MSN013119

10 | January 31, 2019 | Malibu surfside news news
malibusurfsidenews.com
Pulling out all the stops
Emergency vehicles, more wow little ones at Touch A Truck event
Julian (left) and Liana De La O honk the horn of paramedic squad vehicle #88 during the Saturday, Jan. 26 Touch a
Truck event. Photos by Suzy Demeter/22nd Century Media
Kylie Ivanyi, 5, checks out the cab of a backhoe and
honks the horn.
ABOVE: Three-year-old twins Coleman and Landon
Steurer explore the inside of a backhoe.
LEFT: The free, well-attended event was co-hosted by the
City of Malibu and the Malibu Library.
smmusd
From Page 6
that the district’s sensors
monitor small and invisible
particulates that can
be very harmful, but said
they don’t pick up on the
larger debris that ends up
on campus on windy days.
“Usually with the fire
[the large particulates
are] what you’re going to
see,” deNicola said. “ ...
That has to be called at
the school, because the
machines aren’t going to
pick it up and there’s no
district personnel here [in
Malibu].”
Gail Pinsker, community
and public relations
officer for SMMUSD, explained
in an email to the
Surfside that principals review
the air quality results
and make decisions.
“The Malibu Pathway
Directory and district office
leadership are available
for consultation if
questions by site administrators
arise,” Pinsker said.
“There are frequent communications
between all
on this topic.”
Since the fires, SM-
MUSD’s sensors determined
that an inadequate
air quality (unhealthy for
sensitive groups) existed
on Jan. 11, and the district
canceled outdoor activities
and programs that day.
DeNicola and Lucas
alike expressed concerns
about the days ahead once
debris-removal processes
begin, seeing as many
properties above the high
school burned.
“We need to be very diligent
in being protective of
the staff and the students at
the school,” deNicola said.
SMMUSD states that it
has been in touch with the
City of Malibu regarding
the removal of hazardous
waste and clearing of the
burned buildings.
“Prior to ‘raking’ the
property, the Department
of Public Health must inspect
the property and
permit the removal of hazardous
materials,” a letter
from SMMUSD states.
“The removal of hazardous
materials is to follow
strict guidelines intending
to reduce making the
materials airborne. These
notifications will provide
the information necessary
to adjustments in outdoor
activity if indicated.”
Both Lucas and deNicola
are among supporters of
alternate learning options
such as virtual, interactive
learning or portable classrooms
in an off-campus
location with fewer neighboring
burned properties.
“I get that everyone
wants kids in school,”
deNicola said. “We just
have to be vigilant in making
sure that everyone
is safe so that we’re not
compromising long-term
health for short-term education.”
On Monday, Jan. 28, Lucas
confirmed that she will
be enrolling her daughter
in Oaks Christian School
because of the air quality
issues as well as concerns
over missed classroom
time in the wake of the fire.
“I kind of feel like I’m
hitting a brick wall, and
right now this is a pivotal
and critical year for my
daughter, and she’s ill and
I cant keep her there,” she
said.
The district plans to
continue monitoring air
quality until levels reach
prefire measurements. Updates
are posted by 7 a.m.
on each school’s website.
“We understand there is
some ongoing fear about
the air quality in Malibu,”
Pinkser wrote. “We are doing
everything in our power
to ensure the health and
safety of our students by
taking these daily readings
seriously.”