THE TOPANGA SURVIVAL GUIDE is a product of the Topanga Emergency Management Task Force.

The mission of the Topanga Emergency Management Task Force, a partnership of designated public agencies, non-governmental organizations, and community organizations is to ensure the sustainability of emergency management efforts and strategies for the Los Angeles County unincorporated area of Topanga. The focus of the Task Force is to improve preparedness, prevention, response and recovery to disaster events. To view the Topanga Disaster Survival Guide, click the Survival Guide tab above.

2021 Topanga Canyon-Sunset Mesa Virtual Evacuation Drill

Mark your calendar for the Topanga-Sunset Mesa Virtual Evacuation Drill on Thursday, August 12, 2021 from 6:00pm to 7:30pm.  

Topanga is especially prone to fires–especially under severe drought conditions.  To help residents and businesses better prepare for fire events, a first-ever virtual evacuation drill will take place on Thursday, August 12th starting at 6:00pm.  This online, live drill will be in response to a realistic fire scenario which progresses during the event—resulting in the “virtual evacuation” of residents by zone.  The event will feature active instruction by Los Angeles County Fire Department, Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station, CHP, Los Angeles Office of Emergency Management, County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP), Topanga Town Council, and LA Animal Care & Control.  All drill participants are invited to bring their questions and comments as representatives will be on hand to answer concerns during the Q&A session afterwards.

To participate in this online drill, you must register at: http://bit.ly/VirtualEvacDrill.  To receive the initial notification at the start of the drill, make sure you have registered your contact information with the ALERT LA mass notification system (www.alert.lacounty.gov).

Please plan to participate in this drill. What you learn as a result could very well save your life when the REAL brush fire threatens your Canyon.

THANK YOU!

Alert LA County

Los Angeles County has implemented an emergency mass notification system that will be used to contact County residents and businesses via recorded phone messages, text messages or e-mail messages in case of emergency. The system, called Alert LA County, will be used by the County’s Emergency Operations Center to notify residents and businesses of emergencies or critical situations and provide information regarding necessary actions, such as evacuations. The system utilizes the telephone companies’ 911 database and is able to contact land-line telephone numbers, whether listed or unlisted. If the call is picked up by an answering machine, the system will leave a recorded message. If the number called is busy or does not answer, the system will redial the number in an attempt to deliver the message. The system is also TTY/TDD compatible.

Please visit the Alert LA page tab for more information and to view a sample message you might receive in the event of a wildland fire in your canyon.

We have received numerous calls from Topanga residents asking us to add their contact phone numbers to the Alert LA Mass Notification System. Please note that this information must be added by the resident. We are unable to do this on your behalf. To add a contact (cell phone, work phone, e-mail, etc.), please visit Alert LA and follow the prompts. Thank you.

The Topanga Disaster Survival Guide

Topanga is a unique community—both in terms of its community spirit and natural beauty—but natural beauty comes with a price.  The same forces of ecology and geography that make Topanga one of the most spectacular places in Southern California have also made it particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as wildfires and floods.

The Topanga Disaster Survival Guide, first published in 2005, is a culmination of planning, insights, best management practices, and recommendations into a single booklet for the Topanga community.

“The current fires in California offer a disturbingly vivid reminder of why Topanga residents must prepare for natural disasters,” said Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, whose office helped fund and finalize the guide.

“As you read through your Survival Guide, you will find potentially life-saving information. Focus on the Preparedness section and then create your Emergency Plan using the templates in the back of the Guide. Every Topanga resident needs an emergency evacuation plan that includes multiple ways to get early notification of a wildfire,” said Scott Ferguson, Board Chair of the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP).

Stacy Sledge, President of the Topanga Town Council, expressed gratitude to the many organizations and residents who contributed their time to the guide. “This guide is a true labor of love,” she said. “Many people who love this community worked on it, and our efforts, along with the cooperation of our friends and neighbors, will help keep Topanga safe.”

The guide comes as a three-ring binder, ensuring that it can be updated as information changes. If residents do not have a copy of the guide, they can contact Supervisor Kuehl’s Calabasas office at: (818) 880-9416 or Sheila@bos.lacounty.gov.  An online version is available on the Survival Guide page.

TCEP (Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness)

TCEP helps Topanga residents prepare for natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and earthquakes, and provides verified status updates during major emergency incidents. Founded in 1994 as a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, TCEP has helped residents survive their fair share of disasters by providing critical information needed to prepare, respond and recover from potentially devastating events.

When all is calm, TCEP’s Neighborhood Network and Outreach programs educate the public on the unique dangers of living in a “wildland-urban intermix” (WUI). By conducting drills, hosting community fairs and presentations, and through targeted mailings, TCEP helps Topangans prepare by offering tips on hardening your home, creating a family emergency evacuation plan, assembling emergency kits, and signing up for alerts and notifications.

When disaster strikes, TCEP operates an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) utilizing a wide ranging communications network that gathers, verifies, and pushes out critical updates via a TELEPHONE HOTLINE (310-455-3000), on the WEB (tcep.org/emergencystatus), and during major incidents when TCEP is fully activated, FRS RADIO (channel 15) Top Of The Hour reports.

CLICK HERE for helpful emergency info on alerts and notifications, FRS radios, and back-up power options.

Topanga Resident Access Card

The Topanga Resident Access Card is a personal identification card unique to Topanga, California.  It is an official program of the Topanga Town Council and is supported by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the California Highway Patrol.  This card can be used in lieu of a California Driver’s License in disaster conditions for resident re-entry at Topanga ‘resident only’ roadblocks, and will only be accepted when officers deem it safe for residents to enter the canyon.

Download your application here, complete it and return to the Topanga Town Council with all the necessary requirements, or you can apply online at Topanga Town Council.