Orinda has posted a detailed plan showing how the city would coordinate its response when a wildfire, earthquake, or other disaster strikes, though the City Council had not confirmed formal adoption as of publication.
The updated Emergency Operations Plan appeared on OrindaReady.com on July 21, outlining how Orinda's Emergency Operations Center will activate, what staff do when they arrive, and what the city prioritizes during a crisis. The plan was scheduled for adoption that evening via Resolution No. 58-26, but vote results have not been published.
The EOP is an all-hazards document covering wildfires, earthquakes, severe weather, utility disruptions, and hazardous materials incidents. Its core framework establishes three priorities in ranked order: life and safety first, incident stabilization second, and property preservation third.
How the EOC works
The plan makes clear that the EOC supports field responders rather than replacing them. When a disaster hits and officials lack enough information to gauge its scope, the city can stand up a virtual or partial activation before committing to a full-scale response. Once activated, staff follow a Quickstart Guide to get the center running and carry out four functions: information collection and evaluation, operational planning, resource management, and priority setting.
The publicly posted version does not identify which city official authorizes activation or who leads the EOC once it is running.
Wildfire spending continues
The EOP's publication came the same evening the council was set to vote on a separate $505,400 contract extension with Ladris Technologies, the firm behind OrindaReady.com. That two-year deal, at $252,700 per year, would keep Ladris's wildfire scenario modeling and evacuation planning services running through August 29, 2028. The council listed the extension as Resolution No. 56-26.
City Manager Linda Smith framed the city's preparedness push in January 2026, when OrindaReady.com launched with more than 100 publicly available wildfire and evacuation scenarios. "When it comes to emergency preparedness, waiting until there's an ongoing wildfire or evacuation is too late," Smith said at the time.
Eighteen months in the making
The EOP update began with a Request for Proposals in January 2025. The city selected Navigating Preparedness Associates at the end of May 2025 to draft the plan. Orinda's June 2025 settlement with the advocacy group Orindans for Safe Emergency Evacuations required staff to incorporate evacuation-specific tasks into the city's emergency documents.
The plan is one of three foundational emergency documents the city renewed during fiscal year 2024–2025, alongside the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan and the Safety Element.
What's next
The Orinda/MOFD Joint 2x2 Subcommittee, a standing body that coordinates wildfire preparedness between the city and the Moraga-Orinda Fire District, is scheduled to meet Monday, July 27. The full EOP is available at OrindaReady.com.
