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West Covina Fire Department rolls out Community Connect to let residents share critical info with first responders
Summary
The West Covina Fire Department introduced 'West Covina Community Connect,' a free online profile system that allows residents and businesses to provide details (access, medical, hazards) to improve emergency response times; staff will promote enrollment at the senior center and via social media.
The West Covina Fire Department presented 'West Covina Community Connect' on March 17, a new program designed to let residents and business owners create secure online profiles with building, medical or access details that firefighters can consult when responding to emergencies.
Captain Carlos Galvez explained the system collects information such as mobility challenges, lockbox locations, numbers of occupants and any hazardous materials stored at a business. He said the system uses the same protected in-house data platform and is free for residents to use. The department plans outreach at the senior center, a flyer campaign and social media promotion to drive participation.
Council asked whether staff can track participation metrics and update profiles when tenants change; Galvez said the platform ties profiles to addresses and that metrics will be available to track year-over-year uptake. The mayor and council encouraged department outreach to seniors and community groups to ensure broad access and enrollment.
