An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Mayor Pro Tem Sean Mill directed staff to add the RTRP discussion to a future City Council meeting agenda. In fact, Mill simply closed the meeting after Conder's request for a presentation.
Recent wildfires in Southern California have sparked renewed calls from some Riversiders for the City Council to reconsider the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP), which the council approved last May, with many residents urging the city to underground power lines to mitigate fire risks.
During a lengthy public comment session Tuesday night, numerous speakers cited the recent Eaton Fire in Altadena as a wake-up call for Riverside.
"The recent massive fires and power outages in Los Angeles and surrounding communities are a sobering reminder of the tragedy that the combination of fire, high winds, and dry conditions can cause," said one caller, who presented a video of his reasons for finding an alternative to RTRP.
The video highlighted a popular theory that suggests the Eaton Fire, which destroyed a significant portion of Altadena, was ignited by high-voltage electrical tower transmission equipment owned by Southern California Edison (SCE). SCE denies its equipment is responsible for causing the fire.
Jason Hunter, representing Neighbors Better Together, urged the council to use the time provided by the Altadena tragedy to "go back to the drawing board on RTRP and restudy not just the below ground option but, seeing as the [environmental impact report] is now 13 years old, look at alternative paths for the lines."
Several speakers emphasized the potential fire risks along the Santa Ana River bottom, where RTRP would install overhead power lines.
"There is a fire every single day in the river bottom. Every day. Just walk on Mount Rubidoux, you can see it," one caller stated. "All we need is one big gust of wind, and it is over with."
Councilmember Chuck Conder requested that Riverside Public Utilities provide a presentation on underground options for the transmission lines, citing recent developments in technology and costs.
"SCE is saying, well, we can just do a multiple of 69 [kV lines], and it's much cheaper to do. They just gave us their owndamn solution," Conder said.
Earlier in the meeting, the council unanimously approved a $891,000 expenditure for the Riverside Fire Department to implement a Tablet Command Incident Management System.
Fire Chief Steve McKinster presented the new technology, explaining it would enhance situational awareness and improve command and control during emergency responses.
"It's real-time mapping and situational resource tracking. It helps with communication, so as you're getting that information from dispatch, it's automatically being tracked electronically right in front of you," McKinster said.
The system will include internet hardware for each apparatus and vehicle, new iPads to replace current tablets and integration with the city's computer-aided dispatch system.
McKinster emphasized that the upgrade would address deficiencies identified in the after-action review of the recent Hawarden fire incident.
"We currently are tracking fire resources by paper and using the paper maps or the printed maps that we have in the command vehicle. We are also tracking those resources by paper and pen and using verbal communication with dispatch," he explained.
The new system will allow better coordination with resources from other departments and jurisdictions arriving on the scene during major incidents.
Councilmember Jim Perry expressed support for the upgrade, stating, "We can have all the greatest equipment out there, but if we can't manage it appropriately, it's eye candy for the most part."
The fire department technology upgrade and the calls to reconsider RTRP underscore Riverside's ongoing efforts to enhance public safety and emergency response capabilities in the face of increasing wildfire risks.
