To: Board of Supervisors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: 2025 CAL FIRE County Coordinator Grant Program
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Acting as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, APPROVE and RATIFY the Fire District’s grant application; and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to accept grant funding from the 2025 CAL FIRE County Coordinator Grant Program in an amount not to exceed $151,500.
FISCAL IMPACT:
100% State Grant Funds. There is no local match requirement.
The District pursued grant funding through CAL FIRE and the California Fire Safe Council to cover the costs to implement this program through December 31, 2024. Since January 1, 2025, the District has used Measure X funding from the Wildfire Mitigation Program to pay for this position. By accepting this grant it will reduce the costs spent from the consulting line item to allow for other consulting services to assist in the completion of updating the Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan (CWPP).
BACKGROUND:
On November 8, 2022, the Board authorized and approved the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply to the California Fire Safe Council for the 2022 CAL FIRE County Coordinator Statewide Grant Program for a one-time, 18-month grant of $175,000.
On February 7, 2023, the Board authorized and approved the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute the California Fire Safe Council Subaward Agreement (Contra Costa County Coordinator Project 2022 CAL FIRE Statewide Subaward #423343) providing the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District total funding in the amount not to exceed $175,000 for wildfire prevention planning through December 31, 2024.
On December 3, 2024, the Board authorized and approved the Fire Chief, or designee, to execute a contract amendment with Michelle Rinehart for education, collaboration, and coordination services to extend the termination date from December 31, 2024 to December 31, 2027, increasing the payment limit by $465,000 to a new payment limit of $600,000 and adjusting the payment provisions to increase expected weekly work hours and hourly pay rate.
On April 11, 2025, the California Fire Safe Council announced the 2025 County Coordinator Grant Program. The objective of the county Coordinator Grant is to educate, encourage, and develop countywide collaboration and coordination among wildfire mitigation groups. Program funding will cover administrative costs relevant to countywide coordination efforts, including but not limited to salary, support, and administrative costs for a designated County Coordinator.
The contractor shall act as a County Coordinator to fulfill the objectives of the grant. The contractor shall partner with representatives from Contra County and the state, support wildfire mitigation groups within the county, and staff at the California Fire Safe Council to build a coordinated, countywide wildfire mitigation strategy. The contractor shall help these groups communicate while developing mechanisms as needed, such as public outreach, funding plans, governance structures, planning efforts, and formation of new groups.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved the Fire District, Fire Safe Councils within the county, and other fire agencies will not benefit from the new tasks assigned to the County Coordinator. These include developing educational videos, creating handouts to explain Zone 0 requirements and starting the update for the CWPP.