Information offered at Saturday event will help ease fears of residents living on the edge.

Nearly one year
after the Buckweed Fire scorched over 38,000 acres and the recent Marek and
Sesnon Fires burned more than 60 structures resulting in two deaths, the Los
Angeles County Fire Department urges residents to attend “Living In the Fire
Zone” expo to learn to protect their lives and their homes.

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The event will
be held at Fire Station 124 in Stevenson Ranch and firefighters will be on hand
to help residents understand their vulnerability to fire and steps they can
take to be prepared.

“Living In the
Fire Zone” is a new educational effort initiated by Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman
described as a “Wildland Fire Protection Initiative” program developed as a
result of last years firestorms that significantly impacted Santa Clarita, Malibu, and numerous Southern California communities. 

Vendors will
feature products ranging from basic emergency supplies, personal protective
equipment, portable fire suppression systems as well as well as emergency
response vehicles.

“It is important
to understand that the Department does not advocate a property owner’s decision
to stay,” said Freeman.  “We believe it
is in everyone’s best interest to evacuate early and quickly; however, the sad
truth is that, despite orders to evacuate, some property owners just won’t.”

It is those
property owners especially that the department is trying to reach.

“For those who
make a decision to stay, it must be an informed decision.  They need to understand the conditions to
which they can be subjected, they need to be properly prepared and equipped
and, most important, they need to fully understand the risk at which they are
placing not only themselves, but also the firefighters.”

The Los Angeles
County Fire Department is one of the largest emergency service agencies in the
world, providing fire protection and life safety services to more than 3.8
million residents and commercial business customers in the County’s 2,296
square mile area.

With over 80
years of world class service as proud protectors, the Department is a
frontrunner in firefighting technology, offering specialized training
opportunities in Urban Search and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous
Materials, Air Operations and Homeland Security.  The mission of its uniform and civilian team
of over 4,000 dedicated professionals is to provide prompt, skillful,
cost-effective fire protection and life safety services to the public.