It snowed last weekend in Los Angeles (okay, in outer LA), and if that’s not a sign of the end times I don’t know what is. Actually, it’s just a sign of shifting weather patterns and maybe global warming, but crazy weather is a good reminder that the potential for natural disaster is ever looming. more ›

You can't predict an earthquake, but there's been a certain amount of buzz around city hall water coolers this week regarding a plethora of minor and moderate tremblers taking place around Bombay Beach on the Salton Sea, 150 miles east of Los Angeles at the tip of the San Andreas fault. News headlines told of 42 quakes over the weekend through Monday and there's been 31 today alone as of 7 p.m. more ›

If there is anyone who is prepared for an earthquake of a much higher magnitude than last night’s 4.5, Captain Stacy Gerlich of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is that person. Gerlich, whose official title is Captain I/Paramedic CERT Program Coordinator Special Operations Section, Disaster Preparedness CERT Unit, is in charge of the complimentary program that trains Los Angeles citizens to prepare themselves, their families and their neighborhoods for disasters. This program is the... more ›

We all know with the budget shell game, money gets shifted, programs beget and programs get dropped. Another program on the cutting board of the proposed budget is the CERT training, otherwise known as the Community Emergency Response Team. This free training by the fire department is invaluable (we know). The fact of the matter is that when a huge earthquake comes and makes life much worse than 1994's quake, the city is not... more ›

What does a wind speed of 25 mph or more plus a humidity of 15% or less equal? It equals a Red Flag day where those two ingredients can easily bring out a fast moving brush fire in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, which happens to be in those lovely hills many call home. Whether it's the Hollywood Hills or Sherman Oaks, people who live on old and skinny streets that would... more ›

There was a 6.6 earthquake yesterday in Hawaii. It gets us thinking... 1. Buy water for your home. 2. Do you have at least a half tank of gas in your car at all times? It would kinda suck if you were nearing empty when the big one struck. 3. Buy water for your car. 4. We would hate to be stuck at the office when a major earthquake that doesn't give us the... more ›