Preparedness and Communications

Calling the state's wildfire crisis "immense," CAL FIRE and federal officials presented a new three-part strategy that includes community hardening, forest management and wildfire response.

Called HNL Alert, the mass notification system will send text messages, push notifications or emails to users during situations like severe weather, evacuations, or drinking water or ocean safety issues.

The county's Community Emergency Response Team program originally formed after 9/11 but had since faded. In this new iteration, 14 team members are trained in a variety of scenarios, including disaster preparedness and fire safety.

The "Weather the Storm" virtual reality experience from Clemson University and the University of Georgia simulates storm surge creeping into a home during a tropical storm in hopes that it will teach users to take evacuation orders seriously.

More communities than previously thought could be impacted by a tsunami resulting from a large earthquake off the California coastline. The state's tsunami preparedness week kicks off this Saturday.

The new plan reflects how the county has approached emergency management since the COVID-19 pandemic, a more flexible vision that goes beyond just fire and police services as disasters become more complex.

A preparedness exercise last week with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers simulated how the region would respond to a storm as intense as Hurricane Helene, which ravaged communities hundreds of miles from the coast.

The county was added to a list of 236 others included in a disaster proclamation from Gov. Greg Abbott amid "elevated fire conditions" statewide. The state EOC is also preparing to respond to damage from wildfires, tornadoes, hail and heavy rainfall.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency and suspended the California Environmental Quality Act and the California Coastal Act to "fast-track" vegetation and fuel removal, as well as prescribed burns.

The legislation would create a $15 million grant program to help residents prepare their homes for storms, increase state funding for disaster relief and preparedness, and help communities qualify for federal disaster relief.

The funding is part of $37 million statewide from the Fire Company and Emergency Medical Services Grant Program, meant for equipment purchases, training, facility upgrades and other operational costs.

An Irvine, Calif., neighborhood carefully planned to stand up to wildfires was put to the test when all homes there were undamaged by the Silverado fire in 2020. It could now offer a blueprint for rebuilding in Los Angeles.

Emergency services must develop strong crisis communication plans to effectively combat misinformation and ensure that accurate, timely info is reaching the public.

One-off funding to help combat wildfires is not a long-term solution. To effectively safeguard communities, Congress should establish annual appropriations dedicated to the creation and maintenance of fuel breaks.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is working now on an extensive $7.6 billion plan to bolster Jersey’s back bays throughout nearly 3,400 miles of shoreline across 89 towns.