Photo credit: Julia Sumangil Photography
East Bay Hills Wildfire Prevention & Coordination
A grassroots advocacy effort to create a formalized agreement to reduce wildfire threat throughout the East Bay
1. Welcome
2. Presentation
3. Question & Answer
4. Next Steps
Meeting Agenda
June 28, 2023
Photo credit: Julia Sumangil Photography
Increasing Threats
In the face of increasing threats from wildfire, it is
time for a new, more effective, regional approach to
keep residents safe.
Regional Issue
Wildfires do not respect political boundaries so fire
prevention and vegetation management should be
regional efforts.
Difficult to Coordinate
Coordinating among the many jurisdictions is a
challenge without a specialized mechanism
Guiding Principles for a
Regional Approach to
Wildfire Prevention
Existing Wildfire Prevention Activities
» Hills Emergency Forum (HEF)
» Regional Priority Plan (RPP)
» Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)
» EBRPD Wildfire Risk and Fine Scale Vegetation Mapping » East Bay Regional Communication System Authority
Gaps in Wildfire Prevention Activity
Coordination
» Coordination exists for wildfire suppression, but not for prevention » Increased Attention should be given to WUI areas
» No dedicated staff for regional wildfire prevention coordination » No interjurisdictional framework for policy making
» Uneven enforcement of vegetation management regulations and state fire code » State and federal grant procurement could be optimized through regional coordination, support for smaller jurisdictions
Our Work to Date
» 2019-2021: Oakland Firesafe Council (OFC) and affiliated organizations began fundraising and coordination of this current effort
» December 2021: First meeting of 25+ agency officials
» Summer 2022: Agreement to work towards MOU
» Fall 2022: OFC retains Hanson Bridgett law firm to draft MOU » Dec 2023: Draft MOU is presented to Working Group
» Spring 2023: MOU is revised with input from Working Group » June 2023: Working Group agrees to present Revised MOU to agency representatives and make public
Funding Partners Supporting MOU
Development
» Bay Area Air Quality Management
District
» Donner Family Fund
» State Coastal Conservancy grant
with the Bay Area Council Economic
Forum
» California State Auto Association
insurance division
» PG&E
» Additional contributions from
individuals and neighborhood groups
in the East Bay Hills
» Alameda County
» Contra Costa County
» City of Berkeley
» City of Oakland
» City of Richmond
» City of Pinole
» Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District
Photo credit: Julia Sumangil Photography
Alameda County
Office of Supervisor Keith Carson, Fire Chief William McDonald Contra Costa County
Office of Supervisor John Gioia, Fire Chief Lewis Broschard City of Berkeley
Councilmember Susan Wengraf, Assistant Fire Chief Dan Green City of Oakland
Deputy City Administrator Joe DeVries,
Deputy Fire Chief Damon Covington/Fire Chief Reginald Freeman City of Pinole
Mayor Pro Tem Maureen Toms
City of Richmond
Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin, Fire Chief Angel Montoya Moraga-Orinda Fire Protection District
Fire Chief Dave Winnacker
Working Group
Members
Photo credit: Julia Sumangil Photography
Photo credit: Julia Sumangil Photography
Memorandum of Understanding
for coordination of wildfire prevention activities to protect the East Bay Hills in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties
Recitals
» Highlights the high wildfire risk in the East Bay Hills area » Emphasizes the need for regional coordination among
jurisdictions, fire districts, and regional agencies
» Formation of a group of public officials representing the counties, municipalities, and fire districts
» Common goals regarding regional wildfire prevention
Recitals, Continued
» Description of the wildfire prevention activities performed by Participating Agencies
» Current collaboration efforts within counties, but limited coordination across county lines
» Desire to improve coordination and enhance efficacy and efficiency of activities
» Shared goal of increasing each Participating Agency's level of service to residents and property owners
Recitals, Continued
» Desire to create opportunities for cross-agency communication and cooperation
» No alteration of jurisdictional boundaries, cooperative efforts, or legal authorities
» Description of responsibilities of the counties, municipalities, and fire protection districts
» Ratification and enforcement of Fire Codes within respective jurisdictions
Shared Intent
» Collaboration strategies and activities to minimize wildfire hazards in the East Bay Hills
» Assisting in the development of model codes for fire prevention » Joint plans for vegetation management and wildfire-resistant vegetation
» Partnering to apply for state, federal, and other grant funds » Planning for wildfire evacuations and response across jurisdictions Co-operative Structure
East Bay Hills
Regional Wildfire
Prevention Coordinating
Group (WPCG)
Formation and Composition
» Each Participating Agency appoints one member and
one alternate from its governing body
» Members and alternates are elected or appointed
officials
Principles and Duties
» Hold open and public meetings
» Establish goals, procedures and programs
» Designate a Fiscal Agent
» Develop and implement a plan for staff support
» Institute a dues structure
» Apply for grants and other funds
» Adopt an annual budget
Decision Making Process
» Decision making requires an affirmative vote of the
majority
» Quorum requires representatives from 50% plus one of
the Participating Agencies
» Additional decision-making procedures may be
established
NEXT STEPS
» Ratification by City Councils, Boards of Supervisors
and Fire District Boards of jurisdictions in the East
Bay wildfire high risk zone
JON KAUFMAN [email protected]
LISA JACOBS [email protected]
DAVID EARLY [email protected]
EastBayWildfire.org
Contact