November 3, 2025 www.paloalto.gov/wildland
City Council Meeting
Approval of 1) Community Wildfire
Protection Plan, 2) Emergency
Preparedness: Wildfire Audit
Report, and 3) Emergency
Operations Plan
Agenda Item #2
www.paloalto.gov/wildfire
Topics
• Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
• Community Wildfire Protection Plan / Foothills Fire Mitigation Plan • City Auditor Report: “Emergency Preparedness: Wildfire Audit Report” Staff Presenters
• OES Chief Kenneth Dueker
• Fire Chief Stephen Lindsey
• City Auditor Kate Murdock
Please refer to Staff Report 2510-5338
2 Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
Recommended Action: Adopt a Resolution
www.paloalto.gov/emergencyplans 3
Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
• The Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) ”Basic
Plan” is the primary emergency planning
document.
• The EOP is an essential guidance document for
City staff, key partners, and the community.
• The City’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) is
responsible for the review, revision,
management, and distribution of the EOP .
• In accordance with Municipal Code Section
2.12.080, the EOP basic plan requires 1) review
by the Emergency Services Council (ESC) and Palo
Alto/Stanford Citizen Corps Council (CCC) and 2)
adoption by the City Council via resolution.
4 Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) /
Foothills Fire Management Plan FFMP
Recommended Action: Authorize City Manager to Sign
www.paloalto.gov/emergencyplans 5
Palo Alto’s Wildfire Situation
Define the “Wildland Urban Interface” (WUI):
• West of Foothill Expressway & Junipero Serra Blvd. to Skyline • Includes Open Space & Parks – natural values
• 200+ homes in City limits & Stanford land
• Neighboring cities/towns
• Several million sq. ft of commercial buildings & business (Stanford Industrial Park)
• Infrastructure: utilities, communications
Standing Objectives:
• Prevent/mitigate fire (ignition, spread, consequences) • Contain fire to less than 10 acres while also evacuating civilians • Coordinate limited public safety resources
6 Community Wildfire Protection Plan
The 2025 update includes these primary components:
• Describes the planning environment
• Discusses actions taken since the previous update
• Provides an updated wildfire risk hazard assessment
• Recommends new fuel treatment actions
• Includes public education and outreach efforts →
Know when to go, don’t wait, Evacuate!
• Lists wildfire mitigation projects the City will
endeavor to complete
• Identifies vegetation treatment standards and
methods
7 Treatment Methods, Fuel Reduction
Defensible Space
Fuel management
practices
PAFD WUI Property
Inspections
• Goal is compliance
to reduce
community risk
Defensible Space:
• Your legal
responsibility and
in your self-interest
• Don’t make your
home a “lost
cause”
8 Evacuation Routes
Constraints:
• Narrow, mountain roads; terrain
• Responding fire apparatus conflict with
evacuees
• Communications: cell coverage, power
• Pets, livestock, large animals
• Jurisdictional complexity
Proactive Stance:
• Coordinate among first responders, rangers
• Encourage foothills residents to apply for
Firewise Community certification
• Continue to expand technology for early
warning & community awareness
9 Foothills Fire Early Warning
Current Regional Efforts
• AlertCalifornia.org camera network and other emerging technology and tools
• N5 wildland smoke sensor network: partnership with
Stanford University and Woodside Fire District
Future Technology
• UAS (drones)
• Additional sensor deployments
• GIS (preplanning)
Wildfires require a multi-agency, multi-discipline approach to prevention, mitigation, response & recovery.
Technology can solve certain early detection challenges, but human organizations must also interoperate. cameras.alertcalifornia.org
10 Palo Alto’s Wildfire Posture and Partnerships
• Station 8 was built at Foothills Park after the Liddicoat fire in 1985. Location is strategic for rapid deployment of apparatus, equipment, and resources and mobilization of fire crews • Operational during high fire season. Crews rotate monthly between County Central Fire and Palo Alto Fire
• Utilities Wildfire Mitigation Plan adopted annually describes how the utility is to maintain and operate electrical lines and equipment to mitigate wildfire risk posed by electric lines and equipment • Hardening of systems: undergrounding of electricity lines and staging of generators for all water pump stations
• Hills include Local Responsibility Areas
(LRA), State Responsivity Areas (SRA) and
Mutual Threat Zones. (MTZ)
• Regional training and tabletop exercises
with emergency response and utility
partners
11 City Auditor Report
Recommended Action: Approve
www.paloalto.gov/departments/city-auditor
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Key Findings & Recommendations from Baker Tilly's Audit Findings Recommendations
The City has made significant investments in and has
strong programs aimed to prevent and mitigate wildfire
risks but there is room for improvement including
enhancing community outreach and engagement.
• Prioritize maintenance & replacement of remaining
utility poles in WUI
• Update & finalize line clearance policy
• Better track & monitor WUI property violations
• Formalize contract with CAL FIRE
• Better coordinate education & outreach efforts of OES, Fire & CPAU
The City has a strong emergency response plan but should consider possible improvements to evacuation planning,
training, implementation of after-action report
recommendations and communication efforts.
• Incorporate a more comprehensive revision & review
process for emergency plans
• Formally track & monitor findings and
recommendations identified during training exercises
& after-action reports
• Increase resident registration in the County's
emergency alerting system
• Improve access, tracking & monitoring of mutual aid
agreements, expiration dates & key contacts
1 Recommendation
Staff recommend that the City Council
1. Adopt a resolution approving the City of Palo Alto Emergency Operations Plan (EOP),
2. Approve the City of Palo Alto Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and authorize submittal to the County of Santa Clara, and
3. Approve the Emergency Preparedness: Wildfire Audit Report by the City Auditor (as recommended by the Policy & Services Committee).
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