Fire Safe Council University City

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The University City Fire Safe Council hosts public meetings. To get on our email list for meeting updates, please email the Council at ucfiresafecouncil@gmail.com. For recent Fire Department and Fire Safe Council news, visit https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/sdfd

Fire Prevention and Smoke Detector Giveaway at 1PM March 23

March 2024 announcements: The Fire Safe Council will hold a public presentation; 1:00PM March 23rd at the Library on Governor Drive. This is a public meeting and all are welcome.

California Insurance Companies Are Cancelling Fire Insurance. All across California insurance companies are cancelling homeowner policies due to fire losses. Homes within 500 feet of a wild canyon have seen the highest number of cancellations. Building flammability, volatile landscaping, distance to fire hydrants and fire equipment access are all factors.

If you think a conflagration cannot happen here you are mistaken. Had the winds persisted a few hours longer in the 2003 Cedar Fire, University and Clairemont neighborhoods would have caught fire. Like Maui the entire community could have been destroyed.

Government will soon implement additional fire safety requirements. Homeowners can prepare by switching out to non-combustible exterior building materials. Within 5 feet of homes; remove plants and anything combustible, use non-combustible ground cover. Large trees should be at least 20 feet from a house. Fences that touch the house should be non-combustible as well. Soffit vents should be fire rated. Fire upgrades will improve the chance that you will have a livable house to return too after a firestorm. To learn more go to: fire.ca.gov

The Fire Safe Council will hold a public presentation; 1:00PM March 23rd at the Library on Governor Drive. This is a public meeting and all are welcome.

Follow-up Brush Management Survey February 2024; refer to the February 2023 notice below for the background information. The Fire Safe Council commissioned a follow-up Brush Management survey to assess existing conditions after the City conducted brush management efforts in the Rose Canyon open space park. The assessment was funded by a grant from San Diego Regional Fire Foundation.

January 2024 announcements:

  • President of the University City Fire Safe Council is Louis Rodolico. Please contact him to get on the meeting notification email list: lourodolico@yahoo.com
  • 2024 Meeting Schedule: January 8th, February 12th, March 23rd, May 13th,  July 8th, September 9th, November 11th
  • Review of City Brush Management Audit: https://www.sandiego.gov/department-document/performance-audit-citys-brush-management-city-owned-land
  • Wildfire Prepared: The Wildfire Prepared Home Designation Program, enables homeowners to take preventative measures for their home and yard to protect against wildfire.  They visit the property, to make an assessment, and there is a fee. Details at: https://wildfireprepared.org/
Overview of Vegetation Density in Fire Safe Council area in south University City

February 2023: The University City Fire Safe Council commissioned biologists at Merkel & Associates, Inc. to conduct an assessment of vegetation density on government owned land that occurs within 100 feet of privately owned habitable structures located immediately adjacent to Rose Canyon and San Clemente Canyon.

These areas included east‐facing chaparral and/or coastal sage scrub dominated slopes that are susceptible to westerly Santa Ana wind conditions which have been shown to exacerbate fire conditions.

The Fire Safe Council commissioned this survey to establish a baseline for vegetation density and to document future efforts to reduce fuel and reduce the chance of wildfire in our area. The assessment was funded by a grant from San Diego Regional Fire Foundation.

September 2021 update from University City Fire Safe Council Diane Ahern: The University City Fire Safe Council is happy to announce that the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) has been granted final approval from the SD Fire-Rescue Department, the San Diego County Fire Safe Council, San Diego County Fire, and CAL FIRE.

The volunteers of the Fire Safe Council first came together in September 2019 as part of a network of community Fire Safe Councils in San Diego County and throughout the state of California. The role of a Fire Safe Council is to provide education and outreach to prevent and prepare for fire so that all are well-protected from the threats of structure and wildfire.

During our first two years, despite COVID restrictions, the Fire Safe Council has published monthly fire prevention and preparation articles in the print University City News newsletter and on social media. At the same time, our Council was working to create the first Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) for University City.

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan is a blueprint for fire prevention and preparedness at the neighborhood level. The CWPP organizes our community’s efforts to protect our community from both structure and wild fires, and empowers residents and community members to move in a cohesive, common direction to prevent and prepare for fire.

The Fire Safe Council developed the Community Wildfire Protection Plan collaboratively with input from residents and community members, the City of San Diego Fire-Rescue Department and federal, state, county, and City of San Diego management agencies.

The Fire Safe Council thanks representatives from the agencies and community groups who made contributions to the CWPP and supported our efforts.

Make your home and neighborhood safer and less likely to burn with the Fire Safe tips in the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department’s Ready, Set, Go! guide at https://www.sandiego.gov/fire/safety/tips/readysetgo

The University City Fire Safe Council began in August 2019. Our local Council and the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County help residents protect their families and homes from fire. Through our programs and services we foster fire prevention and safety throughout the county, while encouraging community involvement. We help our community learn what to do before, during, and after a fire to stay fire safe and fire wise. As an associate member of the SD County Fire Safe Council, our local FSC shares our combined experience, expertise, and common objectives to ensure our homes, businesses and communities are well-protected from the threats of structure and wildfire. Contact us by email at ucfiresafecouncil@gmail.com

During its first year September 2019 through September 2020, the focus of the University City Fire Safe Council University City was education related to fire prevention, preparation, and safety. Since September 2019, the Fire Safe Council has published articles in the print University City News newsletter (available at https://www.universitycitynews.org/ucca-newsletter-archives/) and provided frequent news and updates on the University City News website at https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/sdfd/

For easy reference, here is a look back at how the Fire Safe Council came to be:

  • September 2019: The room was packed in August 2019 at the University Community Library when Charles Butler, Code Compliance Officer San Diego Fire-Rescue Dept., shared a wealth of information to educate UC residents on getting ready to go when a wildfire endangers the area. Following the August meeting, Jemma Samala volunteered to lead the effort to set up a Fire Safe Council in University City. Details at https://www.universitycitynews.org/2019/09/03/ready-set-go-getting-ready-for-wildfire-in-university-city/
  • October 2019: As announced in the October print newsletter on page 12, under the volunteer leadership of Jemma Samala, community members began the effort to form a University City Fire Safety Council during an August presentation by the San Diego Fire Rescue Department. After some preliminary research and guidance from the creators of the Scripps Ranch Fire Safety Council and the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County (http://firesafesdcounty.org/), the UC Fire Safe Council was ready to be formed. Issues to be decided include: council boundaries, evacuation routes, education programs, and prevention services. Under the leadership of Jemma Samala, a Fire Sale Council of University City founding meeting was held at the Library on Governor Drive on October 28, 2019.
  • December 2019: As announced by Jemma Samala on page 12 of the December print newsletter, the Fire Safe Council University City has submitted papers to become an official Fire Safe Council under the umbrella of the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County; please see FSC – Associate Membership – Agreement with FSC San Diego County
  • The volunteer organization will work on educating the community about fire prevention, safety, and evacuation procedures, as well as organize projects surrounding those issues.
  • January 2020: A working group of the Fire Safe Council decided to focus on education its first year using the San Diego Fire Department’s Ready, Set, Go recommendations as a guide. The primary vehicle for education was the University City News print newsletter, the University City News website, the UC Celebration, and Oktoberfest. By mutual consent, Jemma Samala was president of the Fire Safe Council of University City; David Gimbel, J Smith, and Diane Ahern volunteered to be vice-president, treasurer, and secretary respectively. The Fire Safe Council held a public meeting at the Library on January 26 and decided to host public meetings every other month. Reference page 12 of the February print newsletter.
  • March 2020: The scheduled March meeting was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. Since that time, the Fire Safe Council has continued to publish fire safe information and news in the print newsletter  and on UCCA’s University City News at https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/sdfd/.
  • May 2020: At the County level, a University City representative attended a Zoom meeting with the Red Cross and the Resource Conservation District of San Diego County about adjustments in disaster response related to COVID-19 restrictions. Summary published on page 12 of July print newsletter.
  • August 2020: At the County level, University City attended a Zoom meeting with the Fire Safe Council of San Diego County. A summary of that meeting was published on page 12 of the September 2020 print newsletter.
  • September 2020: Fire Safe Council University City met via Zoom and voted to expand to include University City north of Rose Canyon and to begin outreach to other local groups such as the University Community Planning Group. A summary of that meeting is planned for the October (2020) print newsletter.

What does the future hold? Now that San Diego is in a 12-month fire season and continues to cope with COVID-19 restrictions, it can certainly continue with education and information related to fire prevention, preparation, and safety.

The Fire Safe Council has continued to meet via Zoom and has expanded the Fire Safe Council boundary to include University City north of Rose Canyon, created its own website, completed its first draft of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), and received a grant award from the San Diego Regional Fire Foundation. The FSC is excitedly planning for its first outreach event on October 9, 2021, at Oktoberfest in Standley Park.

If you would like to get involved with the University City Fire Safe Council, please contact us at ucfiresafecouncil@gmail.com

For recent news related to the Fire Safe Council and the SD Fire Rescue Departments, visit https://www.universitycitynews.org/category/sdfd/

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