The Los Angeles Fire Department and its private, professional fire and life safety education partner — MySafe:LA — had a busy year of collaboration in 2015. MySafe:LA provided almost
2,800 smoke alarms to the LAFD for distribution directly from individual fire stations. And, MySafe:LA installed or distributed nearly 10,000 smoke alarms and CO detectors, all without taking any money from the City or the LAFD. As a result, the LAFD and MySafe:LA both celebrated a 54% reduction in fire fatalities in 2015.
“I have had many opportunities to collaborate with MySafe:LA on disaster preparedness educational deliveries,” said LAFD Captain Stacy Gerlich, who heads up the Fire Prevention Bureau’s Community Risk Reduction Unit. “They are a professional organization committed to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of Angelenos … (and have) had a significant impact on a decrease in fire fatalities in the City of Los Angeles.”
But, it’s a new year. What can MySafe:LA do in 2016 — alongside the LAFD — to reduce fire fatalities even further, and create a safer community?
Bureau Canvassing
MySafe:LA has been working closely with all four bureaus, reaching out to communities they serve. In the past year, we’ve conducted smoke alarm canvassing operations in all four
Bureaus, installing free smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors in homes that need them. Bureau Commanders and their officers identify at-risk neighborhoods, then MySafe:LA teams up with the first-in fire crew to execute the canvassing operation, make contact with residents, and install up to five smoke alarms and one CO detector to each home that needs them for FREE.
Installations On Demand
MySafe:LA has also created MySmokeAlarm.org and a hot-line (844-38-ALARM), making it easy for people to arrange installations by appointment. If someone comes to any fire station looking for smoke alarms, they can be referred to MySafe:LA. We’ll not only provide alarms, but install them as well.
Keeping Neighborhoods S.A.F.E.
MySafe:LA has teams of smoke alarm installers on-call to support the LAFD’s Smoke Alarm Field Education (S.A.F.E.) Program, which kicks into gear immediately after a fatality, injury, or significant incident fire. MySafe:LA teams join firefighters fanning out in the affected neighborhood, alongside department members, knocking on doors and talking to residents. Our teams go into the homes and install alarms as needed. It’s a powerful example of the effectiveness of public-private partnerships.
Safety Presentations that Education and Entertain
MySafe:LA has created distinct education programs for children, families, and older adults that are rich award-winning multi-media content to engage audiences. And all of the curriculum is supported by various online resources.
MySafe:LA provides fire and life safety education to LAUSD campuses every week, and when school is out, also presents at City of LA Department of Recreation and Parks Summer camps. We teach kids about smoke alarms, how to escape a fire, and even “Hands-Only” CPR training.
First-in LAFD fire companies accompany the MySafe:LA team to show kids tools and apparatus, and sometimes even let kids operate the hose, which is always a huge hit on a hot LA day.
Captain Tony Porrata and his crew from Engine 65 joined a recent MySafe:LA Junior Fire Inspector culmination ceremony in South LA, and helped hand out the kids’ badges. “As firefighters, we strive to make all contacts with the community positive,” he said afterward. “MySafe:LA’s Junior Fire Inspector Program is another way of doing that, and we thank them for coming out to our community to educate the children of Grape Street Elementary School.”
MySafe:LA also presents fire, earthquake, El Nino, and general disaster preparedness education to home owners’ associations, neighborhood councils, older adult facilities and other stakeholder groups. If you’ve received safety presentation requests, consider giving MySafe:LA a call.
In Service Training Media
MySafe:LA does most of our media production in-house. We have web and presentation design teams and a full film production group. We not only produce award-winning educational films for the public, but also support the department with in-service training videos. In 2015, MySafe:LA worked with the department to create RT130 films to supplement required brushfire training modules in the new learning management system. In the new year, further RT130 videos are planned as well as educational films on LA’s tsunami risk, and brush clearance inspection.
Looking Ahead
For 2016, MySafe:LA will continue collaborating with the LAFD at the Bureau level to efficiently and effectively meet the community outreach and risk reduction objectives laid-out by Chief Terrazas. Call on us. We’re at your service!