In the City of Los Angeles, ALL fireworks are illegal. In the County of Los Angeles, it depends on which city you're talking about. Many cities offer "Safe and Sane" fireworks for sale on and around the 4th of July. The lack of consistency from city to city complicates the public's understanding of fireworks and the law. Join host David Barrett as he speaks with LAPD Deputy Chief Amanda Tingirides, L.A. County Fire Captain Sheila Kelliher, and a group of L.A. residents - all talking about their perspectives on the issue of illegal fireworks in Los Angeles. Support the show ..read more

Join MySafe:LA's David Barrett as he covers the ongoing threat of wildfires in California generally, and in Southern California more specifically. Los Angeles City Fire Department Deputy Chief Trevor Richmond shares insight in what to expect this year and unveils a new collaboration between the LAFD and MySafe:LA - the Los Angeles Wildfire Resilience Alliance. Initially being rolled out as a pilot, it's expected to expand to cover the entire City - and MySafe:LA will cover the entire County of Los Angeles.  We also talk about the annual MySafe:LA "Smoke Alarm Awareness Month" activities ..read more

Join host David Barrett as he navigates the complex environment of illegal fireworks in Los Angeles. David is joined by three important guests, including LA City Area Prosecutor and Deputy City Attorney Gabrielle Taylor, Deputy Chief for the Office of Operations of the LAPD, Beatrice Girmala, and Public Information Officer Erik Scott of the Los Angeles City Fire Department.  Fireworks may seem like an impossible issue to remedy, but there is progress being made. Increased enforcement for distributors and sellers, expanded education for children and adults, and back for 2021 - live, profe ..read more

Fireworks have traditionally been at the core of national and regional celebrations. In Los Angeles, all fireworks sales and use are illegal - but even so, Angelenos celebrate every June through August with a nightly show of rebellion that brings joy to some, and fear and disaster to many. This special edition of CityTalk:LA looks into the issues surrounding fireworks, and visits with a number of people involved in the legal aspects of what people believe is a national pastime.  Join us as we speak with leaders from the Los Angeles City Fire Department, the Los Angeles Police Department ..read more

In this exciting Armenian-language podcast, Harout Harry Semerdjian of MySafe:LA’s Board of Directors and EMT Henry Halajian of MySafe:LA (and an ambulance operator for the Glendale Fire Department) discuss COVID-19 and important community protections related to the coronavirus epidemic. They also touch on our signature Smoke Alarm Installation Program, which we offer to the community free of charge. Support the show ..read more

How many smoke alarms are in your home? Are they all working? Are they in the right locations? If you don't know the answer to any of these questions, this podcast is for you! MySafe:LA Public Information Officer Todd Leitz chats with Deborah Hanson, the Director of External Affairs for First Alert, the smoke alarm manufacturer. First Alert and Debbie are great friends of MySafe:LA and have donated thousands of smoke alarms to MySafe:LA safety initiatives. Debbie is a smoke alarm expert, and she'll answer those burning questions you have about your alarms. Support the show ..read more

MySafe:LA Executive Officer David Barrett chats with one of the most respected voices in fire prevention, Jim Crawford, the former Fire Marshal for Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. Crawford has more than 37 years of firefighting experience and is currently the Project Manager for Vision 20/20. Crawford and Barrett discuss smoke alarms, why people are still living without them and what can be done to convince those who are that the risks they're taking are life threatening. Support the show ..read more

In our first fire and life safety podcast of the month, David Barrett speaks with Meri-K Appy, an internationally recognized fire and life safety expert. Meri-K has spent her professional life in public safety education. She was a consultant to MySafe:LA and part of the Vision 20/20 Coalition. She and David speak about the recent rash of fire fatalities in the city of Los Angeles. All these recent tragic fires have one thing in common - not one working smoke alarm was found in any of the residences. Support the show ..read more

Executive Officer David Barrett speaks with retired Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Greenup, who on January 17, 1994 was three stories below Los Angeles City Hall in the LAFD's dispatch center when the Northridge Earthquake struck. Greenup spent the day (and many after that) sending LAFD resources to the devastated areas of Los Angeles where people not only struggled when the ground started shaking but weeks and months after it had stopped. Support the show ..read more

In our continuing series on the 20th Anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake, MySafe:LA Public Information Officer Todd Leitz speaks with retired LAFD Battalion Chief Steve Ruda. In 1994, Chief Ruda lived one mile from the Northridge Meadows Apartments and not much farther from the epicenter of the quake. He describes the preparations he had made, only a few weeks before, that created a sense of calm amidst the unbelievable chaos and destruction of that day. Support the show ..read more