There is plenty of firefighting equipment for saltwater and plenty of companies that make it. Just ask the navy. A P100 pump is for an individual firehose. You’d have to train the kids on how to properly relieve the nozzle man so you don’t end up with a wild hose. Teach little Emily how to Z-kink a charged hose just in case.
Saltwater sprinkler systems are common enough. Malibu beach people could have them on the exterior of their homes. Everything is brass.
Southern California would have to make all new infrastructure of hydrants and seawater pumping stations.
Yeah, equipment exists. In naval contexts. Doesn't mean the LA fire department has it. How often do they fight fires right next to the ocean??
Yeah, shipboard firefighting equipment is for fighting fires aboard ship. You can only squirt so far. What I'm saying is no one is inventing the wheel here. How to make firefighting equipment for use with seawater exists. Brass bodies, stainless steel impellers and valves, plastic lined pipes; all good stuff.
Californis'a Super Scooper aircraft or any of their fire retardant aircraft for that matter are largely ineffective in such high winds. Especially when some dickhead reporter damages one with a drone. He was probably from RT.
There is also a matter of power being shut off during such events. A congresscritter, Judy Chu made made such a comment. I'm not sure what exactly she was referring to but there needs to be critical circuits that remain energized or the critical equipment needs a backup power supply. You know, like how people in hospitals don't all die when the power goes out. Problem is, none of this is glamorous. No California politician is going to get reelected pushing for fossil fuel generators to be purchased, much the opposite, I fear. So entire neighborhoods burned to the ground and the hazmat whipping around in the wind and leaching into the ground will do much more lasting damage than any preventive action would.
Could new infrastructure of fire hydrants be made over time? I'm sure what's there now is old enough to be iron piping and hydrants so the entire system would have to be changed out to plastic pipes and lined hydrants with the proper saltwater strainers, pumps/eductors out far enough on ocean platforms and booster pump houses in neighborhoods as necessary.
Of course it's expensive. With climate change comes city change. We knew this was coming. But are we going to do it all after the fact?