Pleasanton is getting ready for a wet and possibly wild winter. At the Oct. 6 City Council meeting, Emergency Services Manager Leo Lopez walked council members through a set of new preparedness efforts, many of them prompted by the Little Fire, which burned 1,007 acres between Pleasanton and Sunol on July 21, the Pleasanton Weekly reported.
What the city is doing
The centerpiece is a new campaign called "Be Ready, Pleasanton." It pushes residents and city staff to sign up for emergency alerts, learn their evacuation zones and make a household emergency plan for fires, storms and earthquakes. It also points people toward the Community Emergency Response Team, a volunteer training program. Lopez said more residents are signing up for emergency alerts than a year ago.
The city has also turned an informal disaster preparedness working group into its first official Pleasanton Emergency Preparedness Committee, and moved evacuation maps higher on its emergency preparedness web page after the Little Fire. About 80% of city staff, roughly 260 people, have gone through a disaster academy that teaches basic and advanced skills for disaster service workers, according to Lopez. The council has named emergency preparedness the top priority in its five-year strategic plan.
Why this winter matters
The National Weather Service says a strong to very strong El Niño is likely through January to March 2027. Mayor Jack Balch told the council the current forecast gives a 69% chance of a historic event for the region, and he recalled the 2023 storms that flooded parts of the Tri-Valley.
Lopez said Public Works crews have been cleaning storm drains and preparing sandbags. Councilmember Julie Testa asked about unhoused people living near creeks; police said officers check on unhoused residents during severe weather and are working with faith groups that can offer temporary shelter.
Where to get sandbags
The city offers free sand and sandbags to residents and businesses at its Operations Services Center, 3333 Busch Road. Bring your own shovel or scoop to fill the bags, the city says. "Get your sandbags filled up over there on Busch Road," Councilmember Matt Gaidos urged.