Preparing for Disaster

In the Golden State, we are known around the world for many things: our sun, our beaches, our leading role in many different industries, our forests, our deserts and, unfortunately, our wildfires. Every year, across the state, we brace for potential infernos that could devastate the lives of hundreds – if not thousands. For this reason, we have put into law landmark requirements and regulations so that we can get ahead of and mitigate the disastrous effects of a wildfire. It’s time to tighten up our standards for the facilities we trust to care for our older adults and adults with disabilities. That’s why I’ve introduced AB 3098.

Last year’s fire season was the worst in recorded history; our state saw disaster-level fires from Northern California right to our own backyards. In our district, every time the Santa Ana winds pick up, we brace for the worst. It is my belief that, as a legislator, it is my duty to ensure that the laws and regulations we have on the books protect our communities – especially our most vulnerable.

Among our most vulnerable when it comes to disasters is our older adults and people with disabilities who reside in residential care facilities. California is home to thousands of residential care facilities that take care of over 180,000 residents with health issues and disabilities. For this reason, I have proposed AB 3098, which would strengthen the requirements for every residential care facility’s disaster plan.

In our last fire season, we had to learn a very hard lesson. We saw many examples of how ill-prepared all of our communities can be. Just think about all of the steps you would need to take to evacuate your own home in the face of disaster. Now consider evacuating in the middle of the night over 100 older adults or adults with disabilities. As the Tubbs Fire raged in Santa Rosa last October, a residential care facility caught fire, endangering hundreds of residents. Although all residents were evacuated, family members have been critical of the effort and are now suing the facility.

California has some of the tightest regulations governing residential care facilities, including requirements for every facility, whether they serve six residents or 600, to have disaster plans in place. However, we’ve found that the plans aren’t as detailed as they should be and there isn’t a requirement for staff training.

In an emergency, even the smallest detail can be a matter of life or death such as: where the keys to the van are kept, the roles staffers play in helping evacuate residents, and the location of shelters. Wouldn’t you want the caretakers of your family members to be as ready as possible to save your loved one during a disaster?

This lapse in oversight not only endangers the lives of thousands of residents across our state, it also opens the door to inordinate amounts of liability on the part of residential care facilities.

My AB 3098 would require that all facilities, large and small, to develop and maintain a disaster plan. This plan would have to include: contact information for emergency response coordinators, proper storage of resident medications, detailed evacuation plans that include potential shelters and detailed information on how a facility will remain self-sustaining for 72 hours, including necessary utilities, if residents and staff have to shelter-in-place.

After a disaster, the best response is to quickly identify our mistakes and to decisively address them so that we are absolutely ready for the next one. I’m happy to be working with a coalition of groups on AB 3098 – including the residential care facilities. They recognize the need for tighter standards and I hope that my colleagues in Sacramento will agree with us.

If you have any experiences, thoughts, or suggestions on this matter, please feel free to reach out to me through my District Office at (818) 558-3043.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman represents Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Montrose, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Atwater Village, East Hollywood, Franklin Hills, Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and Silver Lake.