CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Aug. 12, 2025) — For decades, The Pioneer has been an invaluable publication, highlighting not only local news, but the lives and stories of families in our community.

I couldn’t possibly start this final column without acknowledging the dedicated work of Tamara Steiner, and the entire Pioneer staff, for their years of service to the readers of Clayton, Concord and beyond. Sincerely, thank you.

As we move into the height of summer, I’m sure fire safety is on all of our minds. California continues to face unprecedented wildfires – burning longer, hotter and more frequently than ever before. The utterly devastating and fatal wildfires that recently burned across the Los Angeles region only days into the new year underscore that we are no longer dealing with fire seasons, but a year-round fire risk.

This escalating crisis stretches firefighters dangerously thin, and wildfires now threaten communities in every corner of the Golden State. That is why I am proud to have partnered with Senate Pro Tempore Mark McGuire to pass the Fight for Firefighters Act of 2025.

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The bottom line is we need more firefighters on the front lines, and we need more boots on the ground, to battle these fires and create more defensible spaces around our cities and towns. The Fight for Firefighters Act accomplishes both by transitioning all 3,000 nine-month seasonal CAL FIRE firefighters to year-round permanent positions.

This new law will fully staff all 356 CAL FIRE fire engines and heli attack bases 365 days a year, while ensuring CAL FIRE wildfire vegetation management crews can do their good work for a full 12 months.

A couple of months ago, I was thrilled to host state and county officials, fire and police representatives, local city elected officials and others at a Wildfire Preparedness Roundtable in Orinda. This was the first discussion in a series I am committed to continuing throughout the district to help ensure we are working at all levels of government to reduce our fire risk and keep our East Bay communities safe.

I want to recognize that our local fire districts are doing exceptional work to respond to incidents, mitigate risks and advocate for what they need to better keep our community safe. At the Wildfire Roundtable, I shared that I was able to get language into this year’s budget that addressed issues raised by our local fire district regarding permitting delays in facilitating wildfire mitigation efforts. This is just an example of the positive impact local coordination can have.

I’m also authoring legislation this year to establish the East Bay Hills Conservation Program, to be administered by the East Bay Regional Parks District, to help protect and preserve natural resources, enhance recreational opportunities and foster climate resilience in the East Bay. Importantly, this includes helping us boost our wildfire resilience.

If you would like to discuss wildfire policies and investments to make our state fire safe, or other matters important to you, please connect with me at 925-944-4901. You can also visit my staff and me at my new, permanent district office at 3003 Oak Road in Walnut Creek near the Pleasant Hill BART Station. As always, it is an honor to serve you and our community.