Readiness & Safety Info

We post basic information to help residents and visitors prepare for disasters. We urge readers to check other resources listed on this website—including readymarin.org—and others you trust for additional information. Information about Covid-19 found at https://coronavirus.marinhhs.org

General Disaster Safety Information

Phone Calling for Help: Use 911 from any phone (hardwired landline, cell phone, digital plug-in). Program 415-472-0911 into your cell phone as an alternative. A 911 call (or 415-472-0911 from your cell phone) from most unincorporated areas, including West Marin, should go to the Marin Communications Center (Sheriff’s Office, San Rafael). Along the H. 101 Corridor, 911 calls likely will go to Vallejo/CHP, as intended.

For emergency information [pdf]    

Are You Prepared Survey & Water Information [pdf]

Emergency Planning Checklist [pdf] 

Lista de Planificación de Emergencia [pdf]

Downed Power Lines

Assume all lines are live. Stay at least 35' away; more in wet weather. Never drive over one or anything in contact with them, including vehicles. If you're in a vehicle touching a wire, stay there unless you see fire or smoke. If you must get out, do not touch the vehicle and ground simultaneously, ie, you have to jump--with your feet together--without touching the vehicle. Shuffle away; do not lift your feet. If you see a downed line, call 911. See Phone Calling for Help, above. Info: https://www.esfi.org/disaster-safety/

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Evacuations

FIRESafe Marin's information on the difference between Evacuation Order, Evacuation Warning, Shelter in Place, about registering for ALERT MARIN, and the evacuation process including "what-to-do" if...(click on link)

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Prep for Storms           

Getting Ready for Winter, LA Times Tips [pdf]

Winter Readiness, More Ideas & Tips [pdf] 

Más ideas y recomendaciones para prepararnos para el invierno [pdf]

Getting Ready for Winter-Flooding [pdf]

Preparándonos para la Inundación del Invierno [pdf]

https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/report-emergency/downed-power-line.page - Informe sobre un cable eléctrico caído

Prep & During Wildfires/Incendio Forestal

FIRESafe Marin: Check this link for FIRESafe's webinars (see current and archived), news updates & sign up for the Newsletter. Preparing Long Before a Fire Threat; Evacuation Process; If You Become Trapped (car, on foot, in your home); Returning Home; more. FireSafe Marin Youtube channel also has all webinars archived. Website is well-organized & informative:  https://www.firesafemarin.org/preparedness. Website includes links to webinars, info about Fire Weather, Evacuations, Defensible Space/Hardening Your Home. Fire resistant & fireprone plants. https://www.firesafemarin.org/plants

Wildfire: ... are you ready? https://www.readyforwildfire.org

El incendio forestal: ... esta preparado? https://www.readyforwildfire.org/espanol/bienestar-forestal/

Wildfire Evacuation Checklist [pdf] Lista de Verificación para la Evacuación del Incendio Silvestre [pdf]

Managing through a Disaster & Evacuation during Covid-19 [pdf] (from a summer 2020 PowerPoint presentation). Includes how to prepare, what to take. Don’t forget: Include several face coverings in your Go-bag.

Su Guía de Accíon en Caso de Incendio Forestal [pdf]

CalFire
Wildfire is Coming. Are You Ready? Hardening your Home; Fire-safe Landscaping; Simple Charts on Equipment Use & Operating; Vehicles; Bark Beetle Disease; Dead Trees.

¿Qué es CalFire?

What to take in an emergency, Marin IJ column, post-2017 North Bay fires [pdf]

Preparedness for Farmers and Ranchers

Prep for Earthquakes

MyShake App. Free smartphone app that provides iPhone and Android users with audio and visual warnings [magnitude 4.5 or higher and Modified Mercalli Intensity IV (weak) shaking]. Available at in the Apple App and Google Play stores; Android Earthquake Alerts: Android phones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to Android Earthquake Alerts, which uses the same technology as the MyShake App; and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): No-cost text messages for emergency situations [magnitude 5.0 or higher and Modified Mercalli Intensity III (light) shaking]. To receive earthquake warnings, individuals and family members can download the MyShake App & ensure phone settings are adjusted to receive emergency alerts.

Staying Safe When the Earth Quakes [pdf]

Earthquake Country Alliance
Statewide Public-Private-Grassroots Partnership to Improve Readiness, Mitigation, Resiliency. 

Great ShakeOut/El Gran ShakeOut (English & en Español) 

Preparedness for People with Disabilities and Other Access or Functional Needs 

Animal Safety 

What Do I Do with My Horse (Cat, Dog, Child, Gerbil) in Fire, Flood and/or, Earthquake? [pdf]

Marin Humane Society: Disaster Prep, Pets [pdf] 

FireSafe Marin: Evacuating Pets [pdf]

Marin Humane Society: Disaster Prep, Large & Farm Animals [pdf] 

Marin Humane Society: Barnyard Animals Disaster Plan [pdf]

FIRESafe Marin Large Animal Prep including Evacuation steps. nb, in re ID tags: do not use plastic because it melts and burns onto the animals; metal tags also burn. For contact info: use colored livestock markers, dark on light colored animals, vice versa.

Point Reyes Light Column, Protecting Pets [pdf]

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PG&E

1-866-743-6589, pge.com. Safety concern, submit a photo (register first). Informar condiciones peligrosas; utilice una foto o un video.

Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) information/PSPS información de evento. Register/Update info / Registrese/Información actualizada.

May 2020: If you need power for medical reasons, contact PG&E to be sure it has all your contact information. PG&E: “If you are a Medical Baseline customer, please know that we will make every effort to notify you of a shutoff before it occurs: Outreach will be done through automated calls, texts and emails. If we don't speak to you or a family member directly, or receive confirmation of the email or text we send, we will follow up with a phone call. If a phone call is not successful, we will attempt to notify you in person at your address.” For more information, call 1-800-743-5000. Emergency Power Planning for People Who Use Electricity & Battery Dependent Assistive Technology & Medical Devices (pdf)

Link to the PG&E page for PSPS information, including for Medical Baseline customers: https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/public-safety-power-shutoff-faq.page

May 2020: Prepare for PSPS via Solar Energy Systems: Webinars offered by Marin County Sustainability Team & PG&E’s Energy Center. Dates May 30, June 2, Aug TBA. More info re the webinars on News & Events page, this website. … For information when the webinars are done:

Marin’s Sustainability Programs: https://www.marincounty.org/depts/cd/divisions/sustainability/new-for-residents-page

May 2019: What criteria PG&E considers in calling a PSPS, how it will notify you, how to prepare & update your contact information, how it will update you during a shutoff. Factors include: Red Flag Warning, forecasts of strong winds & wind gusts, low humidity, critically dry vegetation, real-time observations by PGE field crews. Phone calls, emails, texts 48 hours before, again at 24 hours, again just prior. More information at link above. PG&E PSPS Policies & Procedures. Marin IJ article, May 25, 2019: Marin’s Essential Services Prepare for PGE Outages (pdf) .…. Info from Marin Health & Human Services: How to Prepare, in general, and for Medical Equipment Users …. Tips from HALTER Project about animals & power shutoffs (pdf)