By Adrian Hardy
On June 19 at the Portola Public Library, there was a presentation from Plumas County Office of Emergency Services Manager Lori Pini. Pini stated that the Plumas County Office of Emergency Services is partnering with the City of Portola for emergency preparedness and possible disasters. It was an excellent presentation, and some very useful handouts were given to attendees, providing pertinent guides on evacuation readiness for ourselves and our pets. One of the goals of this presentation was to get people thinking about what they would need and where they would go in the event of a natural disaster in our area. Pini discussed the Disaster Ready Guide booklet, which contains all the contact information necessary in an emergency, such as wildfire, flood, earthquake, or snowstorm. To receive the latest news and local alerts, enroll at CalAlerts.org. Portola Councilmember Mikki Battaglia, who is also the Targeted Airshed Grant Specialist of the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District, was present at the meeting and stated: “The City of Portola recertified as a Firewise community in November 2024. In order to recertify, we had to complete a five-year wildfire risk assessment, a three-year action plan, and submit annual work/volunteer hours contributed by community members within the city limits. A community our size is required to record approximately $29,873.08 in fire-hardening activities this year. This breaks down to about $33.49 per dwelling. That amount can be demonstrated by hours worked, green waste fees paid, fuel expenses to remove fire-prone material, etc. Becoming a Firewise community is actually pretty easy, as most of us do small or large activities each year to harden our homes against fire. The key to staying actively certified is to record home hardening, fire-safe improvements around your home. There is an online form that folks can use to track their work, as well as a paper form available in the lobby at City Hall. The online form is: https://www.plumasfiresafe.org/investment-hour-tracking-tool.html.” Battaglia also stated another benefit of acknowledging the identified hazards in the wildfire risk assessment and addressing the action plan is to help increase overall awareness of threats within and around our community in the event of a wildfire—and what we can do to mitigate them as individuals and neighbors. She also stated, “The Portola Firewise team meets bimonthly on the third Thursday of the month at 6 PM at the Portola Public Library. The public is encouraged to visit the Plumas County emergency readiness page, where Pini has compiled useful resource links. That link is: https://www.plumascounty.us/3014/Emergency-Alerts-and-Resources. Some emergency resource websites are: 211CA.org or dial 211 for evacuation routes and shelters. For state guides, alerts, and resources, visit CalOES.ca.gov. For real-time wildfire and shelter news, go to Response.ca.gov. The Ready.govwebsite has resources to prepare for any disaster. To get more resources in order to be more prepared, visit ListosCalifornia.org.
On June 19 at the Portola Public Library, there was a presentation from Plumas County Office of Emergency Services Manager Lori Pini. Pini stated that the Plumas County Office of Emergency Services is partnering with the City of Portola for emergency preparedness and possible disasters. It was an excellent presentation, and some very useful handouts were given to attendees, providing pertinent guides on evacuation readiness for ourselves and our pets. One of the goals of this presentation was to get people thinking about what they would need and where they would go in the event of a natural disaster in our area. Pini discussed the Disaster Ready Guide booklet, which contains all the contact information necessary in an emergency, such as wildfire, flood, earthquake, or snowstorm. To receive the latest news and local alerts, enroll at CalAlerts.org. Portola Councilmember Mikki Battaglia, who is also the Targeted Airshed Grant Specialist of the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District, was present at the meeting and stated: “The City of Portola recertified as a Firewise community in November 2024. In order to recertify, we had to complete a five-year wildfire risk assessment, a three-year action plan, and submit annual work/volunteer hours contributed by community members within the city limits. A community our size is required to record approximately $29,873.08 in fire-hardening activities this year. This breaks down to about $33.49 per dwelling. That amount can be demonstrated by hours worked, green waste fees paid, fuel expenses to remove fire-prone material, etc. Becoming a Firewise community is actually pretty easy, as most of us do small or large activities each year to harden our homes against fire. The key to staying actively certified is to record home hardening, fire-safe improvements around your home. There is an online form that folks can use to track their work, as well as a paper form available in the lobby at City Hall. The online form is: https://www.plumasfiresafe.org/investment-hour-tracking-tool.html.” Battaglia also stated another benefit of acknowledging the identified hazards in the wildfire risk assessment and addressing the action plan is to help increase overall awareness of threats within and around our community in the event of a wildfire—and what we can do to mitigate them as individuals and neighbors. She also stated, “The Portola Firewise team meets bimonthly on the third Thursday of the month at 6 PM at the Portola Public Library. The public is encouraged to visit the Plumas County emergency readiness page, where Pini has compiled useful resource links. That link is: https://www.plumascounty.us/3014/Emergency-Alerts-and-Resources. Some emergency resource websites are: 211CA.org or dial 211 for evacuation routes and shelters. For state guides, alerts, and resources, visit CalOES.ca.gov. For real-time wildfire and shelter news, go to Response.ca.gov. The Ready.govwebsite has resources to prepare for any disaster. To get more resources in order to be more prepared, visit ListosCalifornia.org.
Pictured here on the left is Manager of Plumas County Office of Emergency Services Lori Pini and on the right is Mickki Battaglia, Targeted Airshed Grant Specialist of the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District and a Portola City Council Member.
