| Photo by Michael Kahn on Unsplash
Part I of “Proactive People Must Protect Their Own Neighborhood” Series
It is public knowledge that police and fire departments tell neighborhoods to prepare for major disasters. Because they may need to help themselves first in case of a major earthquake. Why? It may take up to 72 hours for them to reach survivors due to the expected collapse of major roads, bridges, and other infrastructures, including police precincts, fire stations, and even hospitals.
“Neighborhood FRED” means training residents to become “First Responders for Emergencies and Disasters.” This acronym was coined by this journalist in 2011. More details about it are discussed in this column at this link.
The article also describes how the FRED idea was brought to the attention of some members of the City Councils of Los Angeles and West Covina. In 2015, when former Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy Fredrick Sykes became the mayor of the City of West Covina, he informed the other four councilmembers of the FRED idea. But he could not muster enough support in the City Council. He did not choose to file a city resolution for the FRED project.
Why? Because Mayor Sykes believed in Lyndon B. Johnson’s practice of not introducing any resolution or bill until he was sure he had the votes to pass it. Perhaps the other city officials of West Covina did not like the FRED project, as the acronym is also the nickname of then-Mayor Sykes.
Perhaps residents of Southern California may be jolted (pun intended) to consider the FRED idea after a powerful earthquake in southern Mexico shook the nearby countries of Guatemala and El Salvador last Friday, with the US Geological Survey (USGS) reporting a preliminary magnitude of 7.3. Venezuela has confirmed that last month’s twin earthquakes killed 5,069 people (and counting) and announced it has accessed $346 million from the IMF to support reconstruction efforts.
The biggest earthquake fault in Southern California is the San Andreas Fault, and the last major earthquake to rupture its southern section occurred in 1857 (the Fort Tejon earthquake, estimated at magnitude 7.9). The southern segment of the fault has remained quiet for more than 160 years, accumulating significant stress over time. While there have been more recent, smaller seismic events in Southern California, such as the magnitude 7.1 Ridgecrest earthquakes in 2019, they occurred on different fault networks.
A massive earthquake (the “Big One”) along the San Andreas fault would cause catastrophic, widespread destruction across California, severely damaging major highways, aqueducts, and power grids. The violent shaking from a potential magnitude 7.8 rupture would devastate Southern California, leaving millions without water or electricity while triggering significant economic disruption.
Perhaps the current campaign by candidates for state and local elections on November 3, 2026, is the best time for We, the People, to discuss the FRED proposal and other community-based initiatives with the office seekers. For government is of the people, by the people, and for the people, as then President Abraham Lincoln reminded voters and candidates alike. Part II, next Wednesday, will discuss how to fund the FRED idea and even turn it into a registered cooperative.
