Schedule a Wildfire Home Hardening Assessments From EPIC-FSC

January 16, 2023: Calabasas, CA — As California begins to recover from the first natural disaster of 2023, a group of local Calabasas residents is doing something to prevent future destruction in their community. In response to the damaging November 2018 Woolsey Fire, a group of residents came together to offer free home hardening assessments designed to mitigate risks, survive an emergency event, and recover from fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters. And the current crisis is only the beginning. An alarming United Nations report warns that the number of extreme wildfires is expected to increase 50% globally by the end of the century and that governments are largely unprepared for the burgeoning crisis.

“Too often, our response is tardy, costly, and after the fact, with many countries suffering from a chronic lack of investment in planning and prevention,” the report says, noting that most governments typically dedicate more than half of their wildfire spending to response and less than 1% to planning.

For years, California residents, including those in Calabasas, have been living with the reality of hotter, more frequent and more intense wildfires. In fact, the five largest blazes recorded in state history occurred since 2018, per California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. According to their report, fire-prone areas around the world are focusing on response instead of preparation. That’s why a group of proactive Calabasas residents joined together to create EPIC-FSC, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching home hardening techniques to neighbors, so the entire community can better prepare for the next California wildfire.

“CalFire and insurance companies say home hardening is one of the best ways to protect homes from fires and limit the spread of wildfires in a community,” explains EPIC-FSC President Brian Cameron. “We’ve partnered with the experts at CalFire and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains to help provide our Calabasas neighbors with a free property assessment inspection to harden their homes against wildfires.”  

EPIC-FSC’s mission is to harden all 8,400 homes in Calabasas, prioritizing and protecting human life, existing structures, and the unique habitat of the community. After learning how to harden homes from CalFire experts, members volunteer their time and share their knowledge to help neighbors increase the likelihood of survival and property protection from wildfire. During the free assessments, a certified expert from the non-profit meets with local homeowners, sharing insight and suggestions to help protect against the threat of flying embers, direct flame contact, and radiant heat exposure. Calabasas residents are encouraged to schedule a free home hardening assessment.

Even more, not only will residents help mitigate risks for their home and community, but they will also save money and retain their insurance policies. California has become the first state in the nation to require insurance premium discounts for owners of homes and businesses that are made safer from wildfires. The new rules mandate that insurance companies reward consumers who take wildfire safety and mitigation actions under the state’s Safer From Wildfires framework, the Department of Insurance announced Monday. The framework includes a list of expert-recommended actions that home and business owners can take to better protect themselves from fires.

In addition to home hardening assessments for wildfire mitigation, the non-profit group has created a definitive plan to help residents reduce and manage risk when it comes to any natural disaster. For example, EPIC-FSC’s Emergency Communication for Home Occupants (ECHO) program complements the City’s Emergency Response Program (CERP) Radio Team, both designed to offer basic disaster response skills before, during, and after fires and earthquakes. The organization will help residents purchase and use a radio to maintain communication during and after an incident.

EPIC-FSC is also in the process of creating an app specifically designed for Calabasas residents to successfully navigate communications — from the start of an emergency, during the event, and throughout the recovery phase.