The following message was emailed to all UCOP staff on Oct. 12:

Dear UCOP colleagues:

I write to share with you the following statement from President Napolitano concerning those members of the UC community who have been impacted by the devastating fires throughout the North Bay:

Many of us in the University of California community have been directly affected by the deadly wildfires that are ravaging wide swaths of Northern California. Several students, employees and their loved ones have been evacuated for their safety and many of our neighbors and friends have lost their homes. Thousands of us are breathing highly polluted air. This perilous situation will likely be with us for a while, and overall recovery may well be slow. The university stands ready to help all community members needing assistance, including through its medical facilities and campus resources such as employee assistance programs and counseling services.

I know you join the president and me in expressing concern for our fellow UCOP staff, our colleagues in ANR, UC Davis, UC San Francisco, UC students and alumni, and others in our community who have been directly impacted by the fires.

Our Risk Services team and many others are monitoring several UC facilities in or near evacuation zones. Many dedicated UC employees from across the state are already mobilized and part of this disaster response effort.

UCOP HR has reached out directly to our staff who live in the affected area to offer assistance. Many others may be indirectly affected, with family and friends seeking temporary shelter or other assistance.

As may be needed, please use or encourage your UCOP colleagues to use the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program for professional counseling and confidential services.

As we all have noticed, air quality throughout the Bay Area has been significantly affected due to the smoke from the fires. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) has issued a Health Advisory and a Spare the Air Alert, effective through Oct. 15, as little change is expected in the overall weather pattern over the next few days. The BAAQMD further advises Bay Area residents to avoid prolonged time outdoors and activities which would add additional particulates to the air, such as wood burning, lawn mowing and leaf blowing, driving, and barbecuing.

For those of you wondering how you might help, the following organizations are accepting financial donations to assist those affected by the fires:

United Way Bay Area (serving Napa County)

United Way of the Wine Country (serving Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties)

American Red Cross (serving all counties)

On Wednesday, Oct. 18, during the UCOP Multicultural Day events around the lunch hour, there will be another opportunity to donate.

We will continue to monitor this very serious situation and will provide updates as warranted.

Sincerely,

Rachael Nava
Executive Vice President/Chief Operating Officer

MORE:

Have you been affected by the fires? This page has information you may find helpful:

Emergency support from UC’s Health and Welfare plans

About

View all post by