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La Habra Heights committee advances three‑year Firewise USA plan, spotlights battery disposal and home hardening
Summary
The La Habra Heights emergency‑preparedness committee reviewed a three‑year Firewise USA plan focusing on education, home hardening, defensible space, evacuation mapping and proposed local lithium‑battery collection; the fire department pledged support and the plan will be filed with Firewise USA pending minor input.
The La Habra Heights EPC Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Committee on Jan. 15 reviewed and agreed to advance a three‑year Firewise USA plan that prioritizes education/outreach, home hardening, defensible space and evacuation planning.
The committee’s chair, Al (Chair), said the plan lays out monthly outreach, home‑hardening goals and an expanded evacuation map. "We just completed our 3 year Firewise USA and we put another 3 year plan together," Al said, adding the plan also responds to emerging risks such as lithium‑battery fires in household trash and proposes a local collection box at the park or city hall to reduce the risk to collection trucks and transfer stations.
Why it matters: the plan bundles public education with practical steps for residents and the fire department, aiming to reduce local fire risk and insurance exposure. Al highlighted programs already under way—quarterly cleanups, zone‑based volunteer fire watch communications and free 10‑year smoke‑alarm installations offered by the American Red Cross for residents who cannot afford replacements.
Fire department input: a fire department representative introduced as Chief Martin told the committee the department "stands ready to assist the community" with prevention education and suggested in‑field demonstrations at homes to show residents what defensible‑space and home‑hardening measures look like in practice.
Key program elements discussed included: - Education and outreach aligned with Heights Life and GuacTalk to maintain a steady monthly presence and to advertise volunteer opportunities. - Home hardening and defensible‑space work coordinated with the fire marshal and zone groups, including neighborhood walks and targeted assistance for properties that need work. - Evacuation planning, including mapping staging areas and coordinating with neighboring jurisdictions for large‑animal evacuations. - Waste‑management measures to remove lithium batteries from curbside refuse, with proposed fireproof collection staging and scheduled removal.
Next steps and timing: the chair said the committee will solicit input from Chief Martin and the city manager, then file the three‑year plan with Firewise USA; the filing is expected to take about two weeks for approval. The committee also plans to publish a community summary through Heights Life once Firewise input is incorporated.
The committee did not take a formal vote on the Firewise plan at the Jan. 15 meeting; members agreed to continue coordination with city staff and the fire department before the formal filing.
