La Mirada Practices Disaster Response

Student volunteers from La Mirada High School and La Mirada Public Safety Officers participate in the aftermath of a simulated 7.8 earthquake drill at Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada.

The City held its annual community disaster exercise in conjunction with the statewide campaign The Great California ShakeOut. On October 15, dozens of City officials, first responders, and volunteers tested their ability to respond to a simulated catastrophic earthquake affecting Southern California.

Each year, the City of La Mirada partners with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s and Fire Departments, Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District and community and business organizations to conduct a communitywide disaster exercise.

The La Mirada exercise included a response to a local church by the American Red Cross for shelter victims and evacuees, and a tabletop exercise where City staff and first responders practiced activating the City’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).

“This year’s exercise was a tremendous success,” says Senior Administrative Analyst Andrew Vialpando. “Our goal every year is to work with the community to prepare for any disaster. Practicing our response to a large earthquake with first responders and the American Red Cross helps us stay ready.”

La Mirada also partnered with the City of Santa Fe Springs to test mutual aid response between agencies.

Since 1985, the City of La Mirada has coordinated annual exercises to encourage emergency preparedness throughout the community. The annual exercises help to build strong partnerships with local schools, businesses, houses of worship, and neighborhood and community organizations.