Air Quality Update

Information on Air Quality:

Wildfires in Central Oregon and other areas may be impacting air quality today.

• We are monitoring the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Air Quality Index (AQI).
• For regional fire information, visit the Central Oregon Fire Info website. Fire information is available in English and Spanish.

Children are particularly sensitive to smoke because their respiratory systems are still developing.

Parents: Watch the smoke forecast and decide when to limit your child(ren)’s activities. If you do not wish for your child to spend time outdoors, please consider if the activity or program is the right choice for your family this week.

Policy:

We make decisions about class cancellations on a day-by-day basis. We will be using the AQI data closest to our class location. Please note that the AQI for downtown Bend may not be the same as the AQI for our locations. On days with smoke, we send an email out by 7:15am with updates.

When air quality is between 1-100 (Good and Moderate), program coordinators will decide when and how to modify activities.

Measurements between 101-150 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) will result in modified activities at reduced physical intensity and/or duration at the discretion of program coordinators. Cancellations may happen if there are a large number of sensitive kids in the class or if the class is for kids under age five. We cancel classes in this range on a case by case basis.

Measurements above 150 (Unhealthy to Hazardous) will most likely result in cancellation or relocation of outdoor camps. If class is happening at Skyliner Lodge, we may host the class inside rather than outside. During the summer, the contingency plan is to relocate to the High Desert Museum. In the event that the AQI is hovering around 150 but the forecast is calling for a clearing then we may still host outdoor camps. If the air quality is 150 or higher in the morning and it is forecasted to stay the same or get worse, we will cancel or relocate camps for the day. Classes will be cancelled or relocated for programs that have kids who are under five years-old.

Measurements above 200 (Hazardous) will result in mandatory closure or relocation of all outdoor activities.