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Los Angeles is prone to many natural and man-made disasters, so local communities must be prepared, not only to protect themselves during emergencies, but also to rebuild and recover afterwards. In an effort to prevent loss of life and damage to city infrastructure, all city departments must focus on disaster preparedness. This February, five emergency management experts from Jordan, Pakistan, Portugal, Turkey and Venezuela came to Los Angeles as part of their International Visitor Leadership Program, where they learned best strategies for community recovery and coordinated efforts in emergency management.

 

The international visitors first took a look at disaster preparedness training for local communities. They met with members of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Unit, which provides disaster preparedness training for the home and workplace. This free training empowers civilians to deal with their circumstances in emergencies without needing help from outside sources. At the Ambassador School for Global Leadership, the group visited several classrooms to review their emergency evacuation plan.

 

To mitigate the impact of natural disasters in Los Angeles, the government, NGOs, community organizers and first responders align to build resilience to natural hazards. The delegation had a meeting at the Science Application for Risk Reduction (SAFRR) Project, which was created to innovate the application of hazard science for the safety, security, and economic well-being of the nation. SAFRR directs new and existing research towards addressing gaps in vulnerability and producing innovative products.

 

Next, the participants went to the Center for Public Health and Disasters (CPHD) at UCLA, which addresses the critical issues faced when disaster impacts a community. The Center staff, whose diverse backgrounds include emergency medicine, environmental health, urban planning and more, discussed facilitating the interaction among public health, engineering, and social sciences.

 

The visitors had the opportunity to learn about emergency preparedness and coordination at the governmental level, at the City of Los Angeles Emergency Management Department (EMD). The EMD is responsible for the coordination of Los Angeles' emergency planning, training, response and recovery efforts in the midst of major disasters that require involvement by multiple city departments. There, officials talked about the coordination with the West Coast FEMA office on common challenges, from flooding and landslides to terrorism and sanctuary cities. The visitors also had a tour of the state-of-the-art 84,000 square foot emergency operations center.

 

Finally, the group had an appointment with the Los Angeles County Emergency Operations Center (CEOC), whose mission is to develop, assemble and maintain information that may be needed during future emergencies. With over ten million residents in L.A. County, the Emergency Operations Center ensures command, control, coordination and communication during crisis response and long term recovery.

 

Besides their professional meetings, the international visitors got the chance to meet with Angelinos in a casual setting over home hospitality with IVCLA Young Professional members Petra Hand, Leena Khan and Danielle Valentino.

Danielle and her friend with international visitors Carlos Mendes Coelho Lopes Lucio, Duygu Guner, and Joaquin Alejandro Linayo Rivero

Leena Khan and Petra Hand taking a selfie with international visitors Fadi Beida and Sara Khan

IVCLA is looking for a volunteer to help match international visitors with our members for home hospitality dinners!

With this volunteer opportunity, you will get a first-hand look at what emerging leaders are coming to Los Angeles, and match them with their perfect hosts. International visitors often say that home hospitality is one of the best parts of their time in the U.S. Getting to meet with local Angelinos in a casual and intimate setting gives the international visitors a more holistic view of the United States.

Volunteer hours are flexible. If you or anyone you know are interested, please contact Cameron Campbell at [email protected] or (213) 388-1428 ext. 26

DISCOVER AND TASTE ITALY'S FINEST FOOD & WINE PRODUCTS

Fulbright Visiting Scholar Przemyslaw Wojciech Pest from Poland will be presenting the following lecture:

                                                                                       

                                                                                      

Shem Pest holds a Ph.D. degree in Law, specializing in Financial Law from the University of Wroclaw (Poland). At the University of Wroclaw he works as Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, Administration and Economics. Professor Pest's research interests are focused on public finances and taxation. As a Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Grantee at the University of Wyoming for the 2017 Spring semester, he teaches International Business at the UW MBA program and does research on natural resources taxation in Wyoming with Prof. Robert W. Godby at the UW Energy Economics & Public Policies Center.

To reserve a seat please contact J. Cynthia McDermott: [email protected]

The following are among the arriving guests of the U.S. government whose professional appointments in Los Angeles will be arranged by the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles.   March 2017
Kosovo	Countering Violent Extremism in Youth	Mar 4 - 8
90 International Fulbright Scholars	Fulbright Summit	Mar 8 - 11
Brunei Burma Cambodia Indonesia Laos Malaysia Philippines Singapore Vietnam	ASEAN: Community Engagement with Youth	Mar 8 - 11
Afghanistan	Effective Disaster Management and Emergency Response Coordination	Mar 8 - 12
Bangladesh	Women Strengthening Labor Unions and Improving Labor-Management	Mar 11 - 15
Mexico	Trafficking in Persons	Mar 12 - 15
Colombia	Strengthening Public Health Strategies to Address Emergent Virus	Mar 15 - 19
South Africa	Ms. Carol Silindile DLUDLA	Mar 18 - 22
People's Republic of China	Intellectual Property Rights Issues in the U.S.	Mar 22 - 25
Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Liberia Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mozambique Rwanda Sierra Leone South Africa South Sudan Sudan Uganda Zambia Zimbabwe	Race and Social Justice	Mar 22 - 28
Russia	Open World: Community-Focused Women Entrepreneurs in Sister Cities	Mar 24 - April 1
Slovakia	Improving Efficiency and Effectiveness of Slovakia's Judiciary	Mar 25 - 29
Turkmenistan	Museum Management and Outreach	Mar 30 - April 4