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In the event of an emergency, contact:
California State Warning Center (800) 852-7550US EPA Region 9 Duty Officer (800) 300-2193
CDC/ATSDR 24-Hour Emergency Response Center (770) 488-7100
Current Emergencies
Hathaway Fire: Air
Quality Updates Week of June 10-14 , 2013
The
Hathaway Fire is burning in San Bernardino National Forest north of
Banning, CA. Containment is predicted for approximately June 24. With
relatively persistent onshore flow, the smoke is moving north and east
and affecting communities in the High Desert. The Mojave Desert AQMD
upgraded a smoke watch to a smoke advisory this week, and urges
residents in Yucca Valley and Morongo Valley to use caution when they
see or smell smoke. The advisory will be in effect until further
notice. The South Coast AQMD's updated
smoke advisory was issued Friday, June 14 for the Banning Pass area,
Big Bear Lake, and Coachella Valley with smoke predicted to reach
unhealthy levels at times.
The Mojave Desert AQMD advisory can be found at http://www.mdaqmd.ca.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=3969.
The South Coast AQMD advisory can be found at ftp://ftp.aqmd.gov/pub/globalist/Advisory.pdf.
Time lapse of smoke from the Hathaway Fire looking south from Big Bear to the San Gorgonio Wilderness courtesy of Ben Brissey found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t6JZKfdJmo.
Current Fire Information visit:- CAL FIRE Current Incidents
- Fire Information Map - PFIRS
- Federal Interagency Smoke Management Site
- Interagency Incident Information System (Inciweb)
Latest Information
US EPA has released its revised breakpoints for the Air Quality Index (AQI). The Wildfire Smoke Guide is slated for updating over the two years. In the meantime, Table 3 (page 31 of the Wildfire Smoke Guide) has been updated so that the 24 hr averages reflect the new AQI breakpoints. A visual demonstration of the new 24 hr averages alongside the 8 hr and 1-3 hr averages from the Wildfire Smoke Guide is also provided.
Revised Wildfire Smoke Guide can be found in the Data to Message Toolkit
Revised Table 3 (excerpt from the Wildfire Smoke Guide) (pdf)
Visual representation of the 24, 8, and 1-3 hr averages for wildfire smoke (pdf)
New
Training Available!
The Environmental Health Laboratory Branch is pleased to announce to their emergency preparedness partners, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on-line training “Hospital Response for CBRNE Mass Casualties.” This course was developed through support from the federal Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) and offers a comprehensive overview for all emergency responders and first receivers on issues facing the health care response to chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive events (CBRNE).
To take the training, please visit http://www.cdphhospitaltraining.org/. More information is available here.
The next CARPA Steering Committee Meeting will be Friday, May 10, 2013 at the CDPH Richmond Laboratory. Materials for the current and recent meetings are below:
March 2013 Draft Minutes (word)
March 2013 Meeting Agenda (pdf)
January 2013 Meeting Agenda (pdf)
January 2013 Minutes (pdf)
December 2012 Meeting Agenda (pdf)
December 2012 Minutes (pdf)
Current Steering Committee Roster (pdf)
CARPA hosted a webinar Tuesday, October 2, 2012 to discuss recommendations for local governments on combined heat and air quality emergencies. Below are some of the webinar materials:
Overview of Combined Heat and Air Quality Events (pdf, 21.8 MB)
Ozone and Heat Chart for Schools (courtesy of Breathe California, Sac Metro AQMD and others)
Electronic bibliography of the public health impact of heat and air quality
CalEMA has posted their list of Training Opportunities for June 2013. Training and exercise opportunities are offered by a variety of state, local, and federal agencies for emergency response and preparedness.
Emergency Contacts for Major Air Releases in California (pdf)
This page last reviewed June 14, 2013.
This website provides information about the California Air Response Planning Alliance (CARPA), a network of local, state, and federal air and public health agencies and resources joined together to improve coordinated response to major air releases and emergencies with air quality impacts. The California Air Resources Board is one of the partners in this Alliance and maintains this CARPA website.
