CERT and Wildfire Alert Camera Monitoring
Listen to the LAFD-CERT team’s Alert CA communications (audio only) from Jan 7th starting at approximately 10:25am at the start of the Palisades fire.
This is a representative “screen grab” from the website WIFIRE of the cameras in the area:
The primary source that is used for fire monitoring is Alert California. Click on “View Live Feeds.” There is a “Layers” icon which you can toggle on/off different views.
Another source is WiFire Firemap. To bring up the maps from Firemap on your computer/device, go to: https://firemap.sdsc.edu/ As you can see in the upper right corner is the icon for the layers, where you can bring up a list of layers which can be toggled on and […]
Los Angeles Wildfires Jan. 2025 – CERT Involvement
There have been questions from the CERT community as to why they were not deployed during the January 2025 Los Angeles fires. (This ONLY applies to the LAFD CERT community, that is Los Angeles City.) As discussed in a video, (Disasters 101 – Earthquakes, Floods, Fires, Winds) presented by LAFD CERT Bureau Coordinators, Patrick Botz-Forbes- and Chin Thammasaengsri, Chin explained the reasoning at about the 2:00 hour mark in the video. Essentially, there are two main reasons that the CERT Call-Out team was only deployed during this disaster and not those that had only taken the basic CERT course. Those reasons are simply…safety and security. The LAFD CERT Call-Out team (here is a list of Prerequisites) have undergone extensive additional training, DVOC classes (Defensive Vehicle Operator Course) in order to drive LAFD decommissioned vehicles) and a mandatory background check. The background check must be done by the LAFD. […]
CERT and the Los Angeles Fires – January 2025
There is a special unit of CERT called the CERT Call-out Team. They have been deployed by the LAFD CERT unit for specific tasks as required by the LAFD and the needs of the horrendous situation in Los Angeles starting Jan. 7, 2025. Deploying anyone that has taken the CERT course will not be done unless they have also gone through the additional trainings required of the Call-out team. For information about that, please go to this page, CERT-LA Call Out Team.
To learn more about the Los Angeles fires, please go to: Cal Fire Incident page, and click on any of the fire incidents to see the burn, mandatory evacuation and evacuation warning areas.
For those that live in the LA area, a very helpful free app for your smart phone is called Watch Duty. It will alert you to new fires. When you set it […]
Welcome Captain Marcione, new LAFD Disaster Preparedness Officer
This post is from LAFD Chief Rico A Gross:
It is with a mix of gratitude and excitement that I formally announce my transition from the role of Disaster Preparedness Officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, effective September 8th. I am honored to introduce my successor, Captain Santino “Sonny ” Marcione, who will be stepping into this vital role.
Captain Marcione brings a wealth of experience and dedication to our department. I have no doubt he will continue to uphold and elevate the standards we’ve set for disaster preparedness, access and functional needs, incident planning, and mitigation. As you extended your wisdom, guidance, and collaboration to me, I kindly ask that you do the same for Captain Marcion, as he leads us through the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Please take the time to introduce yourself directly to Sonny.
While I am thrilled to share that I have been promoted to Battalion Chief in the […]
Fire Service Day, May 11, 2024
It’s Fire Service Day, a special occasion where we open our doors to the community to showcase what we do best – serving you! Come on down to your neighborhood Fire Station for a day packed with excitement, education, and free family fun!
This year’s theme is “”Celebrating Community Resilience”, shining a spotlight on you the community members “Celebrate our City’s Resilience.”
During our Open Firehouse event, you’ll have the chance to take a tour of your local Fire Station, learn valuable fire safety tips, and even snag a free smoke alarm for your home (while supplies last). Plus, we’ll be crowning some exceptional community members as “Honorary Fire Chiefs” for their outstanding support of the […]
15th Annual Grateful Hearts/2nd Annual Disaster Preparedness Fair
Calling all CERT Trained and Family members! Come and join us to view CERT Activation and enjoy the 15th Annual Grateful Hearts/2nd Annual Disaster Preparedness Fair at Warner Center Park on April 6, 2024. Feel free to bring friends and family to the Fundraiser Grateful Hearts/Disaster Preparedness Fair event. However, please note that only CERT members are allowed at the refresher portions. A viewing area will be available outside of the “drill” area. READ THE ARTICLE AND DOWNLOAD THE FLYER