Front Runners in Fire District Board Race Emerge

Three candidates running for two open seats on the Menlo Park Fire Protection District's Board of Directors ascended into serious contender status Thursday night, during a debate held by the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County in Menlo Park City Council Chambers.

The other two candidates who attended, Steven Kennedy and Scott Barnum, gave presentations that were less than motivating. 

Virginia Chang Kiraly (R), Rob Silano (D), and Bart Spencer (R) answered questions about fiscal responsibility and issue prioritization from the audience, directly countering each others’ points, while mostly ignoring statements made by the rest. 

It became apparent that the debate was going to be primarily between Kiraly and Silano after Silano began to say her name before responding to questions posed by Betty Casey, event moderator from the League of Women Voters. About 25 people attended. 

Standard questions were asked such as "If elected, what is the number one thing you'd work on during your first year in office?" 

At this debate, Silano said he would "bring the fire department into the 21st century" to give them a tech edge. This likely gains Silano the support of many employed by the district who would like to  and install them on fire engines, which would be tracked online.

Kiraly said she would make sure that schools, including the ones with  have fire alarms installed in them, which notify the fire department upon activation. Fire Chief Harold Shapelhouman confirmed that firefighters are not notified when some of the schools' fire alarms are activated. 

Incumbent Spencer said he would focus on identifying operational efficiencies that will help the district achieve financial stability in way that is sustainable long term. 

None of the five candidates who are running for the two open board seats were familiar with the 10 point labor relations policy issued by the Fire Board last year, although all said they were inclined to support it. 

None of the candidates knew how much taxpayers pay, either in tax dollars and or as a percentage of the budget, for training the teams that travel countrywide to obtain search and rescue skills. 

In spite of this, the trio have collected the respect of many in the community. 

Spencer's notable endorsements include Menlo Park City Council Member Peter Ohtaki, Atherton Town Council Member Jerry Carlson, and many of the current Fire Board Members, according to his website. 

Silano's endorsements include the San Mateo County Labor Council, Menlo Park Mayor Rich Cline, and Planning Commissioner Katie Ferrick.

Kiraly's endorsements include the Menlo Park Firefighters Association, Co President of the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation Scott Lohmann, and Menlo Park Transportation Commissioner Ray Mueller. 

More information about all the candidates and their backgrounds can be obtained on their websites, and at Smartvoter.org.  The election is November 8.