TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, City Manager
FROM:
Jesse Alexander, Fire Chief
Ashley Hopson, Emergency Preparedness Administrator
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Policy Between the Manhattan Beach Fire Department and the Manhattan Beach Map Your Neighborhood Committee (No Budget Impact) (Fire Chief Alexander).
RECEIVE AND FILE
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council Receive and File a Policy (“Policy”) between the Manhattan Beach Fire Department (MBFD) and the Manhattan Beach Map Your Neighborhood Committee (MYN) and provide support for its implementation and ongoing administration. Staff also requests that the City Council offer direction on any additional actions or next steps, if necessary.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
Approximately five percent (5%) of the MBFD Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) Liaison’s (the City’s Emergency Preparedness Administrator) time is allocated to administrative tasks supporting the MYN program. The Liaison also coordinates the use of City facilities for MYN trainings and committee meetings, ensuring that space is reserved without additional cost to the program or the City.
In fiscal year 2024-2025, MBFD incurred $1,278.07 in printing costs for MYN materials. No budgeted line items for MYN were included in the MBFD fiscal year 2025-2026 budget.
Should the City Council provide new direction regarding the program, any associated fiscal implications would need to be reassessed.
BACKGROUND:
The Manhattan Beach Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program, launched in 2008, is a collaborative initiative between the Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Watch (MBNW), the Manhattan Beach Community Emergency Response Team Association (MBCERTA), and the Manhattan Beach Fire Department (MBFD). Coordinated by the MBFD Emergency Preparedness Administrator, who serves as the program liaison, MYN is a disaster preparedness and response program designed to equip immediate neighbors with the knowledge and skills to take effective action in the aftermath of a major disaster.
The program is guided by a Steering Committee of four to 10 members, which includes representatives from both MBCERTA and MBNW. The Committee meets monthly with the MBFD liaison to coordinate training, outreach, and program administration. Key priorities for the Steering Committee have included organizing its internal structure, recruiting trainers-primarily MBNW block captains and MBCERTA volunteers-and delivering in-home MYN presentations to enhance neighborhood-level disaster readiness.
The program has achieved measurable success in engaging the community. For example, in July 2025, approximately 30 residents participated in in-home MYN trainings, directly contributing to the City’s overall preparedness and resilience at the neighborhood level. MYN continues to serve as a cornerstone of Manhattan Beach’s community-based disaster readiness efforts.
At the August 19, 2025, City Council meeting, the Council discussed the importance of formalizing a policy between the MBFD and the Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program. While the City of Manhattan Beach and MYN have maintained a collaborative and effective working relationship since 2008, no formal policy has been established to date. Establishing a formal policy would clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations, while ensuring continuity and transparency in ongoing community safety efforts.
DISCUSSION:
The proposed policy formalizes the collaboration between MBFD and the Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) program to enhance public safety, strengthen community partnerships, and support disaster preparedness. It defines the partnership’s objectives, scope, roles and responsibilities, and expected outcomes (see Attachment 1), while ensuring timely communication and coordination, administrative support, training, and neighborhood preparedness activities. By combining MBFD expertise with community engagement, the policy aims to build a safer and more resilient Manhattan Beach in the event of a disaster or emergency.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
The MBFD liaison met with members of the Steering Committee on three separate occasions, including the MYN Lead, Treasurer, and the full Committee to discuss, develop, and collaborate on the terms of this policy.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENT:
1. MBFD and Map Your Neighborhood Policy