Sacramento, CA…As multiple fires burn across the state today, a critical firefighting resource is short-staffed due to President Trump’s illegal federalization of California’s National Guard troops. CAL FIRE crews responding to the Monte Fire in San Diego have had to fill in gaps left by an understaffed California National Guard (CalGuard) Joint Task Force Rattlesnake team.
Task Force Rattlesnake is made up of over 300 California National Guard members, who work at the direction of CAL FIRE to help fight and prevent fires. More than half of that team has been diverted to Los Angeles as part of President Trump’s illegal federalization of the Guard.
Thanks to recent historic investments, CAL FIRE has been able to step up with robust resources to protect communities but Task Force Rattlesnake’s understaffing and recent federal cuts create unnecessary strain.
“We’re actively seeing the dangerous results of pulling the National Guard’s Task Force Rattlesnake off of critical firefighting missions. Thanks to our investments, our CAL FIRE crews are stepping in to help fill the gaps and protect communities — but know this: Donald Trump is endangering Californians because of his reckless and authoritarian takeover of our National Guard.”
Governor Gavin Newsom
The National Guard impact is on top of the Trump administration’s dangerous cuts to the U.S. Forest Service, which also threatens the safety of communities across the state. The U.S. Forest Service has lost 10% of all positions and 25% of positions outside of direct wildfire response – both of which are likely to impact wildfire response this year.
California’s unprecedented wildfire readiness
Despite the President’s dangerous recklessness, the state stands ready to protect communities. As part of the state’s ongoing investment in wildfire resilience and emergency response, CAL FIRE has significantly expanded its workforce over the past five years by adding an average of 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal positions annually – nearly double that from the previous administration. Over the next four years and beyond, CAL FIRE will be hiring thousands of additional firefighters, natural resource professionals, and support personnel to meet the state’s growing demands.
Late last month, the Governor announced $72 million for projects across the state that help reduce catastrophic wildfire risk. Additionally, 20 new vegetation management projects spanning nearly 8,000 acres have already been approved for fast-tracking under the Governor’s new streamlining initiative.
This builds on consecutive years of intensive and focused work by California to confront the severe ongoing risk of catastrophic wildfires, and Governor Newsom’s emergency proclamation signed in March to fast-track forest and vegetation management projects throughout the state. Additionally, to bolster the state’s ability to respond to fires, Governor Newsom recently announced that the state’s second C-130 Hercules airtanker is ready for firefighting operations, adding to the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world.
New, bold moves to streamline state-level regulatory processes builds long-term efforts already underway in California to increase wildfire response and forest management in the face of a hotter, drier climate. A full list of California’s progress on wildfire resilience is available here.
Newsom Says..”Trump’s illegal Guard deployment is already leaving firefighting crews short-staffed” added by admin on
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Ca sends $85 billion to the Federal government in taxes .
the don has said he may hold Federal funds from Ca wildfire help.
doge also has defunded FEMA , there is no Federal response for the floods, tornadoes , disasters that FEMA used to help with.
All this for the $4.4 trillion tax cuts for billionaires, which will add 3+trillion to the Fed deficit .
Cuts to rural hospitals , food aid, medicaid , and possibly medicare . Trying to get any help from SS is very difficult.
maga- a parasite that takes our tax $ and gives it to the billionaires.
We’re going to use the illegals Ice has caught and turn them into the most powerful fighting crew above the Cal-Fire whiners!
What other job gives you a new pick-up and a gas card to use at your own discretion on the tax payers backs? Those same pick-ups go to work? Whenever the employee sees fit, sometimes “NEVER”, or around their vacation plans, fishing trips, home repair jobs, etc!
This profession is one of the easiest to scam, no one is looking!
Gavy can throw one lie after another out there, if you don’t believe me ask a fire fighter for the truth, he’s an embarrassment to mankind!
Trump Will Always Triumph!!!
Or as we say……………….
TWAT!!!!!!!!
TACO TWAT!!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Whaddyaa mean “now”? Wake up loser, he OWNS a winery.