Assemblyman Marc Levine met on Tuesday with fellow legislators in Carpinteria, California, near Santa Barbera for a special informational hearing into state’s public warning systems and how those systems could evolve under recent changes in state law.
The lawmakers listened to expert testimony from police and fire officials, county administrators, and representatives of the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
"Lawmakers don’t put out fires, but it’s our job to make sure we’re prepared for the next one better than we were for the last one," said Levine. He claimed that climate change is responsible for more frequent and intense wildfires, so it is important to work with first responders to better prepare our communities for this risk."
The California Legislature has passed a series of during 2018 in an attempt to improve the state's emergency alert systems, but some lawmakers say there is more that has to be done.