For Immediate Release: June 5, 2025
(Malibu, CA) – June 5, 2025 – On Monday, April 28, the City Council unanimously approved a contract with a third-party consultant, Witt O’ Brien’s LLC, to conduct an independent After-Action Review of the City’s emergency response to the Franklin and Palisades Fires. The report aims to assess strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to improve the City’s emergency response to guide future planning, training, and operations.
“These back-to-back wildfires tested every part of our emergency infrastructure,” said Mayor Marianne Riggins. “This review is about transparency, improvement, and better preparing for the next wildfire.”
Community members are invited to share their experiences with emergency alerts and warnings, public information, evacuation, and repopulation processes. The consultants will hold a meeting to gather community input for the After Action Report on Wednesday, June 18, 6:00 PM at Malibu City Hall (23825 Stuart Ranch Road) in the Council Chambers, and virtually via Zoom. The Zoom link can be found at MalibuRebuilds.org/Events.
Those unable to attend the community meeting are welcome to provide feedback through an online survey by Monday, June 30: SURVEY LINK.
Conducting After Action Reports is a standard and essential practice following major disasters, recognized as a best practice by both the Federal and State Emergency Management agencies. This step is not only critical for improving emergency response and preparedness, but also a key factor in the City’s eligibility to receive potential state and federal funding or reimbursements.
Witt O’Brien’s was selected following a competitive Request for Proposals process that drew 10 submissions. The firm’s extensive experience conducting these reports for cities including San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Sonoma County.
The City is committed to transparency and continuous improvement. The results of the review will be made publicly available upon completion, and the findings will be used to strengthen emergency response and better protect the community in future emergencies.