Tag: preparation

BEVERLY HILLS—On Saturday, May 11, the city of Beverly Hills will host Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. The event will transpire from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Beverly Hills Fire Department Station #2 located at 1100 Coldwater Canyon. The event is free for the public to attend.

Participants can receive education material and handouts regarding vegetation maintenance, home hardening, fuel modification, and emergency planning.

The city of Beverly Hills indicates on its website that catastrophic brush fires are happening at an increasing rate in the state and across the country. The many hillside communities within Los Angeles are under threat of devastating wildfire. As this risk increases, it is important to plan, prepare, and stay aware.

The “Ready, Set, Go!” program is designed to walk individuals through the steps to take to ensure they are prepared in the case of an approaching wildfire.

Being “Ready” for wildfire starts with maintaining adequate vegetation clearance/maintenance around your home. By following the Beverly Hills Brush Maintenance Program, residents can create an area around their home that is free of dead, dry, and hazardous vegetation. Without this vegetation maintenance, the fire will quickly spread throughout the property and to your home and there is little that can be done to defend it.

In addition to the Brush Clearance Program, individuals can harden the home by using fire-resistant building materials. Flying embers from a wildfire can destroy homes up to a mile away. Individuals should prepare for the possibility of evacuation before the need arrives as a result of a wildfire.

Stay informed by following local media and your Beverly Hills Nixle Alerts via text to BEVHILLS to 888777 to receive text message alerts.

By Trevor

SHERMAN OAKS—January 17, 2024, marked 30 years since the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Northridge that left 57 people dead and caused major damage to buildings, businesses and freeways in the San Fernando Valley region.

The Los Angeles Fire Department posted on its Facebook Page that firefighters and media gathered at Fire Station 88 in Sherman Oaks on January 17, 2024 to remember the Northridge Earthquake, demonstrate the new tools and techniques the LAFD are using 30 years after (at “Disaster City” Urban Search and Rescue training area behind the fire station), and update residents to increase their preparedness before the next “Big One.”

At 4:31 a.m., on January 17, 1994, Los Angeles suffered a 6.7 Magnitude earthquake, centered in Northridge. The quake caused significant damage and losses were seen throughout Southern California, with fallen bridges, fires, flooding, buildings collapsed, and highways and more.

“First Responders worked to dig the city out of the rubble, but it wasn’t just us…. Residents, neighbors, and businesses all came together to show the resilience of Los Angeles,” said the LAFD.

The Fire Department is aiming to ensure Los Angelenos are prepared for the next big earthquake when it happens. Individuals are being asked to be proactive as it unknown when the next big earthquake may strike.

People are expected to know the risks and create a plan for their family or household which includes an emergency kit and to learn how to stay informed during an emergency situation.

“Your #LAFD also has programs and resources to help, and offers free classes to join our Community Emergency Response Team (#CERT) to help our communities prepare for and respond to the next crisis. Visit LAFD.org for more information,” the LAFD stated in the post.

By Trevor

MALIBU—The city of Malibu is offering guidance to help community members prepare for the predicted El Niño weather patterns and possible damaging weather conditions that could come to the area this winter.

The city reported in a press release that according to an August 2023 ENSO forecast by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), there is a greater than 95 percent chance that El Niño conditions will continue through the 2023-24 winter, and a 66 percent chance of a strong El Niño.

Previous strong El Niños have been characterized by extended periods of high intensity rainfall, triggering heavy runoff, floods, mudslides, debris flow, and landslides both inland and along the coast. Past patterns with El Niños coinciding with high tides have affected coastal areas. NOAA predicts approximately 44 days of high tides during the 2023-2024 winter occurring near the holiday, which highlights the need for El Niño preparedness.

Checklist To Help The Community Prepare For the Winter Season Includes:

-Inspect slopes: Visually inspect all sloped areas for signs of erosion gullying, surface cracks, and slumping. Inspect buildings, patios, retaining walls, and garden walls for signs of cracking or rotation, which may indicate slope movement has occurred. If signs of slope movement are observed, consider contacting a California-licensed geologist or geotechnical engineer for a site inspection.

-Inspect bare ground: Large bare areas may be sources for mudflows during rain. Consider covering or vegetating bare areas before storm season. Consider covering and securing mounds of loose soil or fill material.

-Inspect drains and gutters: Visually inspect and remove debris from retaining wall drains, surface drains, culverts, and gutters before storm season. Storm water runoff should be directed into appropriate drainage control areas to avoid excessive soil saturation.

-Inspect structures: Visually inspect all structures, including seawalls, revetments, and bulkheads, for signs of distress, loss of material, obstructed drainage, or exposed reinforcing steel before storm season and after every rainstorm. If significant problems are observed, consider contacting a California-licensed engineer for maintenance suggestions.

-Inspect Roofs: Visually inspect roofs, or hire a roofing contractor, to check for loose tiles, holes or other signs of distress.

For questions about stability, flooding, mudflows or erosion contact the City Geology staff Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. or email mbuilding@malibucity.org.

Free sandbags are available at Los Angeles County Fire Stations. Plastic sandbags are prohibited in Malibu, except for use by emergency response agencies during emergency conditions. It is illegal to remove sand from beaches in Los Angeles County. Sand is crucial for beach habitats. Call Fire Stations for availability of sand and sandbags or use the Los Angeles County sandbag locator website.

-Fire Station #70: 3970 Carbon Canyon Road. 310-456-2513
-Fire Station #71: 28722 W. Pacific Coast Highway. 310-457-2578
-Fire Station #88: 23720 W. Malibu Road. 310-456-2812
-Fire Station #99: 32550 Pacific Coast Highway. 310-457-3706

For forecasted strong El Nino conditions, resources for inland and shoreline properties, and other information, visit the El Niño webpage.

By Trevor

MALIBU—The city of Malibu will participate in the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” for the Great ShakeOut, the world’s largest simultaneous earthquake preparedness drill on Thursday, October 19, at 10:19 a.m.

The public is encouraged to join the exercise in person at Malibu City Hall or conduct the drill independently, at their home, business, school, house of worship or community-based organization. Anyone at Malibu City Hall at the time of the event is asked to join the city staff for the drill and “Drop Cover and Hold On” which is the safest immediate response to an earthquake.

“A major earthquake can strike at any time and would have severe impacts to Malibu’s community, homes, infrastructure, daily lives and economy. Everyone in Malibu should be prepared for an earthquake and its aftermath, and have emergency plans and supplies to last for several days, including food, water, first aid, and medications – don’t forget your pets,” the city of Malibu indicated in a statement.

For more earthquake preparedness resources visit: www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps.

By Trevor

MALIBU—The city of Malibu is offering the next round of the highly popular Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training. The series of seven classes will be held Thursday evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., April 13 through May 25 in the Multipurpose Room at Malibu City Hall located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road.

“Malibu is paradise, but we are vulnerable to all kinds of disasters, from wildfires to earthquakes and landslides, so it’s up to every one of us to be prepared to help ourselves, our families and our community,” said Mayor Bruce Silverstein. “CERT training is one of the best ways to prepare for wildfires and other disasters, and helps us be more resilient as individuals and as a community.”

According to a news release from the city of Malibu website, “CERT is a highly-acclaimed, nationwide program that empowers community members to help themselves and their neighbors during disasters.”

Volunteers are trained on basic first aid, fire suppression, and search and rescue to be able to provide emergency assistance to their neighbors.

CERT volunteers assist the city of Malibu to prepare and respond to disasters. During the Woolsey Fire, Malibu CERT volunteers contributed over 300 hours of service to the emergency response by distributing food and medical supplies, conducting wellness checks, assisting with evacuations, and administering basic first aid.

In 2017, the Malibu City Council adopted the official CERT Program Guidelines, an important step in formally incorporating the program and the trained CERT volunteers into the City’s Emergency Management System.

Malibu’s CERT Team members must complete Federal Emergency Manager Agency (FEMA) trainings, serve at least 30 volunteer hours per year, attend regular meetings and drills, and become registered as Disaster Service Workers.

For more details about the CERT program, or to sign up, visit www.MalibuCity.org/CERT or call Public Safety Liaison Luis Flores at 310-456-2489, ext. 236, or email publicsafety@malibucity.org.