Cooperation and coordination between water districts and firefighting agencies is vital to a community’s protection against wildfire.
That’s why, for many years, IRWD and Orange County Fire Authority staff have held regular meetings throughout the year to keep lines of communication open, coordinate response plans, and ensure that field staff and firefighters are aware of the conditions unique to each community.
One example of that collaboration took place last week during an annual meeting at Modjeska Fire Station 16, where IRWD water operations staff met with firefighters stationed throughout the canyon communities, as well as Portola Hills.
Discussions included disaster preparedness and coordinated response between the two agencies; implementation of water service measures to aid in firefighting; the construction of temporary helopods to aid in rapid fire response in the canyons during the construction of the Santiago Creek Dam Improvement Project; and details on other water infrastructure improvements currently in place or planned for the future.
Water agencies maintain the reservoirs, pumps, pipelines and hydrants that aid in firefighting. Fire agencies share their knowledge about fire behavior to help in coordinated planning for both emergencies and long-term planning needs of our community.
The strongest responses begin well before the first flame, with agencies such as IRWD and OCFA working together to make their communities safer and more resilient.
