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malibusurfsidenews.com News<br />
Malibu surfside news | June 20, 2019 | 3<br />
Fire safety, active shooters, more discussed during expo in Malibu<br />
Michele Willer-Allred<br />
Freelance Reporter<br />
A main message from the<br />
City of Malibu Safety and<br />
Preparedness Expo is that<br />
living in an area that many<br />
consider paradise can come<br />
at a cost in terms of fires<br />
and other disasters, but preparedness<br />
is key.<br />
Ways to protect one’s<br />
home from a fire, rebuilding<br />
homes after the fire,<br />
active shooters, earthquake<br />
preparedness and fire safety<br />
were some of the topics<br />
discussed at the expo held<br />
Saturday, June 15, at Trancas<br />
Country Market.<br />
The event, coordinated<br />
by Public Safety Commissioner<br />
Andy Cohen, featured<br />
30 vendor booths,<br />
offering information about<br />
fire defense and protection<br />
services, architectural<br />
and landscaping services<br />
for those rebuilding their<br />
homes, and disaster preparedness<br />
solutions.<br />
The Los Angeles County<br />
Sheriff’s and Fire departments,<br />
Malibu Search and<br />
Rescue, and the Malibu<br />
Community Emergency<br />
Response Team, also were<br />
among numerous groups at<br />
the event.<br />
Malibu resident and radio<br />
personality Hans Laetz,<br />
who served as the event’s<br />
emcee, said it was important<br />
to have an expo as soon<br />
as possible after the Woolsey<br />
Fire. Malibu not only<br />
gets regular fires, but also<br />
earthquakes and tsunamis,<br />
he said.<br />
Malibu resident Bobby<br />
Milstein represented SoCal<br />
Fire Supply, which specializes<br />
in protecting properties<br />
with barricade fire gels. He<br />
spoke during a panel about<br />
ways to protect homes from<br />
a fire.<br />
Milstein said Malibu has<br />
the finest fire agency in<br />
Emcee Hans Laetz (far left) interviews panelists (left to right) Randy Lang, owner of<br />
waveGuard Wildfire Defense System, Joe Torres, of All Risk Shield Wildfire Services,<br />
Jim Prabhu, of Fire Defense Service, and Bobby Milstein, of SoCal Fire Supply, about<br />
protecting homes during the Safety and Preparedness Expo held Saturday, June 15, at<br />
Trancas Country Market. photos by Suzy Demeter/Surfside News<br />
America protecting the area<br />
in a day-to-day situation.<br />
He noted, however, that<br />
fires are natural, wind-driven<br />
disasters and there will<br />
never be enough resources<br />
to deal with them, so residents<br />
also better prepare to<br />
deal with them.<br />
Milstein warned that<br />
there are a lot of residents<br />
“throwing money at things<br />
that are not solutions” and<br />
at companies hearing that<br />
they can make a lot of money<br />
in Malibu, so residents<br />
should do their homework.<br />
Jim Prabhu, a Malibu<br />
resident representing Fire<br />
Defense Service, said that<br />
with any disaster “it comes<br />
down to the community<br />
rallying, neighbor helping<br />
neighbor, community helping<br />
community.”<br />
“That’s really where<br />
things get done,” Prabhu<br />
said.<br />
The panel, which also included<br />
Randy Lang, owner<br />
of waveGUARD Wildfire<br />
Defense System, and Joe<br />
Torres, of All Risk Shield<br />
Wildfire Services, agreed<br />
that many residents most<br />
likely will try to stay to protect<br />
their homes in the next<br />
fire. That is why, they said,<br />
it is important to come to<br />
the expo and learn as much<br />
as possible to be proactive.<br />
During another panel discussion<br />
about active shooters,<br />
Los Angeles County<br />
Sheriff’s Department Detective<br />
Jason Ames advised<br />
on the protocol for those<br />
who find themselves inside<br />
a facility with a shooter.<br />
Ames said to first make<br />
a jagged run, if possible, to<br />
get out and go somewhere<br />
safe. If that is not possible,<br />
it is best to hide and stay<br />
Foster Sherwood, of the North Topanga Canyon Fire<br />
Safety Council, stands by a model depicting the weak<br />
areas in and around homes that embers can get into.<br />
Casey Fullman (left), CFO and COO of All-Risk Shield,<br />
talks to attendee David Mazewski during the City of<br />
Malibu’s Safety and Preparedness Expo last Saturday.<br />
out of the line of sight if<br />
the threat is not immediate.<br />
If the threat is immediate<br />
with no way to run, everybody<br />
must do everything to<br />
subdue the shooter.<br />
“The worst thing you can<br />
do is play dead, because<br />
even they’ll get to you if<br />
that’s their intent,” Ames<br />
said.<br />
Ames, whose specialty<br />
is in training tactical emergency<br />
casualty care skills,<br />
said it is very important for<br />
everyone to train on how<br />
to stabilize injuries before<br />
help arrives.<br />
Lt. Jennifer Seetoo, Lost<br />
Hills Sheriff’s Station Malibu<br />
liaison, said she hopes<br />
to bring to the local school<br />
districts a free Say Something<br />
Anonymous Reporting<br />
System, which allows<br />
school districts to enable<br />
students and adults to use<br />
an app to report any threats,<br />
including bullying and<br />
other safety concerns, to<br />
the school and law enforcement<br />
officials.<br />
REMINDER!<br />
Rattlesnake Season is Here.<br />
APRIL, MAY AND JUNE<br />
BE ALERT AND PROTECT YOUR PETS.<br />
Call us with any questions.<br />
Malibu Coast Animal Hospital 23431 Pacific Coast Highway 310-317-4560 www.malibuvets.com
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