At the Neighborhood Church shelter in Chico, CA, Daniel Nieves grieves the loss of his friends, who perished in the Camp Fire. Red Cross volunteers Pamela Harris and Vicki Eichstaedt listen and offer comfort as Daniel remembers a special friendship.听Photo by Daniel Cima/luckywin
Effective disaster preparedness requires an investment from everyone: individuals, schools, businesses and local governments must be empowered to help create safe communities.听
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Some communities face听additional challenges.听The places听in Southern California听where damage is greater after a disaster and people have a harder time recovering are听identified as听vulnerable听communities.听
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Social vulnerability听refers to听places that experience听a high percentage of people living in poverty, infrequent access to a vehicle or听maybe听limited educational attainment.听Emergency management agencies across California have also built听hazard maps听that听show a听community鈥檚 risk of damage during a major disaster due to proximity to a fault line, a听prevalence of fire-prone brush听or densely packed buildings where a home fire can spread quickly.听
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It is听in the听places听where social vulnerability meets higher risk of hazards听that the听PrepareSoCal听campaign听is focusing its efforts.听
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Volunteers are installing听free smoke alarms to reduce the risk of death in a home fire听in densely populated areas. Bilingual volunteers are being recruited to help deliver preparedness classes for all ages for families who would not otherwise seek out preparedness information. Experts are bringing听CPR and First Aid training听to the people who will be the first on the scene when disaster strikes: members of the communities themselves.听听
In Los Angeles, PrepareSoCal is built around a community-led model called PrepareLA that identifies where socioeconomic, geographic and environmental disaster risks pose a grave threat to the viability of community life. The Red Cross then brings a variety of preparedness programs and leadership to these Communities of Focus.
About Resiliency and Preparedness听Coalitions听
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In Los Angeles County, several Communities听of Focus听have formed听Preparedness Coalitions听made听up of听dedicated individuals听from听local businesses, government,听community-based organizations and faith-based organizations听who听meet regularly to听strategize听help the Red Cross bring training and information to their community.听Some communities have even taken the next step by forming听Resiliency Coalitions,听which are Preparedness Coalitions that are actively drafting and working to implement a 4-year resiliency plan with government officials.听
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Explore the communities below to learn about the progress听being made in every kind of Community of Focus as part of the听PrepareSoCal听campaign.听听
Across Southern California, Red Cross staff and volunteers are coordinating their efforts while implementing the goals and programs of PrepareSoCal in the way that best addresses the needs of their communities. Use the links below to find out what is happening in each region's communities of focus.
The southern areas of the Central California Region have faced some of the largest wildfires in California鈥檚 history, witnessing firsthand the importance of emergency preparedness with a strategic focus on communities with socioeconomic vulnerabilities and increased geographical risks.听
In Los Angeles, PrepareSoCal is built around a community-led model to identify where socioeconomic, geographic and environmental disaster risks pose a grave threat to the viability of community life.听
The Southern California Region and its partners are empowering community members throughout San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Imperial Counties to be ready for disasters big and small.
