public education committee and a development committee were established. The first meeting of the new Board of Directors for the California Fire Safe Council, Inc. (CFSCI) was held on August 21, 2002. Differences in the role and function of the CFSCI vs the former CFSC The CFSCI differs from the former CFSC in several ways: The CFSCI is not statewide. It is a business with headquarters in McClellan Park, California. The current CFSCI is not a coalition or an umbrella organization or a confederation. It is an independent 501(c)(3) business. The CFSCI is not a "community level cooperator." It is the local fire safe councils which operate at the community level. Calling the CFSCI "the" Fire Safe Council ignores the fact that it is one of hundreds fire safe organizations. Contrary to its stated mission to "Mobilize Californians to protect their homes, communities and environment from wildfires," it is the local community-based fire safe councils and Firewise USA organizations that empower their communities. The CFSCI channels (mostly Federal) funding to support this. Relationship with local fire safe councils The CFSCI is one entity among the hundreds independent organizations that focus on wildfire safety throughout the state of California. It has a somewhat different function from local fire safe councils in that its primary role is to administer Federal funding through the Fire Safe California Grants Clearinghouse on behalf of the members of the California Fire Alliance. There was nothing in the Bylaws that created the CFSCI about the CFSCI having any control over local FSCs. Local FSCs are independent organizations, as is the CFSCI. Bruce Turbeville himself said in his April 2002 White Paper that he wrote during the process of forming the CFSCI: "Once formed, the local Councils did not want the [C]FSC telling them how to conduct their business, but did want the FSC to provide them with tools they couldn't create on their own to facilitate the success of their Councils." However, in the past the CFSCI has made several attempts to establish a top-down organizational structure with itself at the head. All of these were eventually abandoned, and local fire safe councils have retained their independence. 2006: Trademark applications submitted to restrict use of the fire safe logo and the phrase "Fire Safe Council" 2006: "Code of Conduct" for local fire safe councils proposed 2006: "Affiliate Structure" proposed 2007: "Smart Growth Program" to certify local Fire