In January 2025, fast-moving walls of fire destroyed Altadena—a beautiful hamlet, just 14 miles north of downtown Los Angeles and another affluent neighborhood 20 miles away. Roaring winds, blowing over parched lands, drove blazes that transformed densely populated urban areas into infernos. Over18,000 homes and structures were destroyed, and more than 180,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
California is once again approaching its fire season. As we head into the prolonged heatwaves that herald its arrival, the state’s disaster preparedness officials, emergency managers, and grassroots workers convened at an August 20 briefing, co-hosted by American Community Media (ACoM) and California Black Media, to urge Californians to get prepared.
Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, said the groups at greatest risk are those with the least access to timely, culturally relevant information.
“Ready California”—an initiative of Cal OES—focused on bridging language, cultural, and accessibility barriers to ensure vulnerable populations are not left behind when disaster strikes.
State leaders emphasized that effective emergency management relies heavily on local media and trusted neighborhood organizations to translate complex alerts into clear, actionable steps.
Diana Cross Palio, Chief Deputy Director of Communications for the Governor’s Office, highlighted that state mandates alone cannot safeguard millions of diverse residents without deep-rooted public trust.
“Trust really comes from the people you know, and in an emergency that trust can save lives. Resilience isn’t something that we build overnight. That’s very obvious, but that’s why programs like Listos California, Ready California really matter,” Palio said.
Matt Notley, Deputy Director of Crisis Communications and Public Affairs at Cal OES, outlined the massive logistical infrastructure supporting California’s disaster response. He noted that Cal OES oversees the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System—connecting over 1,000 local fire agencies—and utilizes real-time aerial mapping technology, like the FIRIS program, to track fire movement. However, Notley asserted that technology is ineffective if communities cannot act on warnings.
“Your reporting helps close the distance between an official alert and the person who needs to understand what it means for their family,” Matt Notley told the attending media. “You explain unfamiliar emergency terms in plain language and provide context that reflects the culture and lived experience of your audience.”
Notley shared that Ready California has provided printed materials in up to 25 languages, reaching nearly 16 million residents through face-to-face outreach and local community-based organizations (CBOs) since 2019.
Davina Mapes, Public Affairs Manager for Cal OES, officially introduced the campaign’s newly launched “Ready California Wildfire Initiative.” The initiative features culturally tailored, downloadable toolkits, social media graphics, evacuation checklists, and block-party kits designed to overcome common psychological and financial barriers to emergency planning.
“Californians broadly understand disaster risks and agree that preparation matters, but need a little bit more help to be prepared. People need numbered lists of simple, specific actions that are the most effective ways to make preparedness feel achievable,” Davina Mapes explained, urging residents to go to the central resource hub at ready.ca.gov.
Mapes also addressed critical safety concerns for immigrant and undocumented populations, explicitly reassuring the public that emergency shelters operate without immigration checks, ensuring everyone feels welcome.
Community panelists working directly with impacted populations shared critical insights into tailored disaster outreach.
Stephen Vera, representing the Disability Services and Legal Center (DSLC) in Santa Rosa, spoke on the complex needs of older adults and individuals with disabilities regarding evacuation planning, transportation, power-dependent medical devices, and service animals.
“We want to really enforce that it’s not preparing for the community, but it’s preparing with the community,” Vera stated. “Our biggest recommendation is simple: ask, don’t assume.”
Highlighting rural and agricultural communities, Omyra Baptista, Community Educator and Promotoras Coordinator at Up Valley Family Centers in Napa County, reflected on how local workshops alleviate panic among vulnerable immigrant families and farmworkers.
“Through our experience, I realized that people’s biggest fear is not just the fire itself, but feeling alone and uninformed,” Omyra Baptista said. “Using the tools from Listos California, we saw firsthand that when we explain simple steps in their own language, fear turns into strength.”
As dry seasonal winds approach, state officials and CBO representatives unanimously urged Californians to assemble go-bags, establish family communication plans, and connect with vulnerable neighbors before the next wildfire ignites.
For more information, go to LISTOS CALIFORNIA
