Council discusses emergency preparedness, ADAPT funding and CERT; asks staff to explore shared coordinator and sustain $10,000 ADAPT support

Town staff presented policy questions connected to emergency preparedness and community volunteer organizations. The presentation covered three topics: state high fire hazard severity maps, the Heritage Tree Ordinance and eucalyptus/redwood maintenance, and the town's relationship with ADAPT and CERT.

Nut graf: Staff told council the state’s finalized fire-hazard maps do not place Atherton in a high fire hazard severity zone; the fire district will still propose local fire-code recommendations. The council discussed the struggling status of ADAPT, the volunteer organization that supports neighborhood preparedness, and the role of CERT volunteers trained by the fire district.

Staff said the state maps place no Atherton parcels in the high fire hazard severity zone, though the fire district will return with recommended fire-code practices (attic/eave sealing, defensible-space clearing) and possible local ordinances consistent with the state fire code. The town also has directed the Planning Commission to review the Heritage Tree Ordinance separately, including questions about eucalyptus and redwood trees and maintenance.

On ADAPT and CERT: staff described ADAPT as a resident-run nonprofit that has used a town budget allocation of $10,000 annually (managed through the Police Department budget) to supply radios, refresh emergency trailers, and support training and neighborhood assembly points. Staff and multiple council members described ADAPT as having transitioned leadership and engagement levels over the last few years; councilors raised concerns about continuity and the group’s ability to conduct large drills.

Fire Board member Gary Bloom said the fire district enforces state fire code, periodically reviews local code and signs off on building permits for fire-safety items such as sprinklers. He described the district’s mutual-aid practice and explained that CERT volunteers are generally used as a local resource and do not operate under the same statewide mutual-aid structure as professional search-and-rescue teams.

Council discussion: Several council members asked staff to explore sharing an emergency-preparedness coordinator (for example with Menlo Park) to provide staff-level leadership and to pursue in-person ICS/NIMS refresher training for elected officials. Council members voiced support for continuing the town's $10,000 annual allocation to ADAPT; council directed staff to return with options for a shared coordinator and additional outreach to help ADAPT with leadership and succession planning. Staff said CERT training is free and the district actively recruits volunteers and that the town can share county/state public-health advisories to all residents as needed.

Ending: Council provided direction to staff to research shared staffing options and to continue support for ADAPT; no formal vote was taken on additional funding or structural changes during the meeting.