Altadena Safety Project

Community safety

Other San Gabriel Valley

Applying a proven solution to a new issue or sector (using an existing model, tool, resource, strategy, etc. for a new purpose)

Our understanding of the Eaton Fire survivors comes from our board member who lost her home in Altadena. Residents of Pacific Palisades can afford 24/7 hired security, while those in Altadena cannot. There are sketchy individuals “circling” Altadena, from benign yet aggressive speculators to blatant looters and squatters. In the recovery phase, residents must access their properties for soil remediation estimates, water hook-up, and meetings with the Army Corps of Engineers, contractors, and others. Property visits often have to occur in the early morning or late afternoon to accommodate work schedules. We know from our experience that once people learn to set firm verbal boundaries and de-escalation strategies, they can become their own security. Our board member, a wildfire survivor, uses her skills daily and aims to share them with other survivors.

We produce, in real life and online, self-defense workshops for all ages, sizes, races, and genders.
This project will provide workshops to people who were affected by the Eaton fires and include in-person and online options.
Our workshops provide students with boundary-setting and de-escalation skills that allow them to practice for real life implementation. Online classes provide training and practice in body language and verbal strategies. In-person classes include physical self-defense skills.
IPS’s philosophy is that once a person knows that they can physically defend their lives, they are more likely to use the avoidance and de-escalation skills we provide. We like to include physical self-defense in every workshop, if possible. IPS is a full-force, program that includes a padded instructor acting as the aggressor, allowing students to experience real life scenarios in a safe and supportive atmosphere.

Altadena, in Los Angeles County, features a mix of rural and urban settings in the San Gabriel Mountain foothills. We will train enough individuals to establish boundaries for effective self-protection and intervention as third parties in inappropriate situations. In such cases, they can step in or remove someone from danger. Calling the sheriff may not be timely during an incident. We teach strategies to handle these situations in the moment without physical confrontation. Our techniques also help confront coyotes stalking people or pets. Not enough people know that throwing gravel into a predator’s eyes, human or animal, can provide enough time to escape. Additionally, our workshops guide participants on effectively requesting support from public officials, addressing survivors’ needs. Successful efforts will reduce reliance on county funds for protection, and give county citizens more confidence and courage to ask for help when they need it.