After the back-to-back earthquakes around the 4th of July, Southern Californians realized how important it is to be prepared in the face of natural disaster. It got us thinking about all the organizations that help communities before, during, and after a natural disaster strikes.

• American Red Cross Prepare SoCal and Disaster Training- Prepare SoCal is an American Red Cross campaign created to address the needs of neighborhoods and encourage community resiliency in the most vulnerable communities. The campaign aims to achieve this through working towards four goals: community preparedness, volunteer engagement, response capacity and communications. The Red Cross also offers free disaster training to communities. These training courses, accessible both online and in person, include the Pillowcase Project Presenter Fundamentals, Shelter Fundamentals, Casework and Recovery Planning Fundamentals, Basic InstructorFundamentals and Public Affair Essentials.
• Team Rubicon (See their My LA2050 2019 submission here)- Team Rubicon capitalizes on the skills and experience of military veterans by pairing them with medical professionale and first responders. The organization offers incident management, damage assessments, disaster mapping, home repair, and more to affected communities.
• 211 LA County- 211 LA County partners with the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management to provide timely and accurate disaster information services before, during and after a disaster hits. 211 LA County is also partnered with the L.A. County Department of Public Health to provide Public Health issued warnings and advisories.
• RYLAN (Ready Your L.A. Neighborhood)- RYLAN is a free service offered by the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department meant to encourage, empower, and prepare Los Angeles neighborhoods for the next big disaster. The program increases neighborhood readiness by offering ways for communities to organize, practice, connect, communicate, and train.
• Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)- The Community Emergency Response Team is a program supported by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Community residents are trained to become disaster first responders to ensure neighborhoods survive and thrive after disaster strikes.

Most of these organizations and more are also a part of the Emergency Network of Los Angeles (ENLA). The ENLA is a coalition of nonprofit organizations that share their knowledge and needed resources throughout the disaster cycle. With the support and resources of all these organizations, communities and the individuals they home can feel more equipped and confident when a disaster strikes.