Listen to this note:
Many of us who are over 30 years old and who were lucky enough to live with our grandparents surely remember those conversations where they tell us what the place they lived in was like, how they could predict exactly when the rainy season would come, when they would sow or harvest. Rarely, or as an occasional topic, they would remember the occasional deluge or flood, not to mention large forest fires. Today, it is the bread and butter of every day life.
Gone are the days of accurate forecasts without the use of technology. Nowadays, it is necessary to have precise tools to forecast and know when, due to weather or fire conditions, it is necessary to evacuate our homes and seek shelter. However, it is necessary to be prepared.
Not long ago, San Mateo County Emergency Management Director Shruti Dhapodkar told a local media outlet that the area "is a Disneyland of disasters," a term that I believe is incorrect for what is happening there, as it is far from the smiles and fun that the famous amusement park seeks to provide its visitors.
California suffers from (almost) everything: earthquakes, massive wildfires, floods, winter storms, hurricanes. So you have to count on each of the 58 counties that make up California.
According to the National Center for Environmental Information According to the National Environmental Protection Agency (NCEI), between 1980 and 2024 (as of August 8, 2024), 46 weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion each have been confirmed to have affected California.
These events included 14 droughts, 6 floods, 3 frosts, 4 severe storms and 19 wildfires.
However, despite the large sums of money allocated to state recovery when disasters strike, it is not enough; many times this aid does not reach those most in need, those who do not speak English or who, due to their immigration status, do not raise their voice to ask for help.
San Mateo County
On August 3, for the first time, at the 20th San Mateo County Disaster Preparedness Day, workshops were held in Spanish and Mandarin. The event featured the bright red, yellow and white of fire trucks, the blue lights of police and CHP patrol cars, the light blue of PG&E tow trucks, and the camouflage or black colors of rescue and paramedic vehicles.
Through this annual event, approximately sixty county agencies sought to prepare the community to cope with, survive and recover from emergencies caused by, among other things, fires, earthquakes and floods.
It also educates people on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), how to stop bleeding, and how to prepare pets for disasters.
There were workshops for children in three languages: Spanish, Mandarin and English, some of them were "Stories with a Firefighter" or "Get Ready with Pedro", a penguin created by the American Red Cross whose mission is to inform children about emergency preparedness.
?I am a hurricane?, ?Take shelter vs. Evacuate?, ?Watch vs. Warning? and ?Prepare a kit?, are the videos that with the help of music and Pedro, are Explain in video to the little ones in the house what is happening and how they should act.
However, the site does have downloadable activity books, which also support education about disasters such as flood, earthquake, hurricane, power outage, tornado, wildfire and even tsunami.
Other exhibitors, such as the Explorers from the Sheriff's Office, were present with the purpose of informing the public about the services they offer, among them, a program that allows young people from the age of 14 the possibility of working temporarily in various functions supporting to search and rescue units or other police divisions.
San Mateo County is served by the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), which coordinates countywide preparedness, response, and protection services and activities for large-scale incidents and disasters.
DEM is responsible for alerting, notifying, and coordinating with appropriate agencies within the county's 20 cities and unincorporated areas when a disaster occurs; coordinating all responding agencies; ensuring resources are available and mobilized in times of disaster; developing plans and procedures for disaster response and recovery; and developing and providing preparedness materials for our residents.
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