COMMENT 330603
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2012-10-12 08:09 AM |
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Ah yes... the proverbial anonymous letter that presumes to speak for the masses. A little like politicians claim to speak for "the American people".
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BILLY BOB
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2012-10-12 09:10 AM |
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I find it mind boggling that we feel entitled to concierge service when we go for a hike in the mountains! Should a helicopter be at my beck and call when I have an accident on a trail, and should I be upset that it didn't arrive in a timely fashion? How ludicrous has it gotten that these absurd expectations have now become our rights, and family members want an investigation (lawsuit to come?) because their loved one had an accident or medical problem in the wild. What in the world did we do before helicopters!
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COMMENT 330630
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2012-10-12 09:36 AM |
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SB County does not have a single firefighting helo that can perform night drops. We have 2 small helos that proved to be worthless during the Jesuita Fire. Considering the types of fires the County experiences- Jesuita, Tea, Painted Cave, Sycamore Canyon- we need a fleet of 6 night capable helos on call 24/7 that can hit a fire hard when it is small and keep it contained until ground units can make their way to the fire primeter. For the cost of the new county jail ($96 million) we can buy 6 new Bell 412 fire helos and have enough money left over to fund helo operations for 8 years. If we had such a fleet in place for all the above named fires not a single home would have been lost, not a single person injured and not a single life lost.
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COMMENT 330642
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2012-10-12 10:06 AM |
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630 - if that is what is needed to protect people's homes in who live in the zones then the people who choose to live in the fire zones need to pony up - live in a fire prone area? $3,000 per house per month for Helicopters seems about right... I am not going to pay for your security when you choose to live in a historically proven fire zone. Pony up or move out...
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COMMENT 330646
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2012-10-12 10:22 AM |
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Firefighting should be a state or a national problem. There has been very little invested in effective fire protection. We primarily fight fires the same way we did thirty years ago. One helicopter is not much help in a real fire. A fleet of helicopters in every county is not a productive investment. Many environmentalists argue that it is good for the land to be burned periodically. If we want to control fires we need to start a major program of controlled burns. We all know that will not happen.
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COMMENT 330661P
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2012-10-12 10:54 AM |
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OMG the Helicopter junkies are at it again!!!
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COMMENT 330630
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2012-10-12 10:57 AM |
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To 642- Since 1977 taxpayers have paid out over $600 million dollars for the costs of property damage and firefighting. A fleet of 6 firefighting helos during the same period of time would have cost $150 million in operating costs and $150 million in equipment costs (which includes replacement of aging helos). The taxpayers would have saved $300 million dollars. All the pain and suffering of those who lost loved ones and homes would have been avoided. Your anger at those people who live in fire prone hills is misguided. We would all love to live on the Riviera with an ocean view. I do not hold it against those people who live in the hills of Santa Barbara and Montecito. And besides, most of those people are well to do and even though they are 10% of the population they pay 80% of the taxes. A combination of aggressive fire clearance programs and overwhelming air attack capability is the answer to preventing future disasters.
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COMMENT 330670
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2012-10-12 11:04 AM |
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Yes, because if we had 6 helos it wouldn't be necessary to send any other personnel to the fire. As if. I love how people try to manipulate facts to support their argument.
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COMMENT 330642
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2012-10-12 11:06 AM |
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663 - Well as an ex wild land firefighter I have to disagree. Homes are best protected at the home by the land owner with careful landscaping and foresight. Not from the air during a fire storm. Having saved many a home, and fought many a fire, I have a bit more of an understanding of the nature of fire and the politics behind fighting them... your math is as fuzzy as your logic and your priorities show you're more concerned with your own sense of ownership/entitlement than with the overall effects of the policies you propose. In other words: Protect yourself by being knowledgeable and prepared and if you choose to live in a fire prone area without proper preparations or knowledge then you deserve what comes. To me its the same as living on the sand and expecting the Army Core to build you a special sea wall...
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COMMENT 330630
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2012-10-12 01:28 PM |
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To 674- You will notice that if you read comment 663 it is stated that a fire clearance program is a part of the solution. During the Painted Cave fire and the Jesuita fire air support was called in before any water or retardant was put on the fire by ground crews. In fact for the first 20 hours of the Jesuita fire the only retardant put on the fire was from the air, and even then the fire was allowed to expand for hours before heavy air support came in. It took ground crews 14 hours to reach the perimiter of the fire and even then they had only axes and shovels to work with. The first firefighters to respond to the fire called for air support because they knew that a rapid and strong air attack would contain the fire and allow ground crews time to reach and fight the fire while it was small. Little or no air support was provided during the critical first 15 minutes of that fire and dozens of homes were lost and people were burned.
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COMMENT 330737
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2012-10-12 01:56 PM |
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Janet Wolf has got to go. It's time to go...
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COMMENT 330737
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2012-10-12 03:03 PM |
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I wouldn't expect any help on a hike. I would hope for some help on a hike.
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