Fire Safety, Prevention and Preparedness

Fire Safety Town Hall May 2022: Your home, our neighborhood

The pass code is 6+c3AN.9

 

Fire safety is a top priority for PPNA. 
PPNA initiatives

  • For three decades, we've been diligently working to get our utility wires undergrounded. This has involved lobbying state legislators, testifying before councils and commissions, orchestrating community letter wrting campaigns and organizing community outreach teams. PPNA hosts a monthly meeting with all involved utilities and the City to keep the project on track.
  • Though we lost our hard-fought battle to have 100% of PPNA undergrounded, we were successful in getting our major streets and evacuation routes included in the project.  The Chelton corridor was particularly problematic, with PG&E avering it did not qualify for the funding rules that make our project affordable; we fought, and fought hard in multiple venues to get PG&E's decision overturned. We WON when our Councilmember, Sheng Thao, prevailed during one-on-one meetings at the state utility commission.
  • We've hosted several fire safety forums and webinars (click here for copies of the presentations) to boost awareness of and knowledge about fire safety within our borders
  • We borrow dumpsters from Waste Management for property owners' use in clearing fuel loads at home and to reduce fuel load throughout the year in our open spaces. We typically fill at least five giant dumpsters each year with flammable green waste
  • We partner with the City and fire safety councils working to design and fund projects to increase our safety, reduce fire danger, and to promote community involvement and adherence to safety standards
  • We strive to improve emergency vehicle access on our skinny, snakey streets through safer parking campaigns
  • We were on the groundfloor of an intiative to pull together different cities in Contra Costa and Alameda counties to pool resources and expertise through a regional wildfire protection district 
  • We've pushed the city to hire more tree maintenance staff and to better tend the fire load in city-owned open spaces
  • We support French Broom-pulling parties, especially along Skyline
  • We are launching Firewise Commuinities in PPNA. Our pilot project is along Skyline and Castle, where neighbors are trained, then volunteer to make their surroundings safer. Once a neighborhood is certified, property owners can apply for lower insurance rates at such agencies as State Farm.
  • We maintain key partnerships with organizations that share our goals and concerns, such as

PPNA works in close partnership with the City

Our our closest wildfire prevention partner is Oakland Firesafe Council.  Together, we worked hard inside City Hall to elevate wildfire prevention to a top City priority. We co-signed letters, met with legislators and city staff. Progress is promising:   

  • On 11/19/2019, the Council passed a resolution declaring wildfire safety a priority and establishing a multi-disciplinary approach to designing and funding initiatives.  
  • On 9/15/2020, the City Administrator's office submitted a report to the Mayor and Council that addresses the history of efforts, dysfunctions and priorities for moving ahead. This report gives great background and demonstrates how critical it is to approach wildfire prevention across city departments and a variety of agencies. Download a copy of the report here. It's thorough, well-written and bodes hope for integrated planning and implementation.
  • The Wildfire Prevention Roundable was formed, with experts across departments and across city and county lines.  Fire chiefs from every single city in the East Bay join the conversation each month. 

We worked with the fire department to better explain vegetation management standards and inspections, and helped them improve the process so it's geared toward gaining compliance rather than imposing punitive fees.

We continue to watch movement toward establishing a renewed Wildfire Assessment District in the high risk fire areas of Oakland.  Once the City completes and passes its long-term Wildfire Prevention Plan, what the district could/would fund will be clearer to voters and can be put on a future ballot.

Resources to stay up to date on current fire status 

Resources to get--and stay--prepared

Air Quality Resources 

Public Safety Power Shutoff Info 

Manage your vegetation, reduce our fuel load