BILL ANALYSIS �
Bill No: SB
1065
SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION
Senator Roderick D. Wright, Chair
2011-2012 Regular Session
Staff Analysis
SB 1065 Author: Alquist
As Introduced: February 13, 2012
Hearing Date: April 10, 2012
Consultant: Art Terzakis
SUBJECT
Emergency Preparedness: earthquakes and fires: water
supplies
DESCRIPTION
SB 1065 requires the Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety
Commission (Commission) to constitute a joint fire-water
task force for the purpose of developing statewide
guidelines and an implementation plan related to
post-earthquake firefighting and water supplies.
Specifically, this measure:
1.Requires the Commission, with the assistance and
participation of other federal, state and local entities,
to create a joint fire-water task force composed of key
senior urban California fire chiefs and managers of water
purveyor departments to develop post-earthquake
firefighting water target goals.
2.Requires the task force, by July 1, 2013, to recommend
statewide guidelines and an implementation plan for
post-earthquake firefighting water supplies and report
those findings to the Governor and Legislature.
3.Requires the Commission, in preparation of its
recommendations and plan, to consult with the California
Emergency Management Agency, the Public Utilities
Commission, the Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection and the Department of Water Resources. Also,
SB 1065 (Alquist) continued
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allows the Commission to invite certain other
stakeholders, as specified, to participate in the
development of the guidelines and plan.
4.Makes it explicit that the Commission and any other state
entity that participates in the task force must do so
within its current budget.
5.Contains various legislative findings and declarations
relative to the state's history of major earthquakes and
fires and the necessity for increasing coordination
between fire service personnel and entities that provide
water.
6.Sunsets this body of law on January 1, 2017.
SB 1065 (Alquist) continued
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EXISTING LAW
The Seismic Safety Act of 1975 established the Seismic
Safety Commission to advise the Governor, Legislature, and
state and local governments on ways to reduce earthquake
risk. The Commission was established in response to the
devastation following the Sylmar Earthquake of 1971, after
an ad hoc Committee recognized the need for a continuing
effort to build the State's infrastructure to resist future
earthquakes. The Commission is organized under the State
and Consumer Services Agency.
The Act provides that the Commission is composed of 20
commissioners chosen for their expertise and experience -
15 members are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by
the Senate. Additionally, the Commission includes: one
member appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, one
member appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly, a
representative from the Building Standards Commission, a
representative from the State Architect's office, and a
representative from the California Emergency Management
Agency. Members receive no salary, only a per diem.
In 2006, the Commission's name was changed to the Alfred E.
Alquist Seismic Safety Commission in honor of the late
State Senator Al Alquist who created it.
BACKGROUND
Purpose of SB 1065: The author's office notes that the
Alfred E. Alquist Seismic Safety Commission sponsored a
2011 study by the Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research
Center entitled, "Water Supply in Regard to Fire Following
Earthquake" which revealed that despite massive seismic
retrofit programs, water systems in California are still
vulnerable to distribution breaks that could occur in the
high intensity areas of a major earthquake. The study
surveyed several dozen fire and water agencies in order to
understand their readiness for a fire following an
earthquake. Some of the key findings are as follows:
Larger urban water departments are not aware of the
specifics of the earthquake risk to which they are
exposed.
Earthquakes are seen as a key issue by most water
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departments, but the provision of potable water has a
higher priority in some cases than firefighting.
Larger urban fire departments consider their normal water
supplies as seismically unreliable.
Efforts aimed at pursuing and improving water supply are
piecemeal and not coordinated.
Some water departments have alternatives given loss of
normal water supply. Yet, not many are reasonably
equipped to actually move water a significant distance.
The author's office contends that the risk to California is
very significant. The San Francisco Bay Area (population
7.5 million), the Greater Los Angeles area (population
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20 million) and the San Diego area (population 3 million)
could endure significant losses due to fires following an
earthquake and the lack of a reliable water supply.
Arguments in Support: Proponents of this measure point out
that while larger urban fire agencies consider their normal
water supplies as seismically unreliable and are pursuing
numerous efforts designed to improve water supply, such
efforts are not currently coordinated among urban fire and
water agencies statewide. Proponents contend that this
measure would greatly improve this lack of coordination by
directing the Commission to initiate a joint agency task
force comprised of urban fire chiefs and water agency
officials to develop post-earthquake firefighting target
goals.
Proponents emphasize that experts predict that California
will experience another major earthquake at some point in
the near future and that the earthquake and emergency
preparedness and planning as proposed by this measure will
greatly enhance the state's fire service and water
agencies' ability to ensure to the maximum extent possible
that adequate water supplies will be available to protect
California's citizens.
PRIOR/RELATED LEGISLATION
SB 1278 (Alquist) Chapter 532, Statutes of 2006. Among
other things, renamed the Commission the Alfred E. Alquist
Seismic Safety Commission; moved it under the State and
Consumer Services Agency, and, added additional members to
the Commission.
AB 1374 (Liu) 2005-06 Session. Would have extended the
assessment that supports the
Seismic Safety Commission through July 1, 2013. (Vetoed -
Governor's message stated, "Since we are reviewing how best
to use the expertise the Commission provides, it is
premature to extend the assessment that supports the
Commission through 2013.")
AB 584 (Blakeslee) Chapter 92, Statutes of 2005. Made
several clarifying, technical, and code maintenance changes
to existing provisions of the Government Code relating to
the Seismic Safety Commission.
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SB 1049 (Budget Committee) Chapter 741, Statutes 2003 .
Established authority, until July 1, 2007, that Seismic
Safety Account funds may be used to fund activities of the
Commission and related activities as approved by the
Legislature. This was a shift from the use of a mixture of
money from the General Fund, seismic bond funds and
reimbursement which had been used prior to 2003.
SUPPORT: As of April 6, 2012:
California Fire Chiefs Association
Fire Districts Association of California
East Bay Municipal Utility District
American federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees
Santa Clara Valley Water District
OPPOSE: None on file as of April 6, 2012.
FISCAL COMMITTEE: Senate Appropriations Committee