L.A. mayor calls for community bonding to prepare for earthquakes

LOS ANGELES (FOX 11) - Mayor Eric Garcetti called on residents to step up their disaster preparedness at a news conference on Friday.

He's said many times, we should, "be prepared, have a plan." But now, he wants residents to do more than be prepared at our home and workplace. He's calling on the community to organize the neighbors around our homes to add a first layer of support.

"The safest community is one in which neighbors know each other and neighbors have planned to do in the toughest times," the Mayor said.

Indeed, Aram SahaKian of the city's Emergency Management Department says resident are the true first responders until the professionals get there.

Los Angeles has a disaster preparedness plan called "Ready Your LA Neighborhood." The EMD will send you support materials and even come to your neighborhood to help plan for an emergency. That would mean, choosing a point person, picking a meet spot, and identifying neighbors who might need extra assistance in a disaster.

EMD will even come to your neighborhood to help you organize and train. It's a 90-minute workshop.

Find out more www.emergency.lacity.org or call 213-484-4800.