By Mary O’KEEFE

After years of organizing Community Emergency Response Teams, being a volunteer on patrol with Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Dept. – Crescenta Valley Station and working with the American Red Cross, Paul Dutton knows something about planning for disasters. He has taken his years of experience and created The Emergency Preparedness Network that is focused on getting residents ready for whatever disaster – earthquake, wildfire, floods – that will inevitably come Southern California’s way.

On Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to noon, Dutton will be holding his first in-person interactive workshop. The event will inform attendees about those things that should be part of their family disaster plan. The workshop is designed for those who may already have a plan in place and for those who have never even thought of what they would do when disaster strikes.

Dutton said attendees will sit down and review the plan they have or think they need. Then he, along with other members of networks, will go over step-by-step what is needed.

“We will go over a family reunification plan for [attendees],” he said.

This is important practice because often during disasters, like earthquakes, cellphones, as well as landlines, may not work.

Dutton added because no one knows when a disaster will occur and family members can be in a variety of locations, it is important to have a central place to meet. He said that in addition to having a place to meet it is also good to have a contact outside of the state who can act as a central information hub.

In addition to a place to meet Dutton will also cover the value of smoke alarms, share how much water will be needed in the case of a natural disaster that can isolate people and other important ways to sheer up homes in preparation for disasters.

The event will be held at the La Crescenta Woman’s Club, 4004 La Crescenta Ave. To sign up, go to eventbrite.com and type in Your Family Emergency Disaster Plan or contact (818) 378-5440.

This is perfect timing for preparing for disaster as this week is Wildfire Awareness Week.

According to the California Dept. of Water Resources, the state is in the third year of drought, with January, February and March 2002 experiencing the lowest precipitation on record. Gov. Gavin Newson released a proclamation recognizing the week saying the state has “experienced some of the largest and most destructive fires in the state’s history. Amid intensifying climate impacts, California and much of the West continue to experience longer wildfire seasons, while record dry conditions have left most of the state in moderate to extreme drought.”

Many years ago fire season began in October; however, now fire departments across the state prepare for a fire season that lasts all year.

This March the state released a strategic plan that is, in part, expanding the use of prescribed fires. Gov. Newsom has also proposed additional funding to step up forest management and other efforts to decrease wildfire risks.

In 2021 about 2,568,948 acres across California were burned. Residents who live near wilderness areas, like the Angeles National Forest, can help prepare and prevent wildfires by performing vegetation abatement around their homes, cleaning gutters so embers do not have dry vegetation to spark, providing defensible space around their homes and being prepared to evacuate when asked to do so. For those who travel into wilderness areas it is important to remember to follow all forest rules including keeping up to date on fire danger levels.

Although some fires are caused by lightning strikes, humans are still the number one cause of wildfires. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, “humans cause an average of 68% of fires per year in the United States.”