We have put together a panel of speakers to talk about steps you can take to prepare for and respond to a wildfire, including an update on home fire insurance, tailoring your evacuation checklist to your specific needs, and tips on evacuation.

After a brief presentation from each of the following presenters, there’ll be a Q&A session, and a chance to personalize your own wildfire prep and evacuation plan. The panel consists of:

• Keith May of the Berkeley Fire Department will provide an update on Berkeley’s latest evacuation plans, and provide a personal perspective of a community and wildfires.

• Gradiva Couzin, chair of the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission. Gradiva will provide the latest efforts and plans, including warning sirens, to better prepare Berkeley for a major wildfire.

• Peter Meza from the State of California’s Department of Insurance will discuss changes in fire insurance. Peter has extensive experience handling consumer complaints against insurance carriers due to wildfire claims and has also worked in FEMA centers following major California fires.

• Craig Hollis, a Berkeley born firefighter from the Capay Valley Fire Department, will discuss his first hand experience with wildfire evacuations.

• Representatives from the Grizzly Peak Hills group. This large neighborhood group recently ran an evacuation drill and will talk about their experience.

• Colleen Neff and Alina Constantinescu of the Berkeley Path Wanderers. They will be providing the latest info on the efforts to improve Berkeley’s many paths as a critical component of evacuation route options.

Each panelist will give a short presentation with an emphasis on what they consider to be their most important take-home message about responding to the risk of wildfires.