I’m the field organizer for the West Valley for Nextdoor, the neighborhood watch social media site for neighborhoods. I was up at the tip of the Louise Nugent neighborhood yesterday (05/02/14) in Granada Hills, talking to people about the drought and winds and letting them know about Nextdoor. The LA Fire Department can post into Nextdoor neighborhoods in the case of an emergency to let users know in real time what steps to take if there are fires burning close to homes. People can get the free app for their iPhone or Android so that they can get urgent alerts when they’re not at home, as well as stay in touch with the Nextdoor neighbors who are at home, so they can be kept updated on what is going on.

To sign up, go to www.nextdoor.com. You need to be verified to prove you live in the neighborhood (using your cell phone is the fastest, easiest way to get verified.) Once you are signed up, you can help get your neighbors signed up by printing out flyers from your Nextdoor site which has information customized for your neighborhood and then take them door to door to talk to people. You can also let other people you know who live next to open space. If they don’t live in an area with an established Nextdoor neighborhood, they can create one.
This is going to be a rough fire season this year. It’s time to get residents connected and prepared.
Thank you,

Spike Ward, Field Organizer
Nextdoor