How do MOFD’s costs per capita compare to the countywide average?
MOFD’s costs are higher, but cost per capita and the number of firefighters per 1,000 people are irrelevant benchmarks when it comes to evaluating the effectiveness of a fire department. The only meaningful measure of effectiveness is response time. The large lots and open space create a housing density of 536 homes per square mile, one of the lowest urban densities in the Bay Area. Even though Orinda is only 12 square miles, because of its narrow, winding streets and steep terrain, three fire stations are required to meet the response time guidelines set out by national, state and county agencies. It is expensive to meet those guidelines in low density areas. To put it another way, experts say that if we had three times as many people living here, it would cost the same to provide emergency services to Orinda and Moraga.
