What’s the plan?

How do you plan to respond in an emergency that may disrupt your life?

By Britt Aaronson

Our region is subject to many destructive forces including earthquakes, floods, landslides, wildfires, tornadoes, tsunamis, hazardous material releases, terrorism, crime, and civil unrest. Preparedness is the ability to take care of your own needs as well as those you are responsible for rather than asking for help during a crisis. The Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station presented the first Safety Symposium to explain personal and community preparedness concepts since residents are an important component of the emergency planning process.

This event was for all cities and residents in the region and hosted at the Westlake Village City Hall. One of the highlights were the speakers including Captain Jennifer Seetoo of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, Chief Drew Smith of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Juvenile Team Sargeant Bell Velek, and Dr Carlo Reyes with Los Robles Regional Medical Center. Two mini therapy horses were present, bringing a sense of calm, comfort, and happiness to the crowds circulating around the civic center.

The personal safety track led by Captain Seetoo focused on ways to keep oneself, ones home, or business safe from crimes occurring in our area. The Captain recognizes that in the U.S. there are approximately 5 million physical assaults each year and “Not everyone carries a gun or a knife, so what can we do? Run and try to get away. There are no rules except do not get into a criminal's vehicle.” We can help protect ourselves by mastering the acronym SASSY: Style (attention to what you are wearing and how it may endanger/help you), Alertness, Situational Awareness, Self Defense, and You.

Attendees learned how to avoid dangerous situations and how to respond if assistance is required. Lost Hills Detective Heather Parks focused on statistics and prevention tips for securing personal, household and vehicles against burglaries and other threats. Guests learned it was a good idea to protect one's valuables by removing items from our cars, locking doors and windows, activating home alarm systems, and notifying your local Sheriff’s station when you go out of town so they can complete a courtesy “vacation watch” of your home.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Battalion Chief Drew Smith discussed the importance of having an emergency plan in place as situations can quickly become disasters that have the potential to overwhelm local resources. The Chief reasoned “Everybody should have a heightened awareness on being prepared, being set in the case of a wildfire. Your fire and law agencies do a lot of preparedness. We are set right now to enact an emergency response… It all comes down to time for us. How much time we have to employ tactics. Time is the significant factor on what our options are for public safety.”

Conceding large events may challenge emergency services, it is best to communicate arrangements with your family in advance and use common sense when assessing conditions to ensure safety. Best practices for landscaping, home hardening, and following guidelines (see sidebar) can increase public self-sufficiency so first responders can focus their efforts in areas where they can do the most good: helping endangered people and heavily impacted areas.

Kevin McGowan serves as the Director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management leading an all-hazards emergency management program responsible for countywide emergency preparedness, planning, coordination, training, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. A major disaster can leave people homeless and strain food, water, and shelter resources. He spoke on how his office assists, and what individuals can include in an emergency kit. Basic needs are items necessary to sustain life, such as enough food, water, clothing, bedding, fuel, and medications for the humans and pets in your life for at least 10 to 30 days.

The vendors present from the Yarrow Family YMCA, EPIC- Fire Safety Council, Modernize My Fight Personal Defense, Conejo Public Health Services, and the Department of Animal Care and Control highlighted skills to help one develop confidence in dealing with any situation that might arise. Guests met directly with city and school officials, speakers, station personnel, and vendors to learn how to survive and recover after a disaster.

The first Safety Symposium was an effective starting point for increasing awareness about a variety of safety related topics. The event featured lectures, educational sessions, as well as interactive demonstrations with numerous vendors sharing how to prepare for emergencies. The public were provided with practical knowledge and skills to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, while protecting their property in the case of an emergency.