Programs → Emergency Preparedness
DDAR Services & Portable Battery Program
CIL is a Disability Disaster Access and Resources Center (DDARC), thanks to partnership from California Foundation of Independent Living Centers and PG&E. The purpose of a DDARC is to support people with disabilities and older adults before, during, and after Public Safety Power Shut Offs (PSPS) and disasters, such as wildfires, heatwaves, earthquakes, and more, and to ensure our communities can meet their medical, safety, and resiliency needs. As a DDARC, CIL provides a whole host of disaster preparedness and response services, including:
individual emergency planning
Signing up for critical alert programs, such as Alameda County Alerts, Medical Baseline, and PSPS Alert programs
Distributing critical resources and accommodations on the ground during sustained power outages, wildfires, and severe storms
Providing back-up batteries and other supplies for consumers who rely on power for life-saving medical equipment.
What does CIL assist with?
As a DDARC and a Listos partner, our Emergency Preparedness program offers a range of services, including:
- Individualized emergency preparedness planning
- Starter emergency kits and information about building go-bags, stay-bags, and more
- Enrollment in critical programs such as PG&E’s Medical Baseline Program and AC Alert
- Portable batteries for individuals who require power for life-saving medical equipment during power shutoffs, and who also live in high wildfire risk areas or areas affected by Public Safety Power Shut-offs.
- Disability-led community disaster preparedness and response education and training
- A Peer Ambassador Program where disabled community members are resourced and compensated to bring emergency preparedness education to their communities.
What is a Public Safety Power Shut-Off (PSPS)? A PSPS occurs when an electricity company, such as PG&E, turns off power to specific areas in order to reduce risk of wildfires that could occur from severe weather, such as high winds, impacting the power lines. To learn more about PSPS events and what to expect during an event, see PG&E’s Outage Timeline map here.
PG&E can generally predict severe weather that might require a PSPS, and issues warnings or watch notifications up to two days ahead of time if your address will be affected. PG&E will also send a series of other notifications to provide you information during a PSPS event, including a “power is off” notification when your power is actively off, a “weather all clear” notification to indicate the severe weather has passed and power lines are being inspected, a “estimated restoration time” for the power in your home, and finally, a notification that power has been restored.
Consumers who are signed up for PG&E’s Medical Baseline program may receive additional notifications, which might include an additional phone calls or a door-bell ring to ensure you’re aware of an impending PSPS event and can prepare to stay safe.
Portable Back-Up Battery Program
As a Disability Disaster Access and Resources Center, CIL can offer emergency portable batteries to consumers who rely on electricity to meet their access and functional needs, for example, to run a CPAP machine, or to charge a mobility device, or to power a chestfeeding pump. In order to qualify, consumers must:
- Rely on electricity to meet their access and functional needs AND
- Live in a Tier 2 or Tier 3 Wildfire Threat Area OR
- Live in an area that has experienced two or more Public Safety Power Shutoffs
If you are interested, click here to apply to our Portable Battery Program , or reach out to CIL’s Emergency Preparedness staff for support.
Our Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency program currently distributes Yeti GoalZero portable back-up batteries to qualifying individuals, and in a variety of sizes to meet different electricity needs.
Click here to explore the Yeti GoalZero portable battery series.
Sign up for an Individual Emergency Planning session with CIL Staff here.
If you have any issues using this form please call us at 510-841-4776 or email us at info@thecil.org.
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