After a meticulous examination of the Los Angeles County failures in the coordination of evacuations during the deadly fire storm in January, the county will examine the creation of a register for disabled and other mobility challenges in the event of future disasters.
The supervisor council unanimously approved a motion, presented Tuesday by the supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger, to study a potential register after the death of 17 In Altadena, in January, highlighted the County struggle to plan the evacuation of the elderly and disabled.
A Time analysis noted that the median age of people killed was 77 years, and at least a third of them have suffered deficiencies that could affect their mobility. Time reports have revealed that West Altadena only obtained official evacuation alerts almost nine hours after the start of Eaton fire.
Time too reported Last week, the County of Los Angeles did not follow the Emergency Services Office of the Governor of California recommendations, Less than 16 months before Los Angeles County dismissals, to do more to “adequately respond” to the planning and emergency evacuation needs of its most vulnerable residents and put your plan at speed with Californian law and “inclusive best practices”.
“When the next catastrophe strikes, we must be better prepared to evacuate people who cannot evacuate evacuating,” said Hahn in a statement. “In an emergency, our first stakeholders should know who our most vulnerable residents are, where they are, and how to reach them when the minutes count and life is at stake.”
Barger, who represents Altadena, described the movement as a “critical step towards strengthening our preparation and response efforts”.
“It is devastating to learn that the average age of the 17 lives lost in Eaton’s fire was 77 years – a tragic recall of the urgent need to protect the elderly and disabled people during emergency evacuations,” Barger said in a statement. “We have a duty to ensure that no one is left behind.”
The county of the, until almost a decade ago, maintained a list of vulnerable residents. However, managers deleted the specific awareness -raising planning database in 2016.
In 2016 presentationThe county suggested that Snap was too expensive, had “a low acceptance by the community of disabled people, obsolete software” and “limited use for emergency planning”.
A instructor appointed by the county planning court for the disabled agreed. After a 2009 trial, ruler In 2012, the instructor argued in a last 2018 settlement report: “County’s decision to stop the snap was correct.”
The motion approved on Tuesday ordered the Department of County of Aging and Disabilities to work with the Director General of the Comté, the Emergency Management Bureau, the Firefighter and Sheriff to potentially study a register that could help emergency stakeholders locate and help people with disabilities and the elderly with mobility problems in future emergency evacuations.
The Ministry of Aging and Handicaps will report on the board of directors in 120 days after having started representatives of the community of disabled people to better understand the needs of people with mobility challenges and the elderly. It will also assess the potential legal, technological and confidentiality challenges of a register and will explore other potential solutions, such as proactive emergency notification program and improved data sharing protocols between agencies.
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“Given the continuous growth of our older adult population and the number of adults living with disabilities in our county, it is essential that we have a range of options so that people can plan their own well-being and safety in the event of an emergency,” said the director of aging and disabilities of the county of La, Laura Trejo in a press release.
Los Angeles County firefighters, Anthony C. Marrone, who publicly called a register for the disabled After fires at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the January County, he was eager to collaborate in the feasibility study to examine best practices.
“The unprecedented community conflagrations in January 2025 underlined the critical need and the importance of ensuring the security and well-being of vulnerable populations in an emergency,” said brown in a statement.
This story will be updated.
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