Listos CA hosts 2025 Communications Training in Pasadena
The 2025 Communications Training, with the theme “Ready Together,” was held in Pasadena, California, on July 15-16, 2025. The training is hosted by Listos California, a statewide network working towards emergency preparedness and an initiative of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES). The two-day training was attended by over 200 community-based organizations trained in emergency preparedness.
The communications training offers participants the opportunity to discover new tools, explore best practices, and engage in peer-to-peer learning on emergency preparedness. It encourages communication and community engagement by building connections among participants and expanding their network. Thirteen education plenaries were present in the training, and 250 block party kits were distributed. The block party kits included disaster-ready guides, go-bags, first aid kits, and other things needed to initiate a neighborhood block party.
The first day started with an opening address from Roberty Troy, Assistant Director at the Interagency Recovery Coordination. This was followed by a learning session by Scott Winter on the importance of trust in crisis response. Chris Dargan, Senior Public Information Officer at CalOES, also introduced their office and its activities, including developing partnerships with organizations in disaster preparation, response, and recovery. The second plenary revolved around discussing CalOSBA, which presented Violet Dominguez, Carola Secada, and Kaiy Smith-Biesman as the speakers of the small business panel. The California Office of the Small Business Advocate (CalOSBA) provides support to small businesses in navigating the regulations, programs, and resources. The speakers of the panel shared their experience with the LA Fires and how they were able to recover after the disaster. Participants of the training focused on real-world case studies as their breakout sessions in between the plenaries.
On the second day, the opening address gave the spotlight to Heidi Hartman, a community hero in the LA Wildfire, who shared her story. This was then followed by a gamify community engagement to build trust and connections among the participants. The first plenary of the day welcomed Christine Mcmorrow, Deputy Director at CAL FIRE, to discuss insights and investments after the LA fires. Derek J. Lambeth, Program Manager II at CalOES, looked into the Early Earthquake Warning System of California and earthquake science in the second plenary. For the third plenary, Listos California presented its research highlights, where Sara LaBatt, Senior Principal at EMC Research, revealed findings on how Californians think, feel, and act on disaster readiness. Moreover, LaBatt highlighted the importance of these research findings in creating community-centered strategies and culturally responsive outreach. For the fourth plenary, the Ready Together 2025 Campaign Strategy by Koy Saeteurn, VP at Sage Strategies, went into detail on how community mobilization, innovative messaging, and human-centered design can ignite action and build trust in the community.
In participating in this event, Ca Care Association shows its unwavering commitment towards its mission and vision to ensure the safety of California’s vulnerable sector. You can be disaster-ready by signing up for Listos California’s emergency alerts and Ca Care Association’s newsletter.
