A local leader’s guide to wildfire safety, and what fuels his commitment. As wildfire risks continue to grow in California, understanding Defensible Space, Home Hardening, and the new Fire Hazard Severity Zones is more important than ever. I had the opportunity to sit down with Division Chief Justin Cooper of …
Eaton Fire 2025 Deb Halberstadt and her husband, Jon Hainer, have been longtime residents of Altadena, a community they have loved and called home for decades. A seasoned news photographer, still photographer, and videographer, Deb built a career working for major outlets such as AP and NBC. Over the years, …
Finding Peace During the Holidays The holiday season can be a magical time of year – filled with twinkling lights, family traditions, and the joy of giving. But let’s be honest, it’s also one of the busiest times. With so much going on, it’s easy to feel stretched thin, and …
Facing the Flames: A Journey through Wildfire and Preparedness In 2020, nearly 200,000 acres were burned, and more than 100 structures were destroyed in the Dolan, Carmel, and River fires in Monterey County, California. My friend, Author Meredith May, and her wife, Jenn, a retired Police LT, were among those …
Discover the Story Behind Carmel’s Journey to Preparedness and Resilience I am honored to be featured in this article highlighting the incredible work of Carmel Prepares! https://ci.carmel.ca.us/carmel-prepares It’s a testament to the power of community and collaboration. Inspired by the trailblazers at Bainbridge Prepares, we’re dedicated to building resilience through …
A Journey of Preparedness As a country girl at heart, there’s nothing that brings me more joy than slipping into my boots, donning my blue jeans, and sitting up against a fire in the fireplace warming my back. I love to share stories with family and friends while relishing …
A Route to Car Travel Preparedness With the holidays just around the corner, you might have travel plans that will take you on the road. Much like a journey abroad, setting out on a holiday road trip during this special season demands careful planning, and unwavering preparedness. Every year, we …
The Essence of National Preparedness Month: Why It Matters As September winds to a close, National Preparedness Month concludes, leaving us with more than just checklists and emergency plans. It leaves us with an awareness of something profound, our vulnerability and desire for security. National Preparedness Month often conjures images …
A Guide to Traveling Abroad – Summer Adventure Awaits! Traveling to another country is an exhilarating experience, filled with new sights, sounds, and flavors. It’s an opportunity to immerse ourselves in different cultures, broaden our horizons, and create lifelong memories. While the excitement of exploring foreign lands is undeniable, it’s …
Wildfire Preparedness: Keeping you and your home safe Wildfires are a destructive force of nature that can cause immense harm to people, property, animals, and the environment. As the summer months approach, it’s important to prepare for wildfires and take the necessary steps to keep yourself and your loved ones …
Prepare for a storm – NOW! While it is wonderful that California is seeing the rain that we need, it is so important to prepare ahead of time for the storms ahead of us. Wind, rain and potential flooding have all the trappings of life-threatening dangers. Let’s start the new …
Why protecting your home from wildfires requires protecting your community from wildfire We’ve all read the news reports or seen the interviews of firefighters describing the unprecedented size and intensity of wildfires the past few years. When a firefighter, with decades upon decades of wildfire experience, uses terms like “fire …
Disaster Preparedness and your children Disaster preparedness is not necessarily a hot topic at the family dinner table, but it can be a great time to introduce it. Whether your child is an adolescent, teenager or young adult, there are simple steps you can teach them. Having these discussions ahead …
The resqme® is a great car escape tool but sometimes people get confused on how to use it. Now presenting the ultimate, most comprehensive and up to date guide on how to use our beloved lifesaving seatbelt cutter and window breaker keychain! Where is the resqme® made and with what …
June is Pet Preparedness Month! Natural disasters are now part of our lives and we are vulnerable. This makes our pets vulnerable as well. Whether it’s earthquakes, wildfires or tornadoes, we need to prepare our family. It is important to prepare for a disaster and it’s equally important to include …
Disasters can strike anybody at any time. We don’t like to think about it, but we are all just one car accident away from potentially catastrophic loss. A scary thought, right? Loss of property, loss of income, and most importantly, loss of life, are all possible. What is also possible …
Organization – It’s What Marie Kondo and VLES Have in Common A place for everything, and everything in its place…it makes operating in an emergency fast, efficient and less stressful. When we designed the VLES GO-bag we drew heavily on our experience and other first responder’s experience. The simple takeaway …
Happy Holidays Everyone! The end of the year means celebrations and with that comes decorations. As you light your menorah or deck the halls this year, we want to make sure you are fire safe. Lights and candles can make your home more festive, but they can also pose a …
October conjures up memories of me practicing to drop, cover and hold on under a desk as a child in an earthquake drill. I always giggled with my classmates but carried this lesson with me. Growing up in California I have had my share of earthquakes. At home, my family …
Tales from the Front Line The Search for Augusto Monterey County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue June 28, 2021 It was late in the afternoon on April 5 with the sun setting behind the nearby peaks creating dark shadows across the snow and boulder fields. At 7100 feet in elevation Augusto …
– Preparedness and Hiking – Summer is still here and many of us have enjoyed venturing out this year on to the trails to get exercise, reduce stress and spend time with friends and family. When most people hear the word “preparedness,” they think of planning for disasters or emergency …
California Wildfires It was Friday June 18 sitting outside on the porch of the Wagon Wheel restaurant in Carmel Valley with my good friends and CERT teammates Wanda Vollmer and Deme Kastros when the recognizable alert tone sounded and a text came in. PER SGT OWEN * SAR MISSION * …
Winter Weather Safety A belated Happy New Year to you all! Just weeks ago we rang in 2021. Our winter has been very quiet so far as we Californians do our rain dances and watch the hills. Well, it worked. This coming week we are expecting some significant rain so …
Halloween Safety Recommendations Here we are, end of October and Halloween just a few days away. COVID -19 has not disappeared and this leaves many with questions on what to do this year. With careful planning and preparation, Halloween 2020 does not have to be a complete disappointment. The health …
Coping with Stress during Wildfires The past few days in Monterey County have been incredible. Three fires burning, two caused by lightning storms and one was arson. The River Fire, Carmel Fire and Dolan Fire. Here in the community, we have grown accustomed to watching, with concern, other counties be …