Overview: Black Voice News hosted a community event called “The Fire Next Time” to educate residents on emergency preparedness plans and warnings in response to the increasing frequency of wildfires fires in the state. The event was held in partnership with Building Resilient Communities, a nonprofit that educates communities on emergency preparedness, evacuation plans, safety protocols and more. The panel discussed underlying conditions in Black and Brown communities that are not being addressed, causing them to be less resilient when disasters happen. Attendees learned about emergency preparedness responses in the region, took part in a pricing game to understand the cost of essential items, and received free emergency go-bags.
Breanna Reeves
With wildfires in urban areas becoming more frequent throughout the state, developing emergency preparedness plans and understanding warnings are crucial to the safety of residents.
Black Voice News hosted an emergency preparedness community event called The Fire Next Time. The event followed the publication of photojournalist Aryana Noroozi’s reporting on what happens after wildfires devastate communities, and explored the various emergency responses and systems in place when wildfires blaze.
The community gathering was hosted in partnership with Inland Empire-based nonprofit Building Resilient Communities, which educates communities on emergency preparedness, evacuation plans, safety protocols and more.
“What I realized in doing this type of work is that there are underlying conditions, especially in Black and Brown communities, that are not being addressed,” said Building Resilient Communities Founding Chief Executive Officer Debra Williams during the panel. “Therefore, when a wildfire or some other kind of disaster happens, we’re already behind the eight ball, and we are in dire straits when those disasters happen. So, a lot of what we’re focusing on is, yes, disaster preparedness for wildfires, floods, earthquakes, whatever it may be. But we are also diving deep to look at what are those health equity issues that are impacting our communities, that are causing us to be less resilient on a daily basis.”
In addition to Williams, other expert panelists such as Shane Reichardt, public information officer at Riverside County Emergency Management, and Stacy Duncan, California Department of Social Services Region I Senior Emergency Services Coordinator, were invited to speak on the topic of emergency preparedness response in the region. Attendees were able to learn more about how they can take action to prepare themselves. They also played a pricing game to understand the cost of essential items, and received free emergency go-bags from Building Resilient Communities.
Check out scenes from The Fire Next Time community event:
