Staying Ready

Over the last several months, our attention has been increasingly drawn to the multitude of natural and human-made disasters occurring around the globe. Whether it be the massive hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, contaminated water, pipelines and oil spills, or wildfires, we believe communities must be prepared to respond to a variety of emergencies and the incursion of disaster capitalism that arises in their wake. For example, the two destructive earthquakes that struck Chiapas and Mexico City in September 2017 should remind us of the real likelihood that a large scale quake will eventually strike Southern California. Also, communities in the Los Angeles region are vulnerable to disasters caused by human-initiated climate change, such as droughts, extreme heat, floods, and firestorms. It’s imperative that we take emergency preparedness seriously and “stay ready so we ain’t gotta get ready” because it’s only a matter of time until we have to contend with one here.

In Leimert Park, there is a real need to build the capacity of our community in order to support each other in the event of an emergency. We’re especially inspired by the work of the autonomous brigades and grassroots disaster relief collectives that have rescued survivors and initiated mutual aid recovery projects when the state and bureaucratic relief agencies were slow or unresponsive. As the inadequate government responses to Hurricanes Katrina, Sandy, and Maria have shown, it’s not in our best interest to place faith in state institutions to save us. Instead, we intend to build mutual aid support networks that can prepare members of our community for the prospect of an emergency as well as provide relief and support after a disaster strikes.