Existing law, the California Emergency Services Act, establishes the Office of Emergency Services within the Governor’s office under the supervision of the Director of Emergency Services and makes the office responsible for the state’s emergency and disaster response services for natural, technological, or manmade disasters and emergencies. Existing law requires, during any state of war emergency, or state of emergency when the need arises for outside aid in any county, city and county, or city, aid to be rendered in accordance with approved emergency plans. In periods other than a state of war emergency, a state of emergency, or a local emergency, existing law authorizes state agencies and political subdivisions to exercise mutual aid powers in accordance with the Master Mutual Aid Agreement and local ordinances, resolutions, agreements, or plans. The act requires the Office of Emergency Services, in consultation with relevant local and state agencies, to develop and adopt a state fire service and rescue emergency mutual aid plan that meets specified criteria.

This bill would require the Office of Emergency Services to establish the Firefighting Mutual Aid and Prepositioning Program for specified purposes, including to support the implementation of the state fire service and rescue emergency mutual aid plan, as described above, and to establish a reimbursement program to allow firefighting agencies deployed under the state’s Master Mutual Aid Agreement to pay for costs, as specified.