City of Malibu Public Safety Fair Features Latest Technology in Fire Prevention

With the California Wildfire Season well underway, fire prevention is a top priority in our region.

This Sunday, Malibu residents will be able to talk to public safety and security experts including members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and L.A. County Fire, about the best way to protect their loved ones and properties from potential catastrophic conditions during the region’s most dangerous time of year.

The City of Malibu, in coordination with the Community Emergency Response Team, will host the 6th annual Public Safety Fair on September 15th in the City Hall parking lot from 10-3 p.m.

This past weekend, yet another significant wildfire spread to over 20,000 acres in Southern California as the region suffered through a significant heat wave contributing to dangerous conditions and elevated fire risk. Residents were urged to flee the area after the fire quadrupled in size overnight from Saturday to Sunday with more than 1800 fire personnel battling the blaze according to CalFire. The blaze is only at 3 % containment as of Monday morning.

A CalFire official said there was a 1600% increase in acres burned in 2023 compared to the previous year in the same timeframe, and “if the future is any indication of what has occurred already this year, it’s going to be a challenging season for firefighters across the state.”

This summer, at least four fires posed a potential risk to the Malibu/Santa Monica Mountains region. The fires, located in neighboring Ventura County, were monitored by area officials. Malibu City Public Safety Director Susan Duenas revealed three wildfire detection cameras, and their capabilities, monitored by the city While the use of this technology is a great advantage in many ways, it is also not nearly enough to protect life and property given the potential for catastrophic conditions to develop rapidly during Santa Ana Winds.

PRIVATIZED PROTECTION

With a record number of insurance companies pulling out of California, protecting your life and property from catastrophic weather events and natural disasters has inspired private companies like International Protective Service, to include the highest level of security solutions for disaster prone communities like Malibu.

IPS, a respected local security company that has been providing service in the area since shortly before the Woolsey Fire, is using their hands-on experience dealing with extremely hazardous conditions, by expanding their services to include the IPS Global Aviation Division consisting of a fleet of aircraft and drone technology elevating security and emergency response solutions for commercial and residential clients.

IPS’s high definition wildfire detection drones are equipped with high-resolution cameras, thermal imaging technology, forward-looking infrared (FLIR) and real-time data transmission capabilities. This allows for immediate AI and human analysis and response to potential threats. They can effectively monitor large or small areas, detect potential threats, and respond swiftly to an incident.

“Our drones and aircraft are for detecting fires, floods, and potentially criminal or natural situations that create peril to lives and property.”California is all about quality of life and experiencing everything this beautiful state has to offer, especially the area along the Santa Monica Mountain Basin all the way to the Pacific. IPS wants to protect that.” said Aaron Jones, IPS CEO.

IPS is currently in the pilot program stages and are offering subscription-based clients these specialized services, a necessity in affluent rural communities that remain a consistent target for natural and man-made disasters.

WOOLSEY WORRIES

In 2018, the Woolsey Fire started on November 8th, at the boundary between Los Angeles and Ventura County during one of the fiercest Santa Ana Winds seasons in recent history. The fire devastated the region burning 96949 acres, with approximately 600 homes lost in Malibu alone. The property loss totaled at $6 billion.

The fair aims to be well-rounded including information on PCH safety, earthquakes and homeless providing a wealth of information for community members. 

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