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Set in a beautiful steep-walled canyon that runs to the Pacific, Topanga is an unincorporated community that embodies the extremes of life in Southern California. Much of the time it is a little bit of heaven, a place close to both nature and Los Angeles.

But Topanga is also classic Southern California fire and flood country, with at least one major wildfire in each decade of the past 80 years. In 1993, a fire driven by Santa Ana winds hit Topanga, destroying 411 homes and killing three people.

One of the biggest problems during that disaster was getting and dispensing accurate information, especially in Topanga's isolated canyon enclaves. As a result of the fire and ensuing confusion, the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness was started by local residents. The coalition found that time to build support for a community fire program is when the embers are still hot and smoke is in the air.

Along with supplying fire-preparedness information, the coalition has organized to deal with a disaster as it happens. Volunteers have ham radio–equipped cars to provide timely close-to-home information on road conditions and fire movement. Evacuation sites--including a shelter for animals--have been set up, and 20 volunteers staff a hotline during fire, earthquake, and flood emergencies.

In 1996, the new system was tested as fires in the Santa Monica Mountains burned close to Topanga. The hotline received more than 900 calls from residents, and the community's Emergency Operations Center remained open for 36 hours straight.

Today, April 28th 2012, is the Topanga annual evacuation drill, a day for canyon residents to prepare for disaster and for everyone who lives and works nearby to assess their own emergency preparedness plans for home and work. Are you prepared for a natural disaster? Do you have a plan? Emergency supplies? Now is the time to get prepared… before a real disaster strikes.

The 2012 Ready Set Go Topanga Evacuation Drill has concluded, many thanks to all who participated.