Woodside Fire News

Prepare For Disasters Ready.gov/be-informed EarthquakesAn earthquake is a sudden, rapid shaking of the ground caused by the shifting of rocks deep underneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes can happen without warning and can result in injuries and damage to property and roads. Earthquakes can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. While they can happen anywhere, areas at higher risk for earthquakes include California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Mississippi Valley.For more information please click on the link below.NationalPrepMonthWeek_3.pdf

Build A Kit After an emergency, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for several days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.Please click on the PDF for more information. NationalPrepMonthWeek2.pdf

NPM is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster planning now and throughout the year. With the ongoing threat of COVID-19 there is no better time to be involved.Make A PlanMake a plan today. Your family may not be together if a disaster strikes, so it is important to know which types of disasters could affect your area. Know how you’ll contact one another and reconnect if separated. Establish a family meeting place that’s familiar and easy to find.To view more information please click on the PDF link National_Prep_Month_Week1.pdfSelena Brown Public Education Officer/Emergency Preparedness CoordinatorWoodside Fire Protection District 

PG&E has provided helpful information and links on where to  go during a PSPS event. Please click on link below. Where_To_Go_For_Additional_Information.pdf

Woodside Fire is gearing up to begin providing its annual chipping service!This service is essential in order to help maintain the quality of life and property for the citizens living in the WUI zones of our communities. By working together, we can achieve effective fire protection, education, and planning.Your participation helps us reduce the vegetative fuel load, which helps to prevent a catastrophic wildfire from occurring. The link below will take you to our Chipper page where you can find your chipping date. https://www.woodsidefire.org/prevention/chipper-program“Fire Safety landscape projects include the removal, reduction and/or replacement of hazardous flammable vegetation, specifically, flashy fuels consisting of weeds,...

Sheltering in place can disrupt our routines and challenge our ability to tend to responsibilities, such as work and caring for loved ones. Understandably, we may become nervous or uncomfortable when sheltering in place. The following information can help you cope emotionally with this type of emergency.Click on the link below for more information Coping_with_Shelter_in_Place_Emergencies.pdf

The San Mateo County Health Department is the lead agency for the response to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) within San Mateo County.  For the most up-to-date information about the disease, including the recommended actions you can take to protect yourself, your family, and your community, the Health Department recommends visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the County of San Mateo Health Department websites. The County of San Mateo has established a COVID-19 Public Call Center, which is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  To reach the Call Center dial 211.  You can also text "coronavirus" to 211211 for information and updates. We thank the community for...

Welcome to the 2020 Community Information Handbook.A list of helpful information for residents of San Mateo County. This handbook provides a hard copy for users, while a more in-depth listing of services are available at www.smc-connect.org.  In addition to the agencies in this handbook, you can find information on over 1,200 non profit agencies, government programs and community organizations.  The easy to use web brower works on various platforms: desktops, tablets, and smartphones, and is available in five different languages.  Click on the PDF for quick viewingCommunity Information Handbook 2020.pdf

Sand Bag Resources-San Mateo County / Operational AreaWoodside – Sand and bags are available in the parking lot of Town Hall, 2955 Woodside Road (Cross Street is Whiskey Hill)Portola Valley - Sand, bags and shovels at Portola Valley Town Center, by the drive way near the tennis courtsRedwood City - Southeast corner of the public parking lot at the City Corporation Yard at the corner of Broadway and Chestnut StreetClick on link to see San Mateo County Resource Sandbag List and proper filling of sandbagsMaster Sandbags County_OA Winter 2018-2019.pdfProper_Placement_of_Sandbags.pdf

CVS now has 13 new disposal kiosks for residents to safely dispose of unwanted and expired medicine.Visit www.smchealth.org/RxDisposal for a list of the San Mateo County Health System's 49 kiosks conveniently located throughout San Mateo County.San Mateo County now has over 50 medicine disposal locations available for residents to dispose of medicine safely. By taking your unwanted or expired medicine to one of the convenient kiosks listed below, you are protecting the environment, preventing overdoses and errors, and helping keep drugs away from kids and teens.Click on the link to find your nearest location:smchealth.org

Kidde Recalls Dual Sensor Smoke Alarm Due toRisk of Failure to Alert Consumers to a Fire.Kidde announced on March 1, 2018 a recall of over 400,000 dualsensorsmoke alarms (models PI2010 and PI9010) in the United States. Kidde statedthat a yellow cap left on during the manufacturing process can cover one of the twosmoke sensors. This compromises the smoke alarm’s ability to detect smoke, whichposes a risk of consumers not being alerted to a fire inside their home.Kidde recommends consumers should inspect their smoke alarms by removing thealarm from the wall/ceiling and inspecting them visually through the opening on theside of the...

Kidde Recalls Almost 38 million Fire ExtinguishersFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE(Woodside, CA) - Kidde announced on Nov. 2, 2017 a recall of almost 38 million fire extinguishers sold in the United States. The extinguishers may not operate correctly if they become clogged and can potentially require excessive force to discharge them. As well, the nozzle can detach with enough force to cause injury. Kidde recommends consumers should immediately contact Kidde to request a free replacement.Currently Kidde is aware of one death after emergency responders could not get the recalled fire extinguisher to work. There have been almost 400 reports of problems related to...

Woodside Fire Protection District and CERPP is offering a FREE Smoke Alarm Program! Protect your family and yourself! Our program goal is to increase the number of residences with working smoke alarms at NO COST to the resident(up to 3 maximum per household).To Find out more information please click on the link below.Smoke Alarm Program

All residents of San Mateo County are invited to join us in thedevelopment of the San Mateo County Hazard Mitigation Plan.• We want to hear about what concerns you the most andwhat impact disasters have had on you and your family.• We want your feedback throughout the planning process.• We want your edits and suggestions to the plan as draftsbecome available for review.Take the first step by submitting your response to the San MateoCounty Hazard Mitigation Public Survey!Click on the link below to take you to the survey.San Mateo County Survey

With the onset of summer months comes increased wildfire risk.  As temperatures peak, humidity drops and the summer winds blow, the potential for wildland fires grows exponentially.  Despite the efforts of the fire services, many homes are lost each year due to wildland and wildland urban interface fires.  It is imperative that you prepare now to protect your home from such occurrences.

To assist homeowners and residents with creating Defensible Space, we have added several useful videos to our Defensible Space page. 

Fire Department personnel will soon be out in the neighborhoods reminding homeowners of the requirement for property owners to create defensible space around their homes.  The Defensible Space area is the area where you’ve modified the landscaping to give your home the best chance to survive during a wildfire – greatly improving the odds for firefighters who are defending your neighborhood.  “Defensible Space” area should be a minimum of 100 feet of clearance around your home (or up to your property line).  If your home is on a slope or subject to high winds, extend the distance of this zone to the...

May 6-12 is Arson Awareness Week. This year’s theme is Prevent Youth Firesetting.During the month of May, USFA will focus public attention on the importance of a collaborative effortwith fire and emergency service departments, law enforcement, mental health, social services, schools, and juvenile justice to help reduce the occurrence of juveniles engaged with fire.Did You Know?Fires started by children playing accounted for an average of 56,300 fires with associated losses of 110 civilian deaths, 880 civilian injuries, and $286 million in direct property damage per year between 2005 and 2009.Younger children are more likely to set fires in homes, while older children and teenagers are more likely to set fires outside.Lighters were the heat source in half (50 percent) of child-playing fires in homes.Prevention TipsNever leave matches or lighters within...

The facts speak for themselves: the relative risk of Americans over the age of 65 dying in a fire is 2.6 times greater than that of the general population. The risk worsens as age increases. People age 85 and older die in fires at a rate 4.4 times higher than the rest of the population.The leading cause of fire deaths in older adults is smoking and the leading cause of fire injuries in older adults is cooking.There are a number of precautionary steps older Americans can take to dramatically reduce their chances of becoming a fire casualty, including:Don’t leave smoking materials unattended and never smoke in bed.Never leave...

A new state law went into effect on July 1, 2011, requiring all California homeowners with an attached garage or fossil fuel source to install a carbon monoxide detector.  Follow this link and read the article for information from the State Fire Marshals Office.

According to CalFire, 90% of all California homes are without carbon monoxide detectors, a device that saves lives. Fuel fired appliances, such as cooking stoves, heaters, and gas dryers can produce this odorless gas without the homeowner knowing it. When these appliances aren’t working properly, they can give off deadly amounts of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide is odorless, colorless and tasteless, so it’s easy to ignore the warning signs.