Date: 04/28/2014

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB14-164

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Adopt amendment L.014 (Attachment F). The motion f
Refer Senate Bill 14-164 to the Committee on Appro		FAIL
PASS



02:01 PM -- SB 14-164

Representative Gardner and Representative McLachlan, co-prime sponsors, introduced Senate Bill 14-164. This reengrossed bill directs the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) in the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to maximize its aerial firefighting and analytical capacity, within the DFPC's available budget and consistent with the recommendations of the DFPC's director. The bill amends current statute concerning the Colorado Firefighting Aerial Corps (CFAC) and other responsibilities of the DFPC by enlarging potential revenue sources to the Colorado Firefighting Aerial Corps Fund (CFAC Fund); requiring the DFPC to make an annual report to the Wildfire Matters Review Committee (WMRC) with information and recommendations regarding wildfire threats, state firefighting resources, and the status of CFAC and other state aerial firefighting resources; establishing standards related to the acquisition of certain aircraft by the CFAC; authorizing the CFAC to operate the Center of Excellence for Advanced Technology Aerial Firefighting (Center of Excellence); and requiring, in 2014, the WMRC to consider the creation, potential scope, and composition of a Colorado Wildland and Prescribed Fire Advisory Commission (advisory commission). Representative Gardner and Representative McLachlan distributed three documents related to the bill (Attachments A, B, and C). Committee discussion ensued on the bill.

140428 AttachA.pdf140428 AttachA.pdf140428 AttachB.pdf140428 AttachB.pdf140428 AttachC.pdf140428 AttachC.pdf

The following persons testified on the bill:

02:17 PM -- Tony Kern, representing himself, distributed a document discussing the Center of Excellence (Attachment D) and spoke in support of the bill. Dr. Kern discussed aerial firefighting; the purpose of the Center; the importance of updating aerial firefighting equipment and procedures; and the importance of the bill. Dr. Kern responded to questions from the committee regarding how the center's activities will be applied to firefighting; ground communications during firefighting operations; night vision; inter-agency collaboration; if other states have something similar to the center; the location of the center; the global state of aerial firefighting technologies; the impact of wind on aerial firefighting; aerial firefighting protocol; the National Guard; legacy air tankers; and the possibility of using donated air tankers.

140428 AttachD.pdf140428 AttachD.pdf

02:54 PM -- Paul Cooke, Director of the DFPC, spoke in support of the bill and distributed the division's Special Report on the Colorado Firefighting Air Corps (Attachment E). Director Cooke discussed the approach and findings of the study, which was authorized by Senate Bill 13-245 and required the DFPC to submit to the Joint Budget Committee and to the General Assembly a report concerning the efficacy of CFAC and strategies to enhance the state's aerial firefighting capabilities, prior to April 1, 2014. He discussed fire suppression goals, strategies, and resources; fire fighting techniques; the National Guard; and the research that went into the study. Director Cooke answered questions from the committee regarding the Wildfire Information Management System; detection techniques; aircraft types; an agricultural aircraft-based rapid response aerial firefighting program; options available to the Governor if SB 14-164 does not pass; and the fiscal impact of the bill.

140428 AttachE.pdf140428 AttachE.pdf

03:33 PM -- Christopher Riley, Colorado State Fire Chiefs Association, spoke in support of the bill. Chief Riley discussed fire fighting in the wildland-urban interface (WUI); the importance of early detection; the importance of the bill; and the Broken Arrow Callout. Chief Riley responded to questions from the committee regarding mitigation efforts in Colorado Springs and the potential for the CFAC program to mitigate effects of catastrophic wildfires.

03:42 PM -- Norris Croom, Coloardo State Fire Chiefs Association, spoke in support of the bill. Chief Croom discussed the association's involvement in the crafting of the bill; fire fighting in the WUI; the "systems approach" of the bill; Colorado's changing fire season; the importance of the bill; and federal aerial fire fighting assets. Chief Croom responded to questions from the committee regarding the Washington County fire.

03:50 PM -- Chris Olson, International Emergency Services, spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Olson discussed public-private partnerships and his company's involvement with the bill. He responded to questions from the committee regarding public-private partnerships and Colorado's incident command system. Committee discussion ensued.

04:05 PM -- Dan Hodges, Colorado Springs Utilities, spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Hodges discussed their water collection and distribution system; the importance of the bill; the Waldo Canyon fire; and the effects of the Waldo Canyon fire on water, erosion, and debris flow in the area.

04:09 PM

Alex Schatz, Legislative Council Staff, discussed the bill's fiscal note. He responded to questions from the committee regarding the fiscal impact of the bill. Committee discussion ensued on the bill's fiscal note.

04:22 PM

Kate Meyer, Office of Legislative Legal Services, responded to questions from the committee regarding what options for a state aerial fire fighting fleet would be available if the bill did not pass.

04:28 PM

Committee discussion ensued regarding the TABOR reserve.

04:29 PM

Mr. Schatz returned to the table to respond to questions from the committee regarding funding for the bill.

04:31 PM -- Director Cooke returned to the table to respond to questions from the committee regarding the Governor's Disaster Fund and the Wildfire Preparedness Fund.

04:32 PM -- Peg Ackerman, County Sheriffs of Colorado, spoke in support of the bill. Ms. Ackerman discussed the importance of the bill and the importance of modernizing fire fighting technology.

04:34 PM

Representative Becker distributed Amendment L.014 (Attachment F) to the committee and explained the amendment. Committee discussion ensued on the amendment.

140428 AttachF.pdf140428 AttachF.pdf
BILL:SB14-164
TIME: 04:52:56 PM
MOVED:Becker
MOTION:Adopt amendment L.014 (Attachment F). The motion failed on a vote of 6-7.
SECONDED:Saine
VOTE
Becker
Yes
Buck
Yes
Coram
No
Garcia
No
Lebsock
No
McLachlan
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Rankin
No
Saine
Yes
Scott
No
Sonnenberg
No
Vigil
No
Fischer
Yes
YES: 6 NO: 7 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


04:53 PM

Representative McLachlan and Representative Gardner closed their remarks on the bill.
BILL:SB14-164
TIME: 04:56:18 PM
MOVED:McLachlan
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 14-164 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 8-5.
SECONDED:Lebsock
VOTE
Becker
Yes
Buck
No
Coram
Yes
Garcia
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
McLachlan
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Rankin
Yes
Saine
No
Scott
No
Sonnenberg
No
Vigil
No
Fischer
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 5 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




04:57 PM

The committee adjourned.