08/03/2026
I had the following Op-Ed published on Aug. 1st in 11 Southern California newspapers. Please review it and support Proposition 45 on the November ballot.
Southern California News Group, August 1, 2026
We don’t improve public safety by delaying public safety projects
By Ruben Grijalva
During my 36 years in the California fire service, I learned a simple truth: when it comes to public safety, delays have consequences. Time matters.
It matters when someone calls 911 and firefighters are minutes away instead of seconds. It matters when a wildfire is advancing toward a community and a fuel reduction project that should have been completed years earlier is still waiting for approval. It matters when an aging fire station can no longer adequately serve growing communities. And it matters when the projects designed to protect our communities are trapped in years of unnecessary bureaucratic delay.
These are not theoretical policy discussions for me. I lived them as a firefighter, fire marshal, fire chief, California State Fire Marshal, and Director of CAL FIRE.
I have stood in neighborhoods destroyed by wildfire. I have made decisions where lives depended on adequate water, reliable roads, functioning communications, and properly located fire stations. I know what happens when communities are prepared—and when they aren’t.
That’s why I support Proposition 45, the Building an Affordable California Act.
Some have characterized this November 2026 ballot measure as weakening environmental protections. It does not.
Prop. 45 modernizes California’s outdated approval process so communities can build fire stations, complete wildfire mitigation and fuel reduction projects, strengthen evacuation routes and upgrade water infrastructure, while maintaining California’s environmental safeguards.
When a community outgrows its fire station, it shouldn’t have to wait years for a solution.
When firefighters identify dangerous wildfire hazards, the solution shouldn’t be delayed by endless procedural hurdles.
When water infrastructure needs improvement to provide adequate fire flow, every year of delay leaves firefighters with fewer tools to protect lives and property.
California has experienced some of the most destructive wildfires in its history over the past two decades. As director of CAL FIRE, I saw firsthand how rapidly communities can be overwhelmed when prevention efforts lag behind risk.
One of the greatest frustrations in emergency management is knowing exactly what needs to be done, then watching unnecessary red tape delay action for years.
We should never confuse delay with diligence.
Public safety depends on more than firefighters—it depends on the infrastructure that protects communities before disaster strikes.
Prop. 45 preserves the authority of local fire departments, leaves the California Fire Code fully intact, and ensures every applicable fire safety requirement remains in place. Local governments still decide whether projects are approved or denied, and agencies retain full authority to address legitimate life-safety concerns.
Prop. 45 establishes more predictable and enforceable timelines so essential public safety projects can move through the approval process more efficiently while continuing to meet California’s rigorous safety standards.
During my years as State Fire Marshal—and now as a consultant working with public agencies, engineers, and the fire service—I have learned that effective regulation depends on sound science and professional judgment. Prop. 45 preserves both.
We’re often told we must choose between protecting the environment and building the infrastructure our communities need. That has never been my experience. The safest communities invest in resilient infrastructure, modern fire stations, dependable water systems, wildfire mitigation, and thoughtful planning.
Environmental protection and public safety are partners, not competitors.
The fire service has always believed in building smarter, not simply building faster. But unnecessary delay carries its own risks.
A delayed fire station means slower emergency response.
A delayed fuel reduction project can become tomorrow’s catastrophic wildfire.
A delayed water infrastructure project can leave firefighters without the water pressure they need when seconds matter most.
Those are real public safety consequences.
After a lifetime protecting Californians, I remain convinced that one of government’s highest responsibilities is not just responding to emergencies; it’s ensuring communities have the infrastructure they need before disaster strikes.
We don’t make Californians safer by delaying essential public safety projects. Prop. 45 helps California build them sooner.
Prepared communities don’t happen by accident—they’re built.
Proposition 45 will help California build them faster, while maintaining the safety and environmental protections we all depend on.
Ruben Grijalva previously served as the State Fire Marshal and director of CAL FIRE.
