“We really step up and lift our community. And one of the key ways,” said Julie Sina, associate vice chancellor for alumni affairs, “has been to work with the city and our agencies to set up a center at the UCLA Research Park that really supports and serves those that have been impacted by the fires.”
For the past month, that disaster recovery center — one of only two in the city — has been a mainstay for thousands of Angelenos whose lives have been upended and whose homes have been lost or damaged, helping them get back on their feet and jumpstart their recovery.
And it all began with one Bruin reaching out to another.
Late on Friday, Jan. 10, just days after the fires erupted, UCLA’s Duane Muller got a call from Mayor Karen Bass’ deputy chief of staff, Jenny Delwood, a Bruin alumna. City Hall, Delwood said, was searching for a space to set up a hub run by the city and the Federal Emergency Management Agency where federal, state and local agencies and nonprofits could assist people. Would UCLA’s Research Park work?
“They wanted to send a small team the next day to scout out the location, which is under construction, and get it working as quickly as possible — but even we didn’t realize how quickly that would be,” said Muller, senior executive director for government and community relations.
The following afternoon, some two dozen representatives from FEMA, the mayor’s office, and other government agencies met with UCLA leaders and staff at the 700,000-square-foot property at Pico and Westwood boulevards to discuss logistics and planning. The 5,000-square-foot space at the structure’s west end slated for the recovery center needed to be cleaned, wired for power, and furnished with functioning restrooms.
“Chancellor Frenk, who had only been in office a few days, immediately signed off on the project, authorizing UCLA Asset Management to bring in plumbers and electricians to make sure it was a safe space,” said Jennifer Poulakidas, associate vice chancellor for government and community relations.
UCLA’s chief financial officer Steve Agostini and members of his team, including Robert Gray and Michelle Morales, helped hammer out the details, and UCLA staff, volunteers and government agency workers did the rest. Within three days, the one-stop site opened, hosting nearly 80 tables providing an array of services, from assistance navigating FEMA aid, insurance claims, tax issues and unemployment benefits to help accessing social services and replacing damaged or destroyed documents like birth certificates and passports.
Reservoirs of kindness: 1,000 Bruin volunteers offer help
Aside from setting the wheels in motion, Bruins have been deeply involved in many of the center’s ongoing relief efforts. In fact, the first table to greet the scores of individuals and families who have come seeking aid and advice is run by UCLA, where Angelenos can learn from Campus Human Resources about current job opportunities at the university, connect with UCLA resources and experts, and even — for alumni — replace their lost diplomas. A hundred new diplomas have been ordered so far.
“It was actually inspiring to see people come up to the table and realize, ‘Oh, that’s right. I need my diploma replaced,’” said Chris Weber, assistant dean of business transformation at the UCLA Anderson School of Management, who has volunteered at the center.
Weber is just one of a legion of UCLA community members who have stepped up to lend a hand. In an indication of just how committed Bruins are, when Sina put out a call for UCLA volunteers to help manage the UCLA table at the center, more than a thousand people responded almost immediately. Many had to be turned away and directed to other relief and humanitarian efforts.
“We can’t take all the help on offer all at once,” Poulakidas said. “But there is a long road ahead — many months and years — and we hope that the Bruins, who have an amazing range of talents, will stick with the challenges ahead. These are terrible times, but they have stepped up to help at every level.”
To assist with some of the more immediate challenges, students from UCLA School of Law, supervised by Dean Michael Waterstone, are offering their expertise at the desk staffed by the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, providing pro bono advice on how residents can navigate the road to recovery.
As the efforts continue, Weber said, Bruins will continue to strengthen the connective tissue that ties UCLA to the broader Los Angeles community.
“I do hope that this is the thing that continues to bring us together in this really challenging time period — that sense of community and connectivity and humanity,” he said. “And I know Angelenos believe that as well.”
UCLA Connects: L.A. Fires
Bruins have mobilized to support both the campus community and the broader public in relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts. Here are some of the ways the UCLA community is helping.
Fire relief
UCLA softball team brings comfort, clothing to fire evacuees
“I wanted to let them all know that people have their backs in this time of turmoil,” said team member Jordan Woolery as she handed out clothing. “This can be a really isolating time for those who were displaced, so showing up means more than we can even understand.”
UCLA ‘math circle’ program keeps instruction going for kids affected by fires
How faculty and volunteers have ensured that students whose schools have been lost don’t fall behind.
Coping with the emotional toll of wildfires
Melissa Brymer warns that the deadly, destructive fires could have lasting effects on mental health — and tells you where you can turn.
Air quality after the fires: Understanding where and when the air is safe
Atmospheric and oceanic sciences professor Suzanne Paulson explains how Los Angeles residents can limit their exposure to dangerous particulates.
A pulmonologist explains how to stay safe from wildfire pollution
Dr. May-Lin Wilgus outlines how to protect yourself from the unhealthy air in Los Angeles.
Pregnancy and air quality: How to protect yourself from wildfire smoke
Dr. Christina Han details how pregnant people, children, infants and those with underlying lung disease can stay safe.
First-responder LAFD battalion chiefs received training at UCLA
Recovery and rebuilding
Moving forward in the aftermath of the Los Angeles fires
UCLA experts weigh in on the post-fire cleanup and future disaster preparedness.
After the fires: UCLA urban planner on disaster response and rebuilding
Stephen Commins has four decades of international experience with disaster risk-reduction and response programs. Here, he addresses some of the most pressing questions facing local and state legislators and civic leaders.
UCLA Extension director working to save trees that survived Eaton fire
Landregan is part of a team planning to advocate to officials to protect the trees instead of removing them. “Our focus is to continue to work for nature-based solutions,” she said.
Fire research
Altadena’s Black community disproportionately affected by Eaton fire
Systemic inequalities and redlining practices contributed to fire vulnerability and impacts, UCLA researchers say.
Increased access to Asian American language assistance needed during emergencies
L.A. wildfires caused as much as $164 billion in total property and capital losses
Floods, droughts, then fires: Hydroclimate whiplash is speeding up globally
L.A. fires: Vegetation 25% drier due to climate change
UCLA climate scientists assert climate change is responsible for about a quarter of the extreme vegetation dryness that existed when the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted.
Wildfires disproportionately impact Latino and other underserved L.A. communities
UCLA data indicates that Latino workers are more often at risk of respiratory illness and income loss during fires.
