Malibu held its 5th annual Safety and Preparedness Fair at City Hall on Sept. 15.
Hundreds of Malibu locals gathered at City Hall to meet local law enforcement and learn how to be prepared for a natural disaster. The annual fair offered more than 30 booths including law enforcement and disaster preparedness companies, according to its website.
The aim of the fair is to offer information, resources and trainings to help community members be more prepared and resilient, according to its website. It is part of the city’s larger work to help the community stay safe in the face of wildfires, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters.
“Malibu is a unique area,” Richard Garvey, Malibu Community Emergency Response Team leader, said. “We’re kind of cut off from much of the rest of populated LA, so in a disaster, we’re largely on our own and we’re very susceptible to wildfires and earthquakes.” Garvey said.
Local law enforcement was on hand at the fair with multiple booths in an effort to meet and greet the community in a fun environment, Garvey said. Kids were able to see and go inside law enforcement vehicles like a fire engine, a Sheriff’s patrol car and more.
“The whole idea is to get the community aware of who the responders are and what services are available to help them during a disaster,” Garvey said. “Just kind of a meet and greet, because you don’t want the first time you see these people to be when you’re freaked out in the middle of an emergency,” Garvey said.
One of the law enforcements officer’s there was John Jacques, a volunteer patrolman of the L.A. Sheriff’s Department. Jacques said he hopes to encourage people to help their community.
“There’s always something you can do for the community, whether it’s being a volunteer on patrol with the sheriff’s department or being with the fire department,” Jacques said.
The fair offered many practical trainings and demonstrations to teach families how to be safe when a disaster occurred. Kids were trained on how to use a fire extinguisher by members of the Community Emergency Response Team and there was an earthquake simulator to demonstrate what one feels like in the home.
As Pepperdine is part of the Malibu community, Garvey stressed the importance of being educated about what could happen in a disaster and what to do.
“Even though Pepperdine is very well-protected from things, we’re not in the middle of an urban area and sometimes services are not there and available for us,” Garvey said. “Always keep an idea of what may happen in a disaster or where you might be safe, because it could happen at any time.”
As a volunteer patrolman, Jacques said his main focus for Pepperdine students is to stay safe on the roads and introduce themselves to law enforcement.
“Slow down, that’s number one.” Jacques said. “Pay attention to what you’re doing, don’t talk on your phone while you’re driving and say “hi” to law enforcement when you see them.”
NewsWaves package aired Tuesday, Sept. 17.
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Contact George Davis via email: george.davis2@pepperdine.edu
