CALA News & Views | Issue 55 | Elevating Engagement

4) Infrastructure Awareness and Emergency Shut-Off Proficiency – A best practice is to provide staff with hands-on training on gas, electrical and water shut off procedures. In wildfire, earthquake or flooding scenarios, knowing how and when to isolate utilities can prevent secondary damage and protect residents. This should not be theoretical knowledge – it should be practiced and reinforced annually. 5) Evolving Risk and Regulatory Awareness – California’s new Zone 0 wildfire defensible space requirements are one example of how preparedness continues to evolve. While primarily a wildfire mitigation regulation, it directly impacts life safety and operational continuity. Assisted Living providers located in a State Responsibility Area (SRA) or the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone in the Local Responsibility Area (LRA) must now assess combustible materials within five feet of structures. You can input your community’s address on the Cal Fire website to find your Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Given these requirements, it can be helpful to explain to residents why certain environmental changes are being made around the building. Transparency and communication build trust and reduce confusion when physical surroundings change. Q Residents aren’t required to participate in emergency drills, but involvement can be valuable. How do your communities include residents in emergency preparedness, and what best practices can you share to help engage them? THOMAS: While residents are not required to participate in drills, thoughtful engagement reduces anxiety, increases cooperation and improves overall safety during real events. In Assisted Living, preparedness must balance safety with dignity and choice. Best practices include: ● Education Without Alarm – Offer quarterly resident safety briefings explaining what to expect during fires, power outages, wildfire events or evacuation scenarios. Keep the tone reassuring and practical rather than overly technical. ● Voluntary Participation – Residents can observe evacuation route reviews, participate in shelter-in place discussions or practice communication check ins without undergoing full simulated evacuations. ● Clear Leadership Visibility – Introduce residents to the leadership structure during drills – including who serves as the “Person in Charge,” aka incident commander. When residents know who is leading during an emergency, confidence increases significantly. ● Personal Preparedness Planning – Encourage residents to maintain personal grab-and-go bags, updated medication lists, mobility support plans and emergency contact information. Incorporate these

conversations into routine care plan reviews and offer assistance as needed. ● Pet Preparedness Planning – Many residents have companion animals and during an emergency, concern for pets can significantly impact decision making and cooperation. Communities should proactively address: • How pets will be transported during an evacuation. • Designated pet carriers and labeling. • Food, medication and veterinary contact information. • Temporary relocation planning for animals. • Staff awareness of pet locations within the community. When pet preparedness is addressed ahead of time, it reduces hesitation during evacuation and ensures safer, more efficient movement. It also reinforces the message that emergency planning considers the whole resident – not just the building. Preparedness is strongest when residents feel informed, respected and included. Q Another important aspect of emergency preparedness is working with emergency responders. How can CALA members build relationships with their local emergency responders, and what benefits do these partnerships provide for both parties? THOMAS: Relationships with emergency responders should be built long before the emergency occurs. Community leadership can: ● Invite fire departments for pre-incident planning visits. ● Conduct joint walkthroughs of fire alarm panels, sprinkler risers, generator locations and emergency shut-offs. ● Share high-level resident acuity information (without protected health information). ● Discuss evacuation staging areas and access points. ● Ensure Knox Box access is current and verified. Incorporating ICS into your internal emergency structure strengthens these partnerships. When your leadership team understands and operates within an Incident Command framework, communication with fire, EMS and law enforcement becomes clearer and more efficient during an incident because you are speaking the same operational language.

Relationship building can also be as simple as hosting coffee with the fire department, a breakfast with EMS or a

CALA NEWS & VIEWS I ISSUE 55 | APRIL 2026 8