Preparing for Wildfire Season & Poor Air Quality

August 11th, 2021

As we prepare for another wildfire season, we wanted to update you on our plan to ensure the health, safety and well-being of our staff, children and families. 
  • PACCC will use AirNOW to monitor air quality 
  • All PACCC facilities are equipped with an Austin Air Healthmate Plus Air Purifier
  • All staff will be provided with protective face masks  
  • If you would like to order a protective HALO Mask for your child or your family, here is the link to use (which gives PACCC 20% back on any purchase made)
  • When air quality is in the orange tier (101-150), outdoor spaces will be open for short periods of time throughout the day; indoor spaces will remain available for high-risk individuals
  • When air quality is in the red tier (151+) or above for a majority of the day, everyone will be required to stay indoors and families will be encouraged to pick their children up early
  • You will receive an email by 7:00am on days when air quality is in or above the red tier and it is helpful to pick up early to reduce the group size indoors
  • After three full days of indoor operations without outdoor time, we will move into reduced hours
Reduced Hours/Closures:

School-Age (SA) programs will align with PAUSD for closures while school is in session

  • Infant-Toddler and Preschool (ITP) programs will close at 4:00pm after three days of indoor only operations (without any outdoor time)
  • If poor air quality continues for weeks, resulting in indoor only operations, ITP programs will continue to close at 4:00pm to give children and staff relief from being in large groups for long hours and SA families will be encouraged to pick up early
  • If air quality is in the brown tier (301-500) at the start of the day, centers will be closed that day
  • You will receive an email by 7:00am if air quality results in early closure or full closure
Being in large groups indoors with windows closed, no outdoor time, and while managing COVID-19 protocols (e.g. wearing masks) for multiple days in a row is not in the best interest of children or staff. The hope is that this plan balances our families' need for care, while also considering the health and well-being of our children and staff. As always, emergency situations are fluid and any changes to this plan will be communicated in a timely manner to families. We appreciate your understanding as we prepare for another California wildfire season. 

 
 

View all News