By Wendy Goldsby, OFSC Board Member
On August 16, Assemblymember Buffy Wicks hosted a Wildfire Preparedness event in El Cerrito — and Oakland Firesafe Council was there to make sure Oakland’s voice was heard.
The gathering brought together community members, local Firesafe Councils, CAL FIRE representatives, and fire department leaders from across State Assembly District 14 in the Bay Area. The message was clear: wildfire is no longer a “somewhere else” problem. It’s here, it’s urban, and it demands action from all of us, as individuals and as members of our communities working together.
Our booth became a hub for neighbors with urgent questions:
- How do I harden my home?
- What can I do about a next-door property overrun with vegetation?
- How do Firewise communities actually work?
Many already knew about the important emergency alert notification systems such as AC Alert; fewer had heard of Genasys Protect which provides information on evacuation zones.
To help bridge that gap, we piloted a new display board packed with QR codes linking directly to resources. Phones came out, codes were scanned, and residents walked away with practical tools in their pockets
Assemblymember Wicks herself stopped by to thank volunteers for their work. We also spoke with Zac Unger, City Council Representative for Oakland’s District 1 and Aliza Kazmi, representing Nikki Fortunato Bas, Alameda County Supervisor for District 5, and Gabriel Sandoval, representing State Senator Jesse Arreguín. All expressed a positive and strong show of support for more such preparedness events in Oakland and across Alameda County. KTVU captured the energy of the day in its Saturday night news broadcast, featuring our booth and the strong community turnout.
In addition to information booths from our local FireSafe Councils, the event showcased several presentations from experts on
- Home hardening
- The status of homeowners insurance
- New regulations on Zone Zero from the State
- Red flag days and evacuation
The event closed with a panel discussion with 14 Fire Chiefs from Assembly District 14 – an awesome display of fire fighting knowledge, talent and readiness.
The El Cerrito event wasn’t just a one-day affair. It was proof that wildfire preparedness is gaining traction — not just in hillside neighborhoods, but across Bay Area cities.
It is clear that wildfires do not abide by property or city boundaries and neither should we in our efforts to prepare! It takes collaboration across communities, cities, and counties to ensure we are well prepared for wildfire emergencies.
If you weren’t able to attend the event – or want to revisit the presentations – you can watch the recordings , courtesy of Buffy Wick’s office, at Wildfire Preparedness Resources.
