Piedmont Fire Department Urges Residents to Complete Disaster Preparedness Survey by Oct. 30

The Piedmont Fire Department is calling on all neighborhood residents to complete a citywide disaster preparedness survey before the deadline on Friday, October 30. Emergency management officials in the East Bay community launched the initiative to evaluate local emergency readiness, identify neighborhood safety gaps, and establish an updated baseline for earthquake and wildfire resilience. The questionnaire requires five to seven minutes to complete and gathers critical household feedback on family evacuation planning and emergency utility supplies.

Because Piedmont is surrounded entirely by the city of Oakland and nestled closely along heavily vegetated East Bay hillside wildland corridors, timely evacuation planning is paramount for residential safety. Feedback from the survey will directly inform how municipal first responders allocate life-safety resources and prioritize community outreach before seasonal fire dangers escalate. Participating families gain a practical checklist to inspect their home smoke detectors, designate family reunion points, and store essential potable water rations.

The initiative builds upon findings from a benchmark survey conducted in 2024, which revealed significant vulnerabilities in residential emergency preparedness. While that assessment found that 73 percent of surveyed households were enrolled in the countywide AC Alert notification system, only 22 percent maintained an active family emergency communication plan. Furthermore, just 34 percent kept a two-week emergency water supply on hand, and only 27 percent expressed strong confidence in their ability to handle a major disaster, prompting the Piedmont City Council to authorize expanded disaster mitigation programs.

Since the previous audit, the fire department has modernized Piedmont's Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, expanded structural home-hardening workshops, and executed a simulated wildfire evacuation drill in the Blair, Scenic, and Alta avenue neighborhoods. Fire administrators are operating the online survey portal continuously through 11:59 PM on October 30, with paper forms available upon request at fire headquarters on Vista Avenue. Survey metrics focus on household emergency food reserves, auxiliary battery backups, pet evacuation gear, and subscription rates for Alameda County emergency advisories.

Once data collection closes at the end of the month, fire leadership will compile the responses into a comprehensive public report for presentation before the Piedmont City Council during its winter legislative calendar. The resulting data will guide upcoming neighborhood fire drill schedules and targeted educational mailings ahead of the 2027 fire season. Piedmont residents can access the digital questionnaire through municipal channels or contact the Piedmont Fire Department prevention bureau directly at (510) 420-3030 for additional assistance.