National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month - It Takes A Village!
Posted: September 8, 2020, 12:00 p.m.

It takes us all working together to avoid the hazards of a community disaster.  So, during the National Preparedness Month campaign, the Topanga Town Council asks every Topangan to take the TOPANGA PREPAREDNESS PLEDGE to make our homes, families, neighborhoods, businesses and environment safe from disasters---especially wildfires since it is our biggest threat right now. 

To make it easy for you to take the pledge plunge, each week between now and the end of October, we will feature a FAST FACT and a TOP TIP on OneTopanga.com that you can easliy do to prepare for an emergency event.  Just follow the few easy steps we've outlined in this article and you will be on your way to making a difference for yourself, your family and community.  On that note, here we go!

TOP TIP #1 - SIGN UP FOR EMERGENCY ALERTS! 
There are many alert notifications and emergency apps you can sign up for, but to make it easy for you, the Town Council asks you consider the following alerts to get you started.  These alerts can be extremely helpful during an emergency.

AlertLA - This is Los Angeles County's free mass notification system that sends shelter-in-place instructions, evacuation, and other emergency messages.  You can register to receive alerts via cell phone, VOIP phone, email and additional addresses.  Their database automatically includes listed and unlisted land line telephone numbers.
Click here, to register or to verify your registration.
Click here, to read the brochure.

TCEP - The Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP) is a non-profit, all-volunteer emergency preparedness organization that has been serving Topanga and the Santa Monica Mountains since 1994.  They provide preparedness education and real-time disaster status updates in our community.  
Click here, to get TCEP's tweets pushed to your phone.
Click here, to see their website and emergency status page.

LA County Fire Department - You can follow the LAcFD PIO's Twitter feed for updates on incidents in our area and beyond: 
LA County Fire Department PIO:  @LACoFDPIO
LA County Fire Department PIO - DIvision 7 (Topanga/SMMtns area):  @LACoFD_DivVII

SCE PSPS - During high-risk conditions for a wildfire, SCE may temporarily shut off power to your neighborhood to prevent the electric system from becoming a source of ignition.  Proactive shutoffs are temporary.  To receive the power shut off alerts, click here.

FAST FACT #1 - FIRES MOVE FASTER THAN YOU THINK! 
When disaster strikes, time is of the essence.  Historically, many of our fires during Santa Ana wind and/or Red Flag conditions traveled from the 101 Freeway to the ocean in 1½ to 2 hours.  Based on traffic studies, it is estimated that it could take 5½ to 8 hours (or more) to evacuate Topanga.  Hence, the time disparity is clear. Once an evacuation order is issued, do not delay.  Get out as quickly as you can.  A delayed decision may make the difference of surviving an incident or not.

A special thank you to Mark WInn, a retired Sheriff's Deputy for assisting with the Fast Facts and Top Tips each week.  His extensive knowledge and experience in the Topanga area gives us tools and knowledge to help combat disasters in our town.

If you would like to enhance your preparedness plan, add more alerts, learn to harden your home to fire, and much more, refer to the Topanga Survival Guide which was produced by select Los Angeles County and state agencies and Topanga's emergency-related volunteer organizations.  To view the Topanga Survival Guide, click here.

We look forward to bringing you more Fast Facts and Top Tips soon!  And thank you for taking on the TOPANGA PREPAREDNESS PLEDGE!