Farmworker Wildfire Smoke Alert

VCAPCD, the County of Ventura’s County Executive Office, Agricultural Commissioner and the nonprofit Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) developed a first-of-its-kind text/audio alert system to alert outdoor farmworkers and supervisors when air quality reaches unhealthy levels in areas of Ventura County due to wildfire smoke. The text alert system sends air quality notifications to farmworkers and recommendations for N95 mask usage when the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaches 151 (unhealthy) and 501 (hazardous) due to wildfire smoke, consistent with the Cal/OSHA regulations.

Employers are required to do the following for outdoor workers when employees are exposed to wildfire smoke and and an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 151 or greater for particulate matter (PM) 2.5 for more than one hour:

• Check the Air Quality Index (AQI) at the beginning of every shift and throughout the day.
• Provide NIOSH-approved masks, such as N95. Mask use is voluntary when the AQI is between 151 and 499. If the AQI reaches 500, outside workers must wear a mask unless they can be move to an area with an acceptable AQI.
• Implement a system to notify outdoor workers of wildfire smoke hazards, AQI levels, procedures for telling employer they are experiencing systems and how to get and wear an N95 mask.
• Encourage employees to inform them if they experience symptoms or notice worsening air quality.

Learn More About Cal/OSHA's Regulation

The AQI is the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) tool for communicating air quality. An AQI of 151 to 200 is considered Unhealthy. The range of 201 to 300 is Very Unhealthy. An AQI between 310 and 500 is Hazardous. You can download the Smoke Spotter app to check the AQI in your area.

• For more information in English
• For more information in Spanish

This text/audio alert system is designed for agricultural frontline workers and field supervisors in Ventura County.

• Breathing wildfire smoke causes immediate health impacts such as burning eyes, chest pain, coughing, breathing difficulty and rapid heart rate. Smoke and ash from wildfires contain particles smaller than a human hair that can be inhaled deep inside the lungs or bloodstream, causing long-term impacts like lung damage and even cancer. People with lung conditions such as asthma may have a harder time dealing with symptoms and recovering from inhaling smoke. Heavy exertion outdoors during these events can put people particularly at risk. For more information on protecting yourself, see our Wildfire Smoke webpage.
• The EPA website has information about the health risks of wildfire smoke.
• A great resource on wildfire smoke prevention is the UC Davis Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety. The site includes brochures and training and is available in English and Spanish.

For English text alerts, text SMOKE to 855-522-0034. You will know you are signed up correctly if you receive this message:

For Spanish text alerts or Mixteco/Zapoteco audio alerts, text HUMO to 855-522-0034. You will know you are signed up correctly if you receive this message:

If you would like both English and Spanish/Mixteco/Zapoteco alerts, please text SMOKE and HUMO as two separate texts to 855-522-0034.

This text/audio alert system is being provided at no cost to the subscriber. However, phone provider standard messaging fees may apply. Please check with your phone provider.

You will receive a message anytime the AQI is 151 or greater (unhealthy conditions) and another message when the AQI is 501 or greater (hazardous conditions) due to wildfire smoke. 

You may receive multiple messages in one day. Examples include:

• If AQI reaches 151 and later exceeds 500 in the same day due to wildfire smoke
• If the wind shifts and wildfire smoke moves into more cities
• If a new wildfire starts in a different city in the same day

If conditions persist the following day, you will receive another message.

This text/audio alert system is designed to follow Cal/OSHA’s regulation in the California Code of Regulations, title 8, section 5141.1, which establishes AQI of 151 and 501 as the trigger points for when employers are required to provide N95 masks for voluntary and mandatory use, respectively.

Once the AQI reaches 151 anywhere in Ventura County due to wildfire smoke, you will receive a text message. The text message will specify what cities are affected. Verify if one of the affected cities is your location. The text message may include images. Spanish text alerts will include links, including to Indigenous language audio files.

City names will be abbreviated due to limited amount of text characters. City abbreviations are as follows (in alphabetical order):

• CA: Camarillo
• FM: Fillmore
• MP: Moorpark
• NP: Newbury Park
• OJ: Ojai
• OX: Oxnard
• SP: Santa Paula
• SV: Simi Valley
• TO: Thousand Oaks
• VT: Ventura

No. This system is designed to alert you when air quality deteriorates due to wildfire smoke and the AQI values specified in the Cal/OSHA regulation are exceeded in each day. 

It is your responsibility to determine when it is appropriate to no longer wear an N95 mask. We recommend checking the Smoke Spotter or AirNow apps for up-to-date air quality in your area.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) Smoke Spotter app provides a live aerial map view of all AQI stations in your region along with smoke locations and a 24-hour forecast.

AirNow is an EPA program that provides current air quality data and forecasts. You can use AirNow through a web browser or through your mobile phone via the Apple App or Google Play stores.

How to Use AirNow

Once the AQI reaches 151 anywhere in Ventura County due to wildfire smoke, you will receive a text message. The text message will specify what cities are affected. Please verify if one of the affected cities is your location.

In addition, you should use common sense. Often you will see or smell wildfire smoke before the AQI reaches 151. Although the regulation only requires employers to provide N95 masks at an AQI of 151, it can be a good idea to wear one at lower levels to reduce your exposure, especially if you have medical conditions such as asthma or heart problems.

To unsubscribe, text STOP to 855-522-0034.

If you decide to re-subscribe to the text/audio alert system in the future, make sure to text UNSTOP to 855-522-0034. If you do not do this, your phone will continue to block messages from the number.

This is the same process for both the English and Spanish text options. These are automated messages that we cannot change or translate into Spanish.

If you still have questions, please contact VCAPCD at 805-303-3889 or info@vcapcd.org.