BILL ANALYSIS
AB 1128
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Date of Hearing: May 13, 2009
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Kevin De Leon, Chair
AB 1128 (Brownley) - As Introduced: February 27, 2009
Policy Committee: Governmental
Organization Vote: 17 - 0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Secretary of the California Emergency
Management Agency (Cal EMA) to acquire 131 fire engines.
Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires Cal EMA to acquire 131 fire engines to augment its
existing fleet and to assign the fire engines to governmental
fire protection agencies around the state.
2)To the extent authorized under federal law, requires the
secretary to appropriate $33 million from the Federal Trust
Fund over a three-year period to fund the cost of the new
engines.
3)Declares the intent of the Legislature to create and fund a
multiyear expenditure plan and to direct the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFIRE) to continue with a
cycle to replace, augment, and upgrade the state's fire
engines and emergency equipment.
FISCAL EFFECT
1)General Fund costs in excess of $52 million for Cal EMA to
purchase 131 fire engines, unless federal funding is made
available for the purchase.
2)Annual costs of approximately $1 million for personnel to
manage and maintain the fleet.
3)Annual costs in excess of $200,000 for fuel and repair costs
associated with the new engines.
AB 1128
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4)Annual costs of approximately $3 million per year for CalFIRE
to continually replace, augment, and upgrade fire engines and
emergency equipment, in order to fulfill the legislative
intent expressed in this bill.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author points to the problems faced by fire
departments during the 2007 wild fire season, where personnel
was ready to fight the wild fires but local fire departments
lacked the equipment. According to the author, the Blue
Ribbon Fire Commission (see below) recommended the purchase of
150 additional fire engines for use throughout the state. As
of last year, only 19 of those Cal EMA engines had been
purchased. This bill would require Cal EMA to purchase the
remaining number of engines recommended by the commission.
2)Federal Funding . The bill requires the state to transfer, to
the extent possible, $32 million from the state's Federal
Trust Fund, which holds all money received by the state from
the United States, the expenditure of which is administered
through or under the direction of any state agency.
Discussions with the departments affected by this legislation
suggest that they are unaware of any federal funding that is
deposited into this fund that would be available for the
purchase of these fire engines.
3)Blue Ribbon Fire Commission . In the aftermath of the 2003
southern California firestorm, a bipartisan 34-member Blue
Ribbon Fire Commission was established to examine the
devastating effects of the fires in an effort to prevent
similar devastation of life and property in the future.
The final report of the Blue Ribbon Fire Commission revealed
that while state and local fire agencies reported having
available personnel capable of responding to fires, most
lacked the additional equipment required for such a response.
To this end, the commission recommended that the state
develop, among other things, a program to fund the acquisition
of 150 additional OES fire engines. The commission also
recommended that the state begin replacing and diversifying
the aging fire engine fleet maintained by the Department of
Forestry and Fire Protection.
AB 1128
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4)Related Legislation . In 2008, AB 2154 (Brownley) would have
required the state to purchase 131 new fire engines. That bill
was held in this committee.
Analysis Prepared by : Julie Salley-Gray / APPR. / (916)
319-2081