Service Area Overview
Your department boundary, station locations, and overall NRI risk scores by census tract. Use the sections below to explore specific hazards, fire risk indicators, and EMS demand drivers across your service area.
Service area, population, and census tract assignments are based on department boundaries from NERIS Public. Boundary accuracy varies by jurisdiction.
Natural Hazard Risk
What this means for planning: With a risk score of 98.3 (Very High nationally), earthquake is your leading natural hazard. Prioritize heavy rescue capabilities, building collapse protocols, and mutual aid for large-scale events. Coordinate with emergency management on critical facility assessments and community seismic preparedness.
Top Hazards in Your Service Area
Algorithmic top 5 by life-safety impact, plus regionally critical hazards for CA (shown with their NRI scores as-is, no adjustment). Life-safety loss uses FEMA’s Value of Statistical Life ($13.7M per fatality or 10 injuries). NRI methodology · Source: FEMA NRI v1.20 (Mar 2023)
| Hazard | Risk Score | Rating | Life-Safety Loss $/yr |
Total Loss $/yr |
Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake TOP LIFE-SAFETY HAZARD | 98.3 | Very High | $72.1M/yr | $153.5M/yr | USGS Earthquake Hazards |
| Heat Wave | 40.4 | Relatively Moderate | $824K/yr | $824K/yr | NWS heat safety |
| Tornado | 10 | Very Low | $28K/yr | $123K/yr | NOAA SPC |
| Landslide | 45.5 | Relatively Moderate | $22K/yr | $31K/yr | USGS Landslide Hazards |
| Lightning | 3.4 | Very Low | $15K/yr | $16K/yr | NWS lightning safety |
| Wildfire | 20 | Relatively Low | $3K/yr | $45K/yr | wildfirerisk.org |
| Coastal Flood | 1.8 | Very Low | $1/yr | $7K/yr | FEMA coastal flood maps |
| Drought | 4.2 | Very Low | -- | $2K/yr | U.S. Drought Monitor |
| Tsunami | 2.5 | Very Low | -- | $299K/yr | NOAA Tsunami Program |
How to read this map: Colors show absolute national risk levels (red = Very High nationally, green = Very Low nationally). These are objective hazard comparisons across all U.S. communities.
Historical Disaster Declarations
Your county has experienced 8 FEMA disaster declarations in the last 10 years, and 11 declarations in the last 25 years.
5 most recent declarations shown. Source: OpenFEMA, current through May 2026. If your most recent listed declaration is older than expected, that reflects no newer county-level declarations on file (not stale data).
| Date | Type | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-04-03 | Severe Storm | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES |
| 2023-01-14 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES, AND MUDSLIDES |
| 2023-01-09 | Flood | SEVERE WINTER STORMS, FLOODING, AND MUDSLIDES |
| 2020-03-22 | Biological | COVID-19 PANDEMIC |
| 2020-03-13 | Biological | COVID-19 |
Demographics & Vulnerability
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year (2020-2024 vintage)
Why This Matters
Your community's demographics shape everything: from where you need smoke alarm programs to how many of your calls are EMS. The data below identifies who generates the most emergency demand, who faces the greatest barriers during emergencies, and who benefits most from targeted CRR outreach.
Age Distribution
Age drives EMS call volume (highest utilization: 65+ and especially 75+, with elevated rates also among children under 5), shapes fire safety education priorities, and determines evacuation assistance needs. The dark marker on each bar shows the national average.
Community Profile
Who lives in your service area. Population composition shapes CRR messaging, outreach channels, and the language resources your crews may need in the field. Operational risk drivers (disability, poverty, uninsured, no vehicle) are covered in the Fire Risk and EMS Risk sections below.
| Community Factor | Your Community | Peer AverageiPeer Average. Average across up to 4 peer departments matched on size band, department type, density class, and Census region. Used in the “vs. Peers” column throughout the page. See the methodology page for full criteria. | National Average | vs. Peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minority Population Share of residents identifying as a race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White [Census] |
50.5% | 68.0% | 41.8% | 1.3x lower |
| Limited-English Households Households where no adult speaks English “very well”; informs CRR materials and outreach in other languages [Census] |
3.7% | 8.5% | 4.2% | 2.3x lower |
| Single-Parent Households Households with children headed by one adult; family structure associated with vulnerability in emergencies, largely via household resources [Census] |
2.7% | 5.2% | 6.1% | 1.9x lower |
| No High-School Diploma Adults 25+ without a high-school credential; CDC plain-language guidance recommends short sentences and one main idea each to broaden CRR accessibility [CDC] |
4.2% | 13.2% | 10.4% | 3.1x lower |
| Unemployment Rate Share of civilian labor force out of work; associated with higher stress and worse self-reported health (HHS Healthy People 2030) [HHS] |
5.6% | 5.9% | 5.3% | ≈ average |
| Group-Quarters Population Residents in nursing homes, assisted living, dorms, or corrections; operational EMS detail in the EMS section below [Census] |
10.8% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 4.2x higher |
Economic Context
Fire Risk Factors
What this means for planning: 60.8% of housing predates 1960, 2.3x the national average. Older housing stock predates modern electrical and fire codes; coordinate with code enforcement on inspections and prioritize smoke alarm installation in pre-1960 neighborhoods.
How to read this map: Colors show relative risk within your jurisdiction (red = highest-need tracts, green = lowest-need). Check the table below for overall levels vs. peers and national averages.
| Risk Factor | Your Community | Peer Average | National Average | vs. Peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Homes CDC/ATSDR SVI Theme 4 (Housing Type and Transportation) vulnerability variable; smaller footprint shortens egress time and limits compartmentation [CDC SVI] |
0.2% | 1.4% | 5.8% | 7.0x lower |
| Vacancy Rate Intentional actions are the leading cause of vacant residential building fires (~34%); 53% spread to involve the entire structure [USFA] |
11.6% | 6.6% | 10.3% | 1.8x higher |
| Disability Rate Physical disability is the second-leading human factor in U.S. residential fire fatalities; mobility-limited residents need targeted evacuation planning [USFA] |
10.9% | 10.0% | 13.4% | ≈ average |
| Poverty Rate Poverty is correlated with poorer health outcomes and reduced healthcare access; a recognized social determinant of health [HHS] |
17.7% | 10.2% | 12.5% | 1.7x higher |
| No High-School Diploma Adults 25+ without a high-school credential; a CDC/ATSDR SVI socioeconomic-vulnerability indicator and, empirically, one of the strongest tract-level correlates of fire incidence [CDC SVI] |
4.2% | 13.2% | 10.4% | 3.1x lower |
| No Internet Access Households without home internet; an empirical proxy for rural and deprived areas that rank among the strongest tract-level fire-incidence correlates [Census] |
2.9% | 4.0% | 6.7% | 1.4x lower |
| Wood Heating Wood and solid-fuel heating is a face-valid ignition source; chimney and hearth fires concentrate where wood heat is common [USFA] |
0.1% | 0.1% | 1.4% | ≈ average |
| Pre-1980 Housing Built before 1980; ACS year-built data helps communities find older structures in disaster-prone areas during emergency planning [Census] |
80.7% | 72.9% | 50.3% | 1.1x higher |
EMS Risk Factors
EMS typically accounts for 60-80% of fire department call volume nationally. The demographics below are the strongest predictors of where that demand comes from in your service area.
What this means for planning: 10.8% of residents live in group quarters (nursing homes, assisted living, corrections, or dormitories), 4.3x the national average. Institutional populations concentrate EMS demand at a small number of addresses and often involve complex patient histories. Pre-plan each facility, build direct notification relationships with staff, and track call volume by facility to spot capacity problems early.
How to read this map: Colors show relative risk within your jurisdiction (red = highest-need tracts, green = lowest-need). Check the table below for overall levels vs. peers and national averages.
| Risk Factor | Your Community | Peer Average | National Average | vs. Peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population 75+ Adults 75 and older are the heaviest per-capita EMS users and carry the highest fire-death rate of any age group [USFA] |
7.0% | 7.1% | 7.1% | ≈ average |
| Disability Rate Physical disability is the second-leading human factor in U.S. residential fire fatalities; mobility-limited residents need targeted evacuation planning [USFA] |
10.9% | 10.0% | 13.4% | ≈ average |
| No Vehicle Access Households without a vehicle face documented transportation barriers to medical care, including missed appointments and delayed visits [Peer-reviewed] |
21.2% | 6.7% | 8.7% | 3.1x higher |
| Uninsured Rate Uninsured adults are about three times more likely than continuously insured adults to have an unmet medical need due to cost (CDC NHIS) [CDC] |
2.9% | 6.0% | 8.2% | 2.1x lower |
| Poverty Rate Poverty is correlated with poorer health outcomes and reduced healthcare access; a recognized social determinant of health [HHS] |
17.7% | 10.2% | 12.5% | 1.7x higher |
| Below 150% Poverty Share below 150% of the federal poverty level; CDC PLACES uses this exact threshold to model chronic-disease prevalence [CDC] |
23.1% | 16.2% | 20.2% | 1.4x higher |
CRR Outreach Profile
These factors shape your community risk reduction outreach approach (different prevention messaging, communication channels, and inspection cadence) without necessarily indicating elevated fire or EMS risk.
| Outreach Factor | Your Community | Peer Average | National Average | vs. Peers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wood Heating Wood and other solid-fuel heating; outreach focus: annual chimney inspection and cleaning, hearth screens, and three-foot clearance from anything that can burn [USFA] |
0.1% | 0.1% | 1.4% | ≈ average |
| Kerosene / Fuel Oil Heat Liquid-fueled and portable space heaters; outreach focus: three-foot clearance, turn off when leaving the room or going to bed, and CO and ventilation awareness [USFA] |
0.2% | 0.1% | 4.2% | 1.6x higher |
| Bottled / Tank LP Heat Bottled, tank, or LP gas heating; outreach focus: tank leak checks, regulator and connector inspection, and CO alarm placement [Census] |
1.0% | 1.4% | 5.2% | 1.4x lower |
| Renter-Occupied Share occupied by renters; outreach differs from owner messaging: landlord coordination on smoke alarms, tenant-focused checklists, and multilingual notices [USFA] |
56.6% | 49.7% | 34.6% | 1.1x higher |
| Overcrowding More than one occupant per room (Census/HUD threshold); shapes outreach where multiple residents share sleeping space and egress paths [HUD] |
3.8% | 9.4% | 3.4% | 2.5x lower |
| No Internet Access Households without home internet may miss web-based emergency alerts, telehealth, and outreach; favor radio, mailers, and door-to-door channels [Census] |
2.9% | 4.0% | 6.7% | 1.4x lower |
Peer Comparison
Departments similar to yours in size, type, density class, and region. Peer benchmarks contextualize your community risk profile and support “demonstrated need” narratives in grant applications.
| Department | State | Population | Risk ScoreiComposite Risk Score. FEMA NRI’s composite index combining all 18 hazards: Expected Annual Loss × Social Vulnerability ÷ Community Resilience, population-weighted across your tracts. Individual hazards may score higher than the composite; the composite reflects total expected impact across all hazards. FEMA methodology. | 65+ % | Multi-Unit % | Stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berkeley Fire Department (You) | CA | 113,736 | 90.8 | 16.6% | 30.0% | 7 |
| City Of Burbank Fire Department | CA | 100,092 | 87.7 | 16.3% | 31.2% | 14 |
| Pasadena Fire Department | CA | 131,006 | 87.3 | 17.3% | 35.9% | 11 |
| Torrance Fire Department | CA | 133,233 | 82.6 | 18.6% | 28.1% | 6 |
| Santa Monica Fire Department | CA | 87,170 | 90.7 | 19.5% | 45.7% | 8 |
A CRA Goes Stale Fast. Keep Yours Live.
This page is a snapshot of community risk today. Connecting your NERIS data keeps it current against your live incident feed and emerging trends: where response is slowest in your highest-risk areas, whether you're meeting NFPA benchmarks, and how your CRR investments are landing against actual demand.
This free community risk profile is part of the Discovery Data Hub, a partnership between Vision 20/20 and Arborlook Insights to keep essential risk data in the hands of the fire service.
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