Join the Movement: Deepen Community Connections And Prepare for Disasters With Listos California

Published On: July 24th, 2025

Since 2023, Listos California has hosted a series of workshops across the state, serving as dedicated spaces for local leaders to connect, learn, and collaborate on emergency preparedness. We’re excited to bring the Regional Disaster Ready Summits back this year—expanding to 10 new cities!

Unlike traditional disaster preparedness trainings, our approach goes beyond checklists and protocols—we focus on building the most essential ingredient for effective response and recovery: trust.

This year’s events will prepare participants to serve as trusted messengers who can help our communities be better prepared for disasters and strengthen resilience in California’s high-risk areas through a blend of plenary sessions with interactive small group activities, designed to foster deeper regional connections. Participants will leave with practical tools, actionable insights, and shared strategies to support their ongoing efforts in strengthening resilience across California’s most vulnerable communities.

Objectives:

Help local community trusted messengers make new connections and deepen existing connections regionally
Learn more about local resources
Assess regional emergency preparedness needs, identify resources and create actionable takeaways

What you will do:

Expand your Network and Strengthen Relationships
- Participants will have numerous opportunities to connect, collaborate, and establish relationships crucial for disaster preparedness
Learn Problem-Solving Tools
- Through interactive activities and scenarios, participants will learn and apply human -centered problem-solving tools to address gaps in disaster preparedness within their communities
Receive Disaster Preparedness Information and Resources
- Participants will leave with valuable information and resources to help their communities become ready together before, during and after disasters.

Who should attend:

Emergency management officials
Local government public information officers
Community based organization leaders
Faith based organizations leaders
Private sector leaders that contribute to emergency preparedness
CERT leaders

We recommend selecting the Regional Disaster Ready Summit workshop located nearest the region that your organization serves for the best regional based education and networking opportunities.

August 5 – Blue Lake
August 14 – Sacramento (Hybrid – in-person/virtual)
August 20 – Stockton
August 28 – San Jose
Sept 2 – Tulare (In All Spanish with Simultaneous Translation into English)
Sept 9 – San Luis Obispo
Sept 12 – Los Angeles
Sept 16 – Rancho Mirage
Sept 18 – Chula Vista

For additional question, please reach out to readysummit@listoscalifornia.org

AGENDA

9:00–9:10 AM | Welcome + Opening Remarks

Start strong with a shared purpose. Hear from local and state leaders as we open the day with a focus on trust, equity, and local leadership in times of crisis.

9:10–9:25 AM | Setting the Stage: Disaster Management in California

Understanding the landscape. A high-level overview of current disaster trends across California—and why local, community-led readiness efforts matter more than ever.

9:25–10:30 AM |Every day Heroes – Leading in Crisis

Learn from local everyday heroes. Californians quietly step up in service to others every day – learn insights and on-the-ground lessons from the field.

10:30–11:30 AM | Session 1: Know Yourself, Save Others – Discovering Your Disaster Personality

Why self-awareness matters in a crisis. Take the Disaster Personality Assessment (inspired by The Unthinkable by Amanda Ripley) and learn your instinctive response style in emergencies. Understand your strengths, blind spots, and how to lead with confidence and empathy.

11:30–11:45 AM | Break

Stretch and reset. Take a break, hydrate, and get ready to step into a real-time scenario experience.

11:45–12:45 PM | Session 2: Confidence in Chaos – From Reaction to Action

What would you do when it all hits at once? In this highly interactive session, teams respond to a realistic disaster scenario (earthquake, heatwave, or storm) by ranking 10 response actions. Once decisions are locked in, we reveal the expert recommendations in a high-energy, Family Feud-style countdown.
Practice deliberation under pressure. Strengthen team trust. Compare real-world priorities.

12:45–1:45 PM | Lunch + Networking

1:45–2:45 PM | Session 3: Closing the Decision Arc Gap – Together

In this final session, participants will step back and make meaning from the day’s experiences. Drawing on personal insights from Session One and the collective decision-making challenges of Session Two, groups will identify practical ways to strengthen community readiness. Using a set of Readiness Tokens as prompts, participants will surface strategies to close the Decision Arc—helping their communities move from denial to action with greater clarity, trust, and coordination.

2:45–3:05 PM | Session 4: Trust Your Neighbor – Neighborhood Block Party

Preparedness starts on your street. Co-design creative, joyful, and inclusive ways to engage neighbors in disaster readiness through block parties and hyper-local events. What would it take to get your neighborhood ready—and talking?

3:05–3:30 PM | Reflections + Closing

From inspiration to action. Reflect on key takeaways, share insights, and commit to one step you’ll take to build trust and preparedness in your own backyard.

Check out last year’s summits: