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Oak Park MAC presses county on PSPS resilience and emergency preparedness
Summary
At the Jan. 30 Oak Park MAC meeting, county staff and emergency officials described upgrades to traffic-signal backup systems and urged residents to prepare for Santa Ana winds and PSPS events; members asked for more coordination with Fire Safe and monthly status reports.
Oak Park Municipal Advisory Council members pressed county staff on January 30 for clearer steps to keep traffic signals, evacuation routes and public-safety communications working during Public Safety Power Shutdowns (PSPS).
Public Works Director Gregg Strakaluse and Assistant Director Jeff Palmer told the Council the county is upgrading some signals with battery backups and adding generators where needed. "Some signals have battery backups, and the county is upgrading them with generators for extended functionality," Palmer said during the presentation. Council members raised specific concerns about Caltrans-controlled lights on highways during recent PSPS events; Strakaluse said the county coordinated with Caltrans to restore functionality.
The Ventura County Fire Department highlighted local community prevention work: in 2024 the county grew from six to 25 Firewise USA communities, a fourfold increase, and urged residents to avoid activities that could start fires during Santa Ana wind events. "When communities work together, they can have an even greater impact in reducing the risk from wildfires," the VCFD report said.
Office of Emergency Services Director Patrick Maynard and Ventura County Sheriff representatives described evacuation planning and encouraged residents to prepare household emergency plans. Chair Brian Trushinski asked that the Fire Safe Council be invited to the next MAC meeting to coordinate community outreach.
The MAC sought ongoing updates: members requested monthly or bi-monthly reports on PSPS-related infrastructure work and asked staff to follow up on specific traffic-signal locations. The county agreed to provide follow-ups and additional coordination with Oak Park Open Space and community volunteers.
