President’s Briefing Recap – Palisades Fire – January 2025
The President’s Briefing Recap summarizes important information for the Pepperdine community shared during each President’s Briefing. In a special broadcast for faculty, staff, and students, president Jim Gash (JD ’93) was joined by members of Pepperdine’s Emergency Operations Committee to share their insights in light of the Palisades Fire and other ongoing fires in the area.
President’s Update
President Jim Gash (JD ’93) opened the special broadcast of the President’s Briefing with reflections on the past week as the University navigates the challenges facing the Malibu campus and the broader Pepperdine community in the wake of the Palisades Fire. He recalled witnessing the devastation of the Pacific Palisades and Malibu communities in the days following the start of the fire and emphasized the University’s commitment to supporting each other and our broader community as we recover. In his opening prayer, he acknowledged that God draws near to us when we draw near to him in times of pain and sorrow, and committed to engaging the Pepperdine community in prayerfully and proactively finding ways to restore and rebuild in the days and weeks to come.
Emergency Operations Committee Updates – Phil Phillips (’88, JD ’92), Executive Vice President and Nicolle Taylor (’98, JD ’02), Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Executive vice president Phil Phillips, who chairs the University’s Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), provided an incident timeline. When the Palisades Fire broke out last Tuesday, January 7, Pepperdine was prepared with ample information about the Red Flag Warning and the extreme conditions that impact how quickly the fire would be addressed and contained. Pepperdine activated its EOC that morning and has continued monitoring the fire closely since. As expected, the Palisades Fire did not move much closer to the Malibu campus than the edge of the area burned by the Franklin Fire, which had previously burned the brush closer to campus.
Senior vice president and chief operating officer Nicolle Taylor addressed Pepperdine’s continued work with partner agencies, in particular our relationships with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL Fire) and the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACFD) that allow the University to be part of meetings at the incident command posts.
Pepperdine’s relationship with Southern California Edison (SCE) provided the University with the most up-to-date information about possible public safety power shutoff (PSPS) warnings, which are an attempt to prevent additional wildfires by preemptively shutting off power when fire conditions are dangerous. While the Malibu campus had power throughout the Palisades Fire incident, SCE initiated PSPSs for various areas in Malibu and through Malibu Canyon.
Due to the fires across the Los Angeles area, SoCalGas shut off gas service to the Malibu campus, as well as all areas between Pacific Palisades to Malibu. As SoCalGas restores service in the area, Pepperdine’s Malibu campus is the site of their incident command center for the Palisades Fire. By staging teams on campus, SoCalGas teams can more quickly access the Malibu and Pacific Palisades communities to restore access to natural gas. The Malibu campus is also the temporary site of the City of Malibu’s Emergency Operations Committee so they may conduct their operations while they are displaced from City Hall.
Taylor also addressed current weather conditions, including the current Red Flag Warning that ends Wednesday evening. Red Flag warnings are a weather designation that identifies times when wildfires could spread quickly, typically characterized by dry and very windy conditions.
While some evacuation zones around greater Los Angeles have received boil water notices–a water district’s notice that the water in the area is not safe to drink–the Malibu campus is not in an evacuation zone, and no boil water notices have been issued for Pepperdine. As such, Malibu campus water is safe for use.
In a discussion of current road conditions, Taylor shared that Kanan Road and PCH north of the Malibu campus are open. Malibu Canyon Road is temporarily closed. PCH is closed on the east end at the McClure Tunnel and on the west side near the Malibu Pier. Closer to campus, many businesses, such as Chevron, Ralphs, and CVS, including the pharmacy, remain open.
Areas within mandatory evacuation zones have received curfew notices. The Malibu campus is not in an evacuation warning or mandatory evacuation zone, and a curfew is not in effect in the area immediately surrounding the Malibu campus.
While mudslides could potentially become a concern following area wildfires following rainfall, Taylor shared that local agencies are proactively working on measures to guard against mudslides in the burn areas.
Academic Enterprise and Air Quality – Jay Brewster, Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Due to ongoing efforts to fully contain the Palisades Fire, limited campus access, and gaps in the availability of faculty, staff, and students, the EOC determined that moving the vast majority of classes online for the first week of the spring semester was in the best interest of the Pepperdine community. Provost Brewster reinforced the deliberative processes used by the EOC and school deans to gather information to serve the community of students, faculty, and staff. While disrupting academic operations at the beginning of a new semester is not ideal, he shared it was the right thing to do given the magnitude of the Palisades Fire and its potential impact on Pepperdine’s academic experience based on the totality of the information. Provost Brewster expressed his deep appreciation for faculty, staff, and students as they adapted to the changes.
As the University continues to monitor conditions during the week, the EOC assessed that improving campus conditions and the restoration of utilities will enable the return to in-person classes on Tuesday, January 21. In the unlikely event there are any changes to this plan, the University will notify faculty, staff, and students by noon on Thursday, January 16. In the meantime, the University is committed to delivering remote learning with the highest academic standards.
Harnessing his background as a professor of biology, Provost Brewster also discussed air quality around campus during and following a fire, addressing both typical populations as well as individuals who are more susceptible to respiratory challenges. Provost Brewster explained the basics of particulate matter in the air during a wildfire and the air quality index (AQI) used across the United States which defines levels of particulate matter and other airborne components that could be dangerous to humans. The current and forecasted AQI for Malibu was shown to be at normal healthy levels. Provost Brewster and President Gash reinforced that normal campus operations and activities would not resume if the air quality was unhealthy. Provost Brewster shared that the University is monitoring air quality conditions and testing campus spaces to ensure the safety of faculty, staff, and students as they return to campus. A significant supply of N95 masks is available to all members of the community during this time and can be picked up at the HAWC, the Payson Library circulation desk, and the Student Affairs front desk.
Internet Network Restoration – Lila McDowell Carlsen, Interim Vice Provost
Lila McDowell Carlsen discussed the work of the Office of the Provost in communicating with Pepperdine’s Information Technology (IT) department in monitoring network status and restoration of network issues that have arisen during the Palisades Fire. She shared that, while both Verizon and Spectrum internet connections have been impacted on our campuses, internet is available at Pepperdine’s Malibu, Calabasas (depending on electricity), West LA, and Irvine campuses. Outages to network services in on-campus faculty and staff housing have been due to power outages and not fire damage.
As of this morning, Spectrum has informed us that their crews will be working through the night to install infrastructure using temporary fiber to restore service to areas within 24 to 48 hours. While they work, IT will work on alternatives in the event Verizon and Spectrum aren’t able to restore service in the next couple of days to ensure everyone on campus has reliable and stable internet connections.
Student Life and Student Support – Connie Horton (’82), Vice President for Student Affairs
Connie Horton shared that all residence halls (serving the hundreds of students who have returned to campus) have utilities, including gas (heat, hot water), electricity, and WiFi/Internet. Dining Services is available with limited hours, and Payson Library is open.
During and following this wildfire, the Student Health Center and the Counseling Center are open and operating daily. The Student Health Center is available for students in person and through remote appointments. The Counseling Center is open for in-person and remote sessions (only for California residents due to federal regulations) and available for after-hours emergencies. Out-of-state students can access 24/7 care through the TimelyCare app.
Students are advised to contact the Student Care Team about any students who have lost homes or have other fire-related losses or needs. The Student Care Team and others have been working closely to respond to those impacted by the fires through individualized case management, immediate financial support, and assistance in finding housing (short and long-term on-campus options). They can also assist with replacing computers and assisting with food, toiletries, and other immediate needs.
Employee Support – Sean Michael Phillips (’07, MS ’11), Associate Vice President, Human Resources and Business Services
In recognition of community members who have experienced varying challenges throughout the recent wildfires, Sean Michael Phillips shared that the University has activated the Pepperdine Strong Fund, providing nearly $100,000 to students, faculty, and staff impacted by this crisis to help with their immediate needs. Pepperdine’s Human Resources office has also contacted more than 100 employees with a home address potentially affected by the wildfire or evacuation notices to learn how they are doing and understand the nature of their needs.
Due to an outpouring of support for impacted community members, Christin Shatzer Román, director of community engagement and service, will lead an effort to organize donations of clothing and other necessary items to community members affected by the fires and provide resources to help affected members with cleanup, childcare concerns, and more.
Pepperdine Emergency Information 