Personal Emergency Preparedness

General Preparedness:

  • SF Bay Area Non-911 Emergency Numbers [PDF] Calling 911 from a cell phone anywhere in the Bay Area usually connects you to the California Highway Patrol regional dispatch center in Vallejo. Waiting times can be lengthy to reach a CHP dispatcher, who will then have to transfer your call back to a local agency’s emergency dispatch center. So unless you are on a freeway (or have other reason to call the CHP), do NOT dial 911 on your cell phone. Instead, pre-program the local non-911 emergency numbers for the cities where you live and work in your phone, and dial them directly in an emergency.
  • Individual and Family Preparedness -  Planning and preparedness information from Be Prepared California.
  • Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness is FEMA's most comprehensive source on individual, family and community preparedness. Available in several languages.
  • Ready.gov - Prepare. Plan. Stay Informed. National public service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to educate and empower Americans to prepare for and respond to emergencies including natural and man-made disasters.

Earthquake-specific Preparedness:

  • Download the free MyShake mobile phone app, which can provide seconds of warning before the ground starts to shake from a nearby quake…enough time to drop, cover and hold on to prevent injury.
  • Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country - US Geological Survey (USGS) handbook that provides information about the threat posed by earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay region and explains how you can prepare for, survive, and recover from these inevitable events.
  • Bay Area Earthquake Hazards
  • Disaster Preparedness: Self-Help Checklist (PDF) - Checklists for earthquake supplies/insurance and disaster defense.

Other Preparedness Tips: