To: Board of Directors
From: Lewis Broschard, Chief, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District
Report Title: 2026 State Fire Capacity Grant Program
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Fire Chief, or designee, to apply and accept, if awarded, funding from the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) for the State Fire Capacity (SFC) Grant Program in an amount not to exceed $100,000 to update the Contra Costa County Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), a strategic wildfire planning document, last updated in 2019 with the recommendation that the plan be updated every five years.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The project will be funded by $100,000 (33.33%) State Fire Capacity (SFC) Grant Program, with a required local match of $150,000 (66.66%) from an existing Measure X allocation, a non-federal local tax initiative under the “Fire/Wildland Mitigation/Fuel Reduction” allocation. The total project cost is $250,000.
BACKGROUND:
The Contra Costa County Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) update is a comprehensive initiative to strengthen wildfire resilience across the County. The project will include data collection and analysis, community engagement and outreach, development of mitigation strategies, and preparation of environmental documentation in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Completion of the updated CWPP will position the County and surrounding high-risk areas to effectively implement wildfire mitigation strategies, safeguard communities, preserve natural resources, and enhance regional resilience to wildfire threats.
The 2019 CWPP was prepared by the Diablo Fire Safe Council in collaboration with the Contra Costa County Fire Chiefs Association, the Hills Emergency Forum, and stakeholder committee members. This update effort is supported by Sheryl Drinkwater, President of the Diablo Fire Safe Council, who will participate as a stakeholder. Additional local government entities and non-governmental organizations with a vested interest in wildfire mitigation will also be engaged as stakeholders in the planning process.
The updated CWPP will provide a framework for a coordinated, countywide approach, identifying best practices, opportunities for collaboration, and joint projects to maximize impact in wildfire-prone areas.
If awarded, the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) will be responsible for developing strategies related to community education and outreach to public and non-profit agencies, assisting in new mitigation efforts and technologies, and promoting programs available to residents to enhance preparedness, mitigation and disaster recovery.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
If this action is not approved, the District will need to identify another funding source to complete this important project. Additionally, a CWPP that is greater than 5 years old reduces the funding chances for future grant opportunities.