Ruthann Levison This is Me

 Web References

1. 1. The Signal: News for Santa Clarita Valley, California

   www.the-signal.com/?module=dis - [Cached]

   Published on: 10/19/2006   Last Visited: 10/19/2006

   Ruthann Levison, head of the Sand Canyon Fire Safe Council, stands with her horse, Serbi. The group of residents works with local fire departments to prepare for brush fires and evacuations. Francisca Rivas/Staff Photographer Ruthann Levison, head of the Sand Canyon Fire Safe Council, stands with her horse, Serbi.
   ...
   "When you have large animals you just can't pile into the car and go stay at grandma's house; you have to have some major plans," said Ruthann Levison, a Sand Canyon resident and Fire Safe Council member who has been working alongside her neighbors to help establish a plan of action in case of such a situation.
   
   "Our primary mission, as far as I'm concerned is to educate people, so that everybody individually, whether they have large animals or not, has a plan."
   
   Because of the constant threat, and history of large brush fires in the area, many residents felt that some sort of fire management or prevention group might be a good idea. The Sand Canyon homeowners association soon adopted the project idea, and over the past two years has established the safety council, and developed some tools to better protect residents and their animals.
   
   "The original idea was to have a group that could go in and out of the area, and take food, water and medicine," Levison said, "(and) just do helpful kinds of things that the fire department is not equipped to do while they're fighting the fire."
   
   From that original idea - meant to aid residents who may be locked out of the area during a fire, but who might still have children, family members and animals isolated on the property - the fire council has grown to become an agency sanctioned organization, which local fire departments now recognize, and work alongside.
   
   "We're not asking them to give up control," Levison said. "We're just asking them to allow us to help in a way that would serve our neighbors and not endanger anybody, and not get in the way of the emergency personnel."
   
   Another aspect of the council's work is their large animal evacuation committee, which is headed up by Levison. With an estimated 200 to 300 horses housed on Sand Canyon area properties, the need to develop a plan for those animals was also a pressing one.
   
   "If you have a ranch with eight, 10, 20 horses, and they have one or two horse trailers, there is no way they can really evacuate them all," Levison said. "They leave with the first batch, and then they won't let them back in to take out anymore."
   
   So in response to that dilemma, Levison and other council members have worked with fire officials to develop an alternative to evacuation with a new "shelter-in-place" tactic.
   
   "What fire departments have found out in their experience with fires in rural areas - especially for people with large animals - is that it's safer for you to shelter in place, if you have the proper facility."
   
   Proper facilities would include properties where dry brush has been cleared away from fences and structures, with adequate food and water supplies for animals. So far, nearly 25 residents in the area have petitioned the local fire department to be deemed "shelter-in-place" candidates.
   
   "They find that with people staying in place, the roads don't get clogged," said Levison. "There aren't horse trailers clogging the road, and the emergency personnel people can get to what they need to do."
   
   Levison and her neighbors had a chance to put their plan to work last month, when a brush fire flared up in nearby Placerita Canyon. Residents like Levison - who were on the east side of the fire and not in any immediate danger - were able to communicate with those who needed assistance in transporting their animals, and reaching loved ones who were still in the danger zone.
   
   "The fire officials were really very impressed and said how organized we were," said Levison.

2. 2. LA Daily News - Popular local district ranger changes forests

   dailynews.com/santaclarita/ci_ - [Cached]

   Published on: 9/10/2006   Last Visited: 9/11/2006

   Ruthann Levison, chairwoman of the Sand Canyon Fire Safe Council's large-animal evacuation program, credited Morgan's role in saving homes from the hungry Foothill Fire in 2004.
   
   "She would say things like `We live in an area where the natural vegetation is meant to burn.' ... I found her very direct, very matter of fact and terrifically nice," Levison said.