California’s saga of disaster preparedness for vulnerable residents is more tragicomedy than thriller. Remember five years ago when an audit revealed our beloved Golden State was woefully unprepared to help the most at-risk during disasters? Fast forward: with wildfires raging and updates coming slower than our internet speed during peak hours, legislators finally decided to chat about it.

Led by Assemblymember John Harabedian, a fiery dialogue unfolded this week. He pointed fingers at the disproportionate number of older citizens and disabled folks who paid with their lives during the Eaton Fire earlier this year. Notable casualties included Anthony Mitchell Sr. and his son, who spent their last moments stuck waiting for help. Talk about the urgency of now!

Alongside him was Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom, who summoned the spirit of the past audit and bluntly stated, “California is still not protecting the most vulnerable residents from disasters,” four years after the initial warning bells were sounded. Isn’t it comforting to know our government can consistently fail to protect its citizens?

Back in December 2019, a state auditor (thanks, Elaine Howle!) painted a disheartening picture. Among the countless findings: counties were sending alerts only in English and relying on landline calls like it was the 1990s. Can we get a collective eye roll for the lack of basic modern communication?

The hearing was essentially a reunion with no-show actors, as county officials busy sticking their heads in the sand were MIA. The state controls the purse strings but provides as much guidance as a lost tourist without a map. We learned that good planning doesn’t guarantee success, but let’s be honest, a total lack of planning definitely guarantees failure.

Fast forward to now: some progress has been made since the 2020 overhaul of emergency response protocols, local governments are required to review some emergency plans. But fewer counties are on board than you’d think! Spoiler alert: Butte and Ventura are still stuck in “meh” mode when it comes to updating their plans.

As the hearing wrapped, Harabedian and Ransom rightly imposed that we can’t rest on past accomplishments; ongoing vigilance is key, especially in a state where wildfires will continue to morph into regular, unwelcome guests.

Despite proclamations that California is ahead of the game, it seems like there’s still a lot left to do. The truth is, we’re not ready to celebrate a victory just yet. So let’s keep the pressure on, because when disaster strikes, every second counts, and being unprepared isn’t an option.

Has anyone checked the latest emergency plans? Oh, right, we’re still working on that.