Due to potential wildfire inducing conditions, PG&E has issued a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Warning for a large portion of Contra Costa and Alameda counties beginning on Saturday evening on October 26, and estimated to last through Monday, October 28. My office is in constant communication with PG&E as well as cities, school districts, public safety agencies and utilities in our district. We will continue to actively monitor the situation and share relevant updates via social media.
While the exact details of who might be impacted by power shut-offs is subject to change, it’s important to do several things to prepare:
- Plan for medical needs like medications that require refrigeration or devices that need power.
- Identify backup charging methods for phones and keep hard copies of emergency numbers.
- Build or restock your emergency kit with flashlights, fresh batteries, first aid supplies and cash.
- Ensure your contact information with PG&E is up to date so that you receive the latest updates as well as the county community warning system.
- Police will conduct welfare checks by request by calling the nonemergency number, but please check on your elderly and infirm neighbors, friends and family to take some of the stress off of Police Services during the PSPS.
I would also like to take this time to share pertinent information and resources related to the PSPS.
PG&E PSPS Updates
- Update your contact information at http://www.pge.com/mywildfirealerts
- PG&E will use this information to alert customers through automated calls, texts, and emails, when possible, prior to, and during, a PSPS.
- To get latest information about PSPS visit: https://www.pge.com/pspsupdates
- For the most accurate source to check if your address will be a part of this shutoff, please visit https://psps.ss.pge.com/
- Following PG&E (https://twitter.com/pge4me) and public safety social media accounts are a great way to get live updates.
Community Resource Centers (CRC) In order to support residents in the affected areas, Community Resource Centers will be open beginning on Sunday, October 27 through the end of the PSPS event. Restrooms, electronic-device charging and air-conditioned seating is available at these facilities.
- Dublin Public Library: 200 Civic Plaza, Dublin, CA 94568
- Dublin Senior Center: 7600 Amador Valley Blvd., Dublin C A 94568
- Orinda Community Center: 28 Orinda Way, Room 8, Orinda CA 94563
- San Ramon Regional Medical Center: 777 Norris Canyon Road, South Building/South Conference Room, San Ramon CA 94583 (24 hrs, priority for those charging medical devices)
- St. Mary College: 1928 Saint Mary's Road, Moraga CA 94556
- Tice Valley Community Center: 2055 Tice Valley Blvd, Walnut Creek CA 94595
EBMUD has staged generators at critical facilities in preparation for a PSPS event. EBMUD strike teams are mobilizing now to maintain continuous operations during this period. They are asking customers in the affected areas to conserve water by reducing indoor water use and shutting off outdoor irrigation.
• Customers can use the map of affected areas at www.ebmud.com/psps2019 to determine if they will be impacted by the shutoff.
• They will provide up-to-date information on ebmud.com and on social media pages.
Public Transit
BART There is regularly scheduled maintenance resulting in BART closures between the Orinda and Walnut Creek stations on Saturday, October 26 and Sunday, October 27. The closures are not related to the PSPS and Lamorinda BART stations should be operational on Monday. Other stations in impacted areas should have uninterrupted service, and BART stations will be running on generators. Some stations might have intermittent power outages, affecting elevators, escalators, and lights. You can sign-up for alerts at https://www.bart.gov/news/alerts
County Connection If power outages go into effect it may impact Paratransit trips.
- There may be significant delays to your trips. Please expect longer than usual hold times, drivers may not be able to reach dispatch to make same day changes to your trips.
- Passengers are encouraged to postpone non-essential trips for a later date.
- Drivers will not be able to make detours to your trip as a result of power outages.
- Communicate with your dialysis unit or medical doctor on their current schedule.
Traffic Safety
• Most traffic lights will go out once battery backup is exhausted. Treat all depowered traffic signals as a four way stop. Drive slow and be cautious when using depowered intersections.
School Districts
• Most school districts have stated that they will remain open if possible and as long as it is a safe and healthy environment for children. The best source of information about school closures is your school district website and social media pages.
Community Alert Systems
- NIXLE Alerts: To sign up to receive alerts from your local police department with city-specific information about the shutdown: https://local.nixle.com/register/
- Alameda County’s warning system: www.acalert.org
- Contra Costa County’s Community Warning System: https://cwsalerts.com/registration/
I know intimately how difficult this all has been on our community and the actions of PG&E will not be forgotten as we push for legislative change. We want to keep you safe over the next few days, but moving forward we are focused on PG&E’s failure to maintain and upgrade infrastructure to avoid these outages. I will be working to ensure we move towards a future with safe, reliable energy distribution. Please contact our office if you are having any difficulty with state agencies in relation to the PSPS or if you need assistance accessing services.