Published: October 06, 2006

'California Connected': Topanga Canyon's Emergency Communications Center

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The Fire Next Time

California Connected welcomes you to Topanga Canyon, an area just outside Los Angeles that some locals call a perilous paradise.

Topanga, a Native American word for heaven, is prone to earthquakes, fires and mudslides. Because Topanga Canyon is so remote, when it comes to surviving Mother Nature, "Topangans" have learned the hard way that to live in Topanga Canyon means surviving on your own.

So, they have created a Topanga Coalition For Emergency Preparedness (T-CEP). T-CEP prepares for disasters, and is the only organization of its kind. The locals decided to take these disastrous matters into their own hands, and set up their own emergency communications center.

Tune into California Connected to find out how this organization has led county officials to view "Topangans" as a model for other communities in California.

Please Check Local Listings for show times, October 6

California Connected is an award-winning, news magazine produced through a unique collaboration of four PBS stations: KCET-Los Angeles, KPBS-San Diego, KQED-San Francisco and KVIE-Sacramento.

www.californiaconnected.org
www.mprm.com

alan@newsblaze.com