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Fire agency urges stronger situational awareness, shared camera standards and cautious use of PSPS
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Summary
The Division of Fire Prevention & Control told the PUC it supports technology investments (cameras, weather stations, fire‑behavior modeling) but urged minimum standards, data‑sharing agreements and use of advanced indices so PSPS are limited to days of genuinely elevated wildfire risk.
Von Jones, chief of wildland fire management at the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control (DFPC), and deputy chief Paul Duarte presented DFPC’s operational perspective on the wildfire mitigation plan and PSPS decisions.
DFPC described its role supporting local fire agencies with incident management, intelligence, training and operational resources. Jones and Duarte said situational awareness — including weather stations, camera networks and real‑time fire modeling — is essential for early detection and for improving decision speed during incidents. They recommended establishing minimum standards and best practices for camera networks and promoted data‑sharing pathways so fire managers can access live feeds when fires are detected.
DFPC recommended use of advanced indices and models (it has evaluated software such as Technosilva and currently uses a system referred to in testimony as "WiFi" for state operations) to avoid over‑reliance on high‑level red‑flag warnings alone. Duarte said DFPC would prefer multiple tools running in parallel to reduce single‑system dependency and that a more robust model provides better planning and early‑detection benefits.
On PSPS, DFPC urged that shutoffs be reserved for objectively high‑risk days and should be guided by top scientific indices so utilities do not "cry wolf" on days of marginal risk. DFPC also said coordination between utilities, local emergency managers and state agencies must prioritize protecting life‑safety systems — for example, ensuring water pumping and refueling for ambulances remain available or are hardened where necessary.
DFPC described existing successful partnerships (including access to utility camera feeds) and offered to help set standards for data formats and sharing so investments are interoperable and useful to local responders.
