Newsom Launches New Emergency Preparedness Campaign, Announces $50m in Grants

Governor Gavin Newsom, joined by the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) and California Volunteers, on Tuesday officially launched Listos (Ready) California, the new statewide emergency preparedness campaign aimed at building resiliency in vulnerable communities at high risk for wildfire and other disasters. The campaign is an effort to boost disaster preparedness by engage a statewide network of community-based organizations, Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), Listos, AmeriCorps NCCC, veterinary organizations, Fire Safe Councils, and management teams.

As part of the official launch of the campaign, Newsom announced awardees of $50 million in grants provided earlier this year through urgency legislation (AB 72) by the Legislature. California Volunteers awarded $30 million in grants to expand various disaster volunteer programs, deliver culturally and linguistically relevant emergency preparedness curriculum, and launch a statewide public outreach campaign. CalOES awarded $20 million to CBOs in 24 counties to provide emergency preparedness education and support communities in their development of new, uniquely tailored disaster preparedness approaches.

Additionally, on Tuesday, Karen Baker, former California Chief Service Officer, was appointed as the new Senior Advisor for Disaster Volunteering and Preparedness at CalOES. Additional information on Governor Newsom’s announcement is available here. The new Listos California website is available here.