 | | | Photo courtesy MOFD
| | | | | | Orinda Vegetation Fire
On May 20 the Moraga-Orinda Fire District responded to a 4-alarm, fast spreading vegetation fire in Orinda. Structures on Descanso Drive and Donald Drive were threatened briefly. An estimated 10 acres of the Orinda hills were charred. "The fire was determined to have been accidentally started by a mowing contractor," said MOFD Division Chief Stephen Healy. Concerned residents questioned the wisdom of mowing the field on that hot, breezy day.
Highway 24 Accident Investigation
While on the scene of a Highway 24 vehicle accident on a rainy Dec. 2, three firefighters from the Moraga-Orinda Fire District were seriously injured and one civilian was critically injured when they were struck by an out-of-control vehicle.
Sharry & Associates Inc., a Discovery Bay fire protection consulting firm, was hired by the district to investigate the accident and John Sharry will present his report to the MOFD board of directors at its June 5 meeting.
Among the recommendations made by Sharry was that the district adopt a formal policy related to its operations on highways and freeways. He also determined that the district needed to provide better guidance on how to prioritize calls in situations where there are more incidents than resources available.
The policy of dispatching a fire truck to freeway responses should be discontinued, he advised, for the extra vehicle added little in terms of safety but added more personnel to the accident scene, thus increasing the chance of further injury. Sharry also cited the need to develop a policy for the safety and placement of civilians at an accident scene.
Not all of the personnel at the Dec. 2 accident were wearing the proper safety equipment, noted Sharry, and he urged the district to develop a standard approach to encourage adherence to its policies and procedures, to the point of disciplinary action for offenders.
MOFD Division Chief Stephen Healy said that the district has completed a draft of a Corrective Action Plan based on the deficiencies highlighted in Sharry's report and that a committee is expected to be formed in June.
Also at the June 5 meeting, the board will discuss options for filling the vacancy created by Director Frank Sperling's resignation and will also review an initial draft of the district's 2013-14 fiscal year budget.
The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Moraga Library Community Room, 1500 St. Mary's Road. (Note: MOFD board meetings are sometimes subject to change of venue; check www.mofd.com for current information.)
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA