With Pride, Californians Step Up to Fight Fires

[XemaSab]

Source: New York Times

When he spotted a small fire two weeks ago atop a steep hill outside this blocklong town, Charlie Acker, 57, the president of the local school board and a volunteer firefighter, jumped inside his stubby red 1965 fire truck and, with a skid and a prayer, drove up the nearly vertical incline to check out the situation.

Charlie Acker, a volunteer firefighter in Elk, Calif., monitored hot spots on Thursday in a fire just outside the town, which is about 140 miles north of San Francisco.
Knowing that every other volunteer firefighter in this community of 100 residents was battling a larger blaze nearby, he used his cellphone to call his wife. She roused a crew of young kayakers who cater to tourists in this picturesque old logging town at the edge of the Pacific, some 140 miles north of San Francisco, and joined Mr. Acker on the line.

The state fire agency, CalFire, had promised to send a helicopter, but just as Mr. Acker was waiting for the whump-whump of the blades, it was diverted, he said, “to a higher rent district” in another county. When he radioed for more firefighters and an air tanker with fire retardant, he was sent 13 state prison inmates and told he was on his own.

For two weeks that has been the case here in Mendocino County, known for its majestic redwoods, prized grapevines and pungent marijuana plants. Resources have been stretched thin since lightning ignited about 1,100 fires throughout the drought-ridden region.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/07/us/07firefighters.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

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:patriot:

[DBoon]

1. We all live in New Orleans now

The Katrina disaster was just the first in a long series of deadly disasters from the "drown government in a bathtub" gang

[XemaSab]

2. CDF has been doing a terrific job

but sometimes you need the feds to help out.

I think there were about 1,200 fires started a few weeks ago. Many of them are still burning. :(

[AndyTiedye]

3. It Would be Nice if We Had More than *200* National Guards Left in the State

The governor called up the National Guard. All 200 of them. The rest have a previous engagment in Iraq it seems. :grr:

[DBoon]

6. We haven't drowned our state government yet

thankfully...

[jody]

4. Why didn't Schwarzenegger call up part of CA's unorganized militia? It includes all men 18 to 45

and CA law gives its governor the authority to use the militia for such purposes.

See relevant law at http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/waisgate?WAISdocID=4794823150+2+0+0&WAISaction=retrieve

ON EDIT ADD:
The link above expires so the easy way out for me is to post the following.

CALIFORNIA CODES
MILITARY AND VETERANS CODE
SECTION 120-130

120.  The militia of the State shall consist of the National Guard,
State Military Reserve and the Naval Militia--which constitute the
active militia --and the unorganized militia.

121.  The unorganized militia consists of all persons liable to
service in the militia, but not members of the National Guard, the
State Military Reserve, or the Naval Militia.

122.  The militia of the State consists of all able-bodied male
citizens and all other able-bodied males who have declared their
intention to become citizens of the United States, who are between
the ages of eighteen and forty-five, and who are residents of the
State, and of such other persons as may upon their own application be
enlisted or commissioned therein pursuant to the provisions of this
division, subject, however, to such exemptions as now exist or may be
hereafter created by the laws of the United States or of this State.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

128.  The unorganized militia may be called for active duty in case
of war, rebellion, insurrection, invasion, tumult, riot, breach of
the peace, public calamity or catastrophe, or other emergency, or
imminent danger thereof, or may be called forth for service under the
Constitution and laws of the United States.  Whenever it is
necessary to call out any portion of the unorganized militia, the
Governor may call for and accept as many volunteers as are required
for such service, under regulations provided by this division.

[uppityperson]

5. Link doesn't work. You mean a state wide draft?

Link to relevant law is needed.

[Trillo]

7. I searched for another link,

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/cacodes/mvc/120-130.html