AGENDA
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
LAW ENFORCEMENT / FIRE / EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUBCOMMITTEE Agoura Hills City Hall - City Manager's Conference Room 30001 Ladyface Court, Agoura Hills, California 91301
Monday, August 10, 2026
4:00 PM
Please silence all cell phones and other electronic devices during the meeting.
NOTE: The Subcommittee and City staff will be participating in this meeting in-person in the City Manager's Conference Room. Members of the public have the opportunity to participate in-person in the conference room.
For public participation on items listed on this Agenda, refer to "Public Comments" below.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (PUBLIC COMMENT)
Option A: To provide public comments in-person at the meeting Members of the public have an opportunity to attend the meeting in-person and speak or submit a written comment on any item listed on this Agenda. Public testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per speaker; a speaker’s time may not be transferred to another speaker. Written public comments submitted at the meeting are not read aloud by staff.
To request to speak in-person at the meeting. The Subcommittee will open the floor for public comment and any in-person attendee who raises their hand will have the opportunity to speak. Public testimony is limited to three (3) minutes per speaker; a speaker's time may no be transferred to another speaker.
Option B: To submit written public comments by e-mail (prior to the meeting) Members of the public have an opportunity to submit email correspondence on any item listed on the Agenda by sending an email to: [email protected]. All public correspondence received by 3:00 p.m. on the meeting date will be provided to the Subcommittee prior to the meeting. Public comments are not read into the record. Any public comments received after 3:00 p.m. on the meeting day will not be considered as part of the Subcommittee’s deliberations or entered into the official record, but will be provided to the Subcommittee the next day.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
Mayor Pro Tem Deborah Klein Lopez
Councilmember Penny Sylvester
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
PUBLIC COMMENTS
(This section is reserved for persons wishing to address items not listed on the Agenda that are under the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council. Please refer to “Public Participation” above for full details on how to speak or submit written public comments under this category.)
DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Emergency Management Update
SUBCOMMITTEE OR STAFF COMMENTS
ADJOURNMENT
Date Posted: August 6, 2026
REPORT TO LAW ENFORCEMENT/FIRE/EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUBCOMMITTEE DATE: AUGUST 10, 2026
TO:
HONORABLE MEMBERS OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT / FIRE / EMERGENCY RESPONSE
SUBCOMMITTEE
FROM: NATHAN HAMBURGER, CITY MANAGER
BY:
RAMIRO ADEVA, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
MARY HADDAD, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
SUBJECT: EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT UPDATE
Over the last several months, the City Manager's Office has led the city's emergency management program. During this period, staff has advanced a number of efforts ranging from adoption of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP), training efforts, targeted outreach, and technology research. This report provides an overview of these efforts.
Community Wildfire Protection Plan
Since the adoption of the CWPP by the City Council in May 2026, staff has begun implementation efforts by officially launching the CWPP Agency Working Group. The first meeting was held on July 26, 2026, with participation from the Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council, Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, California State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council, the Community Brigade, and the Agoura Hills Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Agencies that were unable to attend were provided with a meeting briefing to remain informed on the kickoff and next steps.
The meeting included an overview of the CWPP and a discussion on the structure and goals of future Agency Working Group meetings. Each participating agency shared updates on current emergency preparedness and wildfire resilience projects, and the group began identifying opportunities for collaboration and partnership. The next meeting is anticipated to take place in October as part of the group’s quarterly meeting schedule. Staff’s goal for the next meeting is to provide an update on the recently submitted CAL FIRE Proposition 4 grant application, which will require continued coordination and partnerships to successfully implement the proposed projects. We will also be planning to bring a community-wide CWPP update that will be open to all later this year as we continue implementation.
CALFIRE Prop 4 Grant Application
Following adoption of the CWPP in May 2026, staff immediately began applying and researching grant opportunities. Staff recently applied to the CALFIRE Prop 4 Wildfire Prevention Grant cycle for 2026, utilizing projects identified in our CWPP. With many reccomendations within the CWPP document, staff began by reviewing what the Agency Working Group identified as priority projects. We applied for three significant projects including:
Community Wide (CW) Recommendation 6: Work with LA County Fire Department, National Park Service, and Mountain Recreation Conservancy Area to identify opportunities to implement grazing of herbaceous fuels, particularly in Palo Comodo/Chesebro and Liberty Canyons. Grazing was a historic land use practice in the Agoura Hills vicinity.
CW Recommendation 4: Coordinate with MRCA, NPS, and Caltrans on mechanical fuel treatments adjacent to the city, particularly in Palo Comado, Chesebro Canyon, Reyes Adobe, Forest Cove, and the 101 Freeway Corridor.
Develop an Updated Evacuation Plan for the City of Agoura Hills.
City staff was able to secure multiple letters of support from partner agencies, and submitted the grant on July 8, 2026. We are pending review, and will keep the subcommittee updated on next steps.
Communications
One of staff’s goals in establishing a successful Emergency Management program is expanding communication methods and meeting residents where they are during an emergency. Staff recently met with Cal Lutheran University’s KCLU Radio station to explore a partnership that would allow the City to provide real-time emergency updates through radio broadcasts. This communication method will be incorporated into the City’s Crisis Communications Plan, allowing the Public Information Officer within the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), or their designee, to share information on how residents can access KCLU updates during an emergency. Staff is also exploring potential funding opportunities to develop a City-operated emergency radio station, similar to programs implemented by the City of Calabasas and other communities.
In addition, staff is excited to announce the upcoming launch of a new emergency preparedness application, “Agoura Hills Ready,” designed to provide residents with preparedness resources before, during, and after an emergency without requiring internet or cell service. The application will include preparedness checklists, evacuation terminology, utility shut-off guides, emergency contact information, and other critical resources that residents can access when they need them most.
The Communications team has also dedicated significant efforts toward engaging the Old Agoura community and developing a Large Animal Response Program. Staff met with Old Agoura community members on June 3, 2026, to gather feedback on emergency preparedness needs and challenges related to large animal evacuations. Staff has also been working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works to explore the use of a County-owned parcel in Old Agoura as a potential large animal staging area during Red Flag Warning events and evacuations.
The community has identified this as a valuable resource that could improve evacuation efficiency and help bring animals to safety.
To support informed decision-making, staff launched a survey to better understand the City’s large animal inventory, including the number of animals, available trailers, and residents who have an evacuation plan or need assistance developing one. A summary of the survey results is included with this report for the Subcommittee’s review. Staff will present recommendations on next steps for utilizing this information to develop a more comprehensive Large Animal Response Plan.
Home Hardening Program
City staff has been working closely with the Agoura Hills Fire Safe Council to conduct outreach and maximize the City Council’s goal of helping residents harden their homes by providing free vent mesh. We are excited to report that approximately 215 homes have benefited from this program to date.
As we continue promoting home hardening and the importance of maintaining defensible space, City staff has also been exploring innovative technologies that could provide residents with accessible tools to assess their own properties. A few weeks ago, staff met with a company called OpalAI, which was introduced by Councilmember Penny Sylvester. While the company offers several software solutions, staff was specifically interested in exploring their home assessment and defensible space detection technology. Staff will provide a presentation on the software during this subcommittee meeting.
Staff Training
Another priority for staff has been expanding EOC training efforts to ensure team members feel confident and prepared to respond during an emergency situation. Late last year, staff developed an EOC Setup Tutorial for all employees and utilized the Great ShakeOut drill in October 2025 as an opportunity to conduct a surprise hands-on training exercise where staff practiced setting up the EOC.
This year, staff has continued these efforts by developing a curated list of FEMA trainings tailored to each section of the EOC and requiring staff to complete the assigned courses. These trainings provide staff with a foundation of commonly used EOC terminology, an understanding of operational functions, and clarity regarding their specific roles and responsibilities. Phase 1 of this training was completed in June, and staff has now transitioned into Phase 2, which focuses on applying the knowledge gained through the online courses in an in-person, staff-led training.
This hands-on exercise will simulate an emergency activation, requiring staff to report to their assigned EOC sections and complete a checklist of tasks within designated timeframes.
As part of ongoing preparedness efforts, staff has also held monthly virtual check-ins over the past three months to test communication procedures and ensure employees understand how they will be notified to report to the EOC.
These meetings also provide an opportunity to gather feedback and identify additional resources or support needed to help staff feel confident and prepared.
Next Steps
Looking ahead, staff will continue to build on this work across each program area. The CWPP Agency Working Group is anticipated to reconvene in October as part of its regular quarterly schedule, or sooner if needed, once the City hears back on the CALFIRE grant application so that partner agencies can begin coordinating on CWPPrelated projects. On the grant itself, staff will keep the Subcommittee updated as next steps develop, including funding determinations. Community outreach will also continue, with the Communications team launching the City's second Emergency Preparedness Month campaign in September, featuring weekly videos and social media posts.
Staff training will progress into more specific topics and section-level trainings to further build EOC readiness.
Finally, building on the community engagement and inventory work completed to date, staff's goal is to develop a comprehensive Large Animal Response Plan in the near term.
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Law Enforcement / Fire / Emergency Response Subcommittee review all emergency management updates and provide any feedback to staff as we continue to implement this work.
Attachments
Old_Agoura_Council_Snapshot.pdf
CITY OF AGOURA HILLS
Emergency Preparedness • Old Agoura Equestrian Community Old Agoura Large-Animal Preparedness Outreach • July 2026 • Preliminary figures pending staff verification City of Agoura Hills Old Agoura Equestrian Community Snapshot
A one-page summary of the City’s large-animal preparedness outreach in Old Agoura. 174
HOMES VISITED
door-to-door outreach
45 SURVEYS DISTRIBUTED
QR codes & links left
43 ONLINE SURVEYS
completed online
~179
HORSES
104 at homes + ~75 Pony Club
Outreach at a Glance
50 Successful in-person contacts
61 Total surveys completed
40 Households reporting animals
5 Streets canvassed
Animals Counted Across Old Agoura
10 Miniature horses
1 Ponies
2 Donkeys
2 Cows
11 Sheep
5 Goats
4 Alpacas
1 Camel
1 Pigs
35 Chickens
24 households have a horse trailer
(~40 trailers observed neighborhood-wide) — animal
transportation is the top gap
27 homes had horses visible but no one answered
we logged these animals even without speaking to the
property owner
Preparedness Sentiment in Old Agoura
These observations reflect the residents who took part — a minority of the neighborhood, since most properties could not be reached in person and only about a third of homes visited returned a survey. Among those who did respond, most said they know what to do and where to go, and a few noted their planning improved after the Woolsey Fire.
The most consistent concern was animal transportation — not every owner has a trailer, and one large facility cannot move its horses quickly. Gated properties and single-road access were also raised repeatedly. The clearest takeaway is that much of the community has not yet been reached, and follow-up outreach is needed before the picture can be considered complete.