The Los Angeles Fire Safe Council
Learn.
Prepare.
Survive.
MySafe:LA is working neighborhood by neighborhood to build awareness and resilience relative to the constant near year-round threat from wildfire.
Taking Action In L.A.
MySafe:LA is working directly with residents to teach them about proper preparation for wildfires, and is also partnering with the Los Angeles City Fire Department and other agencies to create important readiness and evacuation training relative to wildfires. We’re focusing on three key components:
Community
Prepares homeowner’s associations and neighborhood councils to be “Wildfire Ready” by joining the “Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance.”
Stakeholders
Engages partners (City Council, Fire, Law, HOA, NCs, etc.) to be aware of roles and responsibilities related to wildfire preparedness.
Results
Better protected homes. More resilient homeowners. Newly minted Fire Safe Councils and Firewise USA sites.
The Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance
The Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance, led by the Los Angeles City Fire Department and MySafe:LA, is a collaborative public/private partnership working to make individual neighborhoods in Los Angeles safer from wildfire.
How Does The Alliance Work?
The Alliance provides education to L.A. area residents, in multiple types of housing, but within the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) generally, and specifically in the Very High Fire Severity Zone (VHFSZ) as defined by CalFire, the State of California’s fire protection agency.
This education covers basics related to Ready, Set, Go, but with localized focus on home hardening, route planning for evacuation and collaboration of residents among themselves to be better prepared for wildfire. Every community is different, and our objective is to create a clear path towards being a Fire Safe Council and/or a NFPA Firewise USA site.
What You Will Learn
- How to create your own “wildfire” action committee
- Why “rebuilding” actually starts before the fire
- Avoiding the worst place you can be in a wildfire
- What is the real threat matrix for your neighborhood
- Training in certified CPR, Evacuation, Resilience
- Roles & Responsibilities (you and first responders)
- Beyond Ready, Set, Go
- The difference between a Fire Safe Council and NFPA Firewise USA
- The best tools to secure your family’s safety
- Networking with other communities
- How MySafe:LA can be your wildfire partner
The Threat is Real
Although some people worry about wildfires, most people don’t believe they will ever face a wildfire and be forced to leave their home and possessions. That changes when a wildfire damages or destroys their home.
This could be your home. What would you do if you heard sirens at 2AM, and by 4AM you were driving through smoke and embers to escape a wildfire? What would you do if two days later, you learned – often by watching your television or smartphone – that your home and all of your possessions had been destroyed?
“I can’t believe this happened to me,” is a common refrain.
We understand those mixed emotions – and we’re here to help you prepare. This isn’t about what you are being told to do. This is about being given the opportunity to do some simple things that could save your home, belongings, and even your life.
More than 80% of the wildland around the greater Los Angeles area hasn’t burned, in some cases for decades. Wildfires are increasing in severity every year, and only through education and preparation can you and your community reduce the risks associated with being burned over during a destructive wildfire.
Join our Wildfire Updates
The first step is to sign up for our bi-monthly wildfire specific newsletter. We’ll provide useful and engaging information designed to help you and your neighbors to be better prepared against the threat of wildfire. Each edition will be a quick read – and we’ll include some spectacular photography as well. So sign up!
Wildfire Town Halls
The second step is to attend one of our virtual town hall meetings. As the halo Fire Safe Council for Los Angeles County, we present an interactive 90-minute Zoom meeting on the third Thursday of every month. It’s FREE – and it’s a great way to determine if you want to be engaged with MySafe:LA to become a better prepared! community. Remember, we’re here to help – how that works is up to you
