As they are for any hazard, the Lamorinda fire agencies are prepared for the Pacific Gas and Electric Company Public Safety Power Shutoffs that the utility may implement in extreme fire danger this summer and fall.
"We don't consider the shutoffs any different from any other emergency," said Aaron McAlister, deputy fire chief of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District. "We prepare at multiple levels for all risks. Earthquakes, flooding, mudslides. We constantly challenge ourselves."
McAlister said that the district has responded to active shooter scenarios by changing some of its equipment and outfitting employees with ballistic material. To confront catastrophic fires, ConFire has upped its level of preparedness, including the predeployment of resources during high fire danger and the addition of new equipment, like bulldozers.