Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation
OUR MISSION:
The mission of the Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation is to create partnerships, provide resources, share knowledge and implement programs to enhance community resilience across all sectors.
OUR IMPACT:
The Los Angeles Emergency Preparedness Foundation (LAEPF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been formed for the purpose of supporting the California Region with the following:
1. Emergency preparedness and mitigation activities
2. Education on disaster preparedness
3. Assistance and support when an incident occurs
4. Fostering collaborative preparedness efforts with business, government, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and communities
LAEPF is a privately-funded emergency preparedness foundation that provides innovative solutions to serve during emergency response and recovery.
We are proud to have supported the efforts of Mayor Eric Garcetti, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, Los Angeles Fire Department, Los Angeles Police Department, American Red Cross, FEMA, LA Long Term Recovery Committee and the victims of disasters.
The foundation provides direct support to the City and County of Los Angeles on matters concerning disaster preparedness, risk mitigation, crisis management, and long term resiliency. The programs include interfacing with businesses, academic institutions, non-government charitable organizations (NGO's), government agencies, and our local citizens. LAEPF works in cooperation with all current local and national business organizations operating in the city. This includes the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and BENS (Business Executives for National Security, Inc.).
LAEPF projects include creating the Business Operation Center (BOC), collaborating with 15 sectors, developing the BOC Guidelines and Plan for activations. A second project includes supporting small and medium business risk awareness, educational needs, and certification in disaster preparedness. The U.S. Congressional report on the benefits of pre-disaster mitigation documents financial and operating returns as high as 50:1 for investment in this area. By improving awareness, motivating businesses to mitigate risk, and working in a collaborative manner, we believe LAEPF can help reduce losses, accelerate recovery, and maximize resources to benefit all aspects of citywide emergency management.
LAEPF was an active participant in the Los Angeles hosted 2008 International Earthquake Conference and the November 13, 2008 State-wide earthquake disaster simulation exercise ("The Great Shake Out"). LAEPF is active in working with DHS/FEMA in reviewing potential federal grant funding to support disaster readiness activities in the City of Los Angeles.
The creation of LAEPF is considered the community's most important disaster preparedness initiatives over the past several years. Board members have been carefully selected as strong community leaders committed to LAEPF efforts in building a more disaster resilient community in the Los Angeles region and beyond.
