The City of Malibu is hosting a friendly emergency preparedness competition to mark the two-year anniversary of the catastrophic Woolsey Fire. Residents have until Friday, Oct. 23, to submit up to five photos or a 30-second video of their emergency kits to publicsafety@malibucity.org. Though all participants will receive recognition from the city, submissions will be reviewed by Mayor Mikke Pierson, Malibu CERT Team Leader Richard Garvey and Public Safety Commission Chair Chris Frost to determine who will receive the honorary title of “best prepared,” according to the city’s website. The criteria will be based on how well prepped the participant is, not production quality. The winner will receive a commendation at the Monday, Nov. 9, virtual city council meeting, where a slide show of all submissions will also be presented.
Some things the city recommended residents put in their videos include emergency plans, emergency supplies, solar phone chargers or a certificate of completion of a CERT or first aid course.
Pierson posted a video on Monday, Oct. 12, detailing some of the items he includes in his personal kit such as a box of masks, radios, a first aid kit and a solar-powered charger. The mayor is also part of the Malibu West Fire Brigade, for which he utilizes fire gear such as hoses, shovels and axes.
“We are pretty ready in this neighborhood,” Pierson said in the video. “The house is hardened. The landscaping is ready and designed to suck up the embers. So that’s what we’re doing at my house for fire prep.”