UC San Diego Awarded $15 Million By Senator Dave Min

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — A $15 million check was presented to University of California, San Diego representatives by Senator Dave Min Friday to support new fire-detection technologies. The money will go toward funding the phase two expansion of the ALERTWildfire program, a program that provides access to Pan-Tilt-Zoom fire cameras and other tools to locate, assess and monitor wildfires across the state.

"It's been an incredibly successful wildfire prevention program," Min said at a press conference Friday. "With climate change, our weather's getting hotter, our fuel's getting drier and our fire season is getting longer and omnipresent. How we fight fire has to get smarter."

Phase one of the ALERTWildfire program installed roughly 700 cameras across the state, giving firefighters the chance to assess and monitor new fires over video. Phase two of the program involves the creation of an infrared map of fuel concentrations in areas vulnerable to wildfires. OC Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said the expansion of ALERTWildfire and the use of infrared cameras will be a game-changer when it comes to fire response.

"When the cameras first started popping up, many of us weren't really sure of the value," Fennessy said. "But I'm here to tell you, we get tremendous value from these cameras."

Fennessy, who has been with the OC Fire Authority for about 44 years, said the infrared cameras will be a huge asset when it comes to detecting fires at night.

Throughout the press conference, Min emphasized the importance of using state-of-the-art technology to combat wildfires, especially in light of the changing climate and the ongoing threat of fires in areas of state, such as the Dixie Fire that rages on in northern California.

“We have to meet our climate emergency," Min said. “[Phase two is] going to help save our communities, protect our communities and keep our first responders safer.”