Challenger Nathan Smith, a firefighter-paramedic with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, squares off against incumbent John Jex, a retired Deloitte auditor, for the Moraga-Orinda Fire District Division 2 governing board seat. The candidates answered questions about controversial district topics.
On the amount of money the district should allocate annually for fire prevention.
Smith said that the $834,000 designated for fire prevention in 2021 is deceptive. "This figure is inclusive of prevention staff only. Hours spent by suppression personnel to plan and implement prevention efforts like fuel-reducing burns, fire trail maintenance and public education are not included," Smith said.
The challenger favors a balanced approach by the district, incorporating prevention and suppression, to reduce community risk. Smith cited the $7.7 million in grants MOFD obtained last year which beefed up prevention efforts. "MOFD must continue to make every effort to augment tight budget dollars with state and federal grants," he said.