| We hope you and your family are safe from the past week of unhealthy air quality. It’s been a week since California’s wildfires sparked, sending heavy smoke throughout the surrounding Bay Area, and we know that the peak fire season is likely yet to come. This year’s early fire season is overwhelming our first responders who are stretched thin and impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. We send our condolences to people who have lost their homes in this natural disaster tragedy and we also send our appreciation to all the people risking their lives on the frontlines. |
| Alameda County is surrounded by fire-vulnerable regions, and as the 1991 Firestorm taught us, we in Oakland are at risk of fires, too. And even when the fires burn hundreds of miles away, heavy winds often carry toxic smoke to our flatlands, making it unhealthy and unbearable for us to breathe for prolonged periods. With a natural disaster and pandemic at the same time, it’s now more important than ever to have a game plan to be prepared for emergencies. Listos California and the Center on Disability has created emergency preparedness plans and guides that include five easy steps for people to follow to prepare the whole family for natural disasters. |
| Here are five easy and free steps to prepare for an emergency: 1. Get alerts to know what to do 2. Make a plan to protect your people 3. Pack a Go Bag with things you need 4. Build a stay box for when you can’t leave 5. Help friends and neighbors get ready (share this email!) Additionally, Listos California has a Disaster Readiness Text Message Course and a Disaster Readiness Online Course that are both easy and free to complete. To create your own FREE personal emergency preparedness plan, visit: https://www.centerondisability.org/preparedness |
| We hope your families stay safe and prepared. |