SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday, October 28, the launch of a new state website with tools and resources for Californians who have been impacted by wildfires and utility-directed power shutoffs.
The website, RESPONSE.CA.GOV, combines emergency response, recovery and resilience information into a single place for easy access by users. It is a one-stop portal that includes local and state resources, health services, shelters and housing, preparedness information, and more.
“California continues to rise to the challenge of power shutoffs and natural disasters,” said Governor Newsom. “RESPONSE.CA.GOV provides Californians with a unified portal for critical information during this state of emergency. This site will continuously be updated as needed to provide Californians with the resources they need.”
RESPONSE.CA.GOV provides Californians with information and resources for current incidents, transportation impacts, vital health services information, shelter and housing locations, unemployment assistance and other state information. The website also directs users to Public Safety Power Shutoff information and preparedness tips. As incidents continue to evolve, the portal will be updated to reflect the latest information and any additional resources the state may develop.
The governor declared on Monday, October 28, a statewide emergency due to the dangerous weather conditions. Earlier today, Governor Newsom joined the state’s top fire and emergency management officials to provide an update on statewide fire and wind conditions, and announced that California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant to help ensure the availability of resources to fight the Getty Fire. California has also secured Fire Management Assistance Grants to bolster the response to the Kincade and Tick fires, for which the Governor previously declared a state of emergency in Sonoma and Los Angeles counties.
Over the course of the past week, the Governor has met with emergency responders, health officials, residents and local leaders in Petaluma, Napa, Geyserville and Los Angeles, and held public briefings regarding the ongoing fire threats and the need to hold utilities accountable for the consequences of their power shutoff decisions.
The Governor has also announced a $75 Million Program for state and local governments to mitigate the impacts of power shutoffs, and unveiled a series of new partnerships and new tools to help secure medically vulnerable populations during these events.
Under Governor Newsom’s leadership, California passed AB 1054, wildfire safety and utility reform legislation that expands the CPUC’s ability to hold utilities accountable for their safety record — a central part of the Governor’s wildfire safety actions.
The legislation created a new wildfire safety division at the CPUC and a board of independent expert advisors to more effectively regulate the safety of publicly owned utilities. The law mandated that utilities tie executive compensation to safety performance, invest $5 billion in safety improvements without profit, and go through a new yearly wildfire safety review and certification process. It also requires new inspections of utility electrical equipment. Under the law, utilities must create a wildfire safety committee in their corporate board, and provide direct board-level safety reporting to the CPUC.
