San Mateo Urges Residents to 'Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Involved'

The city of San Mateo is urging residents to properly prepare for emergencies and strengthen neighborhood communities within the city this month as part of its “Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Involved” campaign.

San Mateo is once again partnering with the San Mateo United Homeowners Association in March to promote neighborhood awareness and safety.

Citywide volunteers dedicated themselves to 81,539 hours of service in 2012, valued at more than $1.7 million, San Mateo Police Sgt. Dave Norris said.

This dedication to volunteerism in the name of public safety inspired the League of California Cities to award the city of San Mateo the 2012 Helen Putnam Award for Public Safety Excellence – “...a significant accomplishment!” said San Mateo City Manager Susan Loftus.

“This award-winning community collaboration campaign is an example of our long-standing commitment to community involvement and engagement. The city’s partnership with our Homeowners and Neighborhood Associations helps ensure our growth in readiness, safety, and involvement of San Mateo residents.”

This campaign was created in 2011 to promote the Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch program and the Fire Department’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Get Ready, in addition to promoting the important role of Homeowners and Neighborhood Associations.

“One of the things that make the city of San Mateo a great place is our sense of community. Helping each other through our Neighborhood Associations, Neighborhood Watch and CERT is a great example of San Mateans’ commitment to making this the safest of places to live, work, learn, and shop,” San Mateo Mayor David Lim said.   

The City will be launching an online campaign starting March 1. Look for multimedia information at the City’s website www.cityofsanmateo.org , www.nextdoor.com, twitter, Facebook , and on San Mateo TV.

Displays will also be up in the Walgreens window downtown on Third Ave., and the “Be Ready, Be Safe, Be Involved” banner will be hanging over San Mateo Drive between Third and Fourth Avenues.

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