Everyone in your household can attend a resource fair to learn practical skills and pick up supplies to prepare for emergencies. Kids and adults alike can get hands-on training using a fire extinguisher. Start building your emergency kit—we’ll provide a backpack, flashlight, first aid kit, and more.At the April 18 fair, you can also start filling out a family emergency plan. Public health…

Individuals, families, or groups can volunteer to be part of monthly cleanups at Berkeley’s waterfront and Aquatic Park.Come out on the third Saturday of each month throughout 2026. Volunteers start with a brief presentation about the effects of plastics in the ocean and guidance on how to remove trash safely.  We’ll provide all the supplies you’ll need.Participation is flexible, and people…

Learn how to use Berkeley’s Emergency Map to quickly see neighborhood-specific protective actions, including orders to evacuate or shelter in place.The map – which you can access online or via an app that sends notifications – is the first place updated by the City’s emergency responders in an emergency. As the crisis evolves, the City strives to update the map with road closures,…

Learn how to organize neighbors into a disaster preparedness group through a two-class series.Being familiar with the people who live closest to you—and making simple disaster plans together—helps you and your neighborhood respond and recover more quickly from emergencies.The two-class, in-person series will help you:

• Find ways to get…

All ages can come learn about and celebrate the Bay and its wildlife at with a day of free activities, exhibits, and live music at the Berkeley waterfront.Take a free boat ride on a sailboat or dragon boat. Hold a pigeon. Take a tour with a guide who will help identify wildlife sounds often unnoticed in daily life. Learn at exhibits hosted by environmental nonprofits, wildlife groups, and the…

Berkeleyans can volunteer or take personal steps to prevent debris and pollutants flowing into the San Francisco Bay, while local nonprofits can also apply for grants to expand such efforts through community-based projects. Cigarette butts, plastic fragments, pet waste, and other debris can be quickly carried by rain…

UPDATE Jan. 26, 2026: As of 4:15 pm Monday, Jan. 26, 2026, residents of the roughly one-block radius of Colusa and Tacoma avenues can now leave or return home. Berkeley Fire and Police coordinated to have hazardous materials safely removed without incident.Residents within a roughly one-block radius of the intersection of Colusa and Tacoma avenues in North Berkeley should shelter…

Berkeleyans celebrating a mom can join us on the Saturday before Mother’s Day for tea, music, and activities. We’ll also have a free shuttle available for seniors.Mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers, too, can settle into a seat by the stage, listen to live jazz, and take photos with friends. You might nosh on charcuterie, desserts, and drinks, or sit for a caricature, or glitter tattoo.…

On May 7, 2026, the Berkeley Police Department will conduct a driving under the influence (DUI) Checkpoint from 8:00 PM to 2:00 AM on Shattuck Avenue near Parker Street.DUI checkpoint locations are determined based on data showing incidents of impaired driving-related crashes. The primary purpose of DUI checkpoints are to promote public safety by taking suspected impaired drivers off the road.“…

Berkeley Police will have extra officers on patrol during the month of May, looking specifically for violations made by drivers and motorcycle riders.The top primary crash factors for motorcycles are unsafe speed, improper turning, right-of-way violations, driving under the influence and unsafe lane changes. Speeding is the most common factor, accounting for nearly a third of all crashes in the…