Job Opportunity: DFSC is looking for an Executive Director

Diablo Firesafe Council invites you to join our team - applications are now being accepted. We are searching for an Executive Director to oversee current grant-funded programs and lead future growth opportunities. See full job description here.

Deadline: Please submit applications by Friday, June 19th, 2026

How to Apply: Send a resume and cover letter to jobs@diablofiresafe.org 

Subject line: “DFSC Executive Director”

DFSC welcomes Zoë Fung, our newest advisor to the team. She works as the Wildfire Conservation Coordinator at Contra Costa Resources Conservation District (CCRCD) and brings experience in fire ecology and rangeland management. 

What does your role as the Wildfire Conservation Coordinator at CCRCD entail

I help coordinate landscape level (large acreage) projects, community wildfire preparedness, and resilience education. I support project management for prescribed burns, fuel reduction, and ecological restoration. Ecological restoration looks like trying to restore historical conditions, controlling invasive species and promoting the return of native plants, and improving habitat quality for native wildlife. We want to build ecological conditions that will promote historical fire regimes - meaning low severity fire, more frequent fire, and ground fires versus ember-heavy tree top fires.

What is a memorable work project you were involved in? 

The prescribed burn at Fernandez Ranch in Martinez last Fall October 2025 was the first prescribed burn I helped coordinate, and it was memorable because of the community support from EBPRD, Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and community volunteers! With all the resources and staff power that were volunteered, we were almost able to burn for free – and it was so cool to see the land stewardship that can be accomplished through collaboration. It makes me really hopeful knowing that people are excited about and supportive of restoring good fire to our landscapes.

Fernandez Ranch North Meadow prescribed burn.

What are common takeaways from the community walkthroughs? 

Folks get to see that there is work being done and that open space landowners are understanding of homeowners’ wildfire concerns. Attendees of the walkthroughs tend to be people who live in the area and want to know what’s being done to reduce fire risk near their homes. Many homeowners are already reducing fire risks around their homes, and want to learn about how larger landowners are doing their part to reduce wildfire risks to homes in the WUI. The landowner gets to explain the long term goals of their fire resilience projects and show attendees, ‘here is what we have accomplished so far and this is the direct impact on not only the landscape but the surrounding neighborhoods’. The walkthroughs also give attendees a chance to hear directly from and ask questions to the landowners. 

What do you look forward to most as an advisor with the Diablo Firesafe Council? 

I work in two areas, natural resource conservation and wildfire protection. Especially through the Regional Priority Plan, the Diablo Firesafe Council ties those two areas together, supporting projects that not only increase community protection against wildfire but that improve ecological resilience to fire. I also like how there are so many stakeholders represented at the DFSC – community members, environmental agencies, fire districts, and more – and I’m excited to be able to work with everyone. Fire resilience can’t be accomplished without collaboration, and I’m excited to work with a group that invites all the players to the table and fosters unity. 

Zoë Fung at the Fernandez Ranch prescribed burn.

Neighbors worried for years about this branch over Kilkare Rd that could block the only ingress and egress route in a fire emergency. It was safely removed.

What connects Next Vista for Learning, an organization providing a Library of free videos made by and for teachers and students, with Diablo Fire Safe Council?  

Answer: Wildfire Prevention.

This is a story of a CAL FIRE grant partnership conceived by now retired CAL FIRE Forester Ed Orre. Next Vista for Learning had a CAL FIRE grant to encourage students’ creative storytelling skills to explain elements of wildfire. The grant was to end in March 2026 and there were unused funds. Ed Orre connected the needs of the Sunol community with the available funds from the Next Vista for Learning grant. Rushton Hurley, the Founder and Executive Director of Next Vista agreed and a Grant Modification was approved by CAL FIRE with DFSC overseeing the project.

Sunol is located in Alameda County between Pleasanton and Fremont. It is a community of approximately 250 homes served by a single, dead-end, narrow, winding 3.62 mile long Kilkare Road. This area has a very high fire hazard severity zone designation by CAL FIRE due to its  topography, vegetation, and weather conditions. This means the area is highly susceptible to wildfires, and residents are advised to take extensive precautions, such as creating defensible space around their homes, along roadways and developing an evacuation plan. The community is in dire need of defensible space maintenance along Kilkare Road. During an emergency, Kilkare Road is the only egress route for residents and ingress for fire fighters.

  

DFSC has a long history of working on fuel reduction projects in Sunol. Since 2014, DFSC has administered almost $300,000 in grants from CAL FIRE and PG&E in Sunol.  

Retired CAL FIRE Forester, Ed Orre remarked about this Sycamore tree when told it was removed under this grant: “I really thought that tree would someday fall in a windstorm and quite possibly pull its roots under the roadway. If that happened, it could take out half the roadway and all the underground and overhead utilities around it. Plus, it could destroy the bridge and whatever is in reach beyond that.”

The Project began in February to create defensible space along Kilkare Road County Right of Way. The Project focused on removing high risk and dying trees with the exception of work close to Sinbad Creek. The project concluded in March with final reports and before and after photos. 

The first task was to identify the high risk dead and dying trees along Kilkare Road. Green Lane  Tree Service was contracted to perform the work. A walkthrough by the representatives of  DFSC, the Contractor, CAL FIRE and Alameda County Fire Department was conducted. A tree  permit was obtained from Alameda County Public Works.  

Bay Tree removed near 2836 Kilkare. It hung over Kilkare and obscured the neighboring oak tree.

Trees were treated along 2.15 miles of Kilkare Road over 10 days in February and March. Eighteen dead, hazardous or structurally compromised trees were removed. Eighty-seven trees were trimmed to balance and remove weight. Safety topping and corrective pruning of twelve previously broken or damaged trees brought the total number of trees treated to 117. All work was performed in accordance with industry safety standards and ANSI A300 tree care guidelines.

The Contractor hauled and disposed of all wood chips, firewood and green waste generated from the project. In total nine full truck loads or a total of 144 cubic yards of biomass were removed.

The project treated trees along 60% of Kilkare Road in Sunol, transforming it into a more reliable evacuation and fire-safe route. The effort relied on a crew of six to seven workers and daily traffic control measures to ensure roadway safety. The community of Sunol extends its sincere thanks to Next Vista for Learning and CAL FIRE for sponsoring this vital work.  

We are raising funds to expand our community outreach and education. These programs empower neighbors with hands-on training and expert guidance on how to better protect their homes and landscapes from wildfire.

Sincerely,

DFSC Staff and Board

If you would like to make a tax-deductible donation you can do so online (more secure) or mail a check. Make checks payable to Diablo Firesafe Council.

Mail checks to:

Diablo Firesafe Council

P.O. Box 18616

Oakland, CA 94619

PO Box 18616, Oakland, 94619 | joelle@diablofiresafe.org

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