Jefferson County officials outline $multi‑phase wildfire program, urge phased funding and staff hires

Jefferson County officials urged the Board of Commissioners to fund a multi‑phase wildfire program that would shift the county from primarily responding to wildland fires toward a broader approach that includes preparedness, mitigation, outreach and shared data platforms.

The sheriff's office presentation described a three‑phase proposal to hire leadership and field crews, set up a countywide home‑assessment program and expand community outreach. "This program would add capacity and build a program that includes preparedness, mitigation, education, outreach programs, as well as bolstering our response functions as well," the sheriff's office presenter said.

County Development & Transportation (D&T) staff described complementary regulatory and implementation work: updating building and defensible‑space requirements, integrating new state wildfire resiliency code provisions and expanding enforcement and permitting capacity. "We're going to need some additional assistance for the regulatory portion," the D&T presenter said, recommending $100,000 for a consultant to draft and coordinate…