"The city of Palo Alto sent a message to the public at about 8 p.m. Tuesday stating there is no fire in Palo Alto at this time." I don't think we received this message -- do you have to register on some particular website of Palo Alto in order to receive these alerts? In the past we have gotten notifications before so I wasn't sure if something changed? Thanks in advance!

I got this alert through Nixle: Web Link

I got it because my zip code is registered and I signed up for alerts from "all government agencies" or something like that.

Thank you for the kind reply!

This has been a useful web map resource - smoke, fire and air quality - all in one.

Web Link

I also want to acknowledge the amazing work of local firefighters who at this moment I am glad they are looking out for our town as these fires burn at our doorstep.

We are Palo Alto residents. We did not get any type of notification from City of Palo Alto at 8 PM Tuesday evening. I checked with neighbors and another friend who lives in Palo Alto and no one got any type of notification. I would like to know who they notified & how?!? I get 3 alerts for Covid from Santa Clara Co- text email and phone call. So somebody has my contact!

Same here. PA has NEVER been known for its "outreach" even with its $5,000,000+ "communications" staff and years of promises to improve after complaints that neighbors have to go door-to-door to inform each other of planned construction projects, meetings, issues, etc.

I DO want to offer high praise to the folks at Rinconada Library who DO do great outreach. They actually called to say that due to the conditions, all returns and hold pickups scheduled for today have been cancelled, saving me an unnecessary trip in today's horrible conditions.

So high praise to the folks at the libraries who've ironically been subjected to the most budget cuts and are understaffed.

Sign up for Nixle alerts: Web Link

I am full of praise for the fire fighters, police, and other first responders. The need to fully fund these services has never been clearer, even in these smokey conditions. Thank you!

The City of Palo Alto has not been communicating effectively with us. I sent the following to the City Manager and to City Councilmembers:
Why is the City not issuing any statements via an alert system, emails or phone calls to its citizens relating to the wildfires surrounding us? The only notices from the City I have seen are on Facebook which many people do not regularly access. There is nothing on the website unless you search through many pages.
It would be helpful to know what we should or should not be concerned about during this time.
I have signed up for SCCAlert, but that will only tell me about dire events affecting the county. People living or working in Palo Alto need more specific information.
Please make a better effort to communicate with us. The silence from the City is shameful but sadly consistent with prior failures to effectively communicate.

Why isn't the City communicating effectively? Guess they're too busy sending out surveys on the Storm Water/Drain Rebate Programs like the one I got last night!

How much do Survey Monkey surveys cost?

Can people with excess dry brush please take a look at their property and remove it.

This is a good news follow up to my post yesterday. In response to my query, our City Manager has added information and links related to the smoke and wildfires to the City's daily Coronavirus Report which is emailed to all those who have signed up for that. It was the lead article in yesterday's report which arrived in my email around 5 pm. I really appreciate the City's prompt response.

Thank you for this reporting, and for the recent Covid reporting. I'll be buying subscriptions for the whole extended family in appreciation. Most small local papers (the smaller ones in the Mercury/Sentinel chain for example) are shrinking in effectiveness, coverage and utility while you seem to be growing, and that's a reflection of personal resolve. The old Weekly wasn't even a newspaper. You are becoming one, and we need that. Thank you.

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@Online Name: SurveyMonkey is $25/month.