New Alameda County CoordinatoR

The Berkeley Fire Department has concluded the recruitment process to find the Alameda County Coordinator.

The selection committee–representatives from Fremont, Hayward, and the East Bay Regional Parks District–selected Retired Fire Chief Chris Pinto as the Alameda County Coordinator.

For the second consecutive year, the California Fire Safe Council has awarded Alameda County a grant to establish a County Coordinator position focused on enhancing wildfire resilience and emergency preparedness across the County. The County Coordinator will identify and address gaps in wildfire mitigation, as well as support stakeholders and the community with wildfire mitigation and preparedness efforts.

An RFP for the Alameda County Coordinator was published on June 17th, 2025. Two bids were received on July 8th, 2025. On July 10th, 2025, a panel of officials from Hayward Fire Department, Alameda County Fire Department, and Fremont Fire Department conducted interviews and selected Chris Pinto of Wildfire Defense to be the Alameda County Coordinator. On July 29th, 2025 Berkeley City Council approved this selection.

Christopher J. Pinto is the proprietor of Wildfire Defense and brings over 32 years of distinguished service as a sworn member of the Berkeley Fire Department. His tenure features five years as Director of Training and Emergency Medical Services, and from July 2021 to July 2025, he rejoined the Berkeley Fire Department to help formalize the Wildland Urban Interface Division. Retired Chief Pinto is an accomplished project manager, contributing to vital initiatives such as the Grizzly Peak Project, grant applications for vegetation management, the City's inspection and chipper programs, and Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) development. He served as staff liaison for the Hills Emergency Forum and was instrumental in initiating the Fire Risk Reduction List status process for Berkeley. In addition, he acts as a technical advisor to the Diablo Fire Safe Council—contributing to program development and technical guidance—and works with diverse Alameda County stakeholders, including Claremont Canyon Conservancy, local Firewise Communities, and Fire Safe Councils. Chief Pinto has played key roles in regional evacuation studies and led the Safe Passages project for the City of Berkeley, enhancing community preparedness and interagency coordination.

With strong, established relationships with CAL FIRE representatives and a collaborative approach, Chris is committed to ensuring that all of Alameda County is prepared for and supported under new wildfire legislation. He is dedicated to identifying resource needs and strategically guiding agencies and communities to access available resources. Pinto’s proactive efforts foster productive relationships between local fire agencies, Fire Safe Councils, Firewise Communities, and groups historically underrepresented in wildfire mitigation efforts—ensuring holistic, equitable, and effective fire risk reduction across Alameda County.

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