Community Update: Support and Resources During the Ongoing Wildfires
January 10, 2025 I 11:30 A.M.
Our hearts are heavy with sadness due to the ongoing devastation from wildfires throughout the greater Los Angeles region. Many in our community continue to be directly impacted, and nearly everyone knows of family or friends who have been forced to evacuate or have lost their homes. This affects all of us deeply and personally.
First and foremost, we extend our care, concern, and support to everyone who has been displaced and faces uncertainty as the fires persist. The loss is unimaginable. We are deeply grateful to the firefighters and first responders who are on the front lines courageously working to protect lives and property at this very moment.
The fires are a good distance west of Claremont, and there are no evacuation warnings or existing threats to campus. However, please be advised that most of the Southern California region, including Claremont, is under a red flag warning, indicating that any new fires will spread rapidly due to weather conditions. The winds are also unpredictable and forecasts can change quickly. We will continue to monitor fire danger, air quality, and high wind alerts for faculty and staff who are working at this time, as well as the few students who are currently on campus. We are also aware that several areas of Los Angeles County are currently without power. At this time, the campus has not experienced power interruptions. Campus remains open as we prepare for the start of spring semester classes on January 21.
If you have been personally impacted by the fires, know that we all hold you in our hearts and are here to assist.
Faculty and Staff, please reach out to Nyree Gray. President Chodosh and the President’s Executive Cabinet, along with TCCS, are working to coordinate our local support. Nyree is tracking regional, federal, and CMC resources and can work with you individually to provide assistance. Please reach out so we can help.
Students, please reach out to DT Graves or Jimmy Doan, who will assist and support you based on your situation.
In addition, many of you have asked how you can help. On social media and in the news, there are several lists of organizations who are providing direct support to victims who could use your assistance. Here is one non-exhaustive list of ways you can help those affected.
In anticipation of the forecasted Santa Ana winds earlier this week, staff in Facilities and Campus Services (FACS) and an arborist inspected all trees and had additional trimming done. So far, this has helped us manage the winds with very little impact to campus.
Where possible, FACS is closing the dampers to buildings to limit the inflow of outside air to assist with air quality mitigation in the short term.
Brian Weir, Executive Director of Public Safety and Emergency Management, has a supply of masks available upon request.
In addition, here are some resources you can consult to track the most current status of the fires:
The well-being of each and every member of our CMC community and our extended families is of paramount concern, so please continue to do all you can to remain safe.
Take care and stay safe,
Hiram and the President’s Executive Cabinet
Emergency Notification System
CMC students and employees are automatically enrolled in the College’s Everbridge Mass Communications Notification system. This system allows the College to send emails and text messages to enrollees about critical incidents or dangerous situations. Third parties wishing to enroll in the mass notification system may contact the Human Resources office to update or add contact information at 909-621-8490.
Individuals responsible for issuing the emergency notification (usually the Campus Safety communications officers and supervisors) will, with the assistance of campus and local first responders, determine the content of the notification. Those issuing the notification will use the following guidelines when determining the contents of the emergency notification:
The first message is intended to alert the community (or appropriate segment of the Claremont Colleges community) of the emergency and the actions they should take to safeguard their and their neighbor’s safety. Messages distributed in this stage of a rapidly unfolding incident will generally be short, precise, and directive.
The second message is intended to inform the community (or appropriate segment of the Claremont Colleges community) about additional details of the situation. This message is generally distributed once first responders and the Emergency Operations Center has additional information about the dangerous situation.
Finally, the third message is the reassure notice that is generally distributed once the situation is nearly or completely resolved. The purpose of this message is to reassure the Claremont Colleges community that the Claremont Colleges or the College is working diligently to resolve the dangerous situation. It can also be used to provide additional information about the situation and where resources will be available.
Claremont McKenna College Emergency Links
Department Navigation
- Campus Safety
- Fire department in Claremont
- City of Claremont Police Department
- Claremont Red Cross
- South Coast Air Quality Management District
- County of Los Angeles Fire Department
- Los Angeles County Sheriff
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Homeland Security
- FEMA
- CalFIre
- California Office of Emergency Services
- U.S. Geological Survey
- KABC Channel 7
- KCBS Channel 2/KCAL Channel 9
- KNBC Channel 4
- LA Fox 11
- KTLA Channel 5
- CNN
- KNX 1070AM
- Los Angeles Times
- Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
- Emergency Procedures
- Emergency Phone Locations
- Staff-Faculty Handout for Emergency Procedures PDF
- Fire Evacuation Procedures
- Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Locations
- CMC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
- Past Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports
- Bomb Threats
- Bomb Threat Call Checklist
- Building Safety Training Coordinators 2019-20 Training Calendar
- CMC Safety Coordinators
- Vehicle and Driver Authorizations
- First Aid Kit Locations
- Incident Report Procedures
- NEST (New Employee Safety Training)
- Summary of Responsibilities During Building Evacuations
- Types of Potential Incidents
Other Claremont College Campus
Emergency Web Sites
Claremont McKenna College
Emergency Links
- Emergency Procedures
- Emergency Phone Locations
- Staff-Faculty Handout for Emergency Procedures PDF
- Fire Evacuation Procedures
- Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) Locations
- CMC Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
- Past Annual Security and Fire Safety Reports
- Bomb Threats
- Bomb Threat Call Checklist
- Building Safety Training Coordinators 2019-20 Training Calendar
- CMC Safety Coordinators
- Vehicle and Driver Authorizations
- First Aid Kit Locations
- Incident Report Procedures
- NEST (New Employee Safety Training)
- Summary of Responsibilities During Building Evacuations
- Types of Potential Incidents
Department Navigation
- Campus Safety
- Fire department in Claremont
- City of Claremont Police Department
- Claremont Red Cross
- South Coast Air Quality Management District
- County of Los Angeles Fire Department
- Los Angeles County Sheriff
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Homeland Security
- FEMA
- CalFire
- California Office of Emergency Services
- U.S. Geological Survey
- KABC Channel 7
KCBS Channel 2/KCAL Channel 9 - KNBC Channel 4
- LA Fox 11
- KTLA Channel 5
- CNN
- KNX 1070AM
Los Angeles Times - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin