Date: 02/09/2015

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB15-1129

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, & NATURAL RESOURCES

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer House Bill 15-1129 to the Committee on ApproPASS



01:31 PM -- HB 15-1129

Representative Kraft-Tharp, sponsor, presented House Bill 15-1129, concerning disaster prediction and decision support systems by the Department of Public Safety. The bill requires the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to contract with an organization to establish and maintain a Colorado Wildland Fire Prediction and Decision Support System and also requires the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) to contract with an organization to establish and maintain a Colorado Flood Prediction and Decision Support System. Representative Kraft-Tharp distributed a letter from the Colorado Professional Firefighters (CPFF) and responded to questions from the committee. (Attachment A)

150209 AttachA.pdf150209 AttachA.pdf

The following persons testified on the bill:

01:36 PM -- Bill Mahoney, National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), spoke in support of the bill. Mr. Mahoney provided a computer presentation that showed examples of how the modeling used in developing the prediction and decision-support systems is used for floods and wildfires. Mr. Mahoney responded to questions from the committee regarding how the prediction and decision support systems would be used and the funding of the support systems. Mr. Mahoney also explained that Colorado has a need for the prediction and decision support system, citing a statement given at a recent meeting of the Western Governors Association and explained how the system would work in a practical sense. Mr. Mahoney also described the difficulty of predicting wildfire behavior in real-time, but utilizing the prediction and decision support system would allow an opportunity to understand that behavior.

01:48 PM -- Paul Cooke, Director, Division of Fire Prevention and Control, Colorado Department of Public Safety, testified in support of the bill. Director Cooke spoke about the financial impact that future fires and floods will have on the state and how the prediction and decision support system would alleviate that financial burden. Director Cooke explained that current fire behavior tools can help predict wildfires, but the model presented by NCAR is more sophisticated and would help to give firefighters advanced notice and prevent casualties by helping to identify and prioritize fires as well as prepare a plan and prescribe future fires. Director Cooke responded to questions from the committee regarding how quickly information from the prediction and decision support systems would get to responders on the ground.

02:02 PM -- Gary Briese, Colorado State Fire Chiefs, spoke in support of the bill and responded to questions from the committee. Mr. Briese explained that the system would assist with prevention, preparedness, and response to wildland fires. He also explained that the prediction and decision support system would be integrated into the fire department's current command structure.

02:08 PM -- Chris Johnson, County Sheriffs of Colorado, former Otero County Sheriff, spoke in support of the bill.

02:10 PM -- Kelly Campbell, Property and Causality Insurers Association of America (PCI), spoke in support of the bill.

02:13 PM

Mr. Mahoney responded to further questions from the committee regarding how the prediction and decision support system would operate.

02:21 PM

Representative Kraft-Tharp concluded her comments on the bill.

BILL:HB15-1129
TIME: 02:22:11 PM
MOVED:Mitsch Bush
MOTION:Refer House Bill 15-1129 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed on a vote of 10-3.
SECONDED:Arndt
VOTE
Arndt
Yes
Becker J.
No
Brown
Yes
Buck
No
Coram
Yes
Danielson
Yes
Dore
Yes
Ginal
Yes
Lebsock
Yes
Mitsch Bush
Yes
Saine
No
Becker K.
Yes
Vigil
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS