Title
Receive an Update on the City of Alameda's Disaster Preparedness Program and the Community Emergency Response Team's (CERT) Activities. (Fire 3240)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: John A. Russo, City Manager
Re: Receive an Update on the City of Alameda's Disaster Preparedness Program and the Community Emergency Response Team's (CERT) Activities. (Fire 3240)
BACKGROUND
The City of Alameda Disaster Preparedness Program was reestablished in January of 2013. The program's oversight, management and direction is the assignment of an Assistant Fire Marshal within the Fire Department. This individual is the City's Disaster Preparedness Coordinator. Since January 2013, much progress has been made in the areas of personal preparedness training and overall awareness for our citizens, local businesses, business parks, and City employees. This report outlines the progress to date and plans for the future.
DISCUSSION
Because Alameda is an island located in the San Francisco Bay, it is directly impacted by tectonic shifts in the Pacific Ocean. The Hayward fault is located just 4.2 miles away from our City. According to the United States Geological Study (USGS), this active fault has a 31% chance of creating a 6.7 magnitude earthquake or greater in the next 30 years. Alameda is also susceptible to other natural disasters such as tsunami, storm surge, and rising tides. Manmade events such as acts of terror, plane crashes, natural gas leaks and explosions are also possible disasters for which the City must prepare.
Alameda is densely populated with residential and business properties. Alameda's population is more than 75,000, and the population density is 4,000 people per square mile. Roughly 21% of Alameda's inhabitants are under the age of 18, 66% are age 18-64, and more than 13% are 65 years of age or older. The City's housing is made up of 32,000 units and growing, with a density of 1,400 units per squa...
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