Santa Monica Fire Department Joins Regional Fire Agencies in Launching AwareCA
October 14, 2026 12:47 PM
Partnership with Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association gives residents a new way to receive trusted public safety information directly from participating agencies
Santa Monica, Calif. (Oct. 14, 2026) — The Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) today announced its participation in AwareCA, California’s statewide public safety information platform designed to give residents and visitors direct access to authoritative information from fire departments and other public safety agencies.
The department is participating alongside fire agencies throughout the Los Angeles region through a coordinated effort supported by the Los Angeles Area Fire Chiefs Association (LAAFCA).
AwareCA is a free mobile application that provides incident information, wildfire activity, evacuation information, agency updates and other public safety information in a common statewide platform.
For Santa Monica residents, that means another direct connection to information from Santa Monica Fire Department and other participating agencies across the region and state.
“Our community trusts us to provide accurate information when it matters most,” Fire Chief Matt Hallock said. “By participating in AwareCA, we're giving our residents another direct way to receive information from our department while also connecting them with agencies across the region. Emergencies don't stop at city boundaries, and neither should access to trusted public safety information.“
Local Information With a Regional View
The Los Angeles region includes dozens of cities and fire agencies that work together every day through California's mutual aid system.
LAAFCA brings together fire service leadership from 29 departments throughout the Los Angeles region, helping agencies collaborate on operational, technological and public safety challenges that affect communities across jurisdictional boundaries.
AwareCA builds on regional cooperation by giving participating agencies a common way to communicate information to the public while allowing each department to maintain control of its own information.
“LAAFCA agencies have a long history of working together operationally,” Chief Hallock said “AwareCA extends that collaboration to the communities we serve. The goal is simple: make it easier for residents to find trusted information directly from the public safety agencies responsible for protecting them."
What Residents Can Do With AwareCA
Residents can use AwareCA to monitor incidents and locations important to them throughout California.
Users can save up to 10 locations — such as their home, workplace, children's school or the homes of family members and establish notification areas around those locations. The application can also use the location of a user's mobile device to help identify incidents occurring nearby.
Users determine what they want to be notified about and how often they receive notifications.
When participating agencies publish information through AwareCA, updates can reach community members within seconds.
The application is free to download and use, contains no advertising and does not solicit donations.
Information Directly From Public Safety Agencies
During an emergency, residents may encounter information from social media, news organizations, third-party applications, neighbors and other sources.
AwareCA is built around a different principle: the public safety agency remains the authority.
Participating agencies maintain control of their information and determine what is appropriate for public release through their established incident command and public information processes.
AwareCA does not replace existing emergency communication systems. SMFD will continue to use its existing emergency notification systems, website, social media and other communication channels.
Instead, AwareCA provides an additional statewide connection between participating public safety agencies and the public.
“We aren't asking residents to rely on a single source during an emergency,” Chief Hallock said. “We are asking them to make sure one of their sources is the agency responsible for managing the incident. AwareCA makes that easier.”
Emergencies Don't Follow Jurisdictional Boundaries
The regional approach is particularly important in Los Angeles County, where residents routinely live, work, attend school and have family members in different jurisdictions.
A wildfire or other emergency can also quickly move from one agency's jurisdiction into another.
Through AwareCA, residents can follow the locations important to them without needing to understand which fire department serves every address.
As additional agencies participate, the result is a more connected regional public safety information network — while each participating agency continues to control and publish its own authoritative information.
Download AwareCA Today
Santa Monica Fire Department encourages residents to download and configure AwareCA before the next emergency.
AwareCA is available free for iPhone and Android at aware.ca.gov.
After downloading the application, residents are encouraged to:
- Add their home and other important locations.
- Select the types of incidents they want to follow.
- Establish notification areas around saved locations.
- Enable notifications so important agency updates can reach them quickly.
Media Contact
Cathy Taylor
Fire Prevention Coordinator
Cathy.Taylor@santamonica.gov
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