On the heels of last month’s windstorm, Rep. Adam Schiff (CA-29) will host a roundtable discussion on how the region can be better prepared for a future emergency at 9 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 in Pasadena.

“We should look at this windstorm as if it were a massive, unplanned and unrehearsed drill for a more serious disaster,” Rep. Schiff said in a written statement Monday.

“I know how hard utilities and their crews worked to turn the lights back on. But problems in communicating with residents and the prolonged period in which many lacked power, exposed potential gaps in our preparedness—gaps that should be filled in case we have to confront an even more severe event in the future.”

The event will include the following panelists: 

• Congressman Adam B. Schiff
• Mayor Bill Bogaard, Pasadena
• Mayor Michael Cacciotti, South Pasadena
• Mayor Tom Chavez, Temple City
• Town Council Member Mike Claessens, Crescenta Valley
• Town Council Member Dr. Sandra Thomas, Altadena
• Fire Chief Joseph Nestor, San Gabriel
• City of Glendale representative

And the following speakers:  

• Phyllis Currie, General Manager, Pasadena Water & Power
• Glenn Steiger, General Manager, Glendale Water & Power
• Aram Benyamin, Senior Assistant General Manager, Los Angeles Department of Water & Power
• Ron Litzinger, President, Southern California Edison
• Denise Tyrell, Southern California Representative
• Ray Fugere, Consumer Protection and Safety Division, California Public Utilities Commission
• Pat Dennen, Southern Regional Administrator, California Emergency Management Agency
• Michael Haralambakis, Deputy Director, Recovery Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency
• Kevin Wynne, Public Information Officer, Office of Disaster Assistance, U.S. Small Business Administration
• Victor Parker, District Director, Los Angeles, U.S. Small Business Administration

Panelists will examine efforts to assist those whose homes and businesses were damaged in the storm. They will also look at what lessons can be applied in the event of a more serious natural disaster such as a large earthquake.

The windstorm—which hit the Los Angeles area Nov. 30—knocked out power to more than 340,000 homes and businesses and resulted in tens of millions of dollars in damage to cities in the San Gabriel valley. Thousands went without power for almost a week after the storm hit. 

Schiff convened a similar roundtable effort after the 2009 Station Fire, which culminated in major policy reviews by the U.S. Forest Service. Those reviews are ongoing.

Here's what you need to know before you go: 

WHAT: Roundtable discussion with federal, state and local officials, representatives from local utilities and others focusing on the response to last month’s windstorm and how our region can be better prepared for a future emergency. 

WHEN: Thursday, Jan. 12; 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. PST

WHERE: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; Courtroom 3 - 125 S. Grand Ave, Pasadena 91103