Los Angeles Space Wildfires: How We Helped Our Communities – Cyber Tech

When wildfires erupted within the Los Angeles space in January 2025, Jeremy Maggin, MD, needed to act shortly.

As an emergency drugs doctor and regional doctor director of emergency preparedness for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, Dr. Maggin wanted to assist lead our emergency response. However first, he needed to defend his household.

His household dwelling was in an space close to one of many wildfires.

“It was unhealthy timing — we have been simply beginning emergency operations,” Dr. Maggin mentioned. “However I knew I had to verify my household was secure first earlier than I might assist others.”

As soon as Dr. Maggin received his household to security, he turned his consideration to his job.

He was a part of a powerful effort at Kaiser Permanente to make it possible for our members, workforce, and communities continued to get care throughout a tricky time, even when our amenities and folks have been affected.

How we helped our impacted communities

Whereas individuals have been being evacuated, Kaiser Permanente acted shortly. We supplied medical care and provides at evacuation facilities, joined companions to assist the neighborhood, volunteered sources, and donated funds to organizations that offered direct reduction to impacted communities and first responders.

• Wildfire Useful resource Hub — The Kaiser Permanente Walnut Middle turned a spot the place individuals might get assist. Working with the California Voluntary Organizations Activate in Disasters and the Emergency Community Los Angeles, greater than 2,400 households acquired long-term restoration case administration and monetary help. Over 20 nonprofit organizations arrange in Walnut Middle to offer monetary help, restoration sources, meals, disaster counseling, prescription glasses, air purifiers, and different provides.
• The Pasadena Conference Middle — For two weeks, this location turned an evacuation middle. Greater than 500 Kaiser Permanente employees members — physicians, nurses, psychological well being employees, pharmacists, and nonmedical personnel — labored and volunteered in shifts, contributing over 8,300 hours treating greater than 1,200 sufferers. Individuals who have been severely damage or sick have been taken to close by emergency departments.
• Cellular well being automobiles — Sometimes used for preventive screenings at employer and neighborhood websites, we despatched a number of automobiles to totally different areas, together with the Westwood Recreation and Evacuation Middle, the FEMA Catastrophe Restoration Middle at Pasadena Metropolis School, BMO Stadium, and SoFi Stadium. These automobiles helped us present important medical providers and over-the-counter medicines to extra individuals in want.
• Psychological well being assist — Psychological well being professionals from throughout California volunteered to supply further assist and sources to our members and folks in the neighborhood affected by the fires.

Donations to assist restoration

Restoration from disasters like wildfires takes a variety of sources. We’re grateful to the neighborhood organizations that helped information individuals by the disaster. To assist residents and first responders, we donated over $1 million, with funds to those organizations:

We additionally offered in depth grants, loans, and sources to assist our workers and physicians who have been instantly affected by the fires.

FireAid live performance

We have been a proud sponsor of FireAid, a profit live performance held on January 30, 2025, which raised greater than $100 million to assist wildfire victims. All sponsorships, donations, and ticket gross sales are going instantly to assist rebuild and restore impacted communities.

Wanting forward

Huge disasters like these wildfires can have an effect on individuals for a very long time. It’s vital to learn to defend your self and your loved ones from wildfires and different emergencies.

Whereas we targeted on serving to individuals affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles County, we acknowledge there’s a want for long-term restoration. We’ll preserve working with metropolis and county leaders, native teams, and our members to assist the county get well and keep robust.

For over 80 years, we’ve been dedicated to constructing more healthy communities — and we’ll proceed doing that, now and sooner or later.