Prepared for the worst

Being prepared for a natural disaster is something none of us takes lightly, even though it always seems that the worst happens to others and not us.

But the tsunami abroad and earthquakes, fires and mudslides here at home are way too real to ignore, and any way we can stay on guard and meet these dangers head on should be pursued at all costs.

The susceptibility of our community to natural disasters—think Northridge earthquake or La Conchita mudslide—is the reason why we applaud the city of Agoura Hills for bringing its Disaster Response Team, or Community Emergency Response Team as it’s now called, back to life. The volunteer-based program was active in the ’80s and ’90s, but later lost momentum. The city has allocated $10,000 out of this year’s budget to make the program active again.

Calabasas has taken steps, too. Emergency supplies have been stashed throughout the city in special storage containers. Do you know where your emergency supplies will come from?

If disaster strikes, trained firefighters and paramedics might be delayed in coming to your home. As Jeff Reinhardt, Agoura Hills City Council member and longtime leader of the local disaster response movement correctly points out, some of the first helpers to arrive in case of a local emergency could be your next door neighbors and other members of the community trained in emergency response. These volunteers could mean the difference between life and death.

We applaud the local volunteer teams for their commitment to service, and we’re thankful that our communities have enough money on hand to reach this extra level of precaution.

Stephanie Bertholdo’s story about the resurgence of the Agoura Hills disaster team begins on page 1.

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