Preparedness and Communications

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.

Stanislaus County leaders held a discussion Tuesday about call transfer times as they sorted through an ongoing controversy over emergency dispatch services.

President Donald Trump has said that his administration will look to reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the nation’s foremost disaster response agency, or consider eliminating it entirely.

In the Bay Area, two of the largest city fire departments are stretched, raising questions about their ability to protect against wind-driven infernos like the fires that continue to burn in and around Los Angeles.

Residents who lived in the west side of Altadena did not receive an evacuation order until 3:25 a.m., which was hours after the fires first began to burn through their neighborhoods.

A new University of Washington center is seeking to fill a training void for frontline responders in fire departments, better equipping them to respond to mental health and substance use calls.

Allen Media, owner of the Weather Channel, has created a new hub for its 28 local TV stations nationwide, centralizing weather forecasting from its Atlanta headquarters.