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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Los Angeles, CA – In Los Angeles County, wildfires are not a matter of “if” but “when.” “The safety of residents and communities remains our number one priority,” said County of Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone. “I encourage everyone who lives in a wildfire susceptible community to be prepared, by paying attention to high fire danger days and for residents to harden their homes, create defensible space, and develop a personalized Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan.”
Available for download from our website, the Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan is the single most effective thing residents can do to ensure their safety and give their homes the best opportunity to survive a wildfire. In the event of a wildfire or other natural disaster, the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (LACoFD) urges all residents to heed evacuation warnings and orders. The LACoFD wants to remind residents that there has not been a shift in doctrine when it comes to evacuation orders during a wildfire. All evacuation orders should be followed immediately. Instances where residents ignore evacuation orders and elect to stay behind to try to protect their homes places everyone at risk and may require first responders to divert critical resources to their rescue.
The focus of a recent interview with CBS LA-based correspondent Carter Evans centered on the success of the Community Brigade Pilot Program, not untrained homeowners staying behind to protect their homes.
Launched in 2023 across seven pilot communities within the Santa Monica Mountains, community brigade members are carefully selected, undergoing background investigations, and receiving over 100 hours of training in fire behavior and fire front following, communications, and operational procedures to assist in achieving incident objectives under the leadership of the LACoFD. A key part of our approach to disaster preparedness and mitigation is using brigade members to conduct home ignition zone assessments and evaluate homes and properties to identify risks and help prevent structure loss from wildfires.
The protection of life of property remains paramount to the LACoFD. We urge residents to follow Ready! Set! Go!, and continue to comply with all evacuation warnings and orders. Additionally, residents are also encouraged to participate in neighborhood preparedness groups and public education program opportunities like Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training opportunities to be better prepared in the event of a wildfire or other natural disaster.
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