04/02/2001 03:35 PM Senate RES

         SB 148-REMOTE WATER STORAGE FOR FIRE DEPARTMENTS                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
 CHAIRMAN TORGERSON announced SB 148 to be up for consideration.                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MR. DARWIN PETERSON, staff  to Senator Torgerson, sponsor, described                                                            
the measure as follows.                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     SB  148 instructs  the  Department  of  Natural Resources                                                                  
     [DNR]  to construct  remote water storage  sites for  fire                                                                 
     protection.  These  sites will  consist  of 10,000-gallon                                                                  
     underground  storage tanks with a pump and a hydrant.  DNR                                                                 
     will solicit  applications for these remote storage  tanks                                                                 
     from all the organized fire  service areas statewide. Then                                                                 
     the Department  will rank the applications and  based upon                                                                 
     appropriations  available  construct as  many as they  can                                                                 
     afford. The  applications will be ranked by the  following                                                                 
     factors:                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
     · distance from an adequate water supply;                                                                                  
     · number of buildings to be protected;                                                                                     
     · extent of spruce bark beetle infestation;                                                                                
     · ability of the fire service to provide matching funds; and                                                               
     · ability to maintain and operate the remote water storage                                                                 
        site.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
The need for remote water  storage sites is evident in many areas of                                                            
the state,  especially  in the  areas where  beetle infested  timber                                                            
greatly   increases  the   risk  of  catastrophic   wildfire.   This                                                            
legislation  will help protect the  lives of those people  living on                                                            
the fringe of fire service  areas. It will also reduce property loss                                                            
and possibly lower ISO rates for our residents.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR  asked if  the spruce bark  beetle infestation  areas                                                            
are considered in the bill.                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
MR.  PETERSON said  the  bill is  not supposed  to  eliminate  those                                                            
areas.                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
CHAIRMAN TORGERSON said  an applicant might actually get more points                                                            
if the site is in a spruce  bark beetle infested area. It's for fire                                                            
protection in general, not just wildfire and oil well fires.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MR.  JOE STAM,  Chief,  Fire Program,  DNR,  said initially  he  was                                                            
neutral on  the bill but he talked  to some fire departments  across                                                            
the state that  are interested in this and he would  be glad to help                                                            
facilitate it.                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR TAYLOR moved SB 148 from committee with individual                                                                      
recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note. There were no                                                                 
objections and it was so ordered.