Solar Powered Emergency Wifi for Mandeville Canyon

Pilot program rolls out for Mandeville Canyon. 

By Sam Catanzaro

In a big win for public safety in Brentwood as fire season approaches, the City of Los Angeles’s Innovation and Performance Commission voted in favor of a Solar Powered Emergency Wifi network pilot program that will allow the City’s entire emergency response infrastructure — including Shake LA and Notify LA —  to communicate with residents via wifi during a power outage. 

 The pilot grants $200,000 from the City of LA’s Innovation Fund to the City Emergency Management Department for solar-powered communication equipment, community outreach, integration with the Shake LA mobile app and other ITA systems, and a year’s worth of quarterly testing and maintenance.

“Mike was eager to support the pilot program and has been proud to work with neighbors to better protect our neighborhoods from a natural disaster,” reads Councilmember Mike Bonin’s July newsletter. “The pilot area will cover five miles of the Mandeville Canyon area, where there is a potential of a loss of communication during a major disaster.” 

According to Daniel Branscome, Treasurer of the Mandeville Canyon Association due to the unique geography of the Santa Monica Mountains, signal service in the canyon is much worse than how it appears on a coverage map, an issue that affects thousands of residents in the area.

“Anyone who has ever driven up these canyon roads knows that you’re very likely to lose signal once you leave Sunset. You may reacquire signal once you get to your house, if you live up on a ridgeline or if you get to your house and you have WiFi assist to provide signal. Most likely you’re in a situation where you’re going to have gaps in coverage. Branscome said at a Brentwood Community Council meeting earlier this year. 

A structure fire last year in Mandeville Canyon illustrates that dangers lack of cell service in the canyon presents to the community. According to Branscome, the person who saw the fire was driving out of the canyon. They saw flames, but they didn’t have a cell phone signal and had to drive all the way out to Sunset to place the 9-1-1 call to report the fire. 

The Woolsey Fire that devested the Santa Monica Mountains also demonstrates the hurdles emergency officials face in alerting the community in the event of a natural disaster. 

“Early morning on the 6th [of November], I got a text from one of my neighbors, ‘Did you get the alert?’ I said, ‘What alert?’ The city had used the amber alert system in our community, but because of cell phone service, I didn’t get the alert,” Branscome said. 

Solar Powered Emergency Wifi for Mandeville CanyonAs fire season approaches, it remains to be seen how the Solar Powered Emergency Wifi pilot program will play out in the event of an emergency. 

in Fire, News
Related Posts

Santa Monica Council Votes in Support of Park-Centric Future at Airport Site

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The decision followed a contentious meeting with over 140 public speakers and more than 1,000 emails received by the council...

‘Adoptapalooza’ Pet Adoption Festival Returns to Main Street This Weekend

July 9, 2025

July 9, 2025

The free, family-friendly event aims to connect adoptable animals with new owners Green Dog Dental & Veterinary Center will host...

New Agenda Coaching: Changing Lives in LA

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Students Work Toward Applied Success with Executive Function Coaching Services The demands of daily routines and studies sometimes bear weight...

New Playground, Library Services, Tennis Courts and More Coming to Palisades Rec Center 

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Significant improvements are in progress at the Pacific Palisades Recreation Center, with multiple projects advancing Significant improvements are in progress...

Virtual Town Hall to Discuss Proposed Resilient Rebuilding Authority

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The agency, to be run by political appointees, would manage permitting, development, zoning, and funding, modeled after post-disaster recoveries Los...

Big Blue Bus to Raise Fares for First Time in Nearly a Decade

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

The fare increase aims to offset rising costs for fuel, utilities, and supplies, according to the agency. The Santa Monica...

Shore Hotel: A Local Destination for Summer Fun

July 8, 2025

July 8, 2025

Bring on all things summer. Walking or biking along Santa Monica Pier, you might find yourself taking a pause at...

Soprano Golda Zahra Returns to BroadStage For a One-Night-Only Musical Celebration

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Hailed as “the rising star of the opera world” by The Hollywood Times, internationally acclaimed soprano Golda Zahra makes her much-anticipated return to BroadStage in...

Committee Granted Authority to Oversee Grants and Donations for Palisades Council

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Grants Committee is tasked with developing application processes and eligibility standards for PPCC grants and donations The Pacific Palisades...

Anti-Drunk Driving Resolution Introduced as City Council Honors Late Palisades Teen Killed in Crash

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

Levi, who was set to attend the University of Virginia this fall, was killed by a drunk driver on May...

(Video) Hundreds of Drones Light up the Sky for Palisades to Celebrate July 4th

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The Event Marked One of the First Large Gatherings Among Palisadians Since the January Wildfires. The Event Marked One of...

Transform Your Life: The Free Virtual ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT Debuts July 18-20, 2025

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The ONENESS GLOBAL SUMMIT, a transformative three-day virtual event, is coming, July 18-20, 2025, offering participants worldwide a free opportunity...

New SaMo Bridge Program Refers 56 People in First Month; 37 Connected to Services

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

According to city officials, the program is on pace to meet its goal of serving 260 individuals annually Santa Monica’s...

Multi-Family Venice Property on Rare Double Lot Lists at Over $5M

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

In total, the four units provide 5,398 square feet of living space A multi-family property located one block from Venice...

Vacant Alphabet Streets Lot Lists for $1.99M After Price Cuts

July 7, 2025

July 7, 2025

The site previously held a 6,001-square-foot residence built in 2018, which included a basement, possibly streamlining the permitting process for...

Comments
Leave a Reply