The most recent Block Captain Quarterly Meeting was held the evening of August 22nd.The program relies on input from our Block Captains and there was feedback to have some meetings in the evening, rather than mornings. Given the turnout, the later time proved successful. Before the meeting, attendees were treated to something to eat and drink.           

No news is good news, as the saying goes.  Happily, there was not much news. The Fire Department inspections were completed by the end of June and almost all of those receiving citations have made corrections. The Sheriff Department reported that there hasn’t been any recent crime within Rolling Hills and Mark Grindle, Security Manager for RHCA, explained how gate attendants remind visitors and contractors of fire restrictions within the City.

Block Captain recruitment efforts are underway   

As the picture of the poster states: BLOCK CAPTAINS are WANTED and A REWARD is being offered. Block Captains act as a liaison between the city, emergency responders, and their neighbors. Our goal is to educate. Rolling Hills is in a high fire severity zone. Heavy rains have brought down large trees that block roads.  There is always a chance of an earthquake.                            

While living in this beautiful community it is important to be prepared.  Join the program and help keep your neighbors informed! Please call City Hall at 310-377-1521 to find out more about the program

He reviewed the changes in the insurance landscape and the difficulty insurance companies have accurately assessing risk. He briefly explained what California is trying to do for its residents. Many Californians have lost insurance. Some companies have pulled out of the state completely, while others stopped writing new policies and have dropped existing customers.   

Mr. Obedoza assured the group that the California market is too valuable for insurers to abandon altogether. The state is working with companies who are fearful of risk, given the spate of wildfires. The more companies that offer insurance the more the risk is spread out, and the more choices customers have.   The Fair Plan, available to those who have lost insurance coverage, was meant as “an insurance of last resort” but now covers many Californians. The Fair Plan was never intended to support the number of policyholders it currently has.  Mr. Obedoza suggested residents check out smaller companies and even companies outside California. There are some disadvantages to this, but he suggested weighing the pros and cons. His primary advice was to reduce fire hazards on your property, with 0-5 feet being the most critical. He recommended: Class A roofing, enclosed eaves, screening to prevent embers, keeping roofs and gutters cleared, and removing any dead vegetation especially within 30 feet of any structure.                                     

Mr. Obedoza noted that insurers may reject an individual policy even if a homeowner has hardened their home, if the insurer judges the surrounding area as too risky. If your property is fire safe but neighboring properties are not, it can impact your coverage.                             

Rolling Hills has been working as a community to reduce the risk of fires and will be looking into the Fire Wise Community program.  There are approximately 900 Fire Wise Communities in California. The program encourages communities to band together to participate in fire mitigations activities and help reduce insurance costs.  The CA Department of Insurance encourages communities to work together to reduce fire risk as a whole so that they remain safe and insured.

The project fell behind the projected timeline, but progress was made and the three sirens are due to be installed this fall which includes work to implement their use. Arlene is on the City’s ad hoc committee for the sirens and will report back at the November meeting.

We encourage families to have emergency supplies ready at home and in cars. Whether you need to shelter in place or leave quickly, be prepared. Have you discussed a communication plan with your family? Have you chosen a place to meet if cell phones are not working?  Your plan may change over the years but make sure you have one.      

Thank you to our ad hoc committee.          

The Block Captain Leadership asked for volunteers to join an ad hoc committee to help decide some of the priorities for the community program. The campaign to recruit new Block Captains is one of their first priorities. Thank you to Maureen Nunn, Rae Walker, Arlene Honbo and Judith Haenel for coming up with new ideas.           

Rolling Hills Block Captains will be volunteering at the Rolling Hills booth at this event. A myriad of emergency preparedness items will be available for sale. Many groups will be represented, including both the Sheriff and Fire Departments. Last year additional groups included Ham Radio clubs and instructions, CERT training, emergency preparedness for dogs, cats and horses, etc. Come and get all your questions answered by the experts.                                        

Block Captains:  If your block is not having an annual meeting at a home in your area, we encourage you to make a plan and attend the EXPO with your neighbors. There are many resources in one place and plenty of parking. 

The final Block Captain Quarterly Meeting of 2024 will be on November 21st at City Hall and the Christmas Party for Block Captains will be on December 12th.