Air Quality Health Advisory HEALTH ADVISORY from Bay Area Air Quality Management District: Air quality in Bay Area unhealthy due to smoke from wildfires. Air quality to reach unhealthy levels today and tomorrow. The Air District has recorded elevated levels of particulate matter throughout the Bay Area, but especially in the northern and eastern parts of the region, and is advising the public to limit their exposure to the smoky air. Bay Area residents are advised to: - Limit outdoor activities to avoid unnecessary exposure
- Reduce exposure to smoky air by remaining indoors with windows and doors closed
- Set air conditioning units and car vent systems to re-circulate
- If you have asthma or other lung disease, make sure you follow your doctor’s directions about taking your medicines and following your asthma management plan. Call your doctor if your symptoms worsen.
Smoke can irritate the eyes and airways, causing coughing, a scratchy throat and irritated sinuses. Elderly persons, children, and individuals with heart of lung disease are particularly susceptible to elevated air pollution levels and should take extra precautions to avoid exposure. A Spare the Air advisory is not in effect. On Spare the Air days, residents are encouraged to reduce driving and curb other activities and produce ground-level ozone. The high pollution levels forecast for today are due to wildfires. For more information about smoke impacts please visit www.sparetheair.org or the CAPCOA website: www.airquality.org/smokeimpact/. A great resource for monitoring the air quality and health recommendations is http://www.airnow.gov/
The Palo Alto Office of Emergency Services would like to take this opportunity to remind our neighbors, constituents and friends that: - While most disasters are unpredictable, preparations to lessen their effect are critical
- The typical time for outside assistance to reach an impacted area is 72 to 96 hours, if reasonable access to the area exists All households should maintain a stock of emergency supplies that will last a minimum of 72 hours. The most important of these emergency supplies will be drinking water. (One gallon, per person, per day)
- Establish a meeting point for your family and an out of area phone contact for coordination and information
- Become active in Palo Alto's Neighborhood Disaster Activities (PANDA). This is our Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). This course certifies you as a team member that will augment professional responders in the event of a disaster
- For emergency preparedness information or to register for a class, call the Office of Emergency Services at 650-617-3197
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