
GOOD QUESTION. SO A BRAND NEW FIRE SITE REGISTERED OR RECOGNIZED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR. WHAT ARE THE THE SITES THAT ARE DOING WELL? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? HOW DO THEY KEEP THAT MOMENTUM ENGAGED? THAT IS A VERY GOOD QUESTION. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO SEARCH MY BRAIN FOR A SECOND FOR A COHERENT STATEMENT. I THINK THE ONES THAT DO IT WELL.
ENGAGE IN POSITIVE COMMUNITY RELATIONS.
I THINK IT'S REALLY EASY TO USE FEAR TACTICS TO GET CLICK BAITY ENGAGEMENT.
BUT GIVING ACTIONABLE STEPS AND PROVIDING CONTINUOUS OPPORTUNITIES AND CONTINUOUS DOESN'T MEAN MONTHLY. IT COULD MEAN BI ANNUALLY, BUT, BUT OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE, ARE, ARE PAIRED WITH SOME SORT OF POSITIVE ENGAGEMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSIST EACH OTHER ARE THE ONES WHERE WE'RE SEEING REALLY GOOD REALLY GOOD CONTINUOUS ENGAGEMENT OVER TIME AND, AND BEING ABLE TO HELP EACH OTHER.
I'D LIKE TO CALL UP THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE FIRST PANEL TO COME TAKE A SEAT HERE AT THE TABLE. SO I'LL BRIEFLY DESCRIBE PROVIDE YOU ALL AN OVERVIEW OF THIS FIRST PANEL TOPIC.
THIS IS GOING TO BE ON WILDFIRE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.
IT WILL BE MODERATED BY MAYOR KIRK WATSON.
SO WHAT WE'VE JUST HEARD IS WILDFIRE RISK IS INCREASING ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS.
THIS PANEL IS GOING TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PREVENTION IS NOT ENOUGH, AND HOW OUR AGENCIES WILL COORDINATE TO PROTECT LIVES, COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC, MOVE RESOURCES, AND BEGIN RECOVERY. WE'RE GOING TO REAL QUICKLY WHILE THE PANELISTS ARE BEING SEATED.
I'LL JUST PROVIDE A RECAP HERE ON TOP OF THE INTRODUCTION PROVIDED BY CHIEF SKOWRON.
SO WE HAVE WITH US FROM THE TEXAS DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REGION EIGHT ASSISTANT CHIEF PAUL GUNNELS. WE HAVE.
FROM THE OAK HILL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, CHIEF J.J. WITTIG. AND WE HAVE FROM AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR JIM REDDICK.
THANK YOU, DIRECTOR REDDICK, FOR JOINING US. AND DOCTOR DESMAR WALTZ FROM AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH. THE PANEL WILL BE MODERATED BY MAYOR KIRK WATSON, WHO'S RIGHT BEHIND ME. WONDERFUL.
[00:50:01]
MAYOR WATSON'S BEEN IMMERSED IN PUBLIC POLICY IN BOTH LOCAL AND STATE GOVERNMENT IN TEXAS FOR THREE DECADES. HE WON HIS FIRST TERM AS AUSTIN MAYOR IN 1997, EARNING WIDE PRAISE FOR BRINGING TOGETHER POLITICAL FACTIONS AROUND TRANSFORMATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.IT WAS A LOT OF FUN. I REMEMBER IT WELL.
SINCE THEN, MAYOR WATSON HAS SERVED IN THE TEXAS SENATE AND THEN RETURNED AGAIN TO CITY HALL IN 2023 FOR A THIRD TERM AS MAYOR AFTER SERVING MORE THAN 13 YEARS IN THE SENATE, WHERE HE LED ON ISSUES SUCH AS PUBLIC EDUCATION, HEALTH CARE AND GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY.
AS MAYOR, MR. WATSON HAS BEEN LASER FOCUSED ON STABILIZING CITY HALL, MAKING SURE CITY SERVICES WORK FOR EVERYONE, AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY AUSTINITE CAN AFFORD TO MAKE LIFE IN OUR GREAT CITY THAT WE LOVE SO MUCH.
HE'S DEEPLY INVESTED IN MAKING SURE THIS COMMUNITY IS PREPARED FOR THE EVENT, MAKING SURE THE CITY CAN EFFECTIVELY RESPOND TO WILDFIRES, NATURAL DISASTERS, AND OTHER EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS.
AND I'D LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK MAYOR WATSON FOR CONVENING THIS AND ASKING THE SYMPOSIUM TO WORK WITH HIM AND HIS STAFF ON PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
TREMENDOUSLY HELPFUL. THANK YOU, MAYOR WATSON. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. APPRECIATE IT. I GOT TO STAND HERE IF THAT WORKS.
WELL, FIRST OFF, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS ON AND LETTING US BE A PART OF IT AND HELPING ORGANIZE THIS.
THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT, AND PART OF THE REASON I WANTED TO ACTUALLY BE A PART OF IT AND MAKE SURE WE WERE DOING IT IS BECAUSE I GET, AS YOU MIGHT GUESS, I FREQUENTLY GET ASKED, WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT? IT'S A LONG LIST. I DON'T SLEEP VERY MUCH JUST BECAUSE OF THAT, BUT ALWAYS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST IS WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS.
AND I MUST ADMIT, IT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KEEPS ME AWAKE.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT I WANT US TO ALL ADDRESS.
AND SO I WANT TO ALSO, NOT ONLY DO I SAY THANK YOU TO THOSE THAT HAVE HELPED ORGANIZE THIS, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF COUNTING ON YOU TO PARTICIPATE AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
BUT WE'RE ALSO COUNTING ON YOU TO BE THE LEADERS THAT HELP EDUCATE OTHERS SO THAT WE CAN SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT AND NOT BE AS FEARFUL.
SO WITH THAT, YOU'VE HEARD WE HAVE A WONDERFUL PANEL, AND WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO BE PRETTY CASUAL ABOUT THIS, BUT TRY TO ASK QUESTIONS THAT WILL GET US ROLLING ON WHY WE'RE HERE AND WHAT CAN BE DONE. AND I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH WE'RE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS. CENTRAL TEXAS. BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WILDFIRES, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I TALK TO THINK ABOUT WILDFIRES FROM THE STANDPOINT OF BEING A PROBLEM IN CALIFORNIA OR A PROBLEM IN COLORADO.
BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS WE'VE GOT THE TRAVIS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING AREAS THAT IT'S A REAL PROBLEM. SO, CHIEF KENNEDY, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU, WHY SHOULD PEOPLE, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, LIVING IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THIS? CHIEF KENNEDY ISN'T HERE.
SORRY. CHIEF GUNNELLS IS WHO I'M MEANT TO CALL ON.
YOU DO. GOOD. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY.
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO BE PART OF THIS IS THAT IT'S PROACTIVE.
YOU'RE SEEING THE LOCALS PUTTING SOMETHING TOGETHER THAT CAN START AT THE LOCAL LEVEL.
EVERY DISASTER STARTS LOCALLY AND IT'S GOING TO GO UP TO A LEVEL, ESCALATE TO WHAT IT NEEDS, AND THEN GO BACK DOWN.
THE IMPORTANCE OF IT IS IT HAS TO START WITH THE INDIVIDUALS HOMEOWNER.
THAT'S WHERE IT'S GOING TO ROOT IN.
IT'S KNOWING WHO'S EACH OTHER IS IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS KNOWING THE PLAYERS THAT ARE GOING TO SUPPORT AT YOUR LOCAL LEVEL, AS WELL AS YOUR STATE LEVEL AND HAVING ALL THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
I SEE THAT VERY IMPORTANT IN HAVING SUCCESS IN THIS PARTICULAR ADVENTURE THAT YOU'RE ON, RIGHT? YEAH. GOOD. WELL, THANK YOU AND DIRECTOR REDDICK, YOU'RE RELATIVELY NEW TO YOUR POSITION, BUT MAN, YOU HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND WE'RE ALL VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT. BUT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SPECIFIC RISK IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
SURE. WELL, FIRST, LET ME LET ME ARTICULATE THE FACT THAT, IT. YES, I AM RELATIVELY NEW.
I STARTED ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, AND I HAD A FULL HEAD OF GRAY OR A DARK HAIR BACK THEN. BUT I GET TO SERVE AS DIRECTOR OF AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT. BUT BY BY CODE, BY CODE FOR.
18 TEXAS LAW FOR. 18 THE MAYOR IS THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR.
AND HE'S BEEN FANTASTIC TO WORK WITH.
HE IS VERY PROACTIVE. HE DEFINITELY WANTS THE COMMUNITY TO BE INFORMED.
HE WANTS THE ORGANIZATION TO ESTABLISH UNITY OF EFFORT, WHETHER WE'RE DEALING WITH WILDFIRES, FLOODS, WINTER STORMS, WHEREVER.
IT'S ALL ABOUT BUILDING THAT TEAM.
AND YOU ARE A PART OF THAT TEAM.
SO EVERY PRESS CONFERENCE HE'S TALKING ABOUT, THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE ARE YOUR PLANS.
OUR WILDFIRE PLAN IS YOUR WILDFIRE PLAN, OUR PROTECTIVE ACTION PLAN IN TERMS OF
[00:55:03]
SHELTER IN PLACE OR EVACUATE.THAT'S YOUR PLAN. AND THEY'RE ALL AVAILABLE TO YOU.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS ALL ABOUT, IS MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THOSE RESOURCES, YOU KNOW WHERE TO GET INFORMATION, AND YOU CAN REPLACE WITH FACTS AND LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER AN INCIDENT.
SO THE NERD IN ME WILL SAY THAT WE HAVE A MITIGATION PLAN, A HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN THAT TALKS ABOUT THE HIGH PROBABILITY, HIGH IMPACT THREATS TO OUR COMMUNITY, NATURAL HAZARDS AND THE LIKE, AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN TRY TO DO TO MINIMIZE OR ELIMINATE THOSE THREATS ALTOGETHER. WE KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN A BEAUTIFUL AREA SURROUNDED BY TREES, RIGHT? GREENER THAN I EVER THOUGHT UNTIL I GOT HERE.
AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. BUT PART OF THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO THE WILDFIRE RISK.
IT'S NATURE IS GOING TO TAKE ITS COURSE.
THERE WILL BE FIRES, RIGHT? IT'S HOW DO WE RESPOND RESPONSIBLY? TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE SAVE LIFE, PROPERTY AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
THOSE ARE OUR TOP THREE PRIORITIES FOR ANY TYPE OF INCIDENT.
SO THE THREAT HERE OF WILDFIRE IS VERY REAL.
BUT ALSO IT'S EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AWARENESS OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO BE PREPARED NOT ONLY TO PROTECT OUR PROPERTIES, BUT HAVING YOUR KIT, BEING ABLE TO EVACUATE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE, MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS SO WE CAN HELP LET YOU KNOW IT'S TIME TO EVACUATE OR TIME TO GET READY TO EVACUATE. ALL OF THAT PLAYS INTO OUR PLANS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE AND RESPOND TO A DISASTER.
SO DID I ANSWER THE QUESTION? YEAH.
AND I THINK YOU DID. WE WE LIVE IN A PLACE THAT HAS A LOT OF FUEL.
YES, SIR. WE LIVE IN A PLACE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, IT'LL RAIN FOR A WHILE AND EVERYBODY WILL THINK, OH, THAT MAKES IT BETTER.
WE, WE'RE LESS RISK FOR WILDFIRE BECAUSE THE GROUND HAS BEEN DAMP AND WE HAVE RAIN.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS IT GROWS A LOT OF FUEL.
AND WE LIKE. WE ALL LIKE OUR PLANTS AROUND OUR HOUSES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO, SO YEAH, AND I APPRECIATE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE MITIGATION OF IT, CHIEF WITTIG, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT GROUPS HERE, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT CITY OF AUSTIN, WE'VE GOT STATE, WE'VE GOT ESD'S EMERGENCY SERVICES DISTRICTS.
AND YOU REPRESENT ONE OF THOSE.
WHY, WHY DO WE HAVE, WHY DO WE NEED ALL OF THAT? AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SIMPLE QUESTION, BUT WHAT IS THE COORDINATION THAT'S NEEDED IN ORDER FOR US TO DO THIS THE RIGHT WAY? YES, SIR. MR. MAYOR, THANK YOU. THE COORDINATION WE'RE WE'RE EXPERIENCING TODAY IS REALLY PHENOMENAL. BECAUSE IT IS NECESSARY.
THERE ARE JURISDICTION LINES, AND I'M SURE WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT THAT FIRES DON'T REALLY KNOW THOSE LINES REALLY.
THEY REALLY DON'T. THEY JUST KEEP YOU LEARN SOMETHING RIGHT THERE. THE FIRE DOESN'T STOP AT THE JURISDICTION LINE.
BUT THE GREAT THING IS, ESPECIALLY IN THIS AREA, WE WORK TOGETHER DAY IN AND DAY OUT ON ANY KIND OF EMERGENCY.
WE'RE RUNNING TOGETHER. I HOPE THAT'S NOT A FIRE ALARM.
WE'RE NOT JUMPING. YEAH, YEAH. GOOD, GOOD. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE SAFE. SO.
SO, MR. MAYOR, IT'S IT'S IT'S VITAL FOR US THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON A DAILY BASIS BECAUSE THE FIRE DOESN'T STOP.
THAT'S RIGHT. AND AND I'M GLAD YOU EMPHASIZED THAT THAT WE HAVE TO BE COORDINATED.
AND I'M REALLY VERY PROUD ABOUT THE LEVEL OF COORDINATION THAT WE HAVE.
I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION OF CHIEF GUNNELLS, AND I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO JIM FROM A FROM DIRECTOR REDDICK.
BUT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW SPECIFICALLY YOUR AGENCY IS ADDRESSING WILDFIRE RISK.
AND AND YOU'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT ALREADY.
DIRECTOR REDDICK BUT, BUT GIVE US A LITTLE SPECIFICITY.
AND LET ME JUST ALSO SAY THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS A REALLY GREAT RESOURCE FOR, FOR US.
CHIEF NIM KIDD IS I MEAN, HE'S JUST A GREAT LEADER.
BUT THANK GOODNESS WE HAVE YOU ALL DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
BUT TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW YOU PREPARE FOR FOR WILDFIRE READINESS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WILDFIRES OR DISASTER IN GENERAL, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND THAT ARE CONSTANTLY COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOCAL LEVEL, LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THAT CORE RELATIONSHIP.
BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT PREPARING PEOPLE IN TRAINING BEFORE THE INCIDENT, UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE BACKGROUND OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO DO RECOVERY LATER ON, MAYBE TO REFER THEM TO THE RIGHT STATE PARTNER TO GET EXTRA HELP AND EXPERTISE TO THE GROUND. BUT NOT ONLY THAT, TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, JUST FOR TODAY, WE HAVE 14 AIRCRAFT AND 49 BULLDOZERS THAT HAVE BEEN SEARCHED WITH, YOU KNOW, THE FOREST SERVICE AND SOME OF THEIR PREPARATION.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS CONSTANTLY MONITORING THE WEATHER'S THE EXTREME FIRE CONDITIONS WHERE IT MAY BE IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE WATCH AUSTIN AS WELL, BECAUSE WITHIN REGION EIGHT, AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULATED AREAS FOR THE REGION.
[01:00:01]
AND SO WE MONITOR IT. SO WE'RE ALWAYS SURGING RESOURCES.BUT UNIQUELY, A LOT OF TIMES YOU'LL HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES HERE AND YOU HAVE A LOT OF TRAINED PEOPLE THAT ARE ABLE TO HIT IT INITIALLY.
SO THAT INITIAL TIERED RESPONSE AND THEN YOU BACK UP WITH THE STATE.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE WE'LL BRING THOSE SURGES IN THERE.
AND THEN AFTER THE DISASTER OR THE MAJOR THING HAPPENS, THAT'S WHEN WE COME IN AND HELP GET THE RIGHT PLAYERS IN TO TALK ABOUT MITIGATION.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON WITH ALL ASPECTS OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. QUICKLY, BEFORE I GO TO DIRECTOR REDICK, WHAT CONCERNS YOU MOST ABOUT WILDFIRE RISK FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE AT THE STATE LEVEL, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE COORDINATION AT THE LOCAL LEVEL SO THAT WE'RE BEING TOLD EARLY WHEN SOMETHING'S GOING ON, WHEN WE START TO SEE SIGNS THAT THE CONDITIONS ARE CHANGING.
LUCKILY FOR OUR STATE PARTNERS WITH THE FOREST SERVICE, AND WE HAVE ONE OF OUR REPS HERE IN THE ROOM.
AND THE GOOD THING IS THEY COORDINATE WITH US TO LET US KNOW SOME OF THEIR CONCERNS.
AND WHENEVER THINGS START HAPPENING, WHERE WE START SEEING MORE, WE CALL UPTICK OF RESPONSES.
WE START TRYING TO SURGE MORE RESOURCES, AND WE STAGE THEM IN A PRESET AREA THAT CAN COME HELP ANY JURISDICTION WITHIN AN AREA THAT'S BEING COMPROMISED OR POTENTIALLY COULD BE COMPROMISED. SO WE DO A LOT OF THAT COORDINATION.
THAT IS THE TRICK, BEING PROACTIVE.
IF YOU'RE ON YOUR HEELS, YOU'RE ALREADY YOU'RE ALREADY GOING TO LOSE.
YOU GOT TO BE PROACTIVE IN EVERY ASPECT TO BE WIN TO WIN.
SO DIRECTOR REDDICK, YOU KIND OF TALKED ABOUT THAT.
SO LET ME ASK YOU TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT TWO QUESTIONS.
ONE IS WHAT ARE WE DOING TO BE PROACTIVE? AND SECOND WHAT FROM YOUR CONCERN, WHAT KEEPS YOU AWAKE AT NIGHT IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL WILDFIRE RISK? THANK YOU SIR. WELL, I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON TIM, WHO I AGREE IS JUST A FANTASTIC PARTNER.
AND AND, AND REALLY, THERE'S NO ONE AGENCY THAT HAS ALL THE RESOURCES THAT IT EVER NEEDS. SO WE HAVE TO RELY ON EACH OTHER, WHETHER WE'RE PUBLIC OR PRIVATE, NOT FOR PROFIT, HIGHER EDUCATION, MILITARY AND THE FAITH COMMUNITY.
OUR JOB IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IS TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, IDENTIFY WHO HAS WHAT RESOURCES, AND HOW THEY CAN BE LEVERAGED DURING A DISASTER. SO AGAIN, THE MANTRA IN PUBLIC SAFETY IS WE WANT TO DO THE GREATEST GOOD FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER. AND IN MY MIND, WE DO THAT IN MITIGATION.
IF WE CAN PREVENT THE DISASTER, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO FOR THOSE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T PREVENT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A PLAN TO RESPOND.
AND SO MAKING SURE THAT OUR PLANS ARE FULLY COMPREHENSIVE OF ALL THOSE DIFFERENT RESOURCES, I THINK THE MOST VISIBLE PART OF THE WILDFIRE RESPONSE IS, YOU KNOW, THE FOLKS IN THE UNIFORMS PUTTING THE WET STUFF ON THE HOT STUFF.
BUT WE ALSO NEED ASSISTANCE FROM PUBLIC WORKS TRANSPORTATION.
WE NEED ASSISTANCE FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL.
WE NEED FOLKS FROM THE RED CROSS OR OUR MASS CARE TEAM TO DO THE SHELTERING COMPONENT.
AND AS AS IT WAS MENTIONED, WE MAY NOT HAVE ALL THE RESOURCES AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, BUT WE KNOW WHERE TO GO FOR THE COUNTY, AND THEN WE GO UP TO THE STATE, AND IF NECESSARY, WE GO UP TO THE FEDERAL RESPONSE. AND THERE'S A MECHANISM WE USE CALLED THE INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM THAT BRINGS THAT ALL TOGETHER SO WE CAN HAVE THAT UNITY OF EFFORT.
SO WE CAN ACTUALLY RESPOND AND NOT REACT.
SO TO BE PROACTIVE, IT'S BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS AND PEOPLE OPERATE AT THE SPEED OF TRUST. SO WE ARE GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND THE PLANS AND HOW RELIABLE WE ARE AND THE TIMEFRAMES OF RESPONSE AND GETTING ALL THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE THOSE NOT ONLY IN OUR PLANS, BUT THEN WE TEST THE PLANS, WE TRAIN ON THOSE PLANS, WE EXERCISE.
SO THE, THE RESPONSE IS GOING TO BE AS EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE.
SIR. THAT'S GREAT. DOCTOR WALKS LET'S ASK YOU A QUESTION.
YOU'RE WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND YOU'RE THE AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR.
YOU'RE THE PERSON WE TURN TO FOR QUESTIONS RELATED TO HEALTH.
AND SO I WANT TO I WANT TO INCLUDE YOU IN THIS.
WHAT DOES AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH.
HOW DOES IT WORK WITH ITS PARTNERS TO BETTER SUPPORT COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE HIGH, THAT ARE AT A HIGHER RISK OF HARM DURING EMERGENCIES LIKE THIS? SO AS DIRECTOR REDDICK SAID WE HAVE TO WORK WITHIN THE INCIDENT COMMAND STRUCTURE AND PUBLIC HEALTH COVERS PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL SF EIGHT IN THAT STRUCTURE TO MANAGE THOSE CONCERNS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH HEALTH.
AND I THINK YOU'RE MOST FAMILIAR WITH AFF DURING THINGS LIKE DISEASE OUTBREAKS, BUT IN THE SITUATION OF A WILDFIRE, THERE'S ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS OF SMOKE, OF HAVING PEOPLE READY AND PREPARED BY HAVING EVENTS LIKE THIS WHERE WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE PLAN IS. THE PLAN OFTEN SOUNDS VERY NEBULOUS AND SECRETIVE AND IN MANY WAYS.
SO EVENTS LIKE THIS HELP YOU UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE AND IN THE
[01:05:02]
AUDIENCE THAT ARE PART OF THAT PLAN THAT HELPED TO KEEP THE COMMUNITY SAFE.BUT IN PUBLIC HEALTH, OUR FOCUS IS TO HELP THE POPULATION AND PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELVES BECOME AMBASSADORS AND ADVOCATES FOR GETTING PEOPLE PREPARED, KNOWING WHO YOUR NEIGHBORS ARE, GIVING THEM THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY CAN GET THE EMERGENCY KIT READY, MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THEIR MEDICINES, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR IMPORTANT PAPERS.
MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE A MASK AVAILABLE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR LOVED ONES, AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE EVACUATION ROUTES THAT THEY PREFERABLY AT LEAST TWO, SO THAT IF THEY ARE ASKED TO EVACUATE THAT THEY DO LIVING THROUGH THE BASTROP COMPLEX FIRE AND SERVING AS THE HEALTH AUTHORITY THERE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT ROBUST HEALTH SYSTEM, SO WE HAD TO RELY ON OUR STATE PARTNERS TO COME IN AND HELP WITH THOSE THINGS.
AS WE WERE BATTLING THAT FIRE WHICH WE WERE HOPING WAS A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EVENT, BUT SUBSEQUENTLY WE LEARNED THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE.
TEXAS WILL ALWAYS HAVE FIRES, AS HAS BEEN SAID.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT ALLIANCE FIRE ALLIANCE, FIRE WISE ALLIANCE CONTINUES THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE LEADERSHIP.
YEAH. MY FIRST BIG EXPERIENCE, BY THE WAY, WITH A MASSIVE WILDFIRE WAS THE BASTROP COMPLEX FIRE. IN FACT, I HAD BEEN RIDING A MOTORCYCLE OVER IN THE HILL COUNTRY AND THE WINDS WERE HORRIBLE.
I WAS TRYING TO GET HOME AND THE WINDS WERE HORRIBLE. AND I ACTUALLY PULLED MY MOTORCYCLE OVER THE SIDE OF THE ROAD THINKING, OKAY, BIG BOY, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NOW? THE WINDS ARE GOING TO KNOCK YOU OFF THIS MOTORCYCLE.
AND I CALLED PRETTY MUCH TO WHINE TO MY WIFE ABOUT, OH, I'M STUCK IN THE WIND.
AND SHE SAID, BASTROP COUNTY LOOKS LIKE IT'S BURNING DOWN.
AND I HAD JUST BEEN GIVEN BASTROP COUNTY AS PART OF REDISTRICTING THAT WAS IN MY SENATE DISTRICT. AND THERE WAS A LOT THAT WE LEARNED FROM THAT.
IN FACT, IT WAS DURING THAT PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE, WE STARTED REALLY WORKING BETTER AS A REGION.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT IS, I BELIEVE I'M ACCURATE WHEN I SAY THIS.
THE ONLY LARGE FIRE DEPARTMENT IN THE STATE OF TEXAS WHERE WE HAVE EVERYBODY TRAINED IN WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS.
SO IT'S AN EXAMPLE. BASTROP COMPLEX FIRE IS AN EXAMPLE OF WHERE WE LEARNED AND THEN EXPANDED. NOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
CHIEF WHITAKER, I WANT TO COME BACK TO YOU AND I WANT TO ASK YOU THE QUESTION BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW GOVERNMENT IS MOVING, HOW GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO BE PREPARED.
BUT AS IT'S ALREADY BEEN EXPRESSED, I CAME IN AND I HEARD SOME OF THE EXPRESSION, OF COURSE, THESE FOLKS ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THAT THEY PLAY A ROLE IN PREPAREDNESS. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU A QUESTION FROM A STANDPOINT OF, OF THE PREPAREDNESS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND AGENCIES.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THE GREATEST GAP RIGHT NOW TODAY BETWEEN WHAT THE AGENCIES AGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS? YES, SIR. I THINK WE'D PROBABLY HAVE TO SAY THERE'S JUST THAT GAP BETWEEN KNOWING WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING AND ACTUALLY DOING AND ACTUALLY DOING IT.
SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY GOOD TO KNOW WHAT TO DO, BUT WE HAVE TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP.
AND THAT'S THE KEY. ALSO, A VERY KEY TERM IS TO START.
WE HAVE TO BE WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE WHAT WE REALLY NEED, WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO BE.
SPEND ONE WEEKEND AND CHECK IT OFF YOUR LIST.
YOU DO NEED TO DO THAT STEP, BUT IT'S CONTINUAL WORK.
AND WHEN THE GENTLEMAN ASKED ABOUT, HEY, WE'RE WE'RE NEWLY FIREWISE RECOGNIZED, WHAT DO WE NEED TO KEEP DOING? THE TRUTH IS, THE WORK ALWAYS CONTINUES BECAUSE THE FUEL CONTINUES TO GROW.
THE THINGS CONTINUE TO MOVE IN NEXT DOOR THAT WHATEVER THE CASE IS, WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO REEVALUATE ALL THE TIME.
THE SAME THING WE'RE DOING ON A REACTIVE SIDE, WHEN WE'RE RESPONDING TO AN EMERGENCY, WE RESPOND TO A FIRE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME ACTION, AND THEN WE HAVE TO ADJUST BECAUSE NOW WE NEED TO SEE, OKAY, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO NEXT? THE FIRE REACTED THIS WAY.
WE'VE GOT A DIFFERENT MISSION NOW. WE HAVE TO ADJUST. THE SAME THING YOU'LL NEED TO BE DOING AT HOME. YOU TAKE THAT FIRST STEP.
NOW WHAT'S THE NEXT THING? AND THEN WHAT'S THE NEXT THING? SO JUST PUT THAT ON YOUR LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU JUST ALWAYS WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SO IT'S NOT A ONE AND DONE APPROACH.
SO SO WHERE IS THE BEST? IF I'M TRYING TO EDUCATE MYSELF AND EDUCATE MY FAMILY AND EDUCATE MY GRANDDAUGHTERS AND OTHERS ABOUT WHAT WE OUGHT TO BE, HOW WE OUGHT TO BE PREPARED, AND WHAT WE OUGHT TO DO IN THE HOUSE OR AROUND THE HOUSE.
[01:10:04]
WHAT'S THE BEST RESOURCE THAT YOU'D HAVE AS GO TO? I WOULD SAY THE BEST RESOURCE IS THE FIREWISE COMMUNITY.THE OTHER PIECE IS THE READY, SET, GO PROGRAM, WHICH YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN ON THE SCREEN AND PROBABLY MOST OF YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING PREPARED IN YOUR HOME STARTS THERE WITH UNDERSTANDING AND THINKING ABOUT YOUR PLAN, THEN PRACTICING IT AND THEN BEING READY TO IMPLEMENT IT WHEN IT'S TIME.
SO HE JUST USED THE PHRASE READY, SET, GO.
AND THAT IF YOU JUST DOESN'T TAKE A LOT OF THOUGHT, THAT SOUNDS PRETTY SIMPLE.
GET READY, GET SET, AND THEN BE PREPARED TO GO.
DOCTOR WALKS WAS TALKING ABOUT THE KIT AND HAVING WHAT WE'RE HAVING, THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD NEED IN A KIT, INCLUDING MASKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
ONE OF MY BIGGEST FEARS HAS ALWAYS BEEN PEOPLE THAT SLEEP IN HOUSES WHERE THE BEDROOMS ARE ALL UPSTAIRS, AND THEY MIGHT HAVE A BLOCKED STAIRWAY.
WHAT DO YOU DO TO PREPARE UNDER THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES? TO HAVE A LADDER THAT CAN GO OUT A WINDOW? THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
READY? SET. GO. SOUNDS SIMPLE, BUT DIRECTOR REDDICK, WHAT DOES IT REALLY MEAN? AND WHAT SHOULD THESE FOLKS TAKE HOME SO THAT THEY'RE READY, SET AND GO AND THAT THEY CAN COMMUNICATE IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND THEIR FRIENDS AND NEXT DOOR NEIGHBORS ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS? SURE. WELL, LET ME FIRST SAY THAT I HAVE A TEENAGE DAUGHTER WHO DOES SLEEP ON THE SECOND FLOOR, AND I AM NOT GOING TO PUT A LADDER AT HER WINDOW.
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO DO THAT.
WELL, THAT'S A DIFFERENT PANEL, RIGHT? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A DIFFERENT PANEL. YEAH. YEAH. SO SO ONE WE WOULD RECOMMEND GO TO READY READY CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG.
RIGHT. YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS IN AND AROUND YOUR PROPERTY INSIDE YOUR HOME AS WELL.
SO WHETHER IT'S WILDFIRE, WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED ABOUT DISASTER PREPAREDNESS IN GENERAL IS THERE.
ANOTHER PIECE IS GETTING TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE YOU ARE ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST RESPONDERS, THE FIRST FIRST RESPONDER.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE THE HELP UNTIL HELP ARRIVES.
SO AS LONG AS YOU ARE INFORMED AND KNOW WHAT TO DO, WHERE TO GO, THAT YOU'RE NOT TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT ON THE FLY DURING A VERY HECTIC SITUATION, YOU'RE GOING TO BE RELIABLE AND YOU WILL SAVE LIVES.
JUST CHECKING ON YOUR NEIGHBORS ON EXCESSIVE HEAT DAYS, CHECKING ON YOUR NEIGHBORS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE MORE VULNERABLE AMONG US. YOU COULD SAVE LIVES.
SO MAKING SURE THAT YOU WORK COLLECTIVELY AS A COMMUNITY, GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS LIKE WE USED TO BACK IN THE DAY.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF A LOT OF IT RIGHT THERE.
YOU'RE BUILDING, YOU'RE BUILDING YOUR MOST IMMEDIATE TEAM IN YOUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN THEY ARRIVE ON SCENE. YOU'RE GOING TO YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR KIT BECAUSE YOU'VE ALREADY LISTENED TO DOCTOR WALKS, WHO, BY THE WAY, I'M REALLY GLAD IS HERE BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ANY DISASTER THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PUBLIC HEALTH, A SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC HEALTH COMPONENT TO IT.
SO IT'S ALL ABOUT GETTING INFORMED YOURSELF, WORKING WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS, BUILDING THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, DOING AN ASSET INVENTORY OF WHAT EXISTS IN YOUR COMMUNITY, AND ALSO IDENTIFYING WHO AMONG YOU AS, AS, AS BEST AS YOU CAN, RIGHT? NOT SHARING MEDICAL INFORMATION OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT. BUT IF YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S AN ELDERLY NEIGHBOR HERE, OR IF YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMEONE WHO IS WHEELCHAIR BOUND HERE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO IDENTIFY AND LOOKING OUT FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT JUST NEED A LITTLE. THAT'S GREAT.
AND I'M GOING TO. YES, PLEASE, DOCTOR.
AND I'D JUST LIKE TO PUT A PLUG IN FOR GETTING REGISTERED FOR THE STEER PROGRAM.
I MYSELF WENT ONLINE LAST NIGHT TO REGISTER.
YOU GO TO THE WEBSITE AND YOU'LL FIND THE STEER REGISTRATION SITE.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY REGISTERED.
WE HAVE A HANDFUL THOUSAND OR SO.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE AT LEAST OVER 160,000 C MS RECIPIENTS HERE IN OUR COUNTY.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN GETTING PEOPLE ON THE STEER REGISTRY.
WHY AM I SAYING THAT? DESCRIBE WHAT THAT REGISTRY IS.
STEER STANDS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE REGISTRY.
AND IT IT ASKS QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT IS YOUR HEALTH STATUS? DO YOU HAVE HELP? DO YOU REQUIRE 24 OVER SEVEN CARE.
DO YOU NEED A WHEELCHAIR? OXYGEN. DO YOU HAVE PETS? AND WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT PETS, BUT PETS ARE A BIG DEAL.
I HAVE BIG PETS. I RAISE CATTLE DURING THE FIRE.
WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO TAKE OUR CATTLE.
THERE ARE SOME POCKETS OF OUR COUNTY WHERE PEOPLE ARE STILL RAISING CATTLE AND HAVE LIVESTOCK. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE PETS AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE THEIR PETS AT HOME. AND SO IF YOU REGISTER FOR STEER, THAT WILL HELP OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS KNOW
[01:15:05]
WHERE YOU ARE, IF YOU NEED HELP AND HOW TO HELP YOU.PART OF THE BIG PICTURE OF WHAT HAPPENS IN RESPONSE IS MAPPING WHERE THE IMPACTED AREAS ARE LIKELY TO BE. YOU HEARD CARRIE TALK ABOUT PREDICTIVE PREDICTIVE ANALYTICS PRIOR TO THE FIRE. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S ONGOING DURING THE DEVELOPING FIRE.
AND SO WE WITH THAT INFORMATION CAN TARGET WHERE WE'RE GOING TO HELP PEOPLE.
AND SO HAVING REGISTERED YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY AND ANYBODY THAT YOU NEED TO HELP WITH, THAT PROCESS IS GOING TO GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING US DO THE RESPONSE PIECE.
THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.
WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT PREPAREDNESS. WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT BEING PROACTIVE.
I LOVED THE PREVIOUS DISCUSSION, TALKING ABOUT HARDENING YOUR HOMES.
AND ONE OF THE STATISTICS THAT, THAT I THINK ABOUT ALL THE TIME IS THAT A LOT OF A LOT OF THE FIRE THAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOUR HOUSE IS NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THE PATH OF THE FLAMES.
IT'S THAT AN EMBER CAN TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, UP TO I'VE UP TO A MILE.
SO AN EMBER TRAVELS UP TO A MILE MILE, AND IT LANDS IN THE BUSHES THAT ARE RIGHT UP NEXT TO YOUR HOUSE OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE.
BEING PREPARED IN THAT WAY, AND AGAIN, GOING THROUGH ALL THIS, BUT WHAT DOCTOR WALKER WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT IS THERE ARE ALSO WAYS FOR YOU TO BE BETTER PREPARED. THE STEER REGISTRY IS IMPORTANT, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY THAT THAT MAYBE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR IS GO TO WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG. AND MY, MY SAGINAW, TEXAS ACCENT, THAT'S WARREN AS IN WARN, NOT AS IN THIS SUITS ALL WORN OUT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN I CAME IN TO OFFICE NOW, IT WAS A, IT WAS AN ICE STORM, BUT I THOUGHT THAT THE CITY WAS NOT WELL SET UP. IT WAS AN ICE STORM THAT HIT VERY EARLY AFTER I CAME INTO OFFICE AGAIN THIS TIME.
AND WE HAVE WE HAVE COMPLETELY REVAMPED THE WAY THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNICATES BECAUSE WE WANT YOU TO HAVE INFORMATION.
PEOPLE CAME UP TO ME IN RESTAURANTS AFTER THAT, THAT ICE STORM AND SAID I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING.
NOW PEOPLE COME UP TO ME AND SAY, MAN, I GOT LIKE THREE TEXTS THAT TOLD ME SOMETHING AND I'D RATHER THEM BE UPSET ABOUT THAT THAN THE OTHER WAY.
AND IT'S INTERESTING, THE STATE OF TEXAS, WHEN YOU COMPARE US TO OTHER STATES AND BENCHMARK US TO OTHER STATES, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS ONE OF THE LOWEST REGISTRATION RATES WHEN IT COMES TO THINGS LIKE WARNING SYSTEMS. LET'S NOT BE THAT WAY.
SO I WANT I JUST WANT TO LAY THAT OUT.
LET ME ASK I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU, CHIEF.
LET ME ASK FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
WHAT IF YOU COULD TELL THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM THE, THE TOP THREE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD WANT THEM TO DO TO BE PREPARED.
TELL ME WHAT THOSE THREE WOULD BE.
I THINK THE, I THINK THE FIRST THING YOU WANT TO DO IS BE EDUCATED ABOUT HOW YOU COULD BE IMPACTED BASED ON WHERE YOU LIVE, KNOWING YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S NUMBER ONE, KNOWING, KNOWING ABOUT THE SITUATION.
NUMBER TWO, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO RESPOND TO IT IF IT HAPPENS? SO WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE GOING TO BE? DO YOU HAVE A GO BAG? DO YOU? DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO? BUT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE AWARE.
NUMBER THREE IS, ARE YOU GETTING THE NOTIFICATIONS LIKE YOU TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, GETTING THE WARNINGS? ARE YOU ON THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT? ANYTHING THAT LETS YOU KNOW FROM THE LOCAL SOCIAL MEDIA OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OF THE CITIES, DO YOU GET THOSE UPDATES TO LET YOU KNOW A SITUATION IS GOING ON? ONCE YOU HEAR THE SITUATION, DON'T DOWNGRADE IT.
PAY ATTENTION. BE PROACTIVE IN THINKING ABOUT IT.
HOW IS IT GOING TO IMPACT YOU? IT CAN IMPACT A LOT OF WAYS.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET ABOUT THAT.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER YOU HAVE TO PROTECT YOURSELF FIRST.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A MINUTE TO GET RESOURCES TO YOU.
SO YOU GOT TO THINK ABOUT FOR YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY AND BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR, AS THEY TALKED ABOUT. THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE TOP THREE. THAT'S GREAT.
SO SO I'M GOING TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT.
AND THEN I'M GOING TO GO DOWN. I'M GOING TO ASK ALL OF YOU THIS SAME QUESTION. THOSE ARE THE THOSE ARE REALLY A GOOD THREE GENERAL, WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, CHIEF, WHEN FOLKS GO HOME BETWEEN NOW AND THEY GO TO BED TONIGHT, WHAT'S THE ONE THING THAT YOU WOULD MOST WANT THEM TO DO? HAVE THAT EVACUATION PLAN.
ALL RIGHT. SO START START ON THAT.
WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THAT, YOU HAVE TO BE READY TO TAKE ACTION.
YOU GOT TO GO. HOW ABOUT YOU, DIRECTOR REDDICK? YOU GOT SOMETHING DIFFERENT OR DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT.
[01:20:02]
OH I'M GOING TO EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU ALREADY SAID.MAKE SURE YOU'RE REGISTERED FOR WAR IN CENTRAL TEXAS. AND ALSO YOU DON'T TURN OFF THE ALERTS ON THE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM.
GO INTO YOUR SETTINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU EXPLAIN THAT IN DETAIL.
BECAUSE THE FIRST TIME I HEARD YOU SAY THAT, I HAD TO PULL OUT MY PHONE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING. DID YOU DO THAT? SURE. SO THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED IPAWS, THE INTEGRATED PUBLIC ALERT AND WARNING SYSTEM. RIGHT. IT ALLOWS US TO SEND A MESSAGE LIKE YOU SEE SCROLLING ON THE TV, THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM SCROLL, OR YOU HEAR IT ON THE RADIO AS WELL.
WHAT ALSO ALLOWS US TO, TO TAP YOUR NOT TAP YOUR PHONE.
OH MAN, THAT'S A HORRIBLE WORD TO REACH OUT AND TOUCH YOU ON YOUR PHONE.
VERY SIMILAR TO AMBER ALERTS, RIGHT? BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT TYPE OF ALERT.
SO IT'S INTENDED TO GET YOUR ATTENTION.
SO IF THERE'S AN INCIDENT AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING, IT'S INTENDED TO WAKE YOU UP TO GIVE YOU LIFE SAVING PROTECTIVE ACTION INFORMATION.
ONE WHO WE ARE THAT'S SENDING YOU THE MESSAGE, WHAT THE INCIDENT IS AND WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO RIGHT NOW.
NOT SO MUCH. TAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT, BUT WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ACTION RIGHT NOW.
IF THERE'S A WILDFIRE THAT YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF THAT NIGHT, AND WE NEED YOU TO EVACUATE AND WE HAVE.
READY, SET, GO. IT COULD START WITH GO RIGHT.
SO IT'S IF THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME, THERE'S READY, SET, GO. BUT THE TIME FRAME MAY NOT BE AS AS CONVENIENT.
SO MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE REGISTERED, YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO REGISTER FOR WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT. WE SEND IT OUT.
AND THEN FOLKS WITHIN A RADIUS THAT THAT WE ESTABLISH, OF COURSE, THERE'S GOING TO BE BLEED OVER AND THAT'LL GET BETTER AS TECHNOLOGY IMPROVES.
BUT THE INTENT IS YOU DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER FOR THIS.
WE NEED TO SEND YOU LIFE SAFETY INFORMATION AND WE NEED TO SEND IT NOW.
WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS, WE HAVE THE LICENSE TO TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION. SO WE MAY SEND YOU A LIFE SAFETY INFORMATION RIGHT HERE.
BUT OVER HERE USING WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS, WE MAY GIVE YOU INFORMATION LEADING UP TO THE EVENT, OR WE MAY TELL YOU THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A TEMPORARY ASSEMBLY POINT HERE, OR SOME LOCALITIES DON'T HAVE TEMPORARILY ASSEMBLY POINTS. THEY JUST SET UP A SHELTER.
SO WHATEVER THAT INFORMATION IS, IF WE'RE ASKING YOU TO EVACUATE, WE'RE LIKELY GOING TO TELL YOU WHERE TO GO AND WHAT SERVICES ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE SO WE CAN SEND ALL KINDS OF WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS INFORMATION TO.
TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE INFORMED THROUGHOUT THE INCIDENT, WHEREAS WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERT. THOSE ARE INTENDED TO BE LIFE SAFETY ONLY.
WE. WE WILL NOT SEND MULTIPLE WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS WITHIN A SMALL TIME FRAME BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT.
WE DON'T WANT FOLKS TO GET TIRED OF IT.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S USED SPECIFICALLY FOR LIFE SAVING ACTIONS.
YEAH. AND IN FACT, WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT WILDFIRE.
BUT RECENTLY WITH THE FLOODING, WE WE ACTUALLY WERE ON THE TELEPHONE WITH EACH OTHER MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT, DO YOU DO A WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS, OR DO YOU DO THE IPASS? BECAUSE THAT IS MORE OF LIKE AN AMBER ALERT AND AN IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY AS OPPOSED TO JUST PROVIDING WARNINGS AND INFORMATION.
SO HE'S TALKING ABOUT TWO VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
SO PLEASE MAKE THAT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO.
DOCTOR WALKS. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION. WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO BEFORE THEY GO TO BED TONIGHT.
SO BE READY, HAVE YOUR KIT, HAVE A PLAN.
AND WHEN YOU GET AN ALERT AND THEY SAY GO, GO.
ON THE RADIO YESTERDAY, I HEARD THEM INTERVIEWING A LADY IN ONE OF THE FIRE IMPACTED AREAS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY SAY THAT THEY WAITED AND DIDN'T LEAVE WHEN THEY HEARD THAT THEIR AREA WAS SUPPOSED TO BE EVACUATED.
AND I SAW THAT FIRSTHAND IN BASTROP.
AND WE LOST TWO PEOPLE TO FIRE AS A RESULT OF THEIR NOT TAKING THAT ALERT AND THAT GO EVACUATION ORDER SERIOUSLY.
AND SO AS MUCH AS WE CAN AS WE'RE GOING OUT FROM THIS PLACE TODAY TO TALK TO NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS ABOUT WHAT WE'VE HEARD PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT THEY GO WHEN THEY GET THAT ALERT THAT SAYS EVACUATE.
THAT'S ALL EVERYBODY. THAT'S GREAT ADVICE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT IS SUGGESTED BY WHAT DOCTOR WALKER JUST SAID IS I REALLY WISH THAT IN IN AUSTIN AND IN CENTRAL TEXAS, EVERYBODY WAS AWARE. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DREAM OF IS THAT PEOPLE LIKE YOU GO AND YOU GET YOUR HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS, YOU GET YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, YOU GET THEM ORGANIZED IN SUCH A WAY.
AND OF COURSE, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING. AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT CONTINUE THAT KIND OF WORK THAT THAT'S PUTTING ON A SYMPOSIUM LIKE THIS SO THAT WE PERMEATE ALL, ALL OF THE STREETS IN EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD SO THAT PEOPLE ARE AWARE AND THEY KNOW WHAT THESE, THESE, THE GENERALIZED THREE THINGS AND WHAT THE, THE INDIVIDUAL THING EVERYBODY OUGHT TO BE DOING BEFORE THEY GO TO BED AT NIGHT.
WHAT I'M GOING TO DO NOW IS I'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF QUESTIONS,
[01:25:02]
ASKING QUESTIONS, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT MAY HAVE GENERATED FROM Y'ALL. SO IF YOU'LL YES, RAISE YOUR HAND AND I'LL REPEAT YOUR QUESTION. INFORMATION WHEN YOU REGISTER.DOES THAT DATA GO TO THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENTS OR WHERE DOES THAT HAPPEN? SO THE STATE OF TEXAS MAINTAINS THAT.
AND THEN IT IS THE KEEPER OF THE INFORMATION FOR OUR JURISDICTION IS DIRECTOR REDDICK'S TEAM. AND WE HAVE BEEN MEETING REGULARLY TO COORDINATE OUR RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO DEPLOY THOSE RESOURCES IN THE EVENT THAT WE HAVE WHATEVER HAZARD IT IS THAT WE'RE MITIGATING AT THE TIME.
DO YOU WANT TO SPEAK MORE TO THAT? I'M JUST GOING TO MENTION THIS FROM A PERSONAL LEVEL.
MY, MY DAUGHTER, MY OLDEST DAUGHTER, WHO WE LOST TWO YEARS AGO WAS WHEELCHAIR BOUND. AND SHE HAD A LOT OF MEDICAL ISSUES.
AND THROUGH HER, I MET A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS THAT HAD, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS QUOTE UNQUOTE VULNERABILITIES, WHEN IN FACT, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME OF THE MOST RESILIENT PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET.
BUT ALL THIS TO SAY I TAKE THIS REALLY SERIOUSLY.
I LOOK OUT FOR THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO MIGHT NEED A LITTLE HELP.
AND THEY ARE, THEY ARE INCLUDED IN OUR PLANS.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STEER REGISTRY, WE USE THE STEER REGISTRY.
WE DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO ALERT FOLKS AHEAD OF THE DISASTER AND FOLLOWING UP AFTER THE DISASTER. YOU HAVE MY PERSONAL COMMITMENT AND THAT WAS THE COMMITMENT I MADE TO MY DAUGHTER, KAYLA GRACE.
WHEN, WHEN SHE PASSED SHE MADE ME A BETTER DAD, BUT SHE ALSO MADE ME A BETTER EMERGENCY MANAGER BECAUSE I WAS EXPOSED TO POPULATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT OTHERWISE HAD NO IDEA EXISTED BEFORE.
SO OUR PLANS ARE INTENDED TO MEET OR ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OF EVERYBODY.
SO. GOOD. GOOD. BROTHER BOWEN.
AND THEN I'LL COME BACK TO THE BACK. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO FIND HOW TO GET TO YOUR REGISTRATION? GOOD, GOOD.
DID YOU HEAR THE QUESTION? WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO GET TO STEER? YOU CAN GO TO THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WEBSITE AND TYPE IN STEER REGISTRATION, AND THAT WILL GET YOU THERE.
AND THERE'S NO IRONY TO THE FACT THAT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS HOUSED IN PART OF THE TEXAS A&M SYSTEM HAS SOMETHING CALLED STEER.
IT'S JUST THERE'S NO IRONY THERE, AND I WON'T POINT THAT OUT.
YEAH. IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM, THE GUY WITH THE LONGHORNS UP IN THE GOT GOT HIS HORNS UP. MY NAME IS KEVIN PHILLIPS, AND I LIVE OUT IN STEINER RANCH.
YES. I LIVED IN THE SECTION THAT WE LOST.
OH, MY. WE GOT A VIBRANT FIREWISE PROGRAM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS AND EVEN. WE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH HOMEOWNER ENGAGEMENT, GETTING THEM TO BE READY, SET TO GO.
MY INSURANCE COMPANY EARNED $132 BILLION LAST YEAR.
I WON'T SAY THE NAME. WE CAN ASK ME AFTERWARDS.
THEY ARE CANCELING POLICIES IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WHICH COVER PEOPLE.
WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO ENCOURAGE HOMEOWNERS TO DO STRUCTURAL HARDENING AND BE READY? STATE AND MAYOR WATSON, MAYBE YOU CAN ADDRESS THAT WITH YOUR ADVOCACY. WELL, AS THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER POINTED OUT, IT'S REALLY SHIFTED. IT USED TO BE A CARROT, AND THEY USED TO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DID THE RIGHT THINGS, YOU PAID LESS MONEY FOR YOUR INSURANCE.
WE'VE SEEN A MAJOR SHIFT OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAVE YOU MONEY.
WE JUST MAY CANCEL YOU IF YOU DON'T DO CERTAIN THINGS.
AND THAT IS THAT, THAT IN A NUTSHELL, THE WAY SHE SAID THAT BEFORE THIS PANEL GOT UP HERE, THAT IN A NUTSHELL, IS REALLY WHAT IS HAPPENING AND WHAT WHAT I THEN HEAR, FRANKLY, FROM A LOT OF FOLKS IS HOW UPSET THEY ARE ABOUT THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY DOING THOSE THINGS.
BUT THERE IS THERE IS AN INCENTIVE BUILT IN.
IT'S A NEGATIVE INCENTIVE, BUT THERE'S AN INCENTIVE BUILT IN THERE.
YOU MAY NOT SAVE MONEY, BUT YOU MAY HAVE THE INSURANCE YOU'RE GOING TO NEED IF SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS. DOES ANYBODY WANT TO ADD TO TO WHAT I JUST SAID.
ANYBODY GOT ANYTHING YOU WANT? YEAH, PLEASE.
I THINK I WOULD AGREE WITH WHAT THE MAYOR JUST SAID.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT HASN'T STARTED AT THE GRASSROOTS AND DEVELOP UP AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL TO HAVE THE BIGGEST IMPACT.
WAITING FOR GOVERNMENT TO ALWAYS INTERACT ON THAT SOMETIMES DOESN'T HELP AS MUCH, BUT HAVING THE LOCALS WORKING TOGETHER FOR THE SAME CAUSE TO MAKE A BIGGER DIFFERENCE.
[01:30:04]
I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. AND BY THE WAY, I NOTICED THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL LANE, WHO IS, HAS JUST JOINED US, SHE'S ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL NOW AND REPRESENTS DISTRICT SIX, WHICH IS UP NORTHWEST AND IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY.SO I APPRECIATE YOUR BEING HERE.
OTHER QUESTIONS? OTHER QUESTIONS.
YES, PLEASE. I'LL GO. I'LL GO WITH YOU, MA'AM, AND THEN I'LL COME TO YOU. OKAY.
THAT'S. EARSTEAR. I WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE SOME KIND OF A MAP FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR YOUR AREA TO GO? LIKE, WHAT ROLE SHOULD YOU BE TAKING? STUFF LIKE THAT. I LIVE IN A DEAD END STREET.
YEAH, WELL, DON'T GO THAT DIRECTION NOW.
SO SO I'M GOING TO LET I'M GOING TO LET THE EXPERTS ANSWER THAT.
BUT I ASK A VERY SIMILAR QUESTION ONCE TO THE DIRECTOR BECAUSE I WAS SAYING, SHOULDN'T WE BE INFORMING PEOPLE ON WHERE THEY OUGHT TO GO? AND THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS MY INSTINCT TOO.
AND HIS RESPONSE WAS A REALLY GOOD RESPONSE AND CAUSED ME TO GO, OH YEAH, OF COURSE, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FIRE IS GOING TO BE, SO WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO TELL YOU IN ADVANCE WHERE YOU SHOULD GO, BUT THAT'S PART OF THE REASON TO HAVE THE WARNING SYSTEMS DIRECTOR.
DO YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? YEAH, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT, SIR.
THE INCIDENT COMMANDER ON SCENE IS GOING TO DETERMINE WHERE FOLKS NEED TO GO BASED ON WHERE THE FIRE IS, WHERE IT'S SPREADING THE, YOU KNOW, THE WIND SPEEDS AND EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
I'M NOT A FIREFIGHTER, SO I'LL DEFER TO THOSE EXPERTS, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ASSIST IN THE EVACUATING ORDERS.
BUT IT'S ALL GOING TO COME FROM FROM WHERE WHAT THEY'VE ESTABLISHED ON SCENE TO BE THE MOST, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATE WAY TO, TO GO.
YEAH. YOU ALL WANT TO ADD TO THAT? YES, SIR.
WHAT I'D ALSO ADD IS YOU'RE THE YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S THE MOST FAMILIAR WITH YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THE MOST FAMILIAR WITH YOUR LOCAL STREETS.
SO HAVE THAT AS PART OF YOUR PLAN.
HOW DO YOU GET OUT THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD DO IN YOUR HOME IF YOU CAN'T GET OUT THE FRONT DOOR, HOW ELSE DO YOU GET OUT OF YOUR HOME? THE SAME THING FOR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE RIGHT TURN THAT YOU USUALLY TAKE, CAN YOU TAKE A LEFT TURN AND GET OUT ANOTHER WAY? SO IT BECOMES VERY IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS AHEAD OF TIME, BECAUSE ABSOLUTELY, THE WEATHER IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. THE TOPOGRAPHY WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE. WHERE'S THE FIRE GOING? HOW LARGE IS IT? HOW MANY RESOURCES DO WE ALREADY HAVE CLOGGING THE STREETS UP AS WELL? SO REALLY THE MAIN WORD IS FLEXIBILITY.
SO I'D LIKE TO SAY WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE BEING GIVEN A DIRECTIVE TO YOU NEED TO EVACUATE, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME KIND OF INDICATOR WHICH WAY YOU SHOULD GO AND JUST FOLLOW THAT. BUT KNOW THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO ALWAYS BE THE SAME EVERY DAY.
SO YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO BE VERY FLEXIBLE AND LISTENING TO WHAT THE THE WARNING ALERTS ARE TELLING YOU, TELLING YOU WHAT THE PEOPLE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ARE TELLING YOU. IF THERE'S SOMEONE DIRECTING TRAFFIC, LET'S, LET'S GO AND DO THAT.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO WRAP IT UP. I JUST WANT TO ADD THOUGH, SORRY THAT IF YOU'RE NOT BEING TOLD TO GO AND YOU'RE BEING TOLD TO SHELTER IN PLACE IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF SMOKE IN THE AIR, A LOT OF PARTICULATE MATTER THAT CAN AFFECT YOUR LUNGS.
AND REALLY FINE PARTICLES CAN DO THINGS, ESPECIALLY TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE HEART OR LUNG CONDITIONS TO AFFECT THEIR HEART AS WELL.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT YOU TURN YOUR AIR CONDITIONING ON TO A RECYCLED MODE.
CLOSE YOUR WINDOWS HAVE MASKS AVAILABLE.
AND IF YOU HAVE AN AIR PURIFYING SYSTEM TO FIND A ROOM WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO SHELTER AND HAVE THAT GOING AS WELL, UNTIL YOU GET INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ON WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE TO DO AND WHETHER YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE AT THAT PARTICULAR TIME. GOOD, GOOD, GOOD.
WE'RE WE'RE OUT OF TIME FOR THIS PANEL, AND I WANT TO KEEP EVERYBODY ON SCHEDULE.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS, WHO REPRESENTS SOUTHWEST AUSTIN AND THAT AREA, THE OAK HILL AREA, WHICH THE CHIEF KNOWS IS ALSO HERE WITH US.
AND I APPRECIATE BOTH THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS COMING BY. LET'S GIVE A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO NOT THIS PANEL, NOT ONLY FOR TODAY, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE THEY PROVIDE AND THE LEADERSHIP THEY PROVIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY ALL THE TIME.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE, THE FOLKS THAT HAVE HELPED PUT THIS TOGETHER FOR US. THEY'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR LIVES.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE AND BEING A PART OF THIS, AND WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WITH THIS INFORMATION TO HELP KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND THANK YOU.
[01:35:08]
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRING A FEW OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS UP WHO HAVE BEEN SO SUPPORTIVE OF OUR EFFORTS HERE.COUNCIL MEMBER LANE, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS.
DO WE STILL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER DUCHIN IN CHAMBERS? OKAY. COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? SURE. I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH TIME BECAUSE I APPRECIATE FOLKS THAT ARE PROMPT AND TRYING TO KEEP TO THEIR TIME LIMIT, SO I'LL DO THE SAME MYSELF. BUT I'M AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER PAIGE ELLIS, AND I'M FORTUNATE TO GET TO REPRESENT SOUTHWEST AUSTIN, WHICH DOES INCLUDE OAK HILL.
WE HAVE A LOT OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT WERE BUILT WITH A DESIGN THAT DOESN'T HAVE A LOT OF INGRESS AND EGRESS.
AND SO BEING FIREWISE, BEING MINDFUL OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF A FIRE WERE TO OCCUR IN A NEIGHBORHOOD IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ALMOST EVERY DAY, SO WE KNOW THAT IT'S AT TOP OF MIND.
CERTAINLY WANT TO VOICE MY APPRECIATION FOR THE FIRST RESPONDERS THAT DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES ALL THE TIME AND TRY TO HELP PREVENT CATASTROPHES, BUT ALSO TO NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS, BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ONES THAT THE FOLKS WHO LIVE NEARBY, YOU ARE GOING TO REACH OUT TO WHEN THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
SO IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING ATTENTION AND HELPING FOLKS THINK THROUGH THOSE ISSUES BEFORE SOMETHING BECOMES A DISASTER.
AND THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BEING FIREWISE.
HI. SO I'M, I'M CRYSTAL AND I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX ON AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL, WHICH IS THE FAR NORTHERN SUBURBS AND NORTHWEST.
SO IF YOU THINK OF FROM CANYON CREEK ON 620 ALL THE WAY OVER TO AVERY RANCH AND THEN HEADED SOUTH TO THE ARBORETUM.
SO WE ARE SANDWICHED BETWEEN THE STEINER RANCH FIRES AND THE AVERY RANCH FIRES.
WILDFIRE RISK IS DEFINITELY TOP OF MIND IN OUR AREA.
WE. WE INCLUDE THE AREA THAT SURROUNDS OLD SPICEWOOD SPRINGS BETWEEN OLD LAMPASAS TRAIL AND 360, AND I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND BOTH THE STAFF AND COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS FOR THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE. ON WORKING ON PLANNING FOR PREPAREDNESS, NOT JUST AT OUR HOMES, BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT THE BALCONES CANYONLANDS PRESERVE. AND I, YOU KNOW, I BRING THE POSITION OF NORTHWEST AUSTIN AS WE THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING FROM WILDFIRE RISK AND VEGETATION PREPAREDNESS TO EVACUATION ROUTES. AND HOW WOULD WE DO THESE PHASED EVACUATIONS ON A ROAD LIKE 620, WHERE SO MANY SUBDIVISIONS ONLY HAVE ONE WAY IN AND OUT? SO I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE IN ALL OF YOUR COMPANY BECAUSE AS COUNCILMEMBER ELLIS SAID, THERE IS NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN SO MANY PEOPLE TAKING NOTICE OF THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE AND WORKING TOGETHER ON IT.
I'LL BE AROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES IF ANYONE WANTS TO CHAT OR DISTRICT SIX OFFICE.
GREATLY APPRECIATED. AS I SAID EARLIER IN THE INTRODUCTION HERE, THIS IS THE LINCHPIN IN TERMS OF COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE CAPABILITY, IS HAVING ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO UNDERSTAND THE ISSUES, WHO ARE CONVERSANT LIKE COUNCIL, MEMBERS, ELLIS AND LANE ARE, AND WHO PROVIDE THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND TO BOTH SUPPRESSION AND FOR COMMUNITY PREPAREDNESS.
IT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD. I'VE WORKED WITH COMMUNITIES WHERE YOU DON'T HAVE THAT ENGAGEMENT OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND THE DIFFERENCE IS PALPABLE.
SO THANK YOU BOTH. I'D LIKE TO CALL OUR PANELISTS UP FOR THE SECOND PANEL.
OH ALL RIGHT. GREAT. WE GOT THOSE TABLE TENTS OUT.
AND SO WHILE THEY'RE COMING UP, I'LL JUST QUICKLY RECAP WHO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE. WE'LL HAVE JUSTICE JONES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL.
JUSTICE ALSO SPENT A GOOD PART OF HIS CAREER WITH THE TEXAS A&M FOREST SERVICE AND ALSO WITH THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, AND PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN HELPING ESTABLISH FIREWISE COMMUNITIES HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND GET SOME OF OUR FIRE ADAPTED COMMUNITY PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED. WE'VE GOT LISA MARTIN, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AT AUSTIN ENERGY, WHO OVERSEES THE WILDFIRE MITIGATION PROGRAM FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, A CRITICAL ROLE THERE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
JUSTIN BATES, THE DIRECTOR OF THE WILDLAND CONSERVATION DIVISION FOR AUSTIN WATER, CHIEF DAVID SKOWRON OF THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT WILDFIRE DIVISION, AND MR. JOHN W GAIL OF PANO AI.
AND I WAS REMISS. WHERE'S JOHN? OH, THERE HE IS. HELLO, JOHN.
GREAT TO MEET YOU. I WAS REMISS IN NOT INTRODUCING JOHN EARLIER DURING MY INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. SO JOHN'S THE DIRECTOR OF U.S.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS FOR PIANO AI, WHICH IS A VERY IMPORTANT TECHNOLOGY THAT'S DOING VERY IMPORTANT THINGS.
AND JOHN ALSO SPENT A GOOD PART OF HIS CAREER WITH THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT IN THE FIRE AND AVIATION MANAGEMENT DIRECTORATE THERE OF BLM.
AND SO IT BRINGS A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE IN FEDERAL WILDFIRE MANAGEMENT AS A SENIOR EXECUTIVE THERE IN THE GOVERNMENT. SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW RISK CAN BE REDUCED
[01:40:03]
BEFORE WILDFIRE OCCURS.SO IN THE LAST PANEL, MAYOR WATSON WAS TALKING WITH THE PANELISTS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN DURING THE FIRE AND AFTER THE FIRE.
AND HERE WE REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN DO BEFORE FIRE OCCURS.
WE KNOW FIRE IS GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT WE CAN BE BETTER PREPARED.
AND SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE HERE OF THIS DISCUSSION.
WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT HOME HARDENING FIRE WISE AND FIRE ADAPTIVE COMMUNITIES, BUILDING CODES, UTILITY PRACTICES, STEWARDSHIP AND SO FORTH.
LET ME START WITH THE FIRST QUESTION FOR THE PANELISTS FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE PANEL.
HOW DOES WHAT DOES A WILDFIRE RESILIENT COMMUNITY ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE.
SO WHEN YOU ENVISION AUSTIN BEING A TRULY WILDFIRE PREPARED COMMUNITY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN YOUR MIND AND HOW DOES YOUR AGENCY FACTOR INTO THAT JUSTICE? LET'S START WITH YOU. WELL, WE'VE ALL HEARD THE TERM UTOPIA, AND SO I'LL PUT IT IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT WE'RE AIMING TOWARDS IS A FIRE TOPIA, WHERE WE HAVE AN INFORMED COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THEIR ROLE AND HOW THEY CAN PREPARE AND BE RESILIENT TO WILDFIRE.
WE HAVE SANDWICHED BETWEEN LEADERSHIP THAT IS COURAGEOUS AND TAKES ACTION TO INSTILL MEASURES THAT ENSURE SUSTAINABLE WILDFIRE RESILIENCY, AND THE PUBLIC IS INFORMED AND INDUSTRY AND UTILITIES THAT ARE EQUIPPED TO DO THEIR PART TO ENSURE THAT OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS RESILIENT TO THOSE IMPACTS AS WELL. AND SO IT TAKES AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO BE WILDFIRE RESILIENT AND TO AIM TOWARDS THAT FIRE UTOPIA. LISA, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I WANT TO SECOND WHAT JUSTICE SAID ABOUT THE COORDINATION AND THE TAKING THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT IT'S NOT FROM A UTILITY ELECTRIC UTILITY PERSPECTIVE.
IT'S NOT ONLY PARTNERING WITH, YOU KNOW, OTHER LOCAL LEADERS, BUT ALSO VENDORS TO CREATE THE RIGHT INFRASTRUCTURE.
IN OUR CASE, THAT LOOKS LIKE HARDENED INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT IS RESISTANT TO, TO FIRES AND, AND NOT SUSCEPTIBLE TO, TO STARTING THE RISK TO BEGIN WITH.
JOHN, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? I WOULD ADD THAT PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS ARE KEY AS WE LOOK AT ESTABLISHING MUTUAL AID AGREEMENTS AND DEVELOPING THE MECHANISMS FOR COORDINATED AGENCY RESPONSE ORDERING, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY AND A COMPANY LIKE PIANO REPRESENTS A TOOL IN THE TOOLBOX THAT IS CRITICAL, BUT WITHOUT THE COORDINATING RESPONSE OF ALL THE AGENCIES AND THEN HAVING THE RESOURCES TO DO UPFRONT MITIGATION, YOU NEED ALL THOSE THINGS WORKING TOGETHER IN CONCERT TO BE TRULY RESILIENT AND WILDFIRE PREPARED.
JUSTIN, YOU OVERSEE A TREMENDOUS TRACT OF LAND THROUGH VARIOUS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS IN TERMS OF LAND MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE? YEAH.
SO I MEAN, WHO HERE MOVED TO AUSTIN BECAUSE YOU TOOK A SWIM IN BARTON SPRINGS OR YOU WENT FOR A HIKE IN BARTON CREEK, OR YOU SAW THOSE FIELDS OF WILDFLOWERS IN THE SPRING? I THINK ALL OF US.
THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO WHY WE LOVE LIVING HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND IT'S A REAL COMMUNITY VALUE.
AND SO OUR ROLE AT AUSTIN WATER WILDLAND CONSERVATION IS CARING FOR OVER 49,000 ACRES OF PROTECTED LAND THAT THE CITY OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS HAS SET ASIDE FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE THINK A LOT IN THAT STEWARDSHIP ROLE OF HOW WE ENSURE THAT THOSE LANDS ARE HEALTHY AND RESILIENT.
YOU HEARD KERRY SPEAK EARLIER ABOUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FIRE HAS BEEN A NATURAL PART OF THIS CYCLE.
HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THAT FIRE IS BENEFICIAL AND MANAGEABLE AND DOESN'T HAVE THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS THAT WE ALL WORRY ABOUT.
SO WE THINK A LOT ABOUT MAKING THOSE SYSTEMS, THOSE NATURAL SYSTEMS, HEALTHY AND RESILIENT AND WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE FOLKS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE FENCE LINE TO MAKE SURE THAT FIRE IS NOT COMING FROM OUR NEIGHBORHOODS INTO THE PRESERVE AND TO MITIGATE THE IMPACTS IF WE WERE TO HAVE WILDFIRE INCIDENT ON OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.
CHIEF SKOWRON, YOUR TEAM IS DOING A PHENOMENAL WORK.
YOU'RE OUT THERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS EVERY DAY.
YOU'RE GETTING FEEDBACK FROM YOUR TEAM, KNOCKING ON DOORS AND DOING WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS ON HOMES. IN YOUR MIND, WHAT IS A WILDFIRE RESILIENT COMMUNITY LOOK LIKE? SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND WARN EVERYBODY.
I'M GOING TO TURN EVERY ONE OF THESE QUESTIONS TO THE MESSAGE OF GETTING A SIZE, WHICH IS A STRUCTURAL IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION.
AND TAKING THOSE OTHER STEPS THAT YOU CAN DO TO TO MITIGATE THINGS ON THE FRONT END.
SO IN MY MIND, YOU KNOW, A RESILIENT FIRE, A WILDFIRE RESILIENT COMMUNITY IS, IS SOMETHING WHERE WHEN A WILDFIRE HITS THAT COMMUNITY, THE IMPACT IS MINIMAL AS POSSIBLE.
RIGHT. AND THINGS GET BACK TO NORMAL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
WHEN I LOOK AT THAT FIRE UTOPIA THAT JUSTICE MENTIONED MY,
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MY VISION OF THAT IS A COMMUNITY THAT UNDERSTANDS WILDFIRE RISK, UNDERSTANDS THAT THAT'S JUST PART OF WHAT WE LIVE WITH HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND CENTRAL TEXAS, BUT RECOGNIZES THAT THERE ARE STEPS THAT THEY CAN TAKE TO TO MITIGATE THAT RISK ON THE FRONT END.SO EVERYBODY IN THIS FIRE UTOPIA WOULD HAVE EITHER GOTTEN A SIZE FROM MARCO AND DEVIN AND LACEY, WHO WE HAVE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, WHO'S PART OF OUR TEAM THAT GOES OUT AND KNOCKS ON THOSE DOORS AND, AND DOES THOSE STRUCTURE, IGNITION ZONE EVALUATIONS, THOSE SIZES OR HAS GONE TO THE AUSTIN WILDFIRE HUB AND DONE A DO IT YOURSELF SIZE.
AND EVERYBODY IN THAT FIRE TOPIA HAS SIGNED UP FOR WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS AND IS GETTING THOSE MESSAGES HAS DONE PART OF THE THE READY SET GO PROJECT IS ALREADY TAKEN THOSE STEPS IN ADVANCE.
SO THEY'VE DONE THE HOME HARDENING ON THEIR HOUSE. THEY'VE GOT THEIR GO KIT READY TO GO AND THEY'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO, TO WILDFIRE DANGER SO THAT WHEN A WILDFIRE DOES COME THROUGH, EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY AND AS PLANNED.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE HAVE HOMEOWNERS RECOMMENDED TO DO. SO THEY'VE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
THEY'VE GOTTEN YOUR TEAM MEMBERS TO COME OUT LIKE MARCO AND JACK.
WONDERFUL PEOPLE, INCREDIBLY FRIENDLY, TRUSTWORTHY.
THEY'RE COMING OUT AND THEY'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW THE HOME CAN BE HARDENED AND MADE SAFER.
WHAT WOULD BE SOME OF THE FIRST STEPS THAT A HOMEOWNER WOULD ACTUALLY THEN TAKE IN ORDER TO MAKE THEIR HOUSE SAFER. SO I'M ALSO GOING TO ACTUALLY TAKE THIS, THIS MOMENT TO PLUG. AS FAR AS PLUGGING THE SIZES FOR MARCO AND HIS TEAM.
I'M GOING TO PLUG THE FAR WISE ALLIANCE.
FIREWISE ALLIANCE DOES A LOT OF SIZES AS WELL.
GREAT FOLKS WHO WILL ALSO COME TO YOUR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IF YOU'RE PART OF FIREWISE COMMUNITY, THEY'LL COME TO YOUR HOUSE, THEY'LL DO A STRUCTURED IGNITION ZONE EVALUATION. SOME OF THOSE FIRST STEPS.
SO KERRY HINES ILLUMINATED IT BRILLIANTLY AS FAR AS IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ZONE IS THOSE FIRST FIVE FEET AND THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT I WOULD SAY AS FAR AS LIKE, ONCE YOU GET THAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CAN JUST DO IMMEDIATELY YOU CAN CLEAN GUTTERS, YOU CAN CLEAN YOU KNOW, LEAVES AND OTHER VEGETATION OFF OF DECKS AND FROM AROUND DECKS REMOVE COMBUSTIBLE ITEMS FROM WITHIN THAT FIVE FEET OF THE HOUSE.
THOSE ARE THOSE FIRST, THE LOW HANGING FRUIT IS REALLY WHAT I WOULD FOCUS ON IMMEDIATELY. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO OUT AND REPLACE $50,000 WORTH OF WOOD SIDING OVER THE COURSE OF, YOU KNOW, IMMEDIATELY AFTER OUR GUYS LEAVE.
BUT YOU CAN TAKE THOSE STEPS TO CLEAN GUTTERS OR, OR DO THOSE REALLY EASY THINGS.
AND THOSE ARE AS FAR AS BANG FOR BUCK.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO COST INVOLVED IN DOING THAT, TAKING THOSE STEPS. YEAH, I'LL JUST ADD ON THAT, THAT I HAD MEMBERS OF THE WILDFIRE DIVISION COME OUT TO MY HOUSE AND DO A WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT ON MY HOME.
IT WAS DONE BY MARCO MARTINEZ AND JACK MCGARVEY.
WONDERFUL GUYS. THAT PROCESS IS FREE.
IT'S CONFIDENTIAL. THERE ARE NO CODE COMPLIANCE ISSUES INVOLVED.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S MANDATORY.
IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED ON YOUR HOUSE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE IF YOU DON'T DO IT.
YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE BY GOING FORWARD AND GETTING THAT WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENT DONE ON YOUR HOME. SO WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.
AND THEN THE CHOICE IS YOURS WHAT ACTIONS YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE AFTER THAT JUSTICE.
LET'S BUILD ON THAT. YOU KNOW, MAYOR WATSON AND THE OTHER PANEL TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE 0 TO 5 FOOT ZONE.
WHY IS THAT ZONE SO IMPORTANT? WHY DO WE TALK ABOUT IT SO MUCH? YEAH, IT'S A REALLY GREAT, GREAT QUESTION. THE 0 TO 5 IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE FIRE BEHAVIOR TELLS US THAT WHEN EMBERS ARE LOFTED IN THE AIR, THEY OFTEN HIT VERTICAL SURFACES AND DROP DOWN TO THE GROUND.
THAT MEANS WHEN THEY SLAM INTO THE SIDE OF YOUR HOUSE OR LAND ON YOUR ROOF, THEY'RE GOING TO ROLL OFF AND LAND IN WHATEVER IS BELOW THAT WALL OR THAT ROOF EDGE. AND IF THAT MATERIAL IS COMBUSTIBLE AND CAN CARRY FIRE AND SPREAD TO OTHER COMPONENTS OF YOUR HOUSE, THAT CREATES A REALLY WEAK LINK.
THE CONVERSE OF THAT IS IF YOU HAVE A NONCOMBUSTIBLE ZONE AROUND YOUR STRUCTURE AND IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY MUNICIPALITIES IN THE COUNTRY OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA THAT HAS INSTITUTED A MANDATORY 0 TO 5 FOR NEW CONSTRUCTION. THAT'S LIKE A MOAT FOR YOUR CASTLE.
THINK ABOUT IT AS A FINAL BARRIER FOR WHETHER FIRE IS SPREADING THROUGH YOUR YARD, OR EMBERS ARE LANDING ADJACENT TO YOUR HOME.
THAT CAN PREVENT THOSE LITTLE COMPONENTS OF YOUR HOME THAT ARE POTENTIALLY STILL COMBUSTIBLE FROM IGNITING.
AND SO IT'S THE BUFFER THAT PROTECTS YOU FROM THAT ONCOMING WILDFIRE.
AND AS I UNDERSTAND IT, JUSTICE, WHEN YOU HAVE A WILDFIRE AND YOU HAVE AN EMBER CAST, IT'S LIKE A SNOWSTORM OF EMBERS AND ITS SURROUNDING YOUR HOME.
AND WE HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THERE ARE HIGH WINDS.
THOSE EMBERS ARE SNEAKY, AREN'T THEY? THEY CAN GET INTO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES.
YEAH, THEY'RE INSIDIOUS AND THEY CAN FIND ANY WEAK LINK THAT IS NOT MITIGATED ON YOUR HOME.
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SO THINGS LIKE YOUR VENTILATION SYSTEM, IF YOU DO NOT HAVE FINE ENOUGH MESH SCREENING, THEY'LL GET IN YOUR ATTIC. AND WHAT DO WE ALL KEEP IN OUR ATTIC? ALL THE BOXES OF THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT WHAT TO DO WITH. THAT'S KINDLING FOR A WILDFIRE. AND IT'S PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE THOSE HOMES BURN FROM THE INSIDE OUT, AND IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE FOR FIREFIGHTERS IN THOSE EVENTS TO STOP THAT INITIATION OF THAT HOME IGNITION ONCE IT'S OCCURRED ON THE INSIDE OF THE STRUCTURE.SO THE EMBERS WILL FIND THEIR WAY UNDER YOUR DECKS, INTO YOUR VENTILATION SYSTEM, INTO YOUR GUTTERS, WHERE YOU MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE CLEANED UP THAT YEAR'S LIVE OAK LEAF LITTER AND HUNKER DOWN AND CAUSE A SLOW BURNING IGNITION THAT OFTEN HAS GONE UNNOTICED BY FIRST RESPONDERS BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO PUT OUT THAT WALL OF FIRE.
AND AS THAT FIRE PROGRESSES, IT LEAVES RESIDUAL HEAT SOURCES IN AND AROUND THE STRUCTURE THAT OFTEN RESULT IN LOSSES AFTER THE FIRE FRONT HAS PASSED.
YOU KNOW WHAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING WHEN MARCO AND JACK CAME AND DID THE ASSESSMENT IN MY HOUSE IS THEY POINTED TO THE DRYER VENT AND THEY SAID, HEY, BUD, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU HAD THAT DRYER VENT CLEANED? IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. AND IN FIVE YEARS OF OWNING THAT HOME, I HAD NEVER CLEANED THE VENT BEFORE THAT I'D NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DRYER EVENTS JUSTICE, AND WHAT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS IN THE RISK? YEAH, WE ALL KNOW THAT.
YOU KNOW, AFTER A COUPLE OF LOADS OF LAUNDRY, WE HAVE TO EMPTY THAT LINT FILTER, BUT IT DOESN'T CATCH EVERYTHING.
AND SO ON THE OTHER END OF THAT VENTILATION SYSTEM IS A ANOTHER EVENT THAT HAS SCREENING THAT CAN CAPTURE THAT SAME LINT BEHIND IT.
AND IT IS INHERENTLY COMBUSTIBLE.
AND THEN THAT CAN BE A SOURCE OF IGNITION FOR EMBERS ENTERING YOUR HOME AND USING THAT SAME EXHAUST VENTILATION SYSTEM TO GET BACK INTO THE STRUCTURE ITSELF.
AND SO THOSE ARE ONE OF THOSE LITTLE WEAK LINKS THAT YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER.
I'M SURE YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE SCREENING AND MAINTENANCE.
THERE'S NO SINGLE FIX FOR THIS.
AND SO AS YOU'RE EVALUATING YOUR STRUCTURE, YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE LITTLE ENTRY POINTS THAT EMBERS CAN FIND THEIR WAY IN AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU DON'T MISS ANYTHING BECAUSE IT ONLY TAKES ONE OF THOSE MISSED WEAK LINKS FOR THE HOME TO IGNITE AND CHIEF SKOWRON FOLLOWING UP ON THAT. I'VE SEEN THE STATISTIC THAT 80% OF HOMES THAT ARE LOST IN WILDFIRES ACTUALLY ARE IGNITED BY EMBERS THAT FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE HOME.
I, YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN DIFFERENT FIGURES THERE, BUT THAT IS, IS THAT MORE OR LESS CONSISTENT WITH YOUR PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE? YES. MY UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCIENCE IS THAT IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 80 OR 90%, DEPENDING ON THE STUDY THAT'S BEEN DONE, IS THAT IT'S NOT THE DIRECT FLAME FRONT THAT EVERYBODY THINKS OF WHEN IT'S COMING THROUGH.
THAT DOES CATCH SOME HOUSES ON FIRE, OF COURSE, BUT IT'S REALLY THE EMBER CAST THAT WE KNOW CAN GO A MILE TO A MILE AND A HALF.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT HERE IN AUSTIN WITH SOME OF THE FIRES THAT WE'VE HAD.
I CAN RECALL BEING ON, YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY AS A YOUNG FIREFIGHTER IN 2011 AT THE PINNACLE FIRE WE SAW HOUSES IGNITE THAT WERE, WERE NOT IN THAT INITIAL ROW OF HOUSES WHERE THE FLAME FRONT HIT.
THERE WERE, THERE WERE SEVERAL STREETS OVER BECAUSE THE EMBERS FLOATED ON AND, YOU KNOW, LANDED IN EITHER A GABLE VENT OR A, YOU KNOW, AN EAVE OR SOME, SOME KIND OF OPENING THAT WASN'T BLOCKED OFF AND DIDN'T PREVENT THOSE EMBERS FROM GETTING IN THERE. WHICH IS WHY AGAIN, IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET A SIZE AND TO TALK TO MARCO AND HIS TEAM, SIGN UP, HAVE THEM COME OUT, TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR HOUSE. THEY WILL TELL YOU IF YOUR GABLE VENTS ARE NOT SCREENED OR WHAT WHAT POSSIBLE ENTRIES FOR EMBERS TO GET INTO YOUR HOUSE? CALL MARCO.
THERE'S NO JUDGMENT. IT'S LIKE TALKING TO A THERAPIST OR YOUR PRIEST.
YOU'RE GOING TO ENJOY IT, AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOME GOOD THINGS.
EASY DIY STUFF. LISA AND JOHN, LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND SOME OF THE RECENT CHANGES IN TERMS OF WILDFIRE DETECTION.
WE NOW HAVE THE AI SYSTEM HERE IN AUSTIN, AND WE ALSO HAVE THE UTILITY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT INITIATIVES, AND I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF YOU COULD SHARE WITH FOLKS WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THOSE FRONTS.
SURE. I'LL GET STARTED AND I'LL LET JOHN TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY.
BUT IN THE AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE AREA, WHICH COVERS ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEN TRAVIS, A GOOD PORTION OF TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THEN A LITTLE BIT INTO WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WE HAVE DEPLOYED THE PANO CAMERA SYSTEM THAT YOU ACTUALLY SEE OUT IN THE LOBBY.
THERE'S 13 OF THOSE CAMERAS THAT HAVE A 360 DEGREE VIEW COVERING OUR ENTIRE SERVICE
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TERRITORY FOR EARLY FIRE DETECTION.AND IT'S NOT ONLY COVERING, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REALLY HIGH UP IN THE, IN THE, IN THE AIR SO THAT YOU ARE JUST REALLY GETTING A LANDSCAPE VIEW.
BUT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRIANGULATE AND PINPOINT SMOKE AND THEN DETERMINE IF THAT IS A FIRE. AND THEN TO VERY QUICKLY NOTIFY NOT ONLY THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE OTHER FIRE SERVICE DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS AUSTIN ENERGY, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION. AND SOMETIMES AND OFTEN THAT HAPPENS FASTER THAN SOMEONE PICKS UP THE PHONE TO CALL 911.
ONE THING I LIKE ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE'VE DEPLOYED THIS SYSTEM IS THAT NOT ONLY DOES IT COVER OUR ENTIRE SERVICE AREA, BUT IT ALSO GOES OUT AND LOOKS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WEST, WHERE WE HAVE THE HIGHEST WILDFIRE RISK AREAS TO KIND OF SEE WHAT'S COMING EVEN BEFORE IT HITS OUR SERVICE TERRITORY.
AND SO WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THAT IS THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL MEASURES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CLEARED THE ZONE FOR YOU, FOR THE FIREFIGHTERS TO DO THEIR JOB IN RESPONDING TO THE WILDFIRE.
WE CAN TURN OFF THE POWER AS NECESSARY AND, AND ESSENTIALLY JUST MAKE SURE THAT BOTH THE INFRASTRUCTURE STAY SAFE AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THAT THE PEOPLE STAY SAFE SO THAT THE RESPONSE CAN HAPPEN QUICKLY AND RAPIDLY.
AND LISA, I'D LIKE TO JUST GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT IN TERMS OF POWER SHUT OFFS, NOT SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DO, OBVIOUSLY, ESPECIALLY IN THE HEAT OF A TEXAS SUMMER, BUT MAYBE A LAST RESORT THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS TO TEND TO IN ORDER TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND PROTECT LIVES. YEAH, I DO WANT TO SPEND A BIT ABOUT THIS.
AND YOU MENTIONED OUR UTILITY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN.
AND REALLY, THAT'S A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT PULLS TOGETHER ALL OF OUR PRACTICES AND OPERATING PROCEDURES, THE TECHNOLOGY PROCESS, THE PEOPLE, THE GOVERNANCE, THE COORDINATION, ALL OF THE THINGS TOGETHER THAT HELP MAKE US A, A AID AND A SUPPORT TO WILDFIRE MITIGATION.
AND SO ONE OF THEM THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POWER SHUTOFFS, THAT'S IN A SITUATION WHEN YOU KNOW THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN DO.
IT'S KIND OF THE LAST LINE OF DEFENSE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE AREA IS SAFE AND CLEAR FOR RESPONDERS TO, TO RESPOND.
IN REALITY, WHAT YOU MIGHT HEAR ACROSS OTHER STATES AND WHATNOT, THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS TO HAVE PROACTIVE POWER SHUTOFFS AND THAT REQUIRES AN EXTENSIVE AMOUNT OF TECHNOLOGY AND KNOW HOW.
AND ALSO DEFINITELY RELATES TO HOW THE ENVIRONMENT IS THINGS LIKE SANTA ANA WINDS AND, AND A LOT. YOU HAVE TO DO THAT VERY CAREFULLY, VERY THOUGHTFULLY, AND YOU HAVE TO DO IT. RIGHT. AND SO WHAT WE DO, LIKE I SAID, IS IF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLS AND SAYS WE NEED TO TURN THIS OFF OR WE SEE A FIRE APPROACHING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO TURN OFF THE POWER TO, AGAIN, MAKE IT SAFE. PROACTIVELY, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS INSTEAD INITIATE WHAT WE CALL ENHANCED POWERLINE SAFETY SETTINGS.
THAT'S NOT TURNING THE POWER OFF.
BUT WHAT IT DOES IS IT DISABLES SOME OF THE FEATURES THAT WOULD NORMALLY CREATE AUTOMATIC RECLOSE, IF YOU WILL, THAT WOULD RESTORE POWER IF THERE WERE AN OUTAGE SITUATION. WE WILL DISABLE THAT, WHICH MIGHT MEAN THAT YOUR POWER STAYS OFF FOR A LITTLE BIT LONGER WHILE WE WALK THE LINES, TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NOTHING OF DANGER IN THE SPACE, AND THAT IT IS SAFE TO RESTORE THAT POWER.
SO WE DO THAT. ENHANCED POWERLINE SAFETY SETTINGS WHEN CONDITIONS WARRANT.
USUALLY THAT'S IF WE HAVE A RED FLAG DAY OR CONDITIONS ARE PARTICULARLY HIGH RISK FOR FOR WILDFIRE. YEAH. AND JOHN, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR TECHNOLOGY, THE USE OF AI AND HOW THIS IS KIND OF REVOLUTIONIZING MONITORING AND DETECTION? YOU KNOW, I THINK OF IT NOW AS KIND OF LIKE THE MODERN DAY FIRE LOOKOUT IN AN OLD TOWER, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE FOREST SERVICE.
AND NOW WE'VE GOT THIS AMAZING NEW TECHNOLOGY.
COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW IT WORKS? YEAH, THAT'S HOW I DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.
IT'S THE MODERN DAY FIRE TOWER.
AND IT'S ALWAYS HEARTENING WHEN YOUR PARTNER, LIKE YOUR UTILITY COMPANY, CAN DESCRIBE YOUR TECHNOLOGY SO WELL.
SO I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB WITH OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE TOO.
SO CREDIT TO MY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CUSTOMER SUCCESS TEAM.
BUT AI WAS DEVELOPED AS A TOOL FOR HELPING DETECT AND RESPOND TO FIRES FASTER.
AS OUR FRIENDS IN RESPONSE AGENCIES WILL TELL YOU, THE MINUTES MATTER AND THE SOONER YOU GET TO A FIRE, THE SMALLER FOOTPRINT YOU CAN CONTAIN IT TO, WHICH MAKES IT CHEAPER, SAFER, AND MORE LIKELY TO NOT CAUSE DAMAGE TO A PROPERTY, TO INFRASTRUCTURE, AND CERTAINLY TO HUMAN LIFE.
AND SO WE ARE A FULL STACK SOLUTION THAT TAKES A LOOK AT CREATING THE BEST TOOLS FOR FIRST RESPONSE AGENCIES, FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, FOR GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AT ALL LEVELS, TO SAFEGUARD THOSE THINGS THAT WE HOLD NEAR AND DEAR. AND SO WE WE SET UP OUR STATIONS WITH TWO CAMERAS ON A SINGLE STATION POINT.
THEY ROTATE 360 DEGREES, AND THEN WE STITCH TOGETHER A PANORAMIC SIGHT
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PICTURE. AND WE HAVE A COMPUTER VISION AI MODEL THAT SCANS THAT FEED, AND IT HUNTS FOR SMOKE 24 OVER SEVEN AT NIGHT TIME.WE SWITCH TO INFRARED SENSORS THAT CAN DETECT HEAT SIGNATURE, TOO. SO AROUND THE CLOCK COVERAGE, WE'RE DETECTING AND SENSING FIRES WHEN THEY IGNITE. AND BECAUSE OF OUR TRIANGULATION SYSTEM, WE CAN PINPOINT WHERE THOSE FIRES ARE STARTING.
GIVE THAT INFORMATION TO FIRST RESPONSE AGENCIES, AND THEY HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE GROUND. SO THIS SITUATIONAL AWARENESS AND REAL TIME VISUAL INTELLIGENCE AS A AS A FORMER FIRE PERSON, BOTH AT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND COORDINATING WITH LOCAL AGENCIES, I CAN TELL YOU HOW CRITICAL THIS INFORMATION IS TO MAKING THE BEST INCIDENT COMMAND DECISIONS AND NOT HAVING TO NECESSARILY ALWAYS SEND HUMAN LIFE OUT ON THE FRONT LINES TO CONFIRM THINGS. IF YOU GET A CALL FROM 911, WHICH WERE ON AVERAGE BEATING BY ABOUT TWO MINUTES, BY THE WAY, THEY OFTEN HAVE TO GO VERIFY THOSE.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLING IN TO 911 USUALLY CAN'T PINPOINT WHERE THAT FIRE'S AT.
AND SO WHAT OUR TECHNOLOGY DOES IS GIVE THE FIRST RESPONSE AGENCIES THE CRITICAL TOOLS THEY NEED TO GET TO THE FIRE AS FAST AS POSSIBLE, ESTABLISH THAT AGGRESSIVE INITIAL ATTACK, AND THEN HAVE REAL TIME VISUAL INTELLIGENCE DURING ONGOING SUPPRESSION EFFORTS.
SO THE TECHNOLOGY CAN LOOK AT A SMOKE SIGNAL AND DETECT WHAT KIND OF SMOKE IT IS, WHAT IT'S COMING FROM. IT DOESN'T DIFFERENTIATE THE TYPE OF SMOKE, WHETHER IT'S A STRUCTURE FIRE OR A WILDFIRE.
THE AI ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT'S SMOKE.
AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED AN INTELLIGENCE CENTER.
SO THE INTELLIGENCE CENTER IS A HUMAN VERIFICATION, A HUMAN IN THE LOOP, IF YOU WILL, WHERE THE THE COMPUTER VISION DETECTS THE SIGNATURE OF SMOKE. AND IF IT'S NIGHT TIME AND THEY'RE DETECTING HEAT SIGNATURE, WE'RE PULLING THAT UP TO THE VERIFICATION HAPPENS WITH THE HUMAN IN THE LOOP THROUGH OUR INTELLIGENCE CENTERS.
SO THAT WE LOOK AT THAT WITH HUMAN EYES BEFORE IT GETS TO THE FIRST RESPONSE AGENCIES. SO WE'RE NOT SENDING FALSE ALARMS OUT.
AND WE SAID IT CONSERVATIVELY, LIKE WE STILL WANT TO KNOW IF THERE IS A GUY BURNING SOMETHING IN HIS BACKYARD, BUT SOMETIMES THE CAMERAS CAN ZOOM IN AND THEY CAN SEE VERY CLEARLY BECAUSE THEY'RE ULTRA HIGH DEFINITION, THEY CAN SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PERSON WHO'S DOING A BURN IN THEIR IN THEIR, YOU KNOW, BACK 40 THAT THEY CALLED IN AHEAD OF TIME.
IT'S OKAY. WE WOULD RATHER ALERT THEM TO THOSE KIND OF FIRES SO THAT THEY CAN VERIFY THAT'S TRUE. AND THEN ALSO CATCH THE WILDFIRES THAT ARE IGNITING AND POSE LEGITIMATE THREATS. AND OUR UTILITY PARTNERS APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE PROTECTING THEIR ASSETS. PRIVATE LANDOWNERS APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE PROTECTING THEIR PROPERTY AND COMMUNITIES APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE'RE HELPING THE FIRST RESPONSE AGENCIES KNOW ABOUT THESE THINGS AND GET TO THEM FASTER AND GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO FIGHT IT BETTER. AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY IS AN EARLY ADOPTER OF THIS TECHNOLOGY IN TEXAS, WHICH IS GREAT, AND THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD A COUPLE OF INCIDENTS WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN FIRES WITH A SMOKE SIGNATURE ON THE GREEN BELT, ONE OF OUR GREEN BELTS, AND IT'S BEEN DETECTED AND THEN VERY QUICKLY SUPPRESSED. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE A REAL GAME CHANGER.
TEXAS IS ONE OF OUR FASTEST GROWING STATES.
SO WE HAVE 13 STATIONS UP WITH AUSTIN ENERGY, BUT WE HAVE MORE THAN 200 ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, A LARGE CONCENTRATION UP IN THE PANHANDLE.
I'M SURE YOU ALL NOTICED YESTERDAY, GOVERNOR ABBOTT ORDERED AN ACTIVATED ADDITIONAL WILDFIRE RESPONSE RESOURCES TO THE STATE.
TEXAS IS FACING, YOU KNOW, DISASTER AT ALL LEVELS.
WE HAVE A MULTI DISASTER THREAT THAT WE'RE FACING.
WE'RE SEEING FLOODING AND FIRE AND SOMETIMES BOTH AT THE SAME TIME.
AND AND WHILE PANEL IS LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF MULTI DISASTER RESPONSE AND HOW WE CAN INTEGRATE INTO THAT. WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON WILDFIRE RIGHT NOW AND REALLY PROUD OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO NOT JUST IN TEXAS, BUT AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND WE'RE ALSO IN AUSTRALIA AND CANADA.
SO THIS IS LIKE A GLOBAL NEED THAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE REALLY RESPONDING TO AS WELL.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST LIKE REALLY THANKFUL TO HAVE THE BEST PARTNERS POSSIBLE.
AND TEXAS IS ONE OF OUR, OUR PROUDEST STATES TO BE IN.
GREAT. JUSTIN SEGWAYING FROM TALK ABOUT AUSTIN ENERGY TO AUSTIN WATER.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE ARE SO LUCKY TO LIVE IN A CITY WHERE THE VOTERS CONTROL OUR UTILITIES AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM OUR UTILITIES WHO ARE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN FORUMS LIKE THIS. I DON'T TAKE THAT FOR GRANTED.
IN OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY INVITE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM YOUR WATER UTILITY OR THE ELECTRIC UTILITY TO COME AND ATTEND.
VERY OFTEN THEY'RE OPERATING IN A PHONE BOOTH IN ISOLATION, WHEREAS WE GET TO TALK TO YOU.
YOU ARE A KEY PLAYER IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.
AND SO THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT PLANS RIGHT NOW GOING ON.
AUSTIN HAS THE UTILITY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT'S LEADING THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF CHRIS GRAVES.
CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AUSTIN WATER'S ROLE IN THAT AND SOME OF THE THINGS
[02:05:04]
THAT AUSTIN WATER IS THINKING ABOUT TO HELP MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER? ABSOLUTELY. SO, AND YOU KNOW, I WORK FOR THE WILDLIFE CONSERVATION DIVISION WITH AUSTIN WATER. SO I WEAR OUR LAND MANAGEMENT HAT, BUT ALSO OBVIOUSLY AS A WATER UTILITY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TAKING VERY SERIOUSLY. AS LISA TALKED ABOUT, HOW DO WE HARDEN AND PROTECT OUR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT IT'S AVAILABLE AND FUNCTIONING IN THESE TIMES OF EMERGENCY? SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY FOCUSED ON, IS LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR PARTICULARLY REMOTE INFRASTRUCTURE AT AUSTIN WATER, ALL OF THOSE PIPES AND PUMPS AND WATER TOWERS AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING THE STEPS NECESSARY TO HARDEN THOSE AGAINST FIRE IN THIS CASE. SO THEY CONTINUE TO FUNCTION ON THE LAND MANAGEMENT SIDE.YOU KNOW, I THINK WE AND THINKING ABOUT COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, WE ARE REALLY THINKING ABOUT OUR ROLE AS LAND MANAGERS IN THIS BROADER PICTURE OF RESILIENCE. AND SO A LOT OF THAT WORK AND A LOT OF THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH, WITH ALL OF YOU IS RELATED TO FUEL MITIGATION.
AND SO WE TAKE THE SORT OF INTELLIGENCE THAT WE GET FROM NOAA AND FROM OUR FIRE DEPARTMENTS ABOUT WHERE FIRES ARE STARTING.
AND THAT'S ONE PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT WE USE TO IDENTIFY THE PLACES WHERE WE NEED TO TARGET FUEL MITIGATION EFFORTS.
BECAUSE, AGAIN, TO THE POINT THAT MINUTES MATTER IF WE ARE DOING FUEL MITIGATION EFFORTS IN THOSE PLACES, WE GIVE OUR FIRST RESPONDERS MORE TIME TO GET IN AND GET AROUND THOSE WILDFIRE STARTS.
YOU KNOW, EVERY SUMMER YOU'VE SEEN IT, IT STARTS GETTING HOT AND DRY AND WE START SEEING LOTS OF FIRES START ALONG OUR ROADWAYS.
THAT'S A BIG PLACE WHERE WE'RE WE'RE FOCUSED IN TERMS OF WHERE DO OUR WILDLANDS ABUT THOSE PLACES WHERE FIRES HISTORICALLY START AND HOW DO WE DO WORK IN THOSE AREAS? YOU KNOW, BEYOND THAT, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING FOR OUR 26000 ACRES OF LAND THAT WE MANAGE DIRECTLY.
WE HAVE 170 MILES OF BOUNDARY.
SO THAT'S LIKE DRIVING FROM HERE TO HOUSTON.
AND, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THAT BOUNDARY WITH THOUSANDS OF ADJOINING HOMES, WE REALLY ARE LOOKING AT WHERE ARE THOSE PLACES WHERE OUR WILDLANDS CLOSELY ABUT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS? WHERE ARE STRUCTURES WITHIN THAT 5FT OR 30FT OF OUR BOUNDARY? AND THOSE ARE THE PLACES WHERE WE'RE REALLY TARGETING OUR FUEL FUEL MITIGATION EFFORTS IN ORDER TO HELP YOU KNOW, ACHIEVE THE BEST OUTCOMES IN THE EVENT OF A WILDFIRE INCIDENT. SO I THINK THAT THAT COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN, IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN INVOLVED IN IN THAT PROCESS, IT'S A GREAT DOCUMENT.
AND IT'S REALLY KIND OF OUR, OUR STRATEGY AS A COMMUNITY FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO THINK ABOUT WILDFIRE PREPAREDNESS, MITIGATION, AND ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
CHIEF SKOWRON, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE UTILITY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN AND OUR TECHNOLOGY WITH PANO AND THE DWP.
I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER MAJOR ARENA OF INVESTMENT FOR THIS COMMUNITY. AND THAT'S THE WILDFIRE DIVISION'S WILDFIRE SUPPRESSION CAPABILITY.
SPECIFICALLY WITH BATTALION FIVE.
AND YOU'VE GOT SOME REALLY VALUABLE, IMPORTANT ASSETS THAT REPRESENTS A MAJOR INVESTMENT. COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT INVESTMENT THAT WE'VE MADE, AND HOW DO WE BENCHMARK AGAINST OTHER CITIES IN AMERICA AND TEXAS THAT ALSO HAVE SIMILARLY HIGH WILDFIRE EXPOSURE.
SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS PRETTY UNIQUE IN TERMS OF LARGE CITIES.
THE MAYOR REFERENCED EARLIER THAT WE'RE ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES THAT HAS THE ENTIRE FIRE DEPARTMENT. EVERY FIREFIGHTER HAS BEEN TRAINED TO RESPONDING TO THE INTERFACE, AND THAT'S RESPONDING TO THAT WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE FIRES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, EVERYBODY IN THE DEPARTMENT HAS HAD THAT TRAINING.
AND THAT'S PRETTY UNIQUE AMONGST LARGE DEPARTMENTS OF OUR SIZE.
BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SPECIALTY BATTALION.
BATTALION FIVE, WHICH IS FOCUSED ADDITIONALLY, THEY DO REGULAR FIRE RESPONSE.
SO THEY GO TO REGULAR STRUCTURE FIRES AND MEDICAL CALLS, CAR WRECKS, THAT SORT OF THING. JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER STATION.
BUT THEN THEY GET HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF ADDITIONAL WILDFIRE, ADVANCED WILDFIRE TACTICS TRAINING ON TOP OF JUST THE REGULAR TRAINING THAT THEY HAVE TO KEEP UP TO DATE ON TO, TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROFICIENCY IN FIREFIGHTING. WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAFF THAT THAT, THAT BATTALION THAT AT LEAST HALF THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN THAT BATTALION HAVE ALREADY OBTAINED AN A NWCG SACHSE THE NATIONAL WILDFIRE COORDINATING GROUP ENGINE OPERATOR
[02:10:02]
CERTIFICATION. SO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT ADDITIONAL ADVANCED WILDFIRE TRAINING.AND THEN WE HAVE AGAIN, HUNDREDS OF HOURS OF ADDITIONAL TRAINING BEYOND THAT FROM PRESCRIBED FIRE PRACTITIONER TO ADDITIONAL SAWYER TRAINING.
AND THAT'S FAIRLY UNIQUE AMONGST, AMONGST LARGE DEPARTMENTS OF OUR SIZE THAT WE HAVE A SPECIALTY BATTALION THAT FOCUSES JUST ON THAT SORT OF THING.
I DO WANT TO GIVE A BIT OF A SHOUT OUT TO OUR, WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF COUNTY PARTNERS IN DIFFERENT AGENCIES IN THE AUDIENCE HERE TODAY TOO. AND I WANT TO SAY THEY ALSO DO AN OUTSTANDING JOB WILDFIRE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE UNIQUE THAT WE HAVE THIS, THIS SPECIFIC FOCUS, BUT WE AND I'M REMEMBERING NOW THAT WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT EQUIPMENT EITHER.
WE ALSO HAVE IN THAT BATTALION FIVE, WE HAVE EIGHT STATIONS GEOGRAPHICALLY LOCATED ACROSS THE CITY WITH ADDITIONAL BRUSH TRUCKS, TYPE SIX ENGINES.
THOSE ARE MOBILE BASICALLY KIND OF SMALLER FIRE ENGINES THAT ARE MOBILE.
THEY'RE ABLE TO QUICKLY MANEUVER THROUGH BRUSH AND SO FORTH TO PUT OUT WILDFIRES.
BUT YOU KNOW, I'M RAMBLING JUST A LITTLE BIT HERE.
WE'RE JUST THE FOLKS IN BATTALION FIVE ARE OUTSTANDING.
THE FOLKS THAT ARE COUNTY PARTNERS ARE OUTSTANDING AT FIGHTING WILDFIRE.
AND WE DO HAVE, WE HAVE LOTS OF WILDFIRES IN THE AREA.
I'M GOING TO GET TO KIND OF A POINT HERE IN A MINUTE, BUT IT'S A GOOD RAMBLE.
SO THE MAYOR ASKED A QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT WHAT KEEPS YOU UP AT NIGHT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS FOR ME IS WILDFIRES ARE SUPER DANGEROUS.
AND WE DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AT HOUSE FIRES IN AUSTIN AND IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS.
WE'RE JUST OUTSTANDING AT PUTTING OUT HOUSE FIRES.
WE, WE HAVE A GREAT TRACK RECORD OF KEEPING FIRES CONFINED TO THE ROOM OF ORIGIN.
WE'RE ALSO REALLY GOOD AT FIGHTING WILDFIRES IN AUSTIN AS WELL.
WE DO A LOT OF WORK, LIKE I SAID, A LOT OF TRAINING.
WE RESPOND TO LOTS OF GRASS FIRES.
A LOT OF THESE FIRES DON'T GET VERY BIG BECAUSE WE, WE GO TO THEM WE CATCH THEM EARLY ON.
AND IT'S THANKS TO A LOT OF THE EFFORTS FROM THE PARTNERS HERE AT THE TABLE A LOT OF THE LAND MITIGATION EFFORTS AND SO FORTH.
BUT SO KIND OF KEEPING ME UP AT NIGHT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS REALLY HELPFUL THAT I LIKE TO HEAR IS THAT ALL THESE EFFORTS ARE GEARED TOWARD FIREFIGHTER SAFETY.
AND I WOULD ASK THE PUBLIC, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP FIREFIGHTER SAFETY IS YOU CAN GET A SIZE IF YOUR HOME IS HARDENED TOWARD WILDFIRE.
WHEN WE GO TO A BIG, LIKE I SAID, OUR STRUCTURE FIRES.
BUT THAT LEVEL OF DANGER IS NOT QUITE THE SAME AS AS A BIG, LARGE, WILD SCARE, WILD SCALE.
A WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE EVENT WHERE WE HAVE MULTIPLE HOUSES ON FIRE AND SO FORTH.
SO THE, THE MORE OF THOSE HOUSES THAT ARE HARDENED AGAINST FIRE AND DON'T CATCH FIRE IN THE EVENT OF A BIG WILDFIRE, A WUI EVENT THAT WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE EVENT, THE SAFER OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE.
SO I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GET A SIZE.
GO TO THE WILDFIRE HUB, CALL 311, CALL THE OFFICE OF FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MARCO AND HIS TEAM WOULD LOVE TO COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND TAKE A LOOK AT OFFER SOME, SOME MITIGATION RECOMMENDATIONS, AND I WILL STOP TALKING.
YEAH. NO. THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. CHIEF. AND I'LL JUST NOTE PUTTING IN A PLUG FOR THE SIZE PROGRAM THAT AFTER THE LA WILDFIRES LAST YEAR, THE AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT SAW A NOTABLE UPTICK IN REQUESTS FOR WILDFIRE RISK ASSESSMENTS OF HOMES HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND NOW THAT THAT WAS OUT OF THE NEWS, IT'S BEEN OUT OF THE NEWS FOR OVER A YEAR.
WE'RE SEEING FEWER AND FEWER REQUESTS.
WE WANT TO GET THOSE REQUESTS BACK UP.
WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT IT SO THAT WE GET OUR COMMUNITIES SAFER AND MORE RESILIENT.
JUST AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT INVESTMENTS HERE, INVESTMENTS IN INVESTMENTS IN BATTALION FIVE, INVESTMENTS IN THE CW, TP, AND UTILITY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN.
ANOTHER KIND OF INVESTMENT IS AUSTIN'S ADOPTION OF OUR WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE BUILDING CODE, OR THE WUI CODE.
YOU'VE BEEN SO INVOLVED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CODES FOR CITIES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS.
COULD YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT CODE IS SO IMPORTANT IN TERMS OF ACTUALLY GETTING BUILDERS TO START TO CHANGE THEIR PRACTICES.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT WE'RE ENTERING THE ERA OF WILDLAND URBAN CONFLAGRATIONS. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE WILDFIRES THAT DO OCCUR ARE FUZES THAT CAN LEAD TO COMMUNITY WIDE DESTRUCTION, LIKE WE SAW IN LAHAINA AND LA AND THE MARSHALL FIRE. AND THOSE FIRES ARE SO ENORMOUS IN SCALE THAT EVEN THE BEST TRAINED WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING FORCE.
AND AS CHIEF SKOWRON MENTIONED, AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY ARE SOME OF THE BEST
[02:15:04]
FIREFIGHTERS IN TEXAS WON'T HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO PROTECT EVERY STRUCTURE THAT'S BEING EXPOSED TO THE FLAME FRONT AND EMBERS.AND SO IN ORDER TO BE RESILIENT, WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A BUILT ENVIRONMENT THAT CAN WITHSTAND THOSE WILDFIRES WITHOUT THE AID OF SUPPRESSION OR UNTIL SUPPRESSION IS ABLE TO ARRIVE. THAT MEANS OUR STRUCTURES AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT HAVE TO BE RESISTANT TO IGNITION FROM THE START ON THEIR OWN, AND ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT IS THE PATH THAT AUSTIN TOOK WHERE THEY ADOPTED THE ICC, THE INTERNATIONAL CODE COUNCIL WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE TO ENSURE THAT ALL NEW DEVELOPMENT IN THE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE IS DESIGNED TO WITHSTAND AND RESIST THOSE IGNITIONS, AND THAT CAN'T BE DONE ALONE.
THAT EFFORT WAS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE CITY.
THE AUSTIN HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION WERE KEY AND INTEGRAL IN THE SUCCESS OF THAT ADOPTION, BECAUSE HOMES THAT ARE BEING BUILT NOT TO BURN ARE SUSTAINABLE.
THEY CAN WITHSTAND THESE CONFLAGRATIONS.
AND IF YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HOME IS BUILT NOT TO BURN, THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOUR HOME BURNING GOES DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND SO IN THIS EQUATION, HOMEBUILDERS BECOMES PART OF THE SOLUTION.
THEY'RE THE HEROES THAT ARE DESIGNING FUTURE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BUILT NOT TO BURN, BUT IT STILL TAKES ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP OF THOSE STRUCTURES BECAUSE YOU CAN BUILD A HOME JUST RIGHT, AND YOU CAN GO BACK AND DO THINGS THAT MAKE IT WRONG AGAIN. AND THAT'S WHERE THINGS LIKE THE SIZE EVALUATIONS ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
ONCE A COMMUNITY IS BUILT AND DESIGNED APPROPRIATELY, YOU HAVE TO MAINTAIN THAT RESISTANCE OVER TIME.
AND BECAUSE THE CODE ISN'T NECESSARILY RETROACTIVE UNLESS THERE'S MAJOR RENOVATIONS, YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO INCREASE THE RESILIENCY OF YOUR EXISTING BUILT ENVIRONMENT. BUT WHAT WE KNOW, BECAUSE THE CODE IS BASED ON CONSENSUS THROUGH ORGANIZATIONS CONTRIBUTING, LIKE THE NATIONAL HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION AND OTHER GROUPS, THAT THE LATEST SCIENCE IS INTEGRATED INTO THESE CODES AS THEY'RE ADOPTED, THAT IT'S REALLY A TECHNOLOGY THAT WE'RE USING TO INCREASE RESILIENCY OF COMMUNITIES. WE'RE USING THAT SCIENCE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITIES AND BUILDERS UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE SOLUTION OF WILDFIRE RESILIENCE, BECAUSE NO ONE WANTS HOMES TO BURN AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND SO ONE OF OUR KEY SOLUTIONS IS TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE MEASURES IN PLACE IN MUNICIPALITIES AND JURISDICTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF AUSTIN AND THE WORK THEY'VE DONE TO LEAD THAT CHARGE.
AS I MENTIONED OUTSIDE OF CALIFORNIA, WHO JUST ADOPTED THE STATEWIDE WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE CODE, AUSTIN IS THE LARGEST MUNICIPALITY IN THE COUNTRY TO HAVE DONE SO.
SO THAT THAT REALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS CODES EQUAL CARING.
IT MEANS OUR LEADERSHIP CARES ABOUT OUR OUR RESIDENTS ENOUGH TO NOT LET THEM HABITATE IN HOMES THAT ARE GOING TO BURN.
BUT IT ALSO MEANS LIFE SAFETY BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING MAJOR CATASTROPHIC LOSSES OF LIFE DUE TO THESE WILDFIRES. AND IT WAS MENTIONED BY A PREVIOUS SPEAKER THAT WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF SUBDIVISIONS IN AUSTIN THAT WERE ALREADY BUILT BEFORE WE STARTED INTEGRATING WILDFIRE INTO PLANNING THAT HAVE LIMITED INGRESS AND EGRESS.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS, YES, FOLLOW THOSE EVACUATION ORDERS.
BUT WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN'T LEAVE YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR HOME NOW BECOMES YOUR LAST RESORT SURVIVAL AREA. WE WANT THOSE HOMES TO BE DESIGNED TO PROTECT BOTH THE STRUCTURE ITSELF AND WHAT MIGHT REMAIN IN THAT STRUCTURE IN THE EVENT THAT EVACUATION ISN'T FEASIBLE. SO STRUCTURE HARDENING IS LIFE SAFETY IN MY MIND, AND I HOPE YOU CAN EMBRACE THAT AS WELL AS THIS IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO CARE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S INTERESTING, I'VE SEEN KIND OF IN THE PUBLIC DEBATE ABOUT BUILDING CODES AND PERMITTING IN AUSTIN FOR CONSTRUCTION.
SOME PEOPLE ARE ASKING, WELL, IS THE WUI CODE SLOWING DOWN BUILDING? AND IS THAT GETTING IN THE WAY OF BUILDERS BRINGING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING INTO OUR MARKET HERE? AND I THINK IT'S AN INTERESTING DEBATE.
AND WHEN WE OUGHT TO, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IT AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN FOR ME IS THINKING ABOUT IF WE WANT TO MAINTAIN AFFORDABILITY, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE A CONFLAGRATION THAT TAKES OUT A LARGE NUMBER OF HOMES, AND THEN SUDDENLY WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LOOKING FOR TEMPORARY HOUSING.
AND SO THAT DRIVES UP THE PRICE OF HOUSING IN THE RENTAL MARKET.
AND ALSO THEN WE WOULD FIND THAT WE HAVE POTENTIALLY AN INSURANCE CRISIS WHERE INSURERS START CANCELING ON HOMEOWNERS.
SO IN A LOT OF WAYS, A VERY PROACTIVE WOOY CODE.
TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A VERY PROGRESSIVE POLICY THAT PROGRESSIVE CITIES SHOULD LOOK TO ADOPT, AND WE SHOULD TRY TO HELP OUR BUILDING COMMUNITY, OUR CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES, AND ALL THE OTHER BUILDERS WHO PROVIDE HOUSING TO REALLY HELP GET UP TO SPEED ON IT AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO UNDERTAKE THE WORK HERE
[02:20:06]
WITH US. DOES THAT SEEM LIKE A FAIR ASSESSMENT? JUSTICE? YEAH. THERE'S ALWAYS NOVEL CHALLENGES WHEN YOU'RE CHANGING THE WAY THAT THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT IS DESIGNED, BUT THE REALITY IS THE COST OF ADOPTING AND IMPLEMENTING THE WUI CODE VERSUS RETROFITTING AN EXISTING STRUCTURE IS VASTLY DIFFERENT.LESS THAN 2%. GENERALLY SPEAKING, OVERALL INCREASE IN COST TO DESIGN A HOME THAT WON'T BURN TO RETROFIT AN EXISTING HOME THAT WASN'T DESIGNED WITH THAT IN MIND, IS CLOSER TO $50,000, ACCORDING TO HEADWATERS ECONOMICS.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT YOU CAN'T BUY A HOME UNLESS YOU CAN GET INSURANCE. AND SO BUILDING HOMES THAT ARE INSURABLE IS AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE.
AND IT'S A RECIPE FOR MAKING SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE HOUSING STOCK AVAILABLE BECAUSE WHAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING AND IN MAUI RIGHT NOW, AND LA IS A HOUSING CRISIS DRIVEN BY WILDFIRE LOSSES AND UNINSURABLE.
AND WE CAN HELP AVOID THAT HERE IN AUSTIN AND TEXAS BY BUILDING HOMES THAT ARE INSURABLE, THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE AND WON'T BURN WHEN THAT FIRE HAPPENS.
LET'S CLOSE THE DISCUSSION HERE WITH A LIGHTNING ROUND.
IF WE COULD ALL JUST, YOU KNOW, EACH ONE OF YOU TELL ME REAL QUICKLY AND YOU KNOW, TEN, 15 SECONDS.
WHAT'S ONE ACTION EVERY RESIDENT COULD TAKE THIS MONTH HERE IN AUGUST WHEN OUR FIRE RISK IS ACCELERATING RAPIDLY.
WHAT'S ONE STEP EVERY RESIDENT COULD TAKE TO MAKE AUSTIN MORE WILDFIRE RESILIENT? CHIEF, LET'S GO WITH YOU, AND WE'LL GO ON DOWN THE ROAD.
ALL RIGHT. THIS IS GOING TO COME AS A SURPRISE.
I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO GIVE YOU TWO THINGS. I'M GOING TO SUPPORT OUR AUSTIN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FOLKS AND SAY SIGN UP FOR WARREN CENTRAL TEXAS.COM, UH.ORG. SUPER IMPORTANT TO GET THOSE NOTIFICATIONS IN THE CASE OF A WILDFIRE OR ANY OTHER LARGE EMERGENCY.
AND THEN I'LL ALSO REITERATE THAT YOU COULD GET A SIZE.
AUSTIN WILDFIRE HUB. YOU, THERE'S A DO IT YOURSELF SIZE ON THERE OR YOU CAN CONTACT US. WE WILL SEND OUT ONE OF THE MEMBERS, OUR EXCELLENT TEAM TO YOUR HOUSE AND, AND TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO TO REDUCE THAT WILDFIRE RISK. JUSTIN.
I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS GROUP HERE THAT'S GATHERED FOR THIS EVENT, YOU'RE COMMITTED AND ENGAGED.
BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU, YOU KNOW, PICK THREE OR 4 OR 5 OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND TALK TO THEM ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LEARNING HERE ABOUT GETTING A SIZE AND ALL THE OTHER STEPS THAT YOU CAN TAKE, BECAUSE IT REALLY IS A COMMUNITY EFFORT THAT'S NEEDED. YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING RIGHT ON YOUR PROPERTY, BUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON YOUR, YOUR NEIGHBOR'S PROPERTY OR THE ONE NEXT TO THEIRS HAS AN IMPACT IN THE EVENT OF A WILDFIRE INCIDENT.
SO TALK TO A FEW OF YOUR NEIGHBORS AND WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO CREATE A WILDFIRE RESILIENT COMMUNITY. YEAH.
LOVE IT. SPREAD THE WORD, JOHN. I WOULD SAY TWO THINGS TOO.
ONE, I THINK WE NEED A SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SHIFT AND PEOPLE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THEIR HOMES AS FUEL. IF YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR HOME AND YOUR PROPERTY AS FUEL, YOU'LL BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY ABOUT PROTECTING IT.
REACH OUT TO YOUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, TO YOUR STATE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, AND MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S RESOURCES FOR THINGS LIKE THE ADOPTION OF A TECHNOLOGY.
OUR TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY. WE'RE INTEGRATING FIRE SPREAD MODELING FROM OUR PARTNERS AT TECHNO SILVA LIGHTNING DETECTION WEATHER GROUP DETECTION, LIKE WE'RE DOING MORE AND MORE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
BUT THAT TAKES RESOURCES FROM YOUR COMMUNITIES, FROM YOUR STATES AND YOUR FEDERAL AGENCIES.
SO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELF, BUT ALSO FOR THE ADOPTION OF THE NEWEST AND BEST TOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFER AND HUMAN LIVES SAFER.
WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. JOHN. LISA. THANK YOU.
I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER THAT TREES AND POWER INFRASTRUCTURE JUST DON'T MIX.
AND SO WE IN AUSTIN LOVE OUR TREES AND WE AT AUSTIN ENERGY LOVE OUR TREES AS WELL.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT JUST LIKE YOU'RE KEEPING A PROPER MOAT AROUND YOUR HOUSE, THAT WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE CLEARANCE OR MOAT AROUND OUR POWER LINES.
AND SO WHEN AUSTIN ENERGY COMES TO YOU AND SAYS, WE'RE DOING OUR CYCLES AND WE'RE TRYING TO COME IN AND TRIM THE TREES.
KNOW THAT WE HAVE CERTIFIED ARBORISTS AND SPECIALIZED, TRAINED FOLKS WHO KNOW HOW TO WORK AROUND ELECTRICITY, WHO ARE DOING THAT WORK AND WORK WITH THEM, ALLOW THEM TO COME ONTO YOUR PROPERTY, INTO YOUR BACKYARDS TO GET THOSE TREES TRIMMED.
AND PLEASE BE AN ADVOCATE WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS BECAUSE IF THEIR TREE GETS INTO THE POWER LINE, IT'S PROBABLY AFFECTING YOUR POWER AND IT'S PROBABLY AFFECTING YOUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. I'D ALSO ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR AUSTIN ENERGY OUTAGE ALERTS.
IT'S ANOTHER WAY THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH YOU WITH PROACTIVE INFORMATION, AND YOU CAN FIND INFORMATION ABOUT THAT ON OUR WEBSITE, AUSTIN ENERGY.COM/ALERTS.
THE SAFER THE INDIVIDUAL, THE SAFER THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO IT REALLY TAKES UNDERSTANDING YOUR RISK AND BEING RESPONSIBLE WITH YOUR PROPERTY
[02:25:01]
BECAUSE YOU CAN IMPACT YOUR NEIGHBORS, BUT SHARING THAT KNOWLEDGE WITH THOSE ADJACENT TO YOU SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND AND MITIGATE THEIR RISK BECAUSE WE'RE INTERCONNECTED IN THIS WILDFIRE A RESILIENCY MODEL.THEN THE FINAL KEY IS TO SHOW UP AND SUPPORT YOUR CITY LEADERSHIP, YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOUR BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
WHEN THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARISE TO UPDATE THE CODE TO KEEP AUSTIN CURRENT WITH THE BEST SCIENCE AVAILABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR COMMUNITY'S RESILIENCY.
YEAH. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALL OF YOU.
I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION HERE TODAY.
I'LL JUST AMPLIFY THAT FINAL MESSAGE IN TERMS OF SOMETHING YOU CAN DO TODAY FOR EVERYONE LISTENING. FOR ANYBODY READING ABOUT THIS EVENT TOMORROW IN THE NEWS, PLEASE GO TO WARREN, CENTRAL TEXAS.ORG AND SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS.
AND THEN I'D OFFER A PIECE OF ADVICE FROM KEVIN PHILLIPS, WHO LIVED THROUGH THE STEINER RANCH FIRE AND EVACUATION.
AND HE SAID THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU COULD DO IS TALK WITH YOUR FAMILY ABOUT WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO MEET AND WHEN DURING EVACUATION, ASSUME THAT CELL PHONE COVERAGE WILL BE LOST AND THERE WILL BE CHAOS AND CONFUSION.
HAVE A PLAN FOR WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO MEET UP WITH YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS, BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING THAT'S GOING TO BE MORE ON YOUR MIND THAN THE LIVES AND SAFETY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS.
WITH THAT SAID, WE'RE CONCLUDING THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS HERE IN THE MORNING.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND WRAP UP THE BROADCAST.
WE DO HAVE A FEW ADMIN ITEMS THAT WE WANT TO COVER HERE FOR EVERYONE WHO'S STAYING IN THE AFTERNOON FOR THE PANEL DISCUSSIONS.
AND VICKI LANDON, MY PARTNER IN CRIME HERE, IS GOING TO COME ON UP AND HELP ME TALK ABOUT THAT. I JUST WANT TO SAY TO ALL THE PANELISTS FROM THE FIRST PANEL AND THE SECOND PANEL HERE. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR TAKING TIME FROM YOUR BUSY DAY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND THANK YOU TO MAYOR WATSON AND LOUISA BRINSMADE AND PHILIP DOOLAN FOR HELPING US PUT THIS TOGETHER. AND A HUGE WORD OF THANKS TO THE BOARD OF THE AUSTIN AREA FIRE WIVES ALLIANCE, ESPECIALLY VICKY LANDON HERE, OUR EVENTS COORDINATOR.
EVENTS LIKE THIS DON'T HAPPEN WITHOUT PEOPLE LIKE HER.
I ALSO WANTED TO THANK ROBIN MCKEEVER, OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR LYNNE ALQUIST.
CAROL PHILLIPSON, WHO HELPED ARRANGE FOR THE FOOD BILL HAMM, EDITOR, RICHBURG OUR PAST PRESIDENT. JOYCE STASSER PAST PRESIDENT.
IT'S AWESOME TO BE PART OF A TEAM THAT IS THIS GREAT.
WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEERS, BUT THE WAY YOU ALL PULL THIS TOGETHER WAS LIKE A PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION. I'M SO DEEPLY INDEBTED TO ALL THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS. THANKS SO MUCH.
OKAY. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.