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Fire chief warns of severe dryness, council considers city burn ban; department reports training and equipment gains
Summary
The fire chief reported low call volume but heavy training, wildland firefighter certifications, and new SCBA gear; he warned the community is very dry and urged consideration of a citywide burn ban because county burn bans do not apply inside city limits.
The Alpine Fire Chief updated the council on department activities and public-safety concerns on March 18, reporting low call volume in February but extensive training and new equipment acquisitions.
The chief said the department completed SCBA training on new air packs with location beacons and completed wildland firefighting academy training for six additional personnel, bringing the department to eight certified wildland firefighters. He also described hazardous-materials ethanol training, a burn-house drill and interagency training supported by Union Pacific.
“Training, training, training is what we had time for,” the chief said, describing drills that included vehicle-fire and burn-house scenarios. He said the department is preparing to implement a new records and asset-management software (Alpine Software) to support inventory, vehicle inspections and National Fire Incident Reporting System submissions for grant applications.
On public-safety risk, the chief warned council the region remains extremely dry. He said he reviewed the drought monitor and that “we are the driest we have been” this season, and he urged residents to avoid burning. The chief noted that Brewster County’s burn ban does not automatically apply within the city and suggested council consider a citywide burn ban: “Right now, the county's burn ban doesn't apply to the city… we might want to think about implementing a city burn ban,” he said.
Councilmembers asked about hydrant testing and repair priorities; the chief said crews have begun hydrant tests in high-use areas and will coordinate repair needs with the public-works department. Council also discussed planned public meetings of the Alpine Emergency Services Board and other community outreach related to preparedness and wildfire risk.
No formal action was taken; staff said they will bring a citywide burn-ban item forward for future council consideration.
