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This was originally going to be a different letter, but the fires in SoCal changed those plans. Monitor. Adapt. Respond. Understand the moment. That is basic comms strategy.
Tripepi Smith has had three clients directly impacted or threatened by these most recent fires: Westlake Village, La Cañada Flintridge and Malibu. On the spectrum of impact (as of right now) Malibu was the most devastated of these three. The Palisades fire has destroyed over 6000 structures including a significant number in the city, and came on the heels of the December 2024 Franklin Fire that destroyed nearly 30 structures there. Malibu has been in emergency operations mode of some form for weeks on end now.
Our team has been proximate to the work of City Staff in these agencies and their Emergency Operations Centers (EOC). In times of crisis, it is both reassuring and awe-inspiring to see these city hall teams come together to execute their emergency operation plan. The team springs into action and flexes their communication muscles to warn residents to prepare for evacuation and to share critical resources to keep their communities informed. There are dozens of data points streaming into the EOC’s, and the teams are swiftly digesting the information, making executive decisions and then moving with speed. It is impressive. In some cases it happens around the clock and for days on end. It is emotionally draining - as any stressful situation would be. Of course, it is not nearly equal to the stress or pain of actually losing one’s home, but the stress is still very real. This is the consequence of caring about the communities they serve.
Team Tripepi Smith played a role working alongside city staff to develop messaging and distribute information on websites and social media channels. As the days advanced, we saw staff from other city clients volunteer to support the EOC teams, as well. This is something that commonly happens in local government, but is not often discussed - cities rally to aid and support one another. Just like fire trucks and emergency staff from all over the state quickly headed toward LA County, the village rallied!
I have witnessed the care that staff provides in these situations. There is genuine concern for the communities and people they serve. Staff wants to save lives. Staff wants to mitigate risk. Staff wants to help when there is nothing left to do but pray. Day in and day out at the EOC, they work the screens, phones and radios to best position the community for survival. It is impressive to watch. It has been an honor to be proximate to their passion for public service.
On behalf of our team, I thank all the people involved in fighting the fires, securing the neighborhoods, informing the public and planning the rebuilding efforts.
Onward,
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