By City Manager Ken Striplin
“There’s no harm in hoping for the best as long as you’re prepared for the worst.” – Stephen King
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) 2023 National Household Survey on Disaster Preparedness, the most common action Americans took to prepare for a disaster were assembling or updating their disaster supplies, and making an emergency plan. In July, California experienced its largest wildfire of the year and fourth-largest in state history, the Park Fire, which burned more than 393,000 acres north of Sacramento. This kind of devastating emergency could be a real possibility for our community as we recently witnessed with the Post Fire, which burned over 15,000 acres in our neighboring community, Gorman. With September being National Preparedness Month, I urge our residents to take this opportunity to ensure their families, homes and pets are ready for any disaster.
Whether facing a fire, earthquake or flooding, having an emergency preparedness kit is essential for any type of an evacuation. FEMA suggests keeping all supplies in a backpack or storage tub for easy access and movement. Your kit should include bottled water, non-perishable food, a flashlight with extra batteries, a first aid kit, important documents, extra pet food, cash and a change of clothes. Don’t forget to include any important medications that you or your family members may need. These kits can be kept in your home and your car.
When it comes to evacuations, having a clear exit strategy is critical to your safety. In 2019, The Tick Fire in Canyon Country led to the evacuation of over 40,000 Santa Clarita residents. In an emergency, you might need to leave your home on short notice, so it its crucial to have multiple routes and designated meeting points for your family. Being proactive and prepared can make all the difference during a crisis.
Our partners at the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) use the Ready! Set! Go! Program, to teach community members how to prepare and stay safe during a wildfire. Living in a City that is no stranger to fires and high winds, creating and maintaining defensible space is essential for increasing your home’s chance of survival in a wildfire. This buffer between your home and landscape gives first responders more room to defend your property, and helps keep vegetation that is on fire away from the structure. To better prepare, LACoFD recommends removing all dead vegetation from your yard, removing vines and climbing plants from your home, using hardscape live gravel, pavers and concrete, and limiting plants in this area in this 30-foot zone.
Remember, during an emergency, get your information from trusted and verified sources. By following the City of Santa Clarita (@CityofSantaClarita), Los Angeles County Fire Department (@LACountyFD) and the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station(@SCVSheriff) on social media, you can receive alerts on local emergencies. Additionally, residents can subscribe to receive free emergency notifications from the City through Nixle. By texting SCEMERGENCY to 888777, community members can stay up-to-date on verified emergency updates.
As we enter the peak wildfire season, I encourage all of our residents to assess their emergency preparedness plans and if you don’t have one, take the time to build a kit and create one with your family. For emergency preparedness resources, please visit SantaClarita.gov/Emergency.
Ken Striplin is the City Manager for the City of Santa Clarita and can be reached at kstriplin@santaclarita.gov.
