Photo courtesy of PPCC
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Executive Director David Barrett and Carl Ginsberg of MySafe:LA were invited to present on the organization and fire safety at Pacific Palisades Community Council’s most recent meeting on Thursday, October 12.
“I invited him to come and talk to us so he can inform us a little bit about what we could do … and to tell us a little bit about what MySafe:LA does, what resources he has to bring to a community,” PPCC Chair Maryam Zar said during the meeting.
Ginsberg has offered his expertise in Brentwood, other Westside communities, and across Los Angeles city and county. He explained that MySafe:LA is funded in part by Cal Fire and has worked closely with Los Angeles fire departments since 2009. The organization focuses on fire prevention and community resilience.
Barrett presented an education and preparedness program. He began by sharing The National Risk Index, explaining the Palisades falls into the county “most at risk” in the United States, relative to wildfire. The threat of wildfire in LA County is 100%, according to Barrett.
MySafe:LA works to help different organizations, like PPCC, become better prepared and be more resilient, acting as the new “Fire Safe Council” for the county of LA.
The two offered a step-by-step guide to protecting families before a wildfire, beginning with building an emergency bag, putting together an escape plan and creating a defensible space—a space that is less likely to burn.
“If your home has fewer things that can ignite on the outside … there’s much less of a chance of the home burning,” Barrett said.
Barrett suggested reaching out to MySafe:LA to learn more. Its next meeting will take place via Zoom on October 19 at 7 p.m. He said each meeting covers different topics and invites different experts to speak.
To learn more, visit wildfirela.org/ready.
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