San Ramon Valley Fire officials outline wildfire preparedness, new modeling and community programs

San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District leaders told the San Ramon City Council on Feb. 25 that the district is increasing targeted wildfire mitigation, updating its response planning with new modeling tools and expanding community programs after recent large Southern California fires.

The presentation, delivered by Fire Chief Meyer and Deputy Chief Jonas Agar, described the district's capabilities, staffing and new analytic tools the department will use to identify "fire pathways" and targeted mitigation areas. Chief Meyer said the district was awarded a Class 1 Insurance Services Office rating in 2021, a distinction he said only about 1 of 19 agencies in California hold. "It allows us when that organization comes in and they do an audit of everything that we provide from the equipment to the training, our water supply, our emergency communications," Meyer said.

District leaders emphasized why the city should expect more aggressive, targeted mitigation and early evacuation strategies. Deputy Chief Agar described a new partnership with XylaPlan, a company that models topography, fuels and other factors to identify narrow "splat" zones or fire pathways where mitigation can most reduce fire spread. "If they can stop these certain areas...it slows the fire at that point and allows for us to strategically know where those zones are," Agar said. Officials said they will seek Measure X and other…