Padilla Secures Nearly $9 Million for California Fire Response and Prevention in Senate Appropriations Bills
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) announced that he secured nearly $9 million in federal funding for six California projects and programs to prevent wildfires and improve fire response in several Senate appropriations bills. The bills were released by the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday and will now be reconciled with their House counterparts ahead of final passage.
“The threat from wildfires is constant and increasingly devastating in California, and it’s only being exacerbated by the climate crisis,” said Senator Padilla. “As we face another dangerous fire season, we must take action to better prevent and respond to wildfires. That’s why I am proud to have secured funding for projects that will equip our fire academies for advanced training, remove hazardous vegetation, and prepare emergency evacuation routes.”
Projects to support fire preparedness and response in California included in Senate appropriations bills:
$2.3 million for Equipment at the College of the Canyons Regional Fire Academy
This funding will help secure three training fire trucks and training equipment for the Regional Fire Academy at College of the Canyons.
$1.5 million for Project to Implement a Cohesive Pre-fire Strategy in San Diego County
This funding will support a cohesive strategy to prevent fires in San Diego County, including decreasing hazardous vegetation around homes and structures, and expanding and maintaining current strategic fuel breaks.
$1.5 million for the Napa Communities Firewise Foundation for Hazardous Fuel Breaks
This funding will support the reduction of hazardous fuels, such as vegetation, along a strategic fuel break of local roads and the Hogback Ridge to protect homes, wineries, retirement facilities, and other businesses in unincorporated Napa County.
$1.5 million for the East Bay Regional Park District’s Wildfire Mitigation Project
This funding will be used to remove dry vegetation in East Bay Area park lands and guide the conversion of flammable tree cover to a fire-resilient, drought-resistant type.
$1.4 million for the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy and the Forestry Education and Job Placement Program at Lake Tahoe Community College
This funding will be used by the Lake Tahoe Basin Fire Academy to purchase a Strategic Training Structure, which would provide practical, adaptable training as new emergency training situations arise. This equipment is necessary to ensure California’s firefighters, forestry professionals, and first responders are fully prepared for real-world emergencies.
$750,000 for Wildfire Prevention in Nevada County
This funding will support the expansion of defensive space and make it easier for residents to evacuate in case of emergencies and for firefighters to combat wildfires.
These projects and programs were included in the Senate’s Labor, Health, and Human Services; Commerce, Justice, and Science; Homeland Security; and Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development Appropriations bills. Complete summaries and texts of these bills are available here.
###