First, I want to extend my sincere condolences to all of the San Bruno and Bay Area families that have suffered unbelievable heartbreak from the recent tragedy.

I also want to express my tremendous appreciation for all of the firefighters, medical personnel, rescue workers and emergency teams that have been working non-stop to help our neighbors in this horrific situation. Their actions here on Thursday night saved countless lives.  I also want to thank the thousands of Californians who have step up and helped our community in this time of great need.  The response has been overwhelming and shows the true character of the Bay Area and our state.

I have been in San Bruno every day since the explosion and have been working with local, state and federal agencies to make sure our district residents get the help they need.

Many of you have been contacting my office asking how you can help. Here are three things you can do:

1. Donate: You can make a donation to the Red Cross Bay Area at redcrossbayarea.org or the Salvation Army at salvationarmyusa.org. You can also donate materials – visit RedCross.org and type in your zip code to get the location nearest you.

2. Give blood: Blood centers need the universal Type O negative blood in the days ahead.  For more information, visit Blood Centers of the Pacific at bloodcenters.org or call 1-800-393-GIVE.

3. Volunteer: While we have plenty of volunteers for this tragedy, trained volunteers are needed for inevitable events in the future.  You can get trained for future disasters by visiting redcrossbayarea.org and click on “Get Trained.”

Yesterday, to help a community in need, Governor Schwarzenegger agreed to my request that he ask President Obama to declare the San Bruno tragedy a federal disaster – triggering federal money and support for the community.

In the days ahead, I will introduce legislation in Sacramento to provide disaster relief for the affected families of the San Bruno fires and to assist the County of San Mateo and our local schools. The legislation will be introduced during a special session this fall.

Finally, our senate district website has additional resources – for victims, if you are looking for a loved one or need help in dealing with insurance companies. You can also call my local district office at (415) 557-7857.

Sincerely,

Senator Leland Yee