SAN FRANCISCO, June 21 (Xinhua) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed Friday unveiled updated measures that the city will take to address weather-related emergencies for the upcoming wildfire season.
"As we head into wildfire season, we must be prepared for poor air quality and higher temperatures," said Breed in a statement.
The city's public health and emergency management authorities presented their new plans to respond to air quality and climate emergencies at a meeting earlier Friday.
Breed asked the city departments last December to work out updated measures to combat poor air quality after city officials were strongly criticized for failing to properly handle the emergencies of billowing smoke over the city in the wake of a deadly wildfire in Northern California.
The disastrous wildfire, known as Camp Fire in Butte County that occurred in November 2018, killed at least 85 people, scorched 153,336 acres (620 square km) of land and destroyed over 18,000 buildings after burning for more than two weeks. The fire was the most destructive fire disaster in California's history.
On Nov. 16 last year, San Francisco registered its worst air pollution from the impact of the wildfire, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) climbing to 357; an AQI below 50 is normally considered posing little health risks.
"We need to look out for one another -- especially our most vulnerable residents -- and make sure that our communities know where they can go to access cleaner air and cooler facilities," Breed said.
Under the new plans, city officials have identified 17 community facilities that can serve as cooling centers or provide a fresh-air respite for people taking refuge in the event of a bad-air alert. Other measures include deploying more personnel to help mutual aid programs and enhancing regional coordination among partners to make public outreach more accessible to those in need.
City officials have promised to give special assistance to the vulnerable, including the homeless who may face greater health risks from poor air quality or extreme weather conditions.
"Our focus will be on ensuring that all communities, and particularly the most vulnerable populations, receive information, outreach and options on how to stay healthy," said Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
