AB 1128

Bill Subjects

Abstract

Existing law, the State Assistance for Fire Equipment Act, authorizes the California Emergency Management Agency to acquire new or used firefighting apparatus and equipment and to resell it to local agencies providing fire suppression services. This bill would require the Secretary of California Emergency Management to acquire 131 fire engines to augment its existing fleet and to assign the fire engines to governmental fire protection agencies in this state pursuant to a written agreement containing specified terms. This bill would allow a local agency, as defined, to donate its used fire engines in exchange for receiving a priority in assignment of the new fire engines acquired by the secretary, and require the secretary to make those donated fire engines available to a fire suppression agency that serves a rural area or community. This bill would make an appropriation by transferring specified funds from the Federal Trust Fund to the secretary for the purposes of these provisions, to the extent authorized under federal law. The bill would express the Legislature's intent to create and fund an expenditure plan for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection to replace, augment, and upgrade its fire engine fleet and its emergency equipment. This bill would also make technical, conforming changes to reflect the new name of the California Emergency Management Agency that is under the supervision of the Secretary of California Emergency Management.