"A pilot program in California is offering tools and emergency response training to caregivers, who often find themselves on the front lines of wildfires, hurricanes or other natural disasters."
"Brian Smith was getting ready for work one Thursday in 2018 when he was jolted by loud raps on the window and poked his head out the door to see his neighbors running from house to house yelling, “Fire!”
Smith, an In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) caregiver, wasn’t terribly alarmed. Residents in Magalia, California, got their fair share of fire alerts, usually with easy evacuations and speedy returns. But as Smith got in his car and rounded the corner near his house, he caught sight of Feather Canyon glowing an angry orange and knew this fire would be different.
In the chaos of what would become California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire, Smith’s thoughts darted to Donna, an 83-year-old client of his who was a recluse, and hadn’t left her trailer in over nine years. She’d be afraid, possibly even unaware of the fire, and unable to evacuate on her own."
Katie Rodriguez reports for Inside Climate News July 12, 2022.
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