TL;DR: The Piedmont Fire Department published a 5- to 7-minute disaster preparedness survey on October 2, 2026, asking residents to respond by October 30 at piedmont.ca.gov/DisasterSurvey.

Survey deadline and access point

The Piedmont Fire Department is asking community members to complete a brief survey about disaster preparedness by October 30, according to the City of Piedmont announcement titled Disaster Preparedness Survey October 2026 - City of Piedmont.

The announcement was published October 2, 2026, and describes the questionnaire as a community input effort led by Piedmont Fire.

The survey should take about 5-7 minutes to complete, according to the same City of Piedmont announcement.

The survey is available at piedmont.ca.gov/DisasterSurvey, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

A version of the October 2 City of Piedmont press release was also published by Piedmont Exedra under the title Piedmont Fire seeks community input on disaster preparedness.

That Piedmont Exedra publication is dated October 2, 2026, and identifies its content as from an Oct. 2 City of Piedmont press release.

The Piedmont Exedra version likewise states that the Piedmont Fire Department is asking community members to complete the survey by Oct. 30.

What the survey is intended to measure

The survey will help understand how prepared the community is for earthquakes, wildfires, and other disasters, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

It will help understand whether preparedness knowledge and actions have changed since the first community survey in 2024, according to the same announcement.

It will help understand where additional outreach, resources, or programming are needed, according to the same announcement.

The three purposes are listed together in the City of Piedmont announcement as the framework for the 2026 effort.

The Piedmont Exedra republication lists the same three purposes for the survey effort.

The 2026 survey is therefore framed as both a readiness check and a comparison with the earlier 2024 results.

2024 baseline showed recognition without full follow-through

The 2024 survey showed that many respondents recognized disaster risk but had not taken some basic preparedness steps, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

Among respondents in 2024, 73% were registered for AC Alert, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

Among respondents in 2024, 22% had a current household emergency communication plan, according to the same announcement.

Among respondents in 2024, 34% had a current two-week emergency water supply, according to the same announcement.

Among respondents in 2024, 27% felt confident or very confident in their knowledge of how to prepare for disasters, according to the same announcement.

The Piedmont Exedra version reports the same four percentages for AC Alert registration, emergency communication plans, two-week emergency water supply, and confidence in preparedness knowledge.

The City of Piedmont announcement presents those four figures under the heading identifying gaps in household preparedness found by the 2024 survey.

What the 2026 questionnaire revisits and adds

This year’s survey revisits many of the measures used in 2024, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

It adds questions reflecting how preparedness work has evolved, according to the same announcement.

Those added questions include earthquake safety, according to the same announcement.

Those added questions include steps residents can take to reduce wildfire risk at home, according to the same announcement.

The survey also asks where people would turn for information during an emergency, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

It asks what gets in the way of becoming better prepared, according to the same announcement.

It asks what kinds of resources would be most useful, according to the same announcement.

The Piedmont Exedra version lists the same added topics concerning earthquake safety and reducing wildfire risk at home.

The Piedmont Exedra version also lists the same additional questions about information sources during an emergency, barriers to becoming better prepared, and most useful resources.

Work completed since the 2024 survey

Since the 2024 survey, Piedmont Fire has expanded preparedness outreach and community engagement, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

One element was updating Piedmont’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan with extensive community participation, according to the same announcement.

Another element was increasing education about wildfire home hardening and defensible space, according to the same announcement.

That wildfire education included a series of presentations to community groups, according to the same announcement.

Another element was conducting a practical wildfire evacuation exercise in the Blair/Scenic/Alta neighborhood, according to the same announcement.

Piedmont Fire also created an at-home evacuation exercise available to all households, according to the same announcement.

Another element was continuing year-round outreach on emergency alerts, evacuation readiness, and household preparedness, according to the same announcement.

The Piedmont Exedra version lists the same four areas of expanded outreach and community engagement since the 2024 survey.

How Piedmont Fire plans to use the 2026 results

The survey will help evaluate where the work is having an impact and identify gaps that remain, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

It will also establish a stronger baseline for earthquake preparedness as Piedmont Fire looks to expand outreach in this area, according to the same announcement.

Results will help guide future communications, according to the same announcement.

Results will help guide educational resources, according to the same announcement.

Results will help guide exercises, according to the same announcement.

Results will help guide community programs, according to the same announcement.

The Piedmont Exedra version states the same planned uses for communications, educational resources, exercises, and community programs.

The survey instruction directs residents to complete the survey by October 30 at piedmont.ca.gov/DisasterSurvey, according to the City of Piedmont announcement.

The City of Piedmont announcement directs residents seeking resources and information about preparing for disasters to visit piedmont.ca.gov/Disaster.

Related countywide wildfire planning discussion

Separately, Piedmont Fire Chief Dave Brannigan was scheduled to present a new countywide approach to guidance for residents during Extreme Fire Weather events at the Piedmont City Council regular meeting on Monday, October 5, according to the City of Piedmont announcement titled Extreme Fire Weather presentation October 2026.

That announcement was published October 1, 2026, according to the City of Piedmont.

The October 5 meeting was scheduled for 6pm at Piedmont City Hall, 120 Vista Avenue, according to the same announcement.

Community members could attend and speak at the meeting in person or via Zoom, according to the same announcement.

The item was described as an informational item only with no action to be taken, according to the same announcement.

Extreme Fire Weather describes a rare, particularly dangerous subset of Red Flag conditions when wildfire risk is significantly elevated, according to the same announcement.

Starting in fall 2027, all fire departments in Alameda County are preparing to use shared, more targeted guidance during these events, according to the same announcement.

In some higher-risk areas, residents will be encouraged to leave the area before the extreme weather begins and stay elsewhere until conditions improve, according to the same announcement.

How Extreme Fire Weather differs from a Red Flag Warning

Red Flag Warnings cover a wide range of conditions when weather could contribute to rapid wildfire spread, according to the City of Piedmont announcement titled Extreme Fire Weather presentation October 2026.

Extreme Fire Weather refers to a much narrower set of conditions when very low humidity and powerful winds combine to create the potential for exceptionally fast-moving, difficult-to-control wildfire, according to the same announcement.

These conditions are rare, but they have been present during many of California’s most destructive wildfires, including the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire and 2025 Palisades Fire, according to the same announcement.

During Extreme Fire Weather, the ability for firefighters to control a fire is limited by several conditions, according to the same announcement.

Those conditions include wind carrying embers far ahead of a fire and starting new fires, according to the same announcement.

They include high winds restricting the use of firefighting aircraft, according to the same announcement.

They include fire spreading faster than ground crews can keep pace, according to the same announcement.

They include evacuation traffic competing with emergency responders for limited road space, according to the same announcement.

Leave Early zones and countywide coordination

For residents in designated Leave Early zones, the areas identified by local fire departments as at highest risk, the new approach means being encouraged to stay elsewhere for the duration of the extreme weather rather than waiting to react if a wildfire develops, according to the same City of Piedmont announcement.

Any potential Leave Early zones in Piedmont have not yet been identified, according to the same announcement.

Traditionally, wildfire messaging during Red Flag Warnings has broadly focused on reminding residents to review basic preparedness measures, like checking go-bags and confirming they are registered for alerts, according to the same announcement.

Meanwhile, evacuation warnings and orders are issued only when a fire has ignited and threatens the community, according to the same announcement.

Using a shared approach across the County is important because wildfires do not stop at city boundaries, according to the same announcement.

Piedmont firefighters work alongside neighboring agencies during major emergencies, according to the same announcement.

Common language and guidance will ensure communities across the County receive clear, consistent information, according to the same announcement.

Fire departments will also make operational adjustments during Extreme Fire Weather events to prepare for increased risk and support a rapid response if a fire occurs, according to the same announcement.

Over the coming months, the Piedmont Fire Department will continue working with neighboring agencies and regional emergency management partners to determine how the approach would apply locally, according to the same announcement.

Sources referenced