As Wildfire, Quake Risks Drive Preparedness, Mill Valley Targets 90% Alert Marin Enrollment

MILL VALLEY, CA — Mill Valley is setting an ambitious target to get nearly every household enrolled in AlertMarin, the county’s emergency notification system, as the city confronts overlapping risks from wildfire, earthquakes and flooding.

In its annual report to the City Council, May 18, the Emergency Preparedness Commission said Mill Valley currently has just over 5,300 AlertMarin subscribers and 3,347 subscribing households. That equates to about 58.4 percent of households and 30.5 percent of multi‑unit properties with at least one subscriber. Commissioners said they want to push that enrollment to around 90 percent.

“We have an interesting topography in Mill Valley all the way from up in the canyons in the mountain all the way down to the bay,” said Commissioner and former chair Kevin Ritchie.

He said this creates a lot of different emergencies and incidents that can happen, and said the commission has focused heavily on wildfire preparedness, go bags, and evacuation planning. He said one of their three core messages to residents is to have “a go bag for each family member and also a go bag for any pets.”

Councilmembers strongly backed the push. Councilmember Urban Carmel said he was very gratified that the commission had put such emphasis on AlertMarin enrollment and on setting a 90 percent target, which he called the right level to be aiming for. He also welcomed the commission’s efforts to involve school‑age children.

“The way to get parents to do things is to inform their kids, and kids are great at getting parents to do things,” Carmel said.

Councilmember Katherine Jones pressed for details on youth outreach and the planned teen ambassador program, asking whether it would extend to middle and elementary schools and whether state Office of Emergency Services youth materials were being used. Ritchie said the program was in its infancy but that the commission had been reviewing those materials and would be coordinating with local PTAs.

Mayor Max Perrey asked whether demographic data exist to show which age groups are signing up for Alert Marin and raised concerns about how to reach the roughly 15,000 people who come into town daily to work or visit. Ritchie said age‑specific data are limited but noted the city plans to place QR‑code stickers in hotels, restaurants, community facilities, and other key locations to capture visitors as well as residents.

The commission also reported on distributing pre‑made go bags, running evacuation drills, and helping launch a student‑led emergency preparedness club at Tamalpais High School. Commissioners said they intend to focus next on canyon neighborhoods, where risk is high but sign‑up rates lag.