Guest Speakers Address Fire Safety, Home Hardening at PPCC Meeting

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades Community Council hosted two guest speakers at its most recent board meeting on Thursday, September 12, who spoke about fire safety programs.

EMT/Wildfire Specialist Dante Cornejo spoke about the MySafe:LA program, while Gabriel Albarian, Jr. spoke about National Fire Protection Association’s Firewise USA.

MySafe:LA is a nonprofit partner of both Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department with Operation Save a Life, Cornejo explained, which is tasked with public education and outreach.

Cornejo began his presentation by speaking about “Ready, Set, Go,” which he said is designed to help residents prepare themselves for wildfire.

“When you’re getting ‘ready,’ these are actions you can start taking today to better prepare yourself and your homes in terms of wildfire readiness,” he continued. “It all starts with a plan.”

The plan, Cornejo said, should include signing up for “the proper notification systems” that will alert when a wildfire is occurring, including through Notify:LA. It should also include building a “wildfire GO kit” and crafting a “family communications plan,” which should have handheld radios, especially in the case of cell service going down.

The “ready” portion also includes creating a “defensible space around your home and home hardening” efforts, like checking that vents are the proper size, and installing dual-pane tempered glass and a Class A roof, which is “non combustible.”

“By establishing a buffer zone, which is defensible space, you can create a better defense system for you and your family for if you have to shelter in place,” Cornejo said, “or if you have to evacuate, you have a higher chance of having a home to return to.”

Taking actions—even small ones—can reduce the chance of ignition up to 25% to 75%, Cornejo said, adding that is also helps responders by allowing them to focus on the “actual flame front,” while working to defend homes.

Cornejo described the defensible space in zones, beginning with things like cutting or mowing annual grass down to a maximum height of three inches, creating horizontal space between shrubs and trees, and removing fallen leaves, needles and more in excess of three inches deep in Zone 2 (from 30 feet out to the property line).

Zone 1—between zero and 30 feet from the home—should have all dead vegetation removed, trees trimmed regularly, branches that hang over the roof removed and dead branches kept at least 10 feet away from a chimney. It is “more restrictive, comparative to Zone 2,” Cornejo described.

The closest zone to the home—Zone 0—became a law in 2021, Cornejo explained: “The law is currently not enforced; insurance companies may have Zone 0 requirements,” according to the presentation.

MySafe:LA offers home inspections for those who want feedback on their defensible space.

The second part of the presentation was based on “set,” which is what to do when a wildfire is approaching. This includes having the “wildfire plan” ready, an emergency supply kit for each person and pet stored in the vehicle, and be registered for the notification systems.

When it comes to “go,” that is when a wildfire is approaching and it’s time to have an evacuation checklist and review it, check that the go bag is in the vehicle, make certain everyone is wearing proper clothing (long pants, long-sleeve shirts, hiking shoes or boots, a face covering).

Cornejo emphasized practicing what to do in case of an evacuation to ensure everything will run smoothly if it becomes necessary to leave.

Following Cornejo’s presentation, Albarian—a volunteer regional coordinator—spoke on Firewise USA. The benefits of the program, he explained, include educating and empowering homeowners, increasing a community’s resistance from fires, and possible homeowners insurance savings.

To participate in the program, an area must “create a boundary” (between eight and 2,500 homes) and “gather a group of passionate homeowners” (around three to five), then invite a fire official or qualified entity to provide “an understanding of your community’s level of fire resistance,” given in a percentage score.

Then, a three-year plan will be created to outline how to educate other homeowners and improve fire resistance within the area.

Albarian said he has committed himself to “all communities in Pacific Palisades,” alongside Cornejo, “to be your personal Sherpa.”

“As long as you help create a boundary and a passionate group of homeowners, Dante and I can help you with the assessment and have that completed,” he explained, “and then we can also help you with that plan and create it so that you are set up for success.”

For more information on the programs, visit mysafela.org or nfpa.org/education-and-research/wildfire/firewise-usa.