Are you ready for an emergency? 

 

We URGE you to sign up to receive information on local incidents, evacuation alerts at Alameda County Emergency Alerts 

PPNA is intent on building organized neighborhoods that are trained and equipped to respond effectively to emergencies.  Click on the link to learn more.

  • The 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 collapsed the double-deck Cypress Street Viaduct, of the portion of the Nimitz Freeway, which had divided West Oakland. The collapse killed 42 people, and the earthquake damaged unreinforced masonry buildings and rendered 5,000 residents of single-occupancy buildings homeless. ·        
  • The 1991 Oakland Hills firestorm destroyed 2.5 square miles of mostly residential neighborhoods. Spread by gusting winds through heavily vegetated valleys, the fire destroyed 3,469 homes and apartment units, killed 25 people, and injured 150.

 

In the meantime, a new organization has taken root:  Oakland Community Preparedness & Response (OCP&R) program is an offering of the Oakland Firesafe Council, an Oakland, California non-profit dedicated to mobilizing communities to reduce the risks of disasters to people and property through outreach, programs, and projects. 

The OCP&R program provides educational workshops, detailed Guides, checklists for preparedness, and support to help increase the overall community preparedness level and to improve disaster response capabilities for residents of Oakland. It boosts community awareness through regular newsletters (subscribe here).

OCP&R is intended to educate residents on emergency preparedness steps including:

  • Creating and sustaining organized neighborhoods
  • Understanding emergency alerts and notifications
  • Developing evacuation plans
  • Preparing for and responding to Public Safety Power Shutoffs
  • Hardening homes against wildfire and earthquake threats
  • Establishing Firewise USA certified neighborhoods for wildfire safety
  • Recovering from a disaster

Another OCP&R service providing a new radio newtwork service, GENOAK (GMRS Emergency Network – Oakland).  In the event of a large-scale emergency such as a major wildfire or earthquake, individuals and neighborhood groups in and around Oakland may need to depend on information and assistance from other nearby neighborhoods. However, cellular, Internet and landline phone communications may be overloaded or disrupted. GENOAK fills that gap by creating neighborhood-to-neighborhood communications through two-way radios. Learn more about GENOAK and how to join the network.

CORE IS MAKING A COMEBACK!     


The City of Oakland Emergency Management Services Division (EMSD) is growing and working to breathe new life into community preparedness training and education programs.

CORE or CERT?

As it relates to the City of Oakland, Communities of Oakland Respond to Emergencies [CORE] is its umbrella program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s [FEMA] Community Emergency Response Team [CERT] concept will be used as the training curriculum. Oakland CERT Training is available free of charge, for teens and adults beginning in February 2021.  

In preparation for the February 2021 launch of the City of Oakland’s revamped CORE program, CORE staff:   

  1. Created a home on the new OaklandCA.gov website to give the CORE program a bigger presence in the community. It’s important to note that all program changes and updates will be posted on the City website moving forward. We have also posted a list of the most Frequently Asked Questions regarding the revamped CORE program. Do you have a "burning question" for us? Click here to review the FAQ.  
  2. Adopted the new FEMA-CERT training curriculum. Never heard of CERT? A quick overview of the training can be downloaded, here. You can also visit the FEMA website for additional information. 
  3. Speaking of our new emergency response training curriculum, we recently recruited, trained, and certified twenty-one Community Emergency Response Team instructors who are excited to share with you what they know! These instructors are certified to teach CERT to both Youth and Adults. Click here to get to know your 2021 CERT Instruction Team!  
  4. Set a few tentative dates for a series of OFD-specific Public Safety Town Halls where we hope to get some much needed [virtual] face-time with the Oakland community. Click here to check and save 1 of 6 dates!  
  5. Submitted $48k+ worth of invoices for supplies for the new training roll-out!  
  6. Continued to build community partnerships to support with communicating the availability of CERT training in 2021. 
  7. Softly launched the CalOES Hybrid CERT training here, in Oakland. We warmly invite community members to register and complete our first session of Community Emergency Response Team Training beginning in February and provide feedback along the way. We seek to invite participants who, once they have completed their training, are willing to Lead their Communities in Times of Disaster or Declared Emergency.  The link to register is also posted on our website.  
  8. Started planning for the 2021 Citywide Emergency Communications Drill - click here and bookmark the project page!

 Attend a town hall to learn more