County to Explore Registry to Better Evacuate People with Disabilities
Los Angeles, CA (April 2, 2025) – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors have ordered County departments to explore creating a registry to aid in evacuating people with disabilities and older adults with mobility issues during an emergency. Supervisors Janice Hahn and Kathryn Barger—who represents Altadena—brought the motion forward in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades wildfires in January, during which people with disabilities and older adults faced particular difficulties in safely evacuating.
“When the next disaster hits, we need to be better prepared to evacuate people who cannot evacuate themselves,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn, who authored the motion “In an emergency, our first responders should know who our most vulnerable residents are, where they are, and how to reach them when minutes matter and lives are on the line.”
“Our County must take decisive action to protect our most vulnerable residents,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger who co-authored the motion. “It is devastating to learn that the average age of the 17 lives lost in the Eaton Fire was 77—a tragic reminder of the urgent need to safeguard seniors and people with disabilities during emergency evacuations. We have a duty to ensure no one is left behind. Today’s motion is a critical step toward strengthening our preparedness and response efforts.”
The board unanimously approved a motion yesterday written by Supervisor Janice Hahn and co-authored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger directing the LA County Department of Aging and Disabilities in collaboration with the CEO, the Office of Emergency Management, the LA County Fire Chief, and the Sheriff to conduct an unbiased study on a potential registry that could help emergency responders locate and assist older adults and people with disabilities in future emergency evacuation and response efforts. The study will include engaging stakeholders to better understand the needs of older adults and people with mobility challenges, medical conditions, or cognitive impairments during an emergency as well as assessing any legal, technological and privacy concerns.
“The unprecedented community conflagrations in January of 2025 highlighted the critical need for and importance of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable populations during emergencies,” said Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone. “The County of Los Angeles Fire Department looks forward to collaborating with County, State, and community partners on the feasibility study to examine best practices and to explore the feasibility for Los Angeles County to develop and establish a vulnerable population registry for proactive outreach and rescue during local and widespread disaster emergencies.”
“Given the continuing growth of our older adult population and the number of adults living with disabilities in our county, it is critical that we have an array of options for people to be able to plan for their own wellbeing and safety in an emergency,” said LA County Director of Aging and Disabilities Laura Trejo.
The Department of Aging and Disabilities will report back to the board in 120 days with the results of their assessment and options for a registry or other potential solutions, including recommendations for a proactive emergency notification program and improved data-sharing protocols across relevant agencies to help identify and support individuals who may need evacuation assistance during emergencies.
