MySafe:LA and the Los Angeles City Fire Department are collaborating on an important initiative designed to reduce the risk from wildfire in Los Angeles. The “Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance” is a public/private partnership between the city Department and the California non-profit organization. Designed to merge information and collaborate on outreach, education, and mitigation, the “alliance” will help residents to become more resilient in the face of a terrain or wild-driven wildfire.

“This is a wonderful next step in our partnership with the Los Angeles City Fire Department,” noted MySafe:LA Commander David Barrett. “Los Angeles is one of the most at-risk counties in the United States when viewed from a size and population perspective. We’ve learned that even though people who live in the wildfire risky areas know about wildfire basics, they often don’t know what to do specific to their home, their family, and their neighborhood.“

The project was created by LAFD Operations Valley Bureau Commander Trevor Richmond and his resilience officer, Justin Clayton. Utilizing a co-developed “workbook,” MySafe:LA members will work with homeowner’s associations to take the required steps to qualify to become NFPA-certified “Firewise USA” sites. Any group of homeowners may take these steps, with a minimum of eight homes being needed to qualify. LAFD Chief Officers will team up with MySafe:LA members to not only make presentations to homeowners, but to create assessments of the community they live in, as well as to prepare them to operate their own “wildfire committees” that can take ongoing steps to reduce the risk of destruction from fire. “It’s a desperately needed program,” Commander Barrett noted. “We can’t stop wildfires from occurring, but we can reduce the degree of destruction they can create.“