By City Manager Ken Striplin
As temperatures rise throughout the summer months, so does the importance of wildfire preparedness and fire safety awareness. In recent years, we have seen that wildfire dangers are no longer limited to a single season, making year-round preparedness increasingly important for our community. By taking proactive steps and staying informed, residents can help reduce fire risks and better prepare their families, homes and neighborhoods for emergencies.
In partnership with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the City will host its annual Summer Fire Safety Day and Press Conference on Saturday, June 27, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Towsley Canyon Trailhead. Residents are invited to hear from local leaders, fire officials and public safety experts who will share important information about wildfire prevention, emergency preparedness and response efforts throughout the Santa Clarita Valley. A press conference will begin at 9:00 a.m., with interactive educational activities immediately following.
Summer Fire Safety Day provides residents with an opportunity to engage directly with first responders and emergency personnel, while learning more about the planning, coordination and resources that help keep our community safe. Attendees will be able to explore fire engines, patrol vehicles and hazmat equipment, tour the City’s Mobile Command Unit and learn more about the City’s Emergency Management division and its role coordinating emergency response and recovery operations across Santa Clarita.
Families can also take part in a variety of hands-on demonstrations and educational activities throughout the morning. Visitors will have the opportunity to watch vehicle extrication demonstrations, participate in hands-only CPR instruction and experience a live helicopter flyover featuring a hillside water drop demonstration. Children will also have the opportunity to try on firefighter turnout gear, meet emergency personnel and learn more about the equipment used during emergency response efforts.
While our brush-clearing goats completed their important work earlier this year at Towsley Canyon, visitors to Fire Safety Day will still have an opportunity to spend time with some four-legged friends. Therapy goats from SRD Straightening Reins will be on hand, giving attendees the chance to interact with them and learn more about the benefits of animal-assisted programs. Earlier this year, approximately 600 goats were deployed at Towsley Canyon to clear nearly 50 acres of dry vegetation in less than a month as part of the City’s Weed Abatement Program. These efforts help reduce wildfire fuel loads in difficult-to-access areas and support the City’s ongoing fire prevention strategy. Together, the therapy goats at the event and the brush-clearing goats that worked behind the scenes serve as a reminder of the many creative and proactive ways our community works year-round to reduce wildfire risks and promote public safety. Preparedness, prevention and community cooperation all play an important role in reducing wildfire risks. I encourage residents to join us for Summer Fire Safety Day and take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about fire safety and emergency preparedness before peak summer temperatures arrive. For additional information about upcoming City events, please visit SantaClarita.gov.
Ken Striplin is the City Manager for the City of Santa Clarita and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
