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UCLA chancellor tells Regents how campus mobilized relief after Los Angeles wildfires
Summary
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk and regents described immediate campus response to recent Los Angeles County wildfires, including emergency packages, a campus wildfire relief fund, donations of space for a FEMA recovery center, and campus town halls that reached thousands of Bruins.
UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk updated the University of California Board of Regents on the campus and local response to the recent wildfires in Los Angeles County, saying senior leaders, staff and volunteers mobilized to support students, faculty and staff who lost homes or were displaced.
Frenk, in his first full week as chancellor, described activating emergency-management teams, delivering daily video updates and coordinating with campus volunteers and city, state and federal responders. He told regents that UCLA's volunteer centers assembled 500 emergency care packages in the earliest days of the crisis and that the campus launched a UCLA wildfire relief fund to support students and employees experiencing hardship.
Why it matters: The scale of the wildfires required a university-level response that included housing support, meals and coordination with external agencies. Chancellor Frenk said UCLA donated space at the UCLA Research Park for a FEMA disaster recovery center and that campus leaders and alumni helped staff the center.
Notable details presented: Chancellor Frenk said nearly 16,000 Bruins participated in town halls convened by campus leadership; residential-life teams provided more than 1,000 meals to displaced students, faculty and staff; and outside UC campuses sent emergency personnel and resources to UCLA. Frenk noted that the first fires began on Jan. 7 and that recovery planning would include a review of preparedness and resilience measures.
Regents and campus leaders recognized staff and volunteers. Regent Sonia Brooks recounted being personally impacted by the fires and named campus staff and alumni groups (including Amanda Finzi Smith, residential-life leaders and the UCLA Alumni Association) who coordinated meals, care packages and practical assistance. Regents expressed appreciation for Chancellor Frenk's daily communications with the campus community and pledged ongoing support.
Unresolved matters and next steps: Chancellor Frenk said the emergency phase was winding down but that recovery and resilience planning would continue. He said campus leaders will conduct a thorough evaluation of preparedness and identify lessons to inform future response and infrastructure planning.
