BEFORE IT HAPPENS.

ThThe best time to prepare for a disaster:

Emergencies can strike without warning. As California faces the growing risk of disasters like wildfires, it’s crucial to have a personal disaster plan in place.

Recent wildlfires have devastated communities in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The Eaton and Palisades fires have burned nearly 40,000 acres of land, with 12,000 homes destroyed as of press time and tens of thousands of people still under evacuation order.

In 2025 alone, 177 wildfires have burned a total 40,696 acres in California, according to recent CalFire data. These events point to a somber truth: when disaster strikes, everything can be lost in an instant.

In Leisure World, residents are reminded that, in the case of an emergency, You’re On Your Own. Each shareholder must plan for and prepare for his or her own safety in the face of an earthquake, wildfire, flood or tsunami. Utilities may be out, phone lines down, water systems and transportation out of commission, and emergency personnel are short-handed.

All residents should make disaster preparedness a priority. Here are five ways to prepare: 1. Create a go-bag. When it’s time to evacuate, don’t get caught in the lurch. By assembling essential items in an easy-to-carry bag, individuals can rest assured that when the call to evacuate comes, they will be ready. Go-bags can contain a wide variety of items. Common additions include: three days of food and water; first aid kit; copies of important documents; necessary medications; hygeine supplies; spare clothing; cash; and more. Pet owners should also consider assembling go-bags for their pets with items like spare food, medical records, pet carriers or cages, leashes, comfort toys, etc. An emergency preparedness checklist will be printed in the 2025-26 Community Guide, which will be distributed to all residents in February. Visit https://www.readyoc.com/getakit for more information about go-bags.

2. Protect your most important files and documents by scanning them onto a flashdrive or saving them remotely using cloud storage. Several times a year, the Emergency Information Council holds vital document scanning events, which are publicized in the LW Weekly. Vol-

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You're On Your Own-In the event of a disaster, each LW shareholder is responsible for his or her own safety.

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unteers scan vital documents, such as stock certificates, birth certificates, marriage records and more, onto a free flash drive. People who donate to the EIC can also receive a waterproof cannister and/or a fireproof bag to keep original documents and their flash drive safe. The EIC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit whose purpose is to provide information on emergency management, response and preparedness planning; developing disaster response plans; and create information booklets and pamphlets. The EIC meets on the second Thursday of odd-numbered months in Conference Room B at 1 p.m.

3. Get involved in ongoing disaster preparedness planning at a LW Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) meeting, held on the fourth Friday of each month in Clubhouse 3, Room 9, from 9-10 a.m. CERT’s six-week training programs educate people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact their area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, CERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. For more information, contact GRF Health and Safety Specialist Eloy Gomez at 562-431-6586, ext. 2356.

5. Attend GRF’s annual Emergency Prepardness Expo and learn more about go-bags, talk to subject matter exprts and participate in raffles for emergency preparedness items. This year’s event will be held Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Clubhouse 3.

A go-bag is essential for emergency preparedness-it contains essential supplies that allow people to evacuate for three days or more.