Crisis Communications and Challenges of the Los Angeles County Fires of January 2025—Winds, Fires, Dry Hydrants, Toxins, and Rain

Monday, October 20, 2025

8:00 AM - 9:30 AM MT

Location: Mile High Ballroom 4CD, Colorado Convention Center

The devastating loss of life and destruction of 16,000 structures during the Los Angeles fires in January 2025 presented immense crisis communication challenges. Extraordinary winds, fires, dry hydrants, toxins, and subsequent rain drew global attention to the unfolding disaster. This session will examine how crisis communication was managed during this multijurisdictional, multi-location catastrophe. Topics will include mutual aid and unified command, strategic communications, social media, mobile apps, foreign press engagement, language interpretation, consular notifications, jail evacuations, arson investigations, drone and looting arrests, and the handling of impostor reporters.

Submitter and Speaker(s)

Michael Parker

Independent Contractor/Law Enforcement Strategic Communications Advisor; Chair, IACP IMPACT Section; Commander (Ret.)
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles, California, United States

Speaker(s)

Karen Baroudi

Foreign Relations Specialist/International Liaison Unit - Sheriff's Information Bureau (SIB)
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles, California, United States
RB

Robert Boese

Sergeant, Sheriff's Information Bureau (SIB)
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Monterey Park, California, United States
Erick Kim

Captain - Sheriff's Information Bureau
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department
Los Angeles, California, United States