AB 1457: Wildfires: training: defensible space: inspections.

Existing law requires the Director of Forestry and Fire Protection, until January 1, 2026, to establish a statewide program to allow qualifying entities who certain persons and entities that have completed a specific training program, training developed by the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection for these purposes to support and augment the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection department in its defensible space and home hardening assessment and education efforts and efforts. Existing law requires the director to establish a common reporting platform that allows defensible space and home hardening assessment data, data collected by qualifying entities, those persons and entities to be reported to the department, among other things. and authorizes the department to use that data to direct its inspection and enforcement resources and for other specified purposes.

This bill would extend the operation of the program described above indefinitely, and would require the training program training, beginning July 1, 2026, to include training consistent with the Home Ignition Zone/Defensible Space Inspector course plan, established by the State Fire Marshal, to ensure that individuals are trained to conduct home ignition zone inspections. The bill would also extend the operative date of both programs described above indefinitely.