Eaton and Palisade fire heroes honored at Board of Supervisor meeting​on January 30, 2025 at 5:06 am

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — Calling them heroes, organizations and community groups that stepped up during the Eaton and Palisades wildfires were honored at the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday morning.

“Volunteers have been on the front lines alongside first responders evacuating families and helping firefighters save lives and protect homes,” said Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

Supervisor Horvath took time to honor the men and women of the LA County Fire Community Brigade, a group of trained volunteers who worked the frontlines alongside our first responders.

“To see it happen to our community, to several of our brigade members, has been something that has only been more fuel for our motivation. To work harder long into the future,” said Keegan Gibbs, the Task Force Leader of the brigade. “And you guys have our word that we’re going to keep working really hard to make sure that when we rebuild, we’re going to rebuild more resiliently.”

Supervisor Kathryn Barger commended the community work of several organizations like the Red Cross, Kaiser Permanente and the Pasadena Humane Society. Red Cross LA Region CEO Joanne Nowlin says she’s not surprised by how Los Angeles has rallied together.

“We had over, I think we’re at 13,000 individuals now, have signed up on Red Cross to volunteer over the past three weeks,” Nowlin said. “And I really think that just speaks to, this is a community that cares.”

The initial response to helping the victims of the Eaton fire was so great, but leaders of these community groups say they’re help is needed now more than ever.

“We’ve all been in response mode and now we’re going into recovery,” Nowlin said. “And recovery is not only providing assistance at Red Cross is providing, but all of those services that folks can find a home again.”

“We have to continue to work together as a community,” said Maybelle Liquigan, the senior vice president of Kaiser Permanente. “There was no ego there it was about how can we collaborate together so that we can provide the best quality of care that we can.”