The City of Berkeley Named Fire Risk Reduction Community

The City of Berkeley is one of 11 cities in California that the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection has designated as a Fire Risk Reduction Community, meeting all criteria and best practices for local fire planning.

The Fire Risk Reduction Community List (FRRCL) recognizes that fire departments are proactive in community wildfire planning and taking steps toward reducing wildfire risk. Berkeley residents and businesses could benefit from the Fire Risk Reduction Community designation (and our previous FireWise designation) through reduced insurance rates based on the California Code of Regulations Section 2644.9, which states homeowners be charged rates based on the wildfire mitigation measures they implement.

In addition to benefiting Berkeley homeowners and businesses, the City of Berkeley’s placement on the list will continue to support the Berkeley Fire Department’s (BFD) wildfire risk reduction and fire prevention efforts. These efforts include vegetation management programs, property risk assessments, an intern inspector program, wildland response exercises, and collaborative regional grant work focused on risk reduction and mitigation. Earning the Fire Risk Reduction Community designation also helps BFD gain priority access to local grant funding assistance, which will continue to help provide a safe community for Berkeley residents. 

“This designation is the manifestation of a strong working relationship between the Berkeley Fire Department, the public, and the City's elected leadership. It results from years of coordination and collaboration and will help us continue our work to make Berkeley safer from wildfires.” 
– Interim Assistant Chief of Wildland Urban Interface Division, Colin Arnold