As the risk and potential impact of wildfires have increased, so has local interest in the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD).
Three of the five seats on the board are up for election the Nov. 3 ballot, and though District 1 incumbent Greg Hasler is running unopposed, the campaigns for Districts 3 and 4 have drawn three newcomers and one incumbent.
With Steve Danziger stepping down in District 3, newcomers John Donnelly and Steve Cohn will compete for the four-year term, while incumbent Mike Roemer will face challenger Linda Stevens in District 4.
DISTRICT 3
John Donnelly
Endorsed by Danziger, John Donnelly’s experience with medicine as an Army reservist in Iraq helped spur him to get involved in MOFD.
While working with children who were struggling to deal with stress and trauma after fires, he came face-to-face with how great the impact of highly emotional events could be.
“It made me feel like adults had failed and it was time to do something,” Donnelly said.
To that end, Donnelly would like to emphasize meetings with other agencies involved, such as the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), PG&E, and with local school districts, to improve collaboration and communication. Additionally, he would like to implement more exercises and testing to prepare the coordination among the other agencies.
Along that line, Donnelly sees Moraga and Orinda as equal partners in the MOFD. “Every asset of the fire district is at the service of Moraga and Orinda,”
Donnelly said.
Donnelly believes the district also needs to work hard to educate people about preparation for possible evacuations, as well as doing all it can to protect their homes and prevent the spread of wildfires.
The proposed Zone 0 regulations, for example, should emphasize education over initial compliance, especially with the three- to five-year timeline for implementation.
Donnelly is focused on “What’s the ‘why’ that makes people listen?” He would like to see MOFD work on developing a sense of urgency among residents that would inspire them to make their homes safer.
“There’s definitely more work required, and the board and fire chief need to work together to figure out how to get it done,” Donnelly said.
Steve Cohn
Steve Cohn believes that board members must understand that despite the fact they are both in MOFD, Moraga and Orinda are distinct entities and decisions must be made with that distinction in mind.
“We are two separate entities, not ‘MOFD-ville’,” Cohn said. The reason for keeping the division in mind is that more MOFD funding comes from Orinda, and Orinda is a higher fire-risk area than Moraga. Cohn would like MOFD to acknowledge Orinda’s contributions, allocate resources in line with the revenue generated by each city, and honor the promises about MOFD spending that were made when the district was formed 29 years ago.
Cohn would also like to see an improvement in the inspection process that determines which residences are complying with state and local regulations – which will be updated with the Zone 0 proposals. For example, his house is in a high-risk fire area and has never been inspected.
Cohn feels the fire-modeling process is also flawed, as he contends the computer-generated evacuation and response plans do not take into account the most dangerous fires, such as those in Palisades and Southern California.
“They aren’t modeling fires that kill people,” Cohn said.
Cohn also believes there are alternatives to evacuations along Moraga Way, pointing to gravel access roads that connect south Orinda to Wilder. Those roads could be upgraded for use in an emergency, he said.
Though Cohn lives in Orinda, there are Moraga residents in his district, and he promises to represent both – and focus on how board decisions impact District 3.
“I’m going to wear a District 3 hat,” Cohn said, “not an MOFD hat.”
Still, “fire prevention is my priority,” Cohn said, and he’s hopeful that the Zone 0 requirements will improve fire safety, and be implemented within the five-year timeline.
“We’ve been lucky for 100 years,” he said. “Maybe we’ll be lucky for another five.”
DISTRICT 4
Linda Stevens
“I could make a difference,” said Linda Stevens, who is challenging incumbent Michael Roemer in District 4.
As a woman, Stevens believes she would bring a new perspective and diversity to the currently all-male board. She is comfortable working in that kind of situation, given her background as a CEO for a tech software company.
That background also includes studying emergency evacuations at UCLA, time as a geographer with a focus on wildfire mapping and working with a fire district in Southern California.
Stevens would like to see the district improve its communication with residents, and would like to educate everyone involved with landscaping and home-hardening, including gardeners and landscapers.
In addition, she advocates for more inspections, as well as working closely with other agencies.
“Everything can be looked at,” Stevens said. “We need to plan collaboratively so we can act collaboratively.”
Mike Roemer
The only incumbent in a contested race, Mike Roemer feels his history of experience and long-time community involvement in Orinda is a significant advantage for his campaign.
“The voters should be concerned about who has a history of commitment to the community,” Roemer said.
And given his experience on the board, Roemer believes that separating Orinda’s and Moraga’s MOFD funds would not be the best course of action.
Additionally, he believes that getting residents to comply with Zone 0 regulations requires more than just inspection and enforcement, due to his sense of understanding of the community. Roemer feels that there is a delicate balance between enforcement and encouragement, and tends to follow a “90% carrot and 10% stick” rule of thumb.
Roemer acknowledges that every home is different and that ordinances are “blankets,” and if a homeowner’s requested modifications are supported by facts, they can be approved.
“People can all find reasons why they don’t need to change and I can understand that,” Roemer said. However, Roemer believes that educating and exposing residents to the research and facts will make the necessity of fire prevention and home-hardening obvious to all.
“Informed Orindans and Californians will come to the same conclusion,” Roemer said.