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Los Angeles County Fire runs helicopter drills in Rancho Palos Verdes to rehearse Catalina wildfire response
Summary
Los Angeles County Fire Department conducted helicopter drills at the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center to practice shuttling personnel to Catalina Island in a simulated brush-fire response, officials said. The exercise included resources from the Palos Verdes Peninsula and Cal Fire.
Los Angeles County Fire Department personnel conducted helicopter drills at the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center on a recorded RPVTV update to rehearse a Catalina Island wildfire response, officials said.
Battalion Chief Manny Samping said the exercise simulates a brush-fire response on Catalina and involves a helicopter that would shuttle personnel to the island to augment on-island resources. “Today we are doing an exercise simulating a Catalina fire response for a wildfire/brush fire,” Samping said. He described the helicopter’s role as moving crews to assist and augment resources already stationed on the island.
Samping said the exercise drew resources from across the Palos Verdes Peninsula and included participation by Cal Fire, which represents state land on Catalina Island. He framed the drill as routine preparedness training: “We are always prepared, always training, always ready for the next disaster that may occur,” Samping said, and he thanked first responders and the public for their support.
The on-camera segment was presented as an RPVTV update by Jeff Coven, who opened and closed the update and identified the location as the Rancho Palos Verdes Civic Center. The segment did not record any formal actions, votes, or requests for policy changes; it was framed as a public-safety training demonstration and informational briefing.
The city and the Los Angeles County Fire Department did not provide additional operational details in the recorded update, including exact participating unit counts, the drill’s date beyond the recording, or whether the exercise included civilian-evacuation procedures or public access restrictions. Those details were not specified in the recording.
The drill underscores ongoing interagency preparedness for wildfire threats affecting offshore islands and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The Los Angeles County Fire Department did not announce any immediate operational changes following the exercise.
