Hazards Element
Program Description
Responsible
Departments
Implementa
tion
Timeframe Status 2025 Update Strategic Priority
HAZ-1: Seismic and Geologic
Safety Standards
1. Seismic and Geologic Safety Standards. The City shall review and update (as necessary) its seismic and geologic safety standards when there is an update to the Uniform Building Code and the California Building Code.
[Source:
New Program; City Staff] (RDR) Development Services Ongoing Ongoing The City requires preparation of geologic studies for development projects in earthquake fault hazard zone as mandated by the Alquist Priolo Act; and, slope stability and liquefaction analysis is required for new developments in the potential hazard areas identified by the State Geologist. Further, all new development is required to comply with Uniform Building Code & California Building Code, as amended.
HAZ-2: Seismic Retrofit
Feasibility Study for City
Facilities
2. Seismic Retrofit Feasibility Study for City Facilities.
The City shall prepare a study to identify all existing City facilities that do not meet current building code
standards. The City shall use the study to prioritize the funding of capital improvement projects.
[Source: New
Program; City Staff] (PSR) Development Services 2020-2040 Not started This citywide seismic retrofit feasibility study has not been initiated.
However, the City has continued to advance replacement and modernization of key public facilities consistent with the intent of this program. Recent efforts include completion of major facilities (including the new Main Library and fire stations such as the renovation of FS 1 to 5 and the new FS6 and training center). In addition, the City is currently evaluating a Public Safety Center and the Corp Yard as part of a broader feasibility and needs-assessment effort. While these facility projects help reduce long-term seismic risk for critical services, a comprehensive inventory-and-prioritization study of all existing City facilities remains pending and will be pursued as staffing and funding allow.
HAZ-3: Seismic Retrofit
Program
3. Seismic Retrofit Program. City shall establish and
promote a seismic retrofit program to encourage property owners to upgrade buildings, especially masonry
buildings, soft-story buildings (i.e., buildings designed with minimal bracing on the first floor), and critical facilities (i.e. hospitals, schools, and long-term care facilities. [Source: New Program; City Staff] (MPSP/PI)
Development Services 2017-2019 Complete
On July 2, 2019 the City adopted Ordinance 19-14, requiring mandatory seismic screening of certain residential buildings. The adoption of this ordinance is the first step in addressing potential Soft Story Buildings located in our city by; establishing a soft story registry, implementing a screening process, and developing a framework and guidelines to encourage the voluntary retrofitting of qualifying structures. The program is considered complete.
HAZ-4: Tsunami Warning
System
4. Tsunami Warning System. The City shall coordinate
with the Hayward Area Recreation and Park District, the East Bay Regional Parks District, and Alameda County
Flood Control and Water Conservation District to develop and implement a tsunami warning system and evacuation
plan for the Hayward shoreline.
[Source: New Program;
City Staff] (IGC) Fire 2020-2040 Complete
The Integrated Public Alert & Warning (IPAWs) system, AC Alert, and other local alerting systems have incorporated the warning and alerting system for the entire coastal region, and will serve to alert all Hayward residents and visitors via their automated systems.
Attachment IX
HAZ-5: Flood Plain
Management Ordinance
Comprehensive Update
5. Flood Plain Management Ordinance Comprehensive
Update. The City shall prepare a comprehensive update to the Floodplain Management Ordinance. The ordinance
shall be periodically reviewed and revised in order to
incorporate climate change projections.[Source: New
Program; City Staff] (RDR)
Public Works & Utilities,
Development Services Ongoing Not started
The City has not initiated a comprehensive update to the Floodplain Management Ordinance at this time due to limited staff resources and competing priorities. However, the City continues to implement and refine floodplain review requirements for development within Special Flood Hazard Areas. All new construction and grading/fill within flood zones must comply with the City’s Floodplain Management Ordinance (HMC Chapter 9, Article 4) and the California Building Code. In addition, for projects proposing fill and/or floodplain modifications, PW–Engineering has strengthened submittal requirements by (1) requiring independent third-party technical review of CLOMR-F/LOMR- F analyses at the applicant’s expense, and (2) requiring an applicant/developer agreement obligating the applicant to file and obtain the FEMA LOMR-F when FEMA resumes processing and/or as a condition of project completion, as applicable. These measures help ensure floodplain compliance and long-term map-revision follow- through while broader ordinance updates remain pending.
HAZ-6: Airport Noise
Monitoring and Reporting
6. Airport Noise Monitoring and Reporting. The City
shall submit an annual report to the City Council that
evaluates airport noise. If necessary, the City shall
consider taking appropriate actions to comply with airport noise mitigation requirements.
[Source: New Program; City
Staff] (PSR) Public Works & Utilities Annual Ongoing
The Hayward Airport's Noise Abatement Program collects and records all noise-related complaints. Staff responds to each report via phone, email, or Access Hayward App and prepares an annual noise report. The 2025 report is being finalized in the first quarter of 2026.
HAZ-7: Extreme Heat and Air
Quality Monitoring and
Assistance
7. Extreme Heat and Air Quality Monitoring and
Assistance. The City shall collaborate with the Alameda County Public Health Department and local community
organizations to establish extreme heat and air quality monitoring systems and develop accessible and language
appropriate community education resources to prepare
community members for increased extreme heat events
and air pollution. Explore the feasibility of developing a program to assist the public in accessing cooling
infrastructure for in-home use, such as ceiling fans, air exchangers, increased insulation and low-solar-gain
exterior materials.
[Source: New Program; City Staff] (PSR,
PI, IGC) City Manager, Fire Ongoing Ongoing
In CY25 the Fire Department updated the Extreme Heat Advisory webpage advising the public what to do and where to go during extreme heat weather events. Also in CY25, Hayward's two libraries were designated as Clean Air Centers and will receive funding for specialized filtration equipment for five years.
HAZ-8: Wildfire Mitigation in
the Wildland Urban Interface
8. Wildfire Mitigation in the Wildland Urban Interface.
The City shall develop programming and content to
educate landowners and residents on how structures
ignite, the role of embers, and which building materials, designs, and retrofits reduce wildfire risk. Continue to track new and ignition-resistant construction technologies and promote increasingly fire safe building standards
through ordinance updates. Provide funding incentives to promote fire safe retrofits of existing structures that meet ignition-resistant building codes. [Source: New Program; City Staff] (PSR, PI, IGC)
Fire Ongoing Ongoing
The Fire Department updates the City Fire Prevention Code of the City of Hayward every year state fire codes are updated. The 2025 State codes were adopted by the City in November 2025, with an effective date of January 1, 2026. In CY25 the City also adopted and incorporated the newly State adopted Local Responsibility Areas and Fire Hazard Severity Maps, implemented by the California State Fire Marshal, into the City Chapter 3 – Public Safety ordinance. In 2025 the Fire Department applied for a grant from Cal OES for a Hayward-Fairview Ember Resistant and Zone 0 program. Which will focus on implementing minor ignition-resistant construction retrofits, such as gutter/vent guards, and Zone 0 defensible space treatments.
HAZ-9: Wildfire Educational
Materials
9. Wildfire Educational Materials. The City shall make
available and promote educational materials for defensible space standards, or vegetation “clear zones,” and
vegetation compliance for all existing and new structures in areas that are proximal to designated California
Department of Forestry and Fire Protection State
Responsibility Areas or Very High Fire Hazard Severity
Zones. [Source: New Program; City Staff] (PI) Fire Ongoing Not started The Hayward Fire Department has published updates to its website reflecting the State’s current Wildland–Urban Interface (WUI) requirements and recommendations, which are also incorporated into the City’s 2025 Fire Prevention Code. In CY25, the Fire Department implemented a public outreach campaign, including mailed notices and social media communications, to inform residents of fire hazard severity zones and wildfire risk reduction strategies. The Fire Department maintains a publicly accessible defensible space webpage that provides guidance, examples, and educational materials to assist residents in reducing wildfire risk. These materials include recorded workshops demonstrating fire-safe practices, defensible space standards, and measures to reduce structure ignitability, High Fire Hazard Severity Zone mapping process and providing public access to the maps adopted by the City, as designated by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
HAZ-10: Climate Resilient
Buildings and Public Spaces
10. Climate Resilient Buildings and Public Spaces. The City shall evaluate climate hazard risks associated with sea level rise, flooding, heat, air quality, and wildfire, for at- risk City facilities (as identified in its Climate Vulnerability Assessment). Develop adaptation plans for at-risk
buildings, facilities, and spaces, and prioritize necessary retrofits or upgrades based on the age, vulnerability, and need of the City facility. Continually re-assess climate hazard exposure for facilities and open spaces as best
available science changes.
[Source: New Program; City
Staff] (RDR, CSO)
Public Works & Utilities,
Maintenance Services Ongoing Not started This program has not started.
HAZ-11: Climate Adaptation
Staffing
11. Climate Adaptation Staffing. The City shall
sufficiently resource the city-wide planning and
implementation of adaptation-related programs,
partnerships with outside agencies and CBO partners,
activity tracking to monitor the implementation of
resilience strategies, and grant administration.
[Source:
New Program; City Staff] (CSO, FB, MPSP)
Public Works & Utilities,
Development Services Ongoing Partially complete
City staff participate on city-wide planning and implementation efforts for sea level rise through the Hayward Area Shoreline Planning Agency (HASPA). HASPA is a partnership with East Bay Regional Parks District, Hayward Area Recreation and Parks District, Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District and the City of Hayward to implement the Hayward Area Shoreline Adaptation Master Plan (SAMP). To advances these efforts, HASPA hosts quarterly meetings with community stakeholders including but not limited to Friends of San Lorenzo Creek, Plantify, CalTrans, Alameda County, City of San Leandro, Union City, Greenbelt Alliance, Save the Bay and San Francisco Estuary Partnership. HASPA is currently managing an approximate $600,000 grant to develop an implementation plan for the SAMP and a governance strategy to further advance sea level rise resiliency in the area.
Champion Climate Resilience and
Environmental Justice (CP10)
HAZ-12: Evacuation
Preparedness and Coordination
12. Evacuation Preparedness and Coordination. The
City shall convene interdepartmentally coordinated
evacuation preparedness activities on an annual basis,
including evacuation route maintenance, annual hazard-
based evacuation scenario trainings, and measures to
assist vulnerable populations and neighborhoods.
[Source:
New Program; City Staff] (CSO, IGC, MPSP) Fire Ongoing Ongoing The HFD, in coordination with the City’s Streets Maintenance Division, installed a new fire access gate to improve emergency access and evacuation route functionality in high fire hazard areas. Fire access gates and routes are evaluated and maintained to support emergency response, evacuation operations, and safe passage for residents during hazard events.
The City utilizes evacuation planning and notification technologies to support coordinated evacuation preparedness efforts. Evacuation zones within the City are identified using Genasys EVAC. Evacuation notifications are delivered through the City’s mass notification system, Everbridge, locally referred to as AC Alert, which enables timely communication with residents during emergencies. These systems are administered in coordination with the Alameda County Office of Emergency Services, which provides procedural guidance, training, and standardized templates to support consistent evacuation messaging and operations.
Enhance Community Safety (SP4, SP5,
SP6)
HAZ-13: Green Infrastructure
13. Green Infrastructure. The City shall develop a
program supported by partnerships with ABAG and BCDC
focused on the design and implementation of green
infrastructure and watershed management projects within the City. Facilitate these changes by communicating and providing public resources for decreasing flood risk and reducing the heat island effect through Low Impact
Development (LID) practices, floodplain restoration, and other nature-based stormwater management options.
[Source: New Program; City Staff] (CSO, JP, PI)
Public Works & Utilities Ongoing Ongoing
Staff is actively implementing the Green Infrastructure Plan, adopted in 2019. In addition to OngoingLID implementation through development review, the City completed installation of the Arf Avenue trash capture device in 2025, which captures trash and debris from stormwater runoff serving approximately 400 acres of watershed. In 2025, staff will began preliminary design for a nature-based solution for treatment of wastewater at the Water Resource Recovery Facility. Preliminary Design phase is expected to be Completein late 2026.
HAZ-14: Resilient Power
14. Resilient Power. The City shall develop and support a plan of action targeting city-wide resilient power projects including critical facilities, a network of resilience hubs, and utility activities outlined in the Safety Element.
[Source: New Program; City Staff] (CSO, IGC, JP, PI)
Public Works & Utilities,
Maintenance Services Ongoing Ongoing
On October 15, 2024, Council approved Ava's Critical Municipal Facilities Program. The City is entering into a Power Purchase Agreement with Ava Community Energy to install solar panels and backup batteries at four City facilities- Fire Station 1, Fire Station 7, the City Corp Yard, and the Cinema Place Garage (no backup battery installed in this location).