CAL FIRE’s Returning Veterans: Enlisting Their Skills for CAL FIRE Service (R.V.E.T.S.) Program assists veterans, service members, and their families with integration and transition into service with the Department.

For information on how to navigate the State of California civil service system and the benefits afforded to those who have served and/or are serving in the U.S. Armed Services, you can visit the Department’s R.V.E.T.S. page or contact the R.V.E.T.S. Hotline.


Web pages

• Home - http://www.fire.ca.gov/
• R.V.E.T.S. -  https://www.fire.ca.gov/about/programs/rvets
  

Partnership HealthPlan of California contracts with the State to administer Medi-Cal benefits through local care providers. Find their Medi-Cal Provider Directory online.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.partnershiphp.org/Pages/PHC.aspx
• Medi-Cal provider directory -https://www.partnershiphp.org/Providers/Medi-Cal/Pages/Provider-Directory.aspx
• Emergency resources [info may be out of date on some things...check other sources or call Partnership to confirm] - https://www.partnershiphp.org/About/Pages/Emergency-Resources.aspx
  

The US Forest Service provides info about cleanup of flame retardants and other fire suppression chemicals. See document at the following link.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.fs.usda.gov/
• Wildland Fire Retardant Clean-Up Hints - https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprd3851595.pdf

Learn how to file a claim with PG&E by visiting this webpage.

If you just want to submit a complaint, see info here.

If you are a residential customer who has gone without power for at least 48 hours because of severe storm conditions, you may qualify for an automatic payment under PG&E's Safety Net program. This program provides a payment of $25 - $100, which PG&E pays automatically about 60 days following the storm outage.

Web pages

• File A Claim - https://www.pge.com/en_US/residential/customer-service/help/claims/claims.page
• Submit A Complaint - https://pgesupport.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/360054835371-How-can-I-submit-a-complaint-#:~:text=For%20all%20other%20complaints%2C%20contact,%2D800%2D743%2D5000.
• Safety Net Program - https://www.pge.com/en/outages-and-safety/outage-preparedness-and-support/general-outage-resources/outage-compensation-programs.html
  
  
  
  
  

The Disaster Assistance Improvement Program (DAIP) provides disaster survivors with information, support, services, and a means to access and apply for disaster assistance through joint data-sharing efforts between federal, tribal, state, local, and private sector partners.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), acts as the managing partner.

DAIP launched a website called DisasterAssistance.gov. The site allows you to:

• Find disaster assistance that meets your personal needs.
• Learn about more than 70 forms of assistance from 17 federal agencies.
• Find a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) near you.
• Get help with housing.
• Find programs to help with food and nutrition needs.
• Change the address for your Social Security, VA, or other federal benefits.
• Learn about Small Business Administration (SBA) loans for homeowners, renters, and businesses.

The site also provides resources to help you learn how to prepare for, respond to, and recov…

United Policyholders (UP) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to be a trustworthy and useful information resource and an effective voice for consumers of all types of insurance in all 50 states.

UP's work is divided into three programs:

• Roadmap to Recovery provides tools and resources for solving insurance problems after an accident, loss, illness, or other adverse event. For example, the program provides free, trustworthy help navigating the process of returning to a wildfire damaged area, repairing and replacing damaged and destroyed property, and collecting all available insurance funds.
• Roadmap to Preparedness promotes disaster preparedness and insurance literacy through outreach and education in partnership with civic, faith based, business, and other non-profit associations.
• Advocacy and Action advances pro-consumer laws and public policy related to insurance matters.
  
  

Web pages

• Home - https://uphelp.org/
• Roadmap to Recovery - https://uphelp.org/recovery/
• Roadmap to Pre…

Money Management International provides personalized financial counseling for individuals and families impacted by federally or state-declared disasters. 

Offered through Project Porchlight, this service helps disaster survivors navigate recovery with free or low-cost financial support.

Services include:

• One-on-one post-disaster financial recovery counseling
• Support with budgeting, debt management, and rebuilding credit
• Help navigating relief resources and financial planning after a disaster
• Services available in English, Spanish, and other languages via interpretation

Additional counseling services offered by MMI include:

• Debt and budget counseling
• Student loan and foreclosure counseling
• Bankruptcy education and certification
• Financial wellness programs for organizations

Web pages

• Home - https://www.moneymanagement.org/disaster-recovery
• Project Porchlight - https://www.clearpoint.org/porchlight/

The American Bar Association has a hotline and links to other resources for California Wildfires.

• Hotline: 415-575-3120
  
  

Web pages

• Home - https://www.americanbar.org/
• FEMA California Wildfires - https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4610
• FEMA Disaster Recovery Centers - https://egateway.fema.gov/ESF6/DRCLocator
• National Disaster Legal Aid Resource Center - https://www.disasterlegalaid.org/
• DisasterAssistance.gov - https://www.disasterassistance.gov/
• Attorneys can help on the ABA/Paladin National Disaster Pro Bono Portal - https://aba.joinpaladin.com/aba-disaster-relief/

The National Disaster Distress Helpline provides free, confidential crisis support to anyone in the United States affected by natural or human-caused disasters. The helpline operates 24/7 with multilingual support and connects callers to trained crisis counselors.

Services include:

• Offering crisis counseling for emotional distress related to disasters such as wildfires, floods, storms, pandemics, and mass violence
• Providing information on common stress responses and how disasters can affect mental health
• Sharing coping tips and mental health resources
• Referring callers to local crisis centers for ongoing support

Support is available in English, Spanish, and other languages, with accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline

This information can help with emergency preparedness. In addition to web links below, the National Weather Service Sacramento office can be reached 24/7 at 916-979-3051.


Fire

The National Weather Service issues Red Flag Warnings & Fire Weather Watches to alert fire departments of the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather and dry conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity.

• A Red Flag Warning is issued for weather events which may result in extreme fire behavior that will occur within 24 hours.
• A Fire Weather Watch is issued when weather conditions could exist in the next 12-72 hours.

A Red Flag Warning is the highest alert. During these times extreme caution is urged by all residents, because a simple spark can cause a major wildfire. A Fire Weather Watch is one level below a Red Flag Warning, but fire danger is still high.

Conditions that can cause a Red Flag Warning or a Fire Weather Watch include:

• Strong winds
• Hgh temperatures
• Low humi…