While the state is fired up over the June 2 Primary Election, one local special district can wait till the smoke clears before it has to hop into election action.
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) board of directors will elect three of the five board positions. Two of those seats are in mainly Orinda neighbor-hoods.
MOFD is divided into five “divisions,” with each division electing a board member. The bylaws state the board members must live in the division they represent. And of the five divisions, three are mainly located in Orinda, although there is some overlap into Moraga, said Division 3 Director and Board Vice President Steve Danziger.
As an example of the district’s overlap, Danziger uses his own home.
“I live on Ivy Drive in Orinda,” he said, “but the closest fire station to me is Station 41 in Moraga.”
Danziger has served on the board for eight years, and took on the role of president in 2019 and 2020. His plans to run again in November are as up in the air as a fire ladder.
“I’m considering it but have not made a decision,” he said, in a tone as if he’s been asked the question frequently before. “The deadline to file papers to run is in mid-August, so I’ve given myself until early July to make a decision.”
The other Orinda director up for reelection isn’t as unclear about his intentions.
“Yes, I do plan to run for reelection,” said Division 4 Director Mike Roemer. His division covers most of central Orinda.
The other open seat is Division 1, currently held by Greg Hasler. His division covers most of Moraga, including Bollinger Canyon and St. Mary’s College. Orinda division 5 director is Board President Craig Jorgens. His term expires in 2028. Second Vice-president John Jex of District 2 is also in office until 2028. All directors serve four-year terms.
For maps of the district and the divisions within MOFD, visit bit.ly/4eO4Du5.
MOFD was formed in 1997 as an integrated independent special district. Besides Orinda and Moraga, it also covers unincorporated areas including Canyon. It encompasses 42 square miles, serving approximately 38,500 residents, from sprawling subdivisions to tight hills of houses, from five fire stations within the community. Each division represents approximately 7,300 people.
It is a small but mighty district, serving as a model for other fire protection districts in the state. Both Danziger and Roemer attribute that to smart fiscal planning by the board and fire protection grants.
“We’re able to offer our residents services other districts can’t,” Danziger said.
He touts the ability to have safe prescribed burns, the free chipping program, in which residents can have their tree and brush pruning chipped for free, and grants that allowed the district to put in two “Shaded Fuel Breaks.” Those are long areas that are cleared out of foliage that can spark larger fires.
“Between the two breaks we can surround the district, from the Briones area to Bollinger Canyon, all the way to the Caldecott Tunnel,” Danziger said.
As a board member, Roemer has been focusing quite a bit on egress during a fire, and even before his election in 2022 helped lead “practice evacuations.”
“My wife laughs at me because I have so many go-bags,” he said, but urges all residents to have one ready if evacuation is necessary, whether facing a wildfire, earthquake or man-made catastrophe.
Roemer said that one of the things he likes most about being on the board is the respect they show each other, whether they disagree or not.
“I’ve seen board members change their minds about a certain subject based on what others say,” he said.
To find out more about the inner workings of MOFD, attend board meetings, which are held the first and third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. The location will be posted on mofd.org. To find out more about running for election in one of the divisions open this November, visit the Contra Costa County Clerk’s site at bit.ly/4fkgWhV or call 925.335.7900.
