FIRE STORMS UNDERSCORE NEED FOR EDUCATION
“LIVING IN THE FIRE ZONE”
Helping You Prepare Against Wildland Fire
Saturday, October 18, 2008
LOS ANGELES – October 17, 2008 – Nearly one year after the Buckweed Fire scorched over 38,000 acres and the recent Marek and Sesnon Fires burned over 60 structures resulting in one death, the Los Angeles County Fire Department urges residents to attend “LIVING IN THE FIRE ZONE” expo to learn to protect their lives and their homes.
Fire Station 124 in Stevenson Ranch (near Santa Clarita) will host the event and firefighters will be on hand to help residents understand their vulnerability to fire and steps they can take to be prepared.
LIVING IN THE FIRE ZONE is a new educational effort initiated by Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman described as a “Wildland Fire Protection Initiative” program developed as a result of last years firestorms that significantly impacted Santa Clarita, Malibu, and numerous Southern California communities.
Vendors* will feature products ranging from basic emergency supplies, personal protective equipment, portable fire suppression systems as well as well as emergency response vehicles.
“It is important to understand that the Department does not advocate a property owner’s decision to stay,” said Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman. “We believe it is in everyone’s best interest to evacuate early and quickly; however, the sad truth is that, despite orders to evacuate, some property owners just won’t.”
It is those property owners especially, according to Freeman, the department is trying to reach. “For those who make a decision to stay, it must be an informed decision. They need to understand the conditions to which they can be subjected, they need to be properly prepared and equipped and, most important, they need to fully understand the risk at which they are placing not only themselves, but also the firefighters.”
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is one of the largest emergency service agencies in the world, providing fire protection and life safety services to more than 3.8 million residents and commercial business customers in the County’s 2,296 square mile area. With over 80 years of world class service as proud protectors, the Department is a frontrunner in firefighting technology, offering specialized training opportunities in Urban Search and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials, Air Operations and Homeland Security. The mission of its uniform and civilian team of over 4,000 dedicated professionals is to provide prompt, skillful, cost-effective fire protection and life safety services to the public.
For further information, please call the Public Information Officer Paul Hartwell at
(213) 247-7686 or Stephanie English, Community Service Liaison at (213) 247-7682.
Fire Station 124
25870 Hemingway Avenue
Stevenson Ranch, CA 91381
TB: 4550 C-7
* NOTE: The Los Angeles County Fire Department does not endorse any vendors or their products. A comprehensive list of vendors will be available at the event.
Public Information Officer
Los Angeles County Fire Department
(323) 881-2472 Ofc.
(323) 247-0070 Cell
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