Call to Action to all Candidates for Malibu City Council

March 3, 2008

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:

This letter is in response to “Sheriff Baca Slams Idea of SMC Campus in Malibu Civic Center” by Hans Luetz, Malibu Surfside News, 2/28/08

My first encounter with the City of Malibu was in my former capacity as Director, Public Affairs and Government Relations for the Malibu Medical Reserve Corps (MMRC). The reception MMRC, Dr. Dorodny and I personally received from then city leaders and city staff was hostile despite an enthusiastic response from local press including your fine publication.

The Malibu MRC was established by Dr. Victor Dorodny and was the only privately established unit in California operating under the authority of the California Governor through the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) and under the direction of the U.S. Surgeon General.

By working together with area healthcare professionals, mass media, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department (LASD), Los Angeles County Fire Department, and MMRC sought to provide an efficient way for medical, public health, and citizen volunteers to offer their skills and expertise during local crises and throughout the year.

Since May, 2004 with the support and recognition by the U.S. Surgeon General, MMRC attempted to cooperate with the City of Malibu to integrate MMRCs programs and services into the fragmented and insufficient emergency capabilities in Malibu.

Unfortunately, for the residents of Malibu, hundreds of thousands of visitors and students at Pepperdine University, former City Manager Katie Lichtig under the direction of then Mayor Sharon Barovsky, Realtor Stern and the City Attorney single handedly undermined discussions between the MMRC and the City of Malibu and caused MMRC to lose its State and Federal funding.

Lack of involvement by State Senator Sheila Kuehl, former Assemblymember Fran Pavley, Ms. Carol Meyer, former Director, Los Angeles County EMS Agency, Los Angeles County Fire Department leadership further contributed to the demise of MMRC resulting in its decertification in April, 2005.

Public safety and health services policy matters raised by Sheriff Baca and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky have not been properly addressed or vetted.

In the past, Captain Thomas G. Martin from the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, Lost Hills Station, despite being approached by MMRC leadership concerning Malibu’s emergency preparedness and response capabilities, and specifically in regard to possible conversion of the abandoned Sheriff station into a regional training/operational emergency response hub did not respond to MMRCs numerous requests for support and cooperation.

Given the lack of adequate health and emergency services in Malibu leading to constant violations of the “golden hour” standard of care:
I ask and urge all incoming members of the City Council to work with Sheriff Baca, the County of LA to reestablish both the Sheriff station and an emergency clinic/response center on the current site. Dr. Victor Dorodny remains ready, able, and willing to offer his expertise free of charge on a public safety/ health services strategy to benefit the residents of Malibu. He can be reached by e-mail at Dorodny@medscape.com

I also ask, recommend, and urge that incoming city leaders and Mayor Pro Tempore Pamela Conley Ulich create an Office of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for the City of Malibu on a volunteer basis and that Dr. Victor Dorodny be considered for such appointment.

Thank you for the opportunity to express my views on this critical and urgent public policy matter.

Robert Donin, MPA
Former Director, Public Affairs and Government Relations
Malibu Medical Reserve Corps
11693 San Vicente Blvd. Suite 346
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 420-2169

Malibu--the Disaster Zone.

The Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) Program was officially launched as a national, community-based movement in July 2002. It was formed in response to President Bush’s call to all Americans to offer volunteer service in their communities. The MRC Program is a specialized component of the Citizen Corps Council, a national network of volunteers dedicated to making sure their families, homes, and communities are safe from terrorism, crime, and disasters of all kinds.

The purpose of the MRC Program is to strengthen communities by helping medical and public health volunteers offer their expertise throughout the year as well as during times of community need. The MRC is a community-based, volunteer unit that supplements existing community emergency response systems during large-scale emergencies. MRC volunteers also offer education and prevention services to improve the health and well-being of their communities.

In July of 2004, Malibu MRC received the official recognition from the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General as part of the White House USA Freedom Corps and the Department of the Homeland Security. The Malibu MRC was established by Dr. Dorodny’s NEW Institute and is believed to be the only privately established unit in California operating under the authority of the California Governor through the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA).

Since May, 2004 with the support and recognition by the US Surgeon General, we’ve been trying to cooperate with the City of Malibu to integrate the Malibu Medical Reserve Corps (MMRC) into the city existing fragmented and insufficient emergency response network.

By applying strong public pressure, educating and shaping the opinions of the general public we were successful with forcing the City of Malibu into participation in the Community Defibrillation project. The City of Malibu purchased a few (not enough) AEDs, but did not deploy them properly and declined repeated offers from MMRC to provide free training to the employees and residents of Malibu.

By working together with area health care professionals, Malibu Surfside News, Malibu Times, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, LA County Fire Department, community activists and Malibu City Council, we were hoping to provide an organized way for medical, public health and citizen volunteers to offer their skills and expertise during local crisis and throughout the year.

Unfortunately for the residents of Malibu, visitors and students at Pepperdine University, former Malibu City Manager Katie Lichtig, under the direction of, then, Mayor Sharon Barovsky, and the City Attorney, was the main obstacle who single handedly undermined discussions between MMRC and the City of Malibu.

The lack of interest and involvement by State Senator Sheila Kuehl, then Assemblymember Fran Pavley, LA County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, and Ms. Carol Meyer, Director, LA County EMS Agency, and LA County Fire Department leadership further contributed to the demise of MMRC resulting in its decertification in April, 2005.

The leadership of the decertified MMRC, continued its volunteer activites without any support or recognition from the City of Malibu. We continued our efforts to engage the City of Malibu in a meaningful dialogue and cooperation. On November 11, 2006, we forwarded an AMA Interim House of Delegates Resolution "Development of a Federal Disaster Intervention Team” to citizens and City Leaders in Malibu in a good faith effort to educate, engage, and make a difference.

On December 19, 2006 we contacted the Malibu City Council, again, regarding S3678 "Pandemic and Alternative Hazard Preparedness Act, PL, 109-417, signed into law by President Bush on December 12, 2006 (http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:S.3678:) This was, yet, another effort on the part of decertified MMRC to establish a cordial working relationship with the City of Malibu.

On the night of January 8, 2007 in response to the horrific TV pictures of Malibu Colony fire, I followed the information on the City of Malibu hot line and City cable channel and took my emergency rescue/critical care equipped truck to the gymnasium at the Malibu High School at around 8.15 pm to provide medical assistance to evacuees. Imagine my surprise to find a small group of volunteers without equipment and supplies, and the shelter that was not officially open.
We are all thankful that there were no human casualties as a result of the fire. However, if there were, the City of Malibu remains understaffed, under trained and under supplied as they were in May of 2004. Please see the photos above of the "Malibu Medical Disaster Assistance Center", the whole 20 feet of it, and the Malibu Urgent "Botox" Care Center, the only care facility, day time only, in Malibu.

Given the devastating fire, property damage, and potential massive injuries and/or loss of human life (if the wind was to shift the fire to Pepperdine), the time has come for citizens and City leaders (who are probably relying on the Angel at the botox center for now), to make Malibu the most prepared City and work together towards recertification of MMRC.

To quote Dr. Dorodny's “Dialing 911” Family Emergency QwikGuide:

"YOU CAN NOT PREDICT. YOU CAN PREPARE. DO IT NOW!"