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Fire chief pushes for evacuation-route planning and enforcement funding as staff warn of stretched capacity
Summary
At the Cambria strategic-plan workshop staff and the fire chief urged board action on evacuation planning, enforcement of weed‑abatement rules and funding for EMS staffing; the board discussed creating a measurable objective to secure an alternative evacuation route and to strengthen enforcement capacity.
The workshop’s fire-protection session centered on three interlinked issues: (1) formalizing and updating community evacuation planning in coordination with county and law enforcement partners; (2) identifying and funding an alternative evacuation route (for example Harmony/Army Ranch corridor) to reduce reliance on Highway 1; and (3) strengthening enforcement of the district’s weed-abatement and defensible-space ordinance.
Fire Chief Michael Burkey and other staff outlined operational constraints, saying the district’s lone evacuation corridor and limited apparatus replacement budgets heighten community risk. The chief urged the board to make evacuation-route access and annual exercises measurable objectives. "We need an alternative evacuation route — secure an alternative evacuation route and make it operational," a board member summarized during the discussion.
Board members proposed creating one or more objectives tied to specific milestones: conduct feasibility and legal analysis; identify funding sources and property/access agreements; and run an annual evacuation exercise in early 2027. Staff emphasized that enforcement of defensible-space rules requires budgeted staffing or alternative funding; the board asked staff to present funding strategies for enforcement and to consider adding enforcement-related staffing in the budget process.
Next steps: staff will draft measurable objectives and supporting actions for evacuation-route feasibility, funding options and enforcement funding; the board set target milestones for drills and follow-up work in 2027.
