Governor Schwarzenegger and General Renuart, Commander, U. S. Northern Command, Meet to Discuss State and Federal Military Cooperation for Firefighting

Press Release

Governor Schwarzenegger and General Renuart, Commander, U. S. Northern Command, Meet to Discuss State and Federal Military Cooperation for Firefighting

Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger met with U.S. Air Force General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., Commander, North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) to build on California's successful partnership with the US military in fighting fires and to ensure that the state continues to get the critical resources it needs to respond to future emergencies. Also in the meeting were officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Forest Service, California National Guard, California Resources Agency, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services.

In the meeting, Governor Schwarzenegger discussed with General Renuart, Regional FEMA Director Nancy Ward, and U.S. Forest Service Deputy Regional Forester Jim Peña, the specific coordination efforts necessary to determine the use and requests of Department of Defense (DOD) assets for the State of California.

Following the meeting, Gov. Schwarzenegger and General Renuart issued the statement below:

"State and federal agency partners have come together today to discuss the ongoing commitment of firefighting resources in California," Gov. Schwarzenegger said. "Through USNORTHCOM, the federal government has been a generous partner to California, providing DOD assets during the recent lightening-storm fires and the catastrophic fires that ravaged Southern California last October."

"We are grateful for their ongoing support and for their commitment to help provide resources. My administration continues to work closely with federal and local officials to coordinate the assets necessary to fight fires quickly and safely. Given the size and intensity of the fire threat facing California, it is only through working together on a local, regional and national level that we will stay prepared to fight future fires."

"We are coordinating extensively through our Defense Coordinating Officer to provide all the necessary resources that CAL FIRE and the State of California are requesting through the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC)," General Renuart said. "As USNORTHCOM, in cooperation with the National Guard Bureau and the military services collectively monitoring the wildfires, we are anticipating what support may be requested by the Governor to respond as quickly as possible. The safety of civilians, community infrastructure and the health and well-being of the firefighters and crews battling the fires are foremost on our minds."

During last year's firestorms in Southern California, California relied on a multitude of assets to assist in the overall effort to protect California citizens and communities. At the time, this response provided more federal assets than any other disaster in recent California history. Since then, the State of California has strengthened its partnership with the active-duty military to ensure important Department of Defense resources are provided in an efficient and timely manner for the safety of life and property.

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