Berkeley

Berkeley Fire Department Hosts Wildfire Evacuation Preparedness Workshop

Published

5 years ago

September 16, 2020

The Berkeley Fire Department hosted a wildfire evacuation preparedness workshop on Sept. 10. About 340 residents attended the meeting, which was hosted on Zoom.

“As the last few weeks have made profoundly clear, we’re all affected by wildfire regardless of whether we live within the city limits or not,“ said Khin Chin, a Berkeley resident who has worked for the city Fire Department’s Office of Emergency Services for 12 years. “It’s really amazing what a month of smoke, red skies and statewide fires can do to help advertise a workshop like this.”

Chin facilitated the meeting with Katie Hawn, an Emergency Services coordinator for Berkeley who has recently focused largely on COVID-19 response.

Chin and Hawn started the workshop by emphasizing that wildfires are a real danger in Berkeley. In 1923, a wildfire spread from the Berkeley hills and destroyed about 600 homes. Climate catastrophe has increased the risk of it happening again.

“It can happen in Berkeley. It has happened in Berkeley,” said Chin.

If a wildfire strikes in Berkeley, the city likely will not have the capacity to evacuate people, so, according to Chin, “self-evacuation makes up the majority of the community response.”

Chin and Hawn encouraged people to pay attention to the National Weather Service for Red Flag warnings, which are most likely to occur in dry, low humidity, high wind conditions.

“Anytime you hear the Red Flag warnings you should begin your preparations to be ready to evacuate,” said Chin.

To prepare for evacuation, the workshop stressed that it’s important to have a list of supplies and important things you would like to have and save and to be aware of where they are. The list could include medications, supplies for pets, important documents, medical supplies, water, and important irreplaceable items. Hawn suggested bringing games, like cards, to prepare for lots of downtimes while evacuated.

Besides the go-bag of important supplies, make sure to have charging devices for your phones, computers, etc. Spreading the word is also helpful for others.

If you have the ability to evacuate by vehicle, make sure that the vehicle has a full tank of gas. The organizers also stressed finding more than one route to major roads in case certain roads become impassible and, if possible, making arrangements with friends or family who you could stay with the outside of the area ahead of time. If you are forced to evacuate and have no friends or family to stay with, they suggest finding a parking lot that is outside of the evacuated area.

For those who will have difficulties evacuating, which will mean taking more time, Chin and Hawn suggest pre-evacuating on Red Flag warning days if possible.

One Berkeley resident named Phyllis who’s 86 and lives in the Berkeley Hills, said she pre-evacuated to stay with her grandson in El Cerrito twice recently when Red Flag warnings were issued for the Berkeley Hills. There was no wildfire but she was still glad she pre-evacuated as it made her feel safer and less stressed.

“I would have been scared to be by myself and I wouldn’t have slept those nights probably,” she said.

During an evacuation, Chin and Hawn suggest paying attention to the 1610 AM, an emergency advisory radio station. They suggest programming it into your radio ahead of time. Residents should also sign up for an emergency alert notification system suggesting www.acalert.org.

The workshop stressed the importance of preparing ahead of time so you can have some control over your evacuation if it is necessary.

“When you feel really out of control,” said Chin, “that’s when things are the scariest.”

Michelle Snider

Associate Editor for The Post News Group. Writer, Photographer, Videographer, Copy Editor, and website editor documenting local events in the Oakland-Bay Area California area.

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Bay Area

Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., who has served as Progressive Missionary’s pastor since September 1977, said the church also delights in the fact that it has hosted only five pastors in its 90-year history, including Pastors James E. Moore, H. A. Green, F. Douglas Farrell, and Edward Stovall, who served for 37 years.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

Progressive Missionary Baptist Poster. Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., Pastor of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley with his wife, Kay Frances Stuckey.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley is celebrating its 90th church anniversary on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at 3301 King Street in Berkeley.

The celebration will feature Pastor Darnell Manuel of the Union Baptist Church in Vallejo as guest speaker, along with many other special presentations.

Those who wish to share in Progressive’s history can purchase a 100-page full-colored souvenir book for $25.

The church boasts a number of notable people who either regularly attended or became members of the church since its inception, including former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, and one of the organizers of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Helen J. H. Stephens.

Pastor Stuckey often remarks how longevity flourishes at the church — it boasts 13 centenarians (people who have reached 100 years or more). Currently, it has one centenarian who is still surviving, Mrs. Dorothy Chambers, and 14 members who have reached 90 years or more.

Recently, on Feb.17, the pastor and his wife Kay Frances, celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

1 month ago

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Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

Oakland Post

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Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

Published

2 months ago

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Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.