wildfire

* What is the balance between accountability and risk in federal fire programs, and what adjustments are needed to improve implementation of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy.

Fish and Wildlife Service, ICS has proven successful during incidents as diverse as wildland fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, hazardous materials incidents, multicasualty accidents, and airplane crashes.

With limited resources and staffing throughout the state of California, many residents and homeowners associations in high fire danger areas are now contracting private fire services for structure protection in the event of a wildland fire incident.

Local governments also were represented at the meeting by Fire Chief Bob Roper, Ventura County, Calif., Wildland Fire Policy Committee chair for the International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Last year, wildland fire suppression costs exceeded $2.5 billion, making it the most expensive year on record.

Reportedly, the USFS, and numerous other agencies engaged in wildland fire suppression, have relied upon the company's BK RADIO products for decades; first deploying its E-Series analog radios, its G-Series analog radios, its P-25 digital D-Series radios and recently migrating to its P25 Digital KNG-Series radios.

In 2002, a government- appointed blue-ribbon panel concluded that, "The safety record of fixed-wing aircraft and hel icopters used in wildland fire management is unacceptable."

Ventura County, Calif., Fire Chief Bob Roper, who sits on the Wildland Fire Leadership Council with NLC representative Mary Hamann-Roland of Apple Valley, Minn., opened the committee meeting with an update on the council's work.

The nation's wildland fire problems have worsened dramatically over the past decade, with more than a doubling of average annual acreage burned and federal appropriations for wildland fire management.