After new Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore told NBC Los Angeles exclusively that schools should allow students to learn from home when there’s a higher risk of wildfires, some parents have reacted positively to the proposal, saying having “red flag days” makes sense for Southern California as East Coast regions have snow days.
While attending a town hall in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood Thursday, Chief Moore told NBC Los Angeles that he’s going to ask the Los Angeles Unified School District to consider allowing students to study remotely on days with high fire danger.
In case of a disastrous wildfire such as the January wildfires, picking up students from schools that are located on narrow streets on top of steep hills, including Valley View Elementary School in Hollywood Hills, would be a nightmare for parents and families.
If a fire starts when school is in session, parents and buses would rush to get the children while homeowners scramble to leave, as fire trucks try to make their way up the hills.
“The idea of removing the life hazard, because of high temperatures, windy conditions and low relative humidity is a concern,” Moore said. “Why shouldn’t we think about removing the children from school and allowing them to study from home?”
An LAUSD spokesperson told NBCLA that the district looks forward to collaborating with the new chief, saying it takes seriously the “safety of (its) students and employees.”
“(The LAUSD relies) heavily on the information we receive from our local governmental partners about weather conditions and related warnings when making school closure decisions,” the district said.
Some parents NBCLA spoke with Friday afternoon reacted positively to the outside-the-box idea.
“I think it would be a great move for LA Unified,” said Geneva Garcia, whose child attends Valley View Elementary School, which is surrounded by trees and brush on a dead-end street. “Being affected by the Sunset Fire, it would have been comforting to have our kids home with us.”
Garcia added that it would be beneficial for all different agencies to put their heads together to come up with ideas that can protect children and families.
“We can’t control a lot of emergencies in Los Angeles, but being able to have our kids home and be safe, and know that we can monitor their health and control the air they’re breathing – it would be good for everybody,” the concerned parents said.
A Hollywood Hills neighbor said she supports the proposal, too, saying “it makes sense.”
“It’s a very narrow street, so I would appreciate it if the fire truck could come up here,” said Sophie Wang, who lives next to the elementary school. “During a school day, maybe it would be a little bit challenging because fire trucks would be hard to get uphill.”
Chief Moore said he will propose the idea to the school board, but it was not immediately clear how last-minute childcare issues and free school meals would be affected on the proposed red flag days.
LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin said the board will consider the idea once officially proposed to the board, adding that schools in his Westside district closed preemptively during the Palisades Fire.
LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho’s office as well as other LAUSD Board members did not respond to NBCLA’s request for comment.
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