Community, Fire Department, Public Safety

Disasters don’t wait—Make your plan today

September 8, 2020

A crack in the asphalt from an earthquake, a wildfire and a flooded road

National Preparedness Month began Sept. 1 with the theme “Disasters Don’t Wait—Make Your Plan Today.”

Through September, the City of Hayward is participating in the federal government’s National Preparedness Month campaign by highlighting weekly preparation activities and providing resources to help Hayward households get ready.

Week 1 of National Preparedness Month 2020 encouraged households to Make a Plan, which entails getting familiar with the types of disasters might take place, knowing how to connect with one another in a disaster or other emergency, and how to reconnect if separated.  One important step is to sign up for AC Alert, the Alameda County mass notification system with which the City of Hayward has partnered.  Week 2 of National Preparedness Month 2020 is focused encouraging and providing information on how to build a preparedness kit.

Seismologists tell us that a major earthquake along the Hayward fault is inevitable—beyond all of the other challenges and events we have been experiencing in recent years—extreme heat, wildfires, power outages and now a viral pandemic.

To learn more about how to prepare, go to www.ready.gov, the federal government’s official preparedness website, or www.hayward-ca.gov/fire-department/disaster-preparedness, the Hayward Fire Department’s preparedness webpage.