September is National Preparedness Month and it serves as a reminder to take action to prepare, now and throughout the year, for any types of emergencies that could affect us where we live, work, or learn. We kicked off the month with a Wildfire Safety Forum, answering some great questions sent in by the community, if you haven’t seen it—it’s worth checking out.
This week, Quinn Gardner, San Rafael’s Emergency Manager, will walk us through how simple it is to get ready in just one hour with the things we have around our own homes, from her own home! This will be a good way to evaluate your preparedness, take inventory of what you have, what you need, and everything in-between.
When: Wednesday, September 16, 6 p.m.
Watch the meeting: Zoom
Call/Listen in: 1-669-900-6833 US
Meeting ID: 941 1825 8200
A recording of the session will be posted on our YouTube channel afterwards.
Learn more about National Preparedness Month and how to prepare for emergencies at home, work, or on the go at ready.gov.
Spare the Air Alert Extended through 09/16
A Spare the Air Alert has been extended through Wednesday, September 16th. Smoke from the fires in California and Oregon continue to cause unhealthy air quality in the Bay Area. Wood burning is banned. Protect your health by staying inside with the windows and doors closed until smoke levels subside, if temperatures allow.
Woodward Fire Update
To date, the Woodward Fire at Point Reyes National Seashore has burned 4,910 acres and is holding at 95% containment. 102 personnel continue working the fire. The firefighters did a burnout (setting fire inside a control line to widen it or consume fuel between the edge of the fire and the control line) near the Point Reyes Bear Valley Visitor Center yesterday around 10 am. This burn out is what caused the 10-acre increase in the approximate acreage and allowed fire fighting crews to add another 1% of containment.
For the latest information, follow the Northern Rockies National Incident Management Team 2 news releases or visit their social media channels:
- YouTube
- Radio – Tune in to KWMR daily at 9:30 am to hear the live audio stream of the Incident Command Daily Briefing
There will still be some smoke from this fire. The wind shift and clearing of the smoke is expected to be gradual.
MORE INFO: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/news/7062/
Legal Service to Low-income Renters
Tomorrow morning, the Marin County Board of Supervisors will hear a request on providing support services to prevent future evictions for those greatly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The County eviction moratorium, which protects tenants from being evicted due to non-payment of rent as a result of the pandemic, is set to expire September 30, 2020. It does not, however, eliminate any unpaid rent incurred during the moratorium. The Board will hear two proposals from the County Administrator:
- An agreement with Legal Aid of Marin, in the amount of $310,000 to provide legal services to low-income renters; and
- Provide additional $90,000 in additional support for mediation services through the District Attorney’s Consumer Protection Unit to provide neutral mediation services to landlord and tenants to help reach agreements for rental repayment or rental modification prior to any potential eviction procedures.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the County and the Marin Community Foundation have contributed a combined $2.6 million toward emergency rental assistance for low-income tenants.
Importance of employee COVID-19 testing
Businesses must develop a plan to maintain a healthy work environment in order to comply with State and County safety guidelines. While employee screening and testing doesn’t 100% guarantee your business will remain safe from COVID-19, but it will give you the ability to act quickly if your business or employees are exposed. When paired with other preventative measures, employee testing can be key to risk mitigation.
COVID-19 employee screening and testing can:
- Help employers safely and responsibly maintain and/or increase work capacity, or return to work
- Inform decision making and create a plan for critical/essential employees
- Identify asymptomatic employees to prevent large percentage loss of workforce
- Give the vital information necessary to act quickly if an employee does become infected
Learn more about testing and find a testing site, it’s simple, find one near you!
Reporting Business Violations of Countywide Health Order
Recently, how to report possible business violations of the Countywide Health Order underwent a change in Marin County. Effective September 1, individuals are encouraged to contact the local jurisdiction for suspected business violations occurring in a city/town or contact the County for suspected violations taking place in unincorporated areas.
To report a business violation in San Rafael please email SIPviolations@cityofsanrafael.org and include the following information:
- Business name
- Address
- As much detail as possible regarding the perceived health order violation
Reminders
- MarinTogether is an initiative championing a public-private partnership to bring face masks to essential workers living in the Canal neighborhood, made by residents in the Canal—donate today!
- The Marin Wildfire Prevention Authority’s Citizens’ Oversight Committee is accepting new applications for committee members—apply today!