On Jan. 7, the southern California wildfires broke out a week or so before the end of Dickinson’s winter break, as students prepared to return to campus. This disaster was shocking, but unfortunately is not the first in recent months and will not be the only to occur this year. While most Dickinson students hail from the east coast, programs like the Posse Scholarship Foundation bring California students to campus. In the aftermath of such a tragedy, it can be hard for Californian students to return to academic life so far from home. As political agendas complicate relief efforts and future preparedness, it is important to remember the individual experiences of LA residents.
The Dickinsonian sat down with two Posse Foundation students from Los Angeles to hear about their experiences. Noah McElroy ’28 said that while he is accustomed to California’s frequent wildfires, he never expected that something of this scale would happen. During the spread of the fires, which are now contained, he volunteered at the local Santa Anita mall where relief supplies were collected and distributed. He shared that it was uplifting to see community members with whom he had never interacted pitching in during a time of need.
Kevin Casillas ’28 shared his experiences as a restaurant worker and hospital volunteer during the fires. He said that according to his restaurant’s OSHA guidelines, employees were not allowed to be outside because of the poor air quality. Casillas is also a volunteer in the NICU of a local children’s hospital and described the activation of a “Code External” alert leading to increased staffing and many providers sleeping in the hospital.
When asked how they are coping with the impact of this tragedy on their communities, both students expressed that it is too soon to tell. They also expressed gratitude for Posse Foundation CEO Deborah Bial and the Dickinson CARE team for messages of support.
With the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) coming under scrutiny alongside other agencies, people nationwide who live in areas recently affected by disasters are disheartened. Those who have lived through major environmental catastrophes know that local and state level aid is often not enough. Because of this, seeing polarizing political agendas come between those trying to help, both civilians and trained professionals, and communities of people in need can be greatly frustrating.
“This is not a time to argue how things should have been done,” Casillas said, “it’s just not productive.” The way that emergency management is structured in the U.S. emphasizes beginning the response locally and working upward.
