Serving the Community in Emergency Events

Water agencies have been at the epicenter of recent firefighting efforts and Rainbow Water has responded quickly to provide mutual aid to support fire and water agencies. ==Rainbow Water has developed emergency response planning to identify risk and prepare for emergency events. Below are systems Rainbow Water has developed strategies and systems to assist with emergency management.

RAWS - Heli-Hydrant
Rainbow Water is home to San Diego County’s first Rapid Aerial Water Supply (RAWS) site, which allows helicopter pilots access to a quick-fill water station to aid in aerial fire support near the Pala Mesa tank in Fallbrook. The RAWS system was instrumental in rapidly suppressing the recent Garden Fire when it was used for more than 30 aerial water drops, aiding in protecting nearby homes. RAWS enables helicopter pilots to access up to 5,000 gallons of water within two minutes via an automatically filled open-top tank supplied by Rainbow Water’s infrastructure. 

CPR Certified Staff
Rainbow Water's Safety and Risk Officer trains staff in CPR and first aid certification to ensure all staff in the field and office are equipped with skills to quickly respond to emergency situations. Health and safety are of the most importance to staff and the training provided has enabled the Rainbow Water team to respond to emergency events including traffic accidents, fires, and evacuations.

Weed Mitigation
A $160,000 grant awarded to Rainbow Water in December 2024 through CalOES and aided with funding the removal of dry brush around all infrastructure to create defensible space. This move was key to protecting the 4.0 million gallon capacity Hutton Water Storage Tank from the Lilac Fire that burned around and downhill from the tank.