Are you ready for the next emergency, whatever and whenever it is?
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft is the mayor of Alameda. (photo courtesy of Maurice Ramirez — BANG archives)
To help you get ready, Alameda County Supervisor Lena Tam is sponsoring an Emergency Preparedness Day from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Oct. 17 at the community College of Alameda. Admission is free and includes lunch, but you should register online in advance to reserve a spot. Visit bayareane.ws/3Vj8MOZ to register.
Three 30-minute workshops will be offered throughout the event on the following topics: General Preparedness, Stopping the Bleed and Animal Preparedness. Translation will be available in Spanish, Cantonese and Mandarin. There will also be presentations, a Resource Fair and free emergency kits (one per household) for the first 200 households who attend the event, so register today!
Avoid scams: Last month, I spoke at the Island’s Mastick Senior Center and shared the information below provided by Alameda Police Chief Nishant Joshi and the Alameda Police Department’s (APD) investigations and crime analysis Unit based on actual incidents reported in the city.
Government and law enforcement agencies will not request payment over the phone, by email or by text, nor will they call to request donations. Legitimate agencies will not contact you unexpectedly to request payment or threaten immediate consequences.
Be especially cautious when someone pressures you to pay quickly or asks for difficult-to-trace forms of payment. Scammers often try to minimize their paper trail by requesting wire transfers, gift cards or payments through mobile applications. Before sending any payment, pause to consult with a trusted friend or request assistance from the APD.
Never allow remote access to your devices. Granting an unknown, unsolicited person remote access to a cell phone, tablet or computer can enable scammers to access personal information, financial accounts, passwords, and other sensitive data.
Be cautious with QR codes, websites and links. Avoid scanning unknown QR codes or clicking links and visiting websites sent by unsolicited or unfamiliar individuals. These are common ways scammers can gain access to devices or trick people into providing private or financial information.
When in doubt, stop and verify independently. If you receive a suspicious call, email or text, take a moment before responding. Contact your bank, government agency or the organization in question directly by using the phone number on the back of your bank card or from the organization’s official website. Do not use any phone number or email provided by the person who contacted you. This may lead you to other individuals who are part of the scam.
There is no shame in asking for help. Scams are designed to be convincing, and anyone can become a victim. We want residents to feel comfortable pausing, talking with a trusted family member or friend and reporting suspicious activity to the APD without fear of embarrassment or judgment. The APD’s nonemergency number is 510-337-8340.
Finally, the National Elder Fraud Hotline was created by the U.S. Justice Department in 2020 to help combat fraud against Americans ages 60 or older and to provide services to fraud victims. If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, please call the hotline at 833-372-8311 anytime from 1 to 9 p.m. Pacific time Monday through Friday or visit justice.gov/stopelderfraud online.
Fraud doesn’t discriminate — tt targets people of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels, but help is available if you ever need it.
Prepare to vote: Alameda County Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas and Alameda County Registrar of Voters Cynthia Cornejo early this week were to host a virtual meeting for county mayors and city staffs to discuss security for this fall’s Nov. 3 general election. You may already have received your voter information pamphlet in the mail, and vote-by-mail ballots will start being mailed on Oct. 5.
The registrar recommends returning your completed ballot at an official ballot drop box, three of which are in Alameda: on Oak Street at Santa Clara Avenue next to City Hall; at the College of Alameda; and at the Bay Farm Island branch library. Did you know that voter turnout in Alameda is among the highest in the county?!! Hooray for us!
Another option is to cast your ballot in-person at a vote center. Vote Centers will be open from Oct. 24 through Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. To find the location and hours of an Alameda vote center, visit bayareane.ws/4iUMblz.
The ACVOTE On The Go Program partners with facilities and administration offices to coordinate sending a team to assist voters with receiving, marking and returning the ballot for voters who are hospitalized, who have disabilities or who are confined to their homes due to medical emergencies. To sign up for the On The Go Program, call 510-272-6973 or visit onthego@acgov.org.
From 1 to 2 p.m. Oct. 17, a “No Kings” rally will take place in front of City Hall. During this time, the Registrar of Voters will provide a staffed table and temporary drop box in front of the Main Library on Oak Street for voters to return their ballots. The registrar recommends not waiting until the last minute to return ballots, so that plenty of time is available to process and count them and report results.
Let’s vote in our typically high numbers, Alameda, because democracy depends on us! Be prepared, avoid fraud, vote and stay “Alameda Strong!”
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft is the mayor of Alameda. For contact information and other details, visit bit.ly/mayorashcraft online.