Notice of Intent to Adopt the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance – Second Notice
Notice is hereby given of the intention of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District to adopt a Fire
Code Ordinance. The District shall hold its second public hearing at 16:00 on Thursday January
5th, 2023 at the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Station 7, 2211 Keetak St, South Lake
Tahoe, CA, regarding the adoption of the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance pursuant to Health and
Safety Code Sections 13869 and 13869.7. Copies of the code section referred to and any
secondary code sections referred to,adopted by reference, are on file with the Secretary of
the District and are open to public inspection. Adoption of the Fire Code Ordinance will adopt
the California Fire Code as currently published in Title 24, Part 9, of the California Code of
Regulations, governing fire prevention and building standards related to fire and panic safety
with some amendments. In some instances the Lake Valley Fire Protection District’s proposed
Fire Code Ordinance proposes building standards more stringent than those minimum building
standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and contained in the California Building Standards
Code.
Notice of Intent to Adopt the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance
Notice is hereby given of the intention of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District to adopt a Fire Code Ordinance. The District shall hold its first public hearing at 17:00 on Thursday December 8th, 2022 at the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Station 7, 2211 Keetak St, South Lake Tahoe, CA, regarding the adoption of the 2022 Fire Code Ordinance pursuant to Health and Safety Code Sections 13869 and 13869.7. Copies of the code section referred to and any secondary code sections referred to, adopted by reference, are on file with the Secretary of the District and are open to public inspection (see link below). Adoption of the Fire Code Ordinance will adopt the California Fire Code as currently published in Title 24, Part 9, of the California Code of Regulations, governing fire prevention and building standards related to fire and panic safety with some amendments. In some instances the Lake Valley Fire Protection District’s proposed Fire Code Ordinance proposes building standards more stringent than those minimum building standards adopted by the State Fire Marshal and contained in the California Building Standards Code.
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara will enforce the new insurance pricing regulation he wrote recognizing and rewarding wildfire safety and mitigation efforts made by homeowners and businesses.
Commissioner Lara’s regulation is the first in the nation requiring insurance companies to provide discounts to consumers under the Safer from Wildfires framework created by the California Department of Insurance in partnership with state emergency preparedness agencies. The regulation is now state law and included in the California Code of Regulations.
“Protecting Californians from deadly wildfires means everyone doing their part, including insurance companies by rewarding consumers for being safer from wildfires,” states Lara in a news release. “The reality of climate change is driving my determination to help communities better prepare, help our firefighters save lives and help more Californians find insurance they can afford.”
Lara’s regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rate filings incorporating wildfire safety standards created by the Department of Insurance and to establish a process for releasing wildfire risk determinations to residents and businesses within 180 days. The news release notes that transparency is an important benefit of this regulation, requiring insurance companies to provide consumers with their property’s “wildfire risk score” and creating a right to appeal that score.
In 2019 insurance companies representing 7% of the residential market provided insurance discounts. Today that figure has grown to 40%, according to Department of Insurance data. When this new regulation is fully implemented, it is expected to be 100% of the residential and commercial market aligned with the Safer from Wildfires framework.
Lara directed the Department of Insurance to write the regulation to protect consumers and improve market competition after hearing first-hand from consumers and business owners about their frustration with insurance companies that did not consider mitigation in their rating plans. During town hall meetings in more than 38 counties and an extensive Department of Insurance investigatory wildfire hearing in 2020, consumers testified that their homes and businesses were subject to “wildfire risk scores” that many did not know existed and had no right to appeal if inaccurate.
Home hardening retrofits, along with defensible space, significantly increase a home’s chance of surviving a wildfire, according to Chief Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire deputy director of Community Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation. “Using the latest fire science and recent wildfire data, these retrofits and landscaping requirements provide a strong path to structure survivability,” he states, adding that Cal Fire is currently funding more than $3 million in local wildfire prevention projects to prepare communities for wildfire.
The new wildfire safety regulation requires insurance companies to submit new rates that recognize the benefit of safety measures such as upgraded roofs and windows, defensible space and community-wide programs such as Firewise USA and the Fire Risk Reduction Community designation developed by the state’s Board of Forestry and Fire Protection, which currently includes the counties of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Butte, as well as cities and local districts.
Lake Valley Fire Protection District Notice of Vacancy and Intent to Appoint Director
The community served by the Lake Valley Fire Protection District (LVFPD) is hereby notified pursuant to Government Code §1780 that there is a vacancy on the Lake Valley Fire Protection District Board due to failure to elect. The appointee will represent the community served by the Lake Valley Fire Protection District as a Board Director. The position to be filled is a 4-year term beginning December, 2022 and ending December, 2026.
To apply, candidates must submit a letter of intent along with a current resume to the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, attention Kayla Galvan by Friday, October 7, 2022 by 5:00 PM.
Eligibility:
Any person who is 18 years of age or older, a registered voter and resident of the Lake Valley Fire Protection District, and who is not disqualified by the Constitution or laws of the state from holding office, is eligible to be appointed a member of the Board of Directors.
Interviews:
The Board of Directors will interview prospective candidates at a public meeting on October 13, 2022, accept oral or written public input at that time, and select the appointee by a majority vote.
The Mosquito Fire started on September 6 at 6:00 PM near Oxbow Reservoir, 3 miles east of Forest Hill, in Placer County. The fire continues to burn in brush and timber in very steep and rugged terrain. The cause in under investigation and no containment date has been set. Your Lake Valley Firefighters are actively involved in monitoring the situation and are prepared to assist our neighboring departments if necessary. For the very latest information, please click, bookmark and follow the links to updates and resources listed below.
INCIDENT UPDATE LINKS
For current fire status, click on any of the following links:
The Lake Valley Fire Protection District (District) welcomes into service a new 2022 Rosenbauer Commander apparatus during a wet-down ceremony on Monday, August 29 at 10 a.m. at Fire Station 7. The public is invited to attend. Donuts, coffee and refreshments will be provided. A wet-down ceremony is a tradition celebrated by fire departments to commission new fire apparatus by anointing it with water sprayed from the retiring fire engine. The ritual dates back to the late 1800s when newly commissioned horses would be washed along with the pumper at their assigned firehouse and then backed into the firehouse bay. “We are excited to mark our 75th year with the purchase of a new fire engine and would like the community to understand the value and improved service delivered with this new equipment,” said Interim Fire Chief Chad Stephen.
The new 2022 Rosenbauer Commander is the first of its kind in the fleet. The new apparatus, designated Engine 7, has a 600 horsepower Cummins diesel motor and an Allison 4500 six speed transmission on a Marmon Harrington 4×4 chassis. The engine holds 750 gallons of water and is capable of pumping over 1500 gallons per minute. To reduce the cancer risk to firefighters, Rosenbauer developed a clean air cab and installed an in-cab recirculation air scrubber.
During the ceremony, we will be retiring our 1997 HME fire apparatus that until last week provided first out response in the District. The HME served our District for 25 years as Engine 7, Engine 6 and later Engine 5 our reserve. The HME responded to hundreds of fires in its history including the Angora Fire and most recently the Caldor Fire. The HME has been one of our longest serving and most dependable fire engines in our 75 years of history.
“We’re very excited to introduce the 2022 Rosenbauer Commander to the Lake Valley Fire Protection District. It brings the right mix of advantages and capabilities for our ever changing community and environment, said Fleet Manager and Fire Mechanic Andrew Sessions.”
