2023-06-26_Spcl_Newsletter_BCProgramFocus
BLOCK CAPTAIN PROGRAM
FIRE FREE 2023!
2023 PROGRAM PRIORITIES
CREATE COMMUNITY USING SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL EVENTS (PARTY!!)
The above photo captured the “community” created by the April 30, 2023 Block Captain
Program social and educational event at the City Hall campus.
Save the date for Sunday, August 27, 2023, 4pm to 5:30pm at the City Hall campus.
There will be wine, hors d’oeuvres, and art. A guest of honor will be celebrated and the
Los Angeles County Fire Department will provide a report on the defensible space
inspections for Rolling Hills for 2023. DON’T MISS THE EVENT!
FIRE INSURANCE WATCH
“State Farm is no longer signing new homeowners policies in California, citing ‘historic
increases in construction costs outpacing inflation.’ Allstate stopped accepting new
homeowner applications in California last year ‘due to wildfires and costs for repairing
homes.’ Torrential rainfall this past winter caused $1.5 billion in insured losses this year.
While California has the California Fair Plan, it is very expensive compared to private
insurers.” Excerpt from an article by VOX MEDIA (www.vox.com), Climate change is
already making parts of America uninsurable, by Umair Irfan, June 5, 2023.
FIRE FUEL REDUCTION
Los Angeles County Fire Code Section 325.10: REMOVE AND CLEAR ALL
FLAMMABLE VEGETATION FOR A MINIMUM OF 10 FEET ON EACH SIDE OF EVERY
ROADWAY WHETHER PUBLIC OR PRIVATE
Los Angeles County Fire Code Section 503.2.1: REMOVE ALL OVERHANGING TREE
BRANCHES TO ENSURE UNOBSTRUCTED VERTICAL CLEARANCE CLEAR TO THE
SKY, FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT VEHICLE ACCESS
The City of Rolling Hills adopts the Los Angeles County Fire Code as its FIRE CODE.
The FIRE CODE is enforced by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
ENGAGING RESIDENTS – CALL TO SERVE AS A BLOCK CAPTAIN
Rolling Hills is divided into twenty-four zones. Each zone has one to three Block Captains.
Eleven of the twenty-four zones are in need your help!
Thank you to resident and longtime Block Captain Judith Haenel for her recruiting efforts
over the past four years. Ms. Haenel’s efforts strengthened the program membership.
ADVOCACY
In 2023, the advocacy of the Block Captain Program – over more than a two-year period
- led to the City Council directing staff to install an outdoor siren system that will serve as
the communication tool between the city and the residents of Rolling Hills in the event of
complete power failure in the community caused by emergencies.