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The , killing more than a hundred people, not only highlighted the impact of wildfire, but how we all must unite in victim support, recovery, preparedness - and disaster prevention. 

The enormity of the firestorm was certainly understood by City of Los Angeles , who spoke at length with ABC7 News Anchor  in the days that followed...

As member Tai Trinh and his  Molly were on their way to Maui as members of  California Task Force 1, active and retired members of LAFD and their families remained busy on the home front, joining friends and neighbors in proudly supporting  to who miraculously survived the firestorm, and the families of those who perished.

Clearly, there is a need to assess and improve our individual and collective .

In support of firefighters,  has developed the  to empower community members in being best prepared to keep their home and family safe before and during a wildfire event.

Similarly, the City of Los Angeles program, coordinated by LAFD, provides free hands-on training to assure families, neighbors, businesses and community groups they will be ready to help themselves and others with critical life- and property-saving abilities when, not if .

But back to wildfires, in particular the recent firestorm that destroyed Lahaina, Maui. 

The horror in Maui underscores why your evacuation plans must consider your personal circumstances at the time a wildfire occurs.

When it comes to you being , firefighters continue to stress the life-saving ability of 

• - Know of the danger in your area.
• - Make plans and pack to leave at any moment.
• - If immediate danger exists. Leave now!

When a wind-driven wildfire or other disaster occurs, it is important to know the difference between an and an :

By carefully planning the P.A.C.E of your Evacuation during the SET phase you greatly increase chances of surviving the unpredictable dynamics of a wildfire:

• Primary Evacuation Plan - Leaving when or ideally before an Evacuation is issued.
• Alternate Evacuation Plan - Leave immediately when the Evacuation is issued.
• Contingency Evacuation Plan - Using a pre-planned safe alternate route or method if your evacuation is impeded by flames, traffic, weather or other factors.
• Emergency Evacuation Plan - Going to a pre-planned fire safe shelter or area for temporary refuge in the hope of survival when the above options are not possible.

And finally, to survive a fast-moving firestorm or other disaster, you need to stay informed. Assure your family members are aware of and subscribe to:

• (City of Los Angeles =
• on mobile phones.
• and/or on Twitter/X.