East Bay Wildfire Coalition of Governments
Photo credit: Julia Sumangil Photography
Launched in April 2024, the East Bay Wildfire Coalition of Governments (EBWC) is a regional consortium of elected officials representing cities, counties and fire districts committed to safeguarding our communities and natural landscapes in the East Bay Hills. Members rely heavily on the expertise and experience of local fire officials who attend and participate in all meetings.
Welcome to the temporary website for the EBWC. Come here for meeting notices and materials, background information, and updates.
Who we are
All member jurisdictions have adopted and signed the Memorandum of Understanding for Coordination of Wildfire Prevention Activities to Protect the East Bay Hills in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
Fire officials from each member agency advise their respective elected officials and participate in EBWC meetings.
| Member Jurisdiction | Represented by: |
| Alameda County | Supervisor Elisa Márquez |
| Contra Costa County | Supervisor John Gioia |
| City of Berkeley | Vice Mayor Susan Wengraf (Chair) |
| City of El Cerrito | Councilmember Paul Fadelli |
| City of Hercules | Councilmember Alex Walker-Griffin |
| City of Oakland | Councilmember Janani Ramachandran (Vice Chair) |
| City of Pinole | Mayor Maureen Toms |
| City of Richmond | Councilmember Gayle McLaughlin |
| Rodeo-Hercules Fire Protection District | Board Vice Chair Marie Bowman |
Group of Advisers
The EBWC Chair is currently developing a group of regional and technical advisers to assist the EBWC in developing and implementing its strategic plan. The group will likely include the University of California at Berkeley, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the East Bay Regional Parks District, East Bay Municipal Utility District, East Bay FireSafe Councils and others.
Regional Scope of EBWC
The EBWC covers western Alameda and Contra Costa Counties containing areas designated as High or Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE).
Why did the EBWC come together?
The East Bay Hills region is located in a complex wildfire environment – one of the highest-risk in the country for especially dangerous wildland urban interface fires. Further complicating wildfire prevention efforts is the number of separate jurisdictions touching the East Bay Hills high fire hazard zone – two counties encompassing more than 30 cities and unique fire districts, each with their own fire departments and governing structures – plus the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), the East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD), UC Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) manage their significant wildland holdings in the East Bay Hills. Any gap in efforts among these many agencies could threaten the entire region.
The Coalition is in its planning stages. Identified areas of interest include:
- Fire Codes – Strengthen codes and adherence
- Vegetation Management – Support regional priority-setting and implementation
- Evacuation / Response – Address regional gaps [e.g., red flag day parking restrictions]
- Funding – Identify new funding to support the above (State, Foundations, other)
- Advocacy – Champion legislation that supports the above (State and local)
Work began in 2019 when a small group of East Bay community leaders concluded that wildfire prevention efforts could not be successful on a city-by-city or fire district basis alone. Volunteers from local organizations, including Oakland Firesafe and Claremont Canyon Conservancy, solicited political and community support, raising enough money to retain a professional consulting firm (Placeworks) and legal adviser (Hanson Bridgett) which drafted the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
On April 29th 2024, the EBWC convened for the first time. As of August 2024, 10 local governing bodies have joined the coalition. The EBWC now continues to meet on a regular basis (see the “Meetings” section for more details).
The EBWC members decided on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to provide the legal basis for the jurisdictions to work together to accomplish agreed upon goals, in this case efforts to limit or prevent damage from future wildfires.
The MOU can be signed by counties (Alameda and Contra Costa), all cities and towns, and all fire districts with jurisdiction in the East Bay Hills.
Meetings
- October 21, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM, El Cerrito City Hall
- November 14, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 3:20 PM, El Cerrito City Hall
- December 5, 2024 from 9:30 AM to 12:00 PM (noon), El Cerrito City Hall
Meeting 3: September 23, 2024
- Agenda
- Attachment 2: Strategic Framework
- Attachment 3: EBWC Fee Structure
- Attachment 4: Letter from AAA
- Draft Meeting Minutes
Meeting 2: July 8, 2024