The City of Menlo Park is in active response to the North Bay wildfires. The Building Division (part of the Community Development Department) and the Menlo Park Police Department are aiding those affected by the recent tragedies.
  
The Menlo Park Police Department, through the San Mateo County Office of Emergency Services, responded to an emergency request for law enforcement mutual aid early Monday morning, Oct. 9. Due to the emergent nature of the request, it was decided to send our entire Special Investigations Unit (one sergeant and three detectives) to Santa Rosa to assist in the fire response. The SIU unit assisted for over 15 hours, providing evacuation assistance, general law enforcement assistance and looter patrol. Since Tuesday, Oct. 10, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) Region II, has a standing request for law enforcement mutual aid, 24 hours/day. The Police Department continues to staff the request with two officers/day, traveling to the Santa Rosa area. The Police Department has made a commitment to continue to staff this request until Monday, Oct. 16, when State OES reassesses the need for mutual aid. 

The City of Menlo Park’s Building Division is prepared to respond to a request from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) for building inspectors. It is expected that the request will be made once fire-impacted areas are safe to enter. Once the request is made, the Building Division will assess and adjust the inspection schedule to allow up to three inspectors to provide aid. The inspectors will be assessing damaged buildings to determine if buildings are safe to live or work in, safe to enter to remove belongings or unsafe to enter. The goal is to get as many people back into their home.