Episode 5: Community Brigade

One of the Point Dume Bombers who lost his home in the Woolsey Fire uses his pain and loss as fuel for action. He embarks on a quest to change the way we live with wildfire. The LA County Fire Department, Malibu City Council members, everyday citizens, and other fire brigades in Malibu join his quest to create a new model of community resilience. Five years later, his relentless drive might just payoff: the Community Brigade Pilot Program is ever so close to becoming a reality.

Episode Notes

Assistant Chief Drew Smith with Los Angeles County Fire Department. Photo Credit: Adriana Cargill.

Assistant Chief Drew Smith with Los Angeles County Fire Department. Photo Credit: Adriana Cargill.

Keegan Gibbs’ home was destroyed by the Woolsey Fire but the recording studio was left untouched thanks to home hardening. Photo credit: Keegan Gibbs

Keegan Gibbs’ home was destroyed by the Woolsey Fire but the recording studio was left untouched thanks to home hardening. Photo credit: Keegan Gibbs

The Point Dume Community Brigade in 2019. Photo Credit: Keegan Gibbs.

The Point Dume Community Brigade in 2019. Photo Credit: Keegan Gibbs.

Malibu West Fire Brigade Members Walter Shirk and Bobby Milstein demonstrate how to use wildfire pumps. Keegan Gibbs is also here on the right wearing green pants and a white shirt. Photo credit: Adriana Cargill.

Malibu West Fire Brigade Members Walter Shirk and Bobby Milstein demonstrate how to use wildfire pumps. Keegan Gibbs is also here on the right wearing green pants and a white shirt. Photo credit: Adriana Cargill.

Malibu West Brigade members gather in their leader Dermot Stoker’s driveway. Stoker is seen in the far left in a white shirt giving orders for the day’s training. There is a mix of citizens and LA County firefighters at the training pictured here. Ph

Malibu West Brigade members gather in their leader Dermot Stoker’s driveway. Stoker is seen in the far left in a white shirt giving orders for the day’s training. There is a mix of citizens and LA County firefighters at the training pictured here. Photo Credit: Adriana Cargill

Host, writer and producer of this series Adriana Cargill took this photo outside of her home in LA looking over the Santa Monica Mountains at the Woolsey Fire the night it hit Point Dume. For reference, Point Dume is 22 miles away from where this pho

Host, writer and producer of this series Adriana Cargill took this photo outside of her home in LA looking over the Santa Monica Mountains at the Woolsey Fire the night it hit Point Dume. For reference, Point Dume is 22 miles away from where this photo was taken. In some ways, this single moment she witnessed sent her on the four-year reporting journey that would be this podcast.

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