New LA Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) radios provided critical live updates
During the Nov. 6 Broad Fire, which was fueled by 40 mph wind gusts, the City of Malibu quickly activated the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), providing 24-hour staffing to coordinate the emergency response and keep residents informed.
Public Safety Director Susan Dueñas, who also experienced the Woolsey Fire in 2018, said the first thing the city did was to ensure they received the most accurate information to send out to the community.
“Goal one is to know exactly what’s happening,” Dueñas said. “Trying to make sure we get the accurate information [from the fire department] because that’s the most important thing.”
Dueñas also said they receive various information from the Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department about whether residents should “shelter in place” or begin evacuating.
“There is a big difference between an evacuation and shelter in place,” Dueñas said. “Sheltering in place would mean staying in your house, don’t go outside, because there’s active response going on, but at the same time you should meanwhile prepare for the possibility to evacuate; anyone who is in a shelter-in-place situation should be preparing to evacuate, because a shelter in place can very quickly change to an evacuation.”
The City of Malibu’s Media Information Officer Matt Myerhoff said the city has been preparing for the Red Fire Warnings days before the Broad Fire occurred.
“When we learned that the fire had started, the whole operations center staff was on high alert,” Myerhoff said. “We were on constant communication with each other days leading up to this, so on the day of, we were already ready to activate the EOC.”
Dueñas and Myerhoff said they already had a plan to pull staff away from their initial duties to focus on the emergency responses.
Dueñas shared her experience with the Woolsey Fire and said although a fire broke out during high winds, she was relieved on where the fire was located.
“At first, I was relieved on where it was because I figured they [Fire Department] have a chance they can minimize the damage to the property, but at the same time, I kept worrying that another fire was going to light off somewhere else,” she said. “Even after this fire was out, we decided that we need to stay activated because it was such a precarious situation that we needed to be there and be ready.” 
The city also experienced multiple power and traffic light outages due to the Red Flag Warnings, but in response, the city’s Public Works Team deployed the city’s generators to provide backup power to keep traffic signals functioning.
Myerhoff said despite having spotty cellphone coverage, the city was able to get information immediately using the city’s new Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System (LA-RICS) radios for the first time during a live incident. The Fire Safety Liaisons were able to communicate with the City’s EOC via the LA-RICS handheld radio, providing critical live updates while cell service was out. Personnel staffing the EOC were then able to relay and release critical incident updates to the public based on the observations and reports by the Fire Safety Liaisons.
“It was direct, on the ground, information on where the fire is going, how heavy it is, and what the active on the fuel was like,… we wouldn’t get that kind of detail until the fire was over, and that helps us plan,” he said.
The Public Safety Department acquired LA-RICS handheld radios in October 2024. Currently, this new system allows staff to communicate with each other and the EOC with 99 percent coverage to reach across Malibu, thanks to numerous repeaters across the Santa Monica Mountains and Catalina.
Dueñas and Myerhoff also praised their fire safety liaisons for their efforts in jumping in and protecting the surrounding homes.
“Jerry [Vandermeulen] saw that another home adjacent to that was starting to catch fire, and they [fire department] literally said “there’s a hose, go for it,” and Jerry picked up the hose and he put out the fire on the other house, and put out that fire,” Myerhoff said.
The city also followed the forecasted fire conditions and the potential for a PSPS, and posted continuous wildfire and power outage preparedness messages to the community starting several days in advance, and during the incident, via alerts, social media, the website, phone hotline, and PSA messages on 99.1 FM KBUU.
The following day, staff continued to monitor fire weather conditions and the power outage, and was ready to reactivate the EOC if necessary.
The city also shared a video of Mayor Doug Stewart providing updates on the conditions of the Broad Fire. Stewart also thanked the fire and the sheriff’s department for their swift response to protect the residents of Malibu.
The Broad Fire destroyed one home on Malibu Road, an outdoor workout station, and a playground. The Michael Landon Center is currently closed for air quality testing and smoke and soot cleanup to ensure a safe environment for the public and staff. The center is expected to reopen for programs and activities soon.
“Malibu was very fortunate to have had only a small fire that was quickly stopped during such dangerous fire conditions,” the website says. “Fire season is not over, and the city remains committed to protecting lives and homes,and helping the community prepared and resilient to wildfires.”
The city also encourages residents to stay informed by signing up for emergency alerts with Notify Me or RSS on the city’s website at https://www.malibucity.org/alerts.
According to the Cal Fire website (fire.ca.gov), the fire is still under investigation.
