How Arcadia Kept Residents Safe and Informed During the Los Angeles Wildfires with AI
Discover how Arcadia leveraged Readyly’s AI platform to respond faster, serve better, and stay connected with residents—even in crisis.
The Problem—and How Readyly Supported the Community
What began as a windstorm with gusts topping 100 mph quickly escalated into a full-blown wildfire and state of emergency. Residents woke up to evacuation alerts, unsafe air quality, and confusion about where to turn for help. Panic spread—and so did misinformation. Accurate, local updates were critical. But the city’s official channels were overwhelmed with inquiries ranging from “Is the water safe to drink?” to “Where can I seek shelter?”
Readyly’s AI-powered chat and search experience was already live on the city website and ready to assist 24/7. Readyly updated their system to capture emergency updates in real time, connected residents with official resources (city updates, FEMA, power utilities), and spun up new AI agents to handle emerging issues like sandbag requests after post-fire mudslides from heavy rains.
The Challenge
- Residents urgently needed accurate, localized updates
- The city needed to scale emergency communication without pulling staff from critical field operations
- High call volumes made it harder for residents to get timely help
- Panic and misinformation created public confusion and anxiety
The Solution
- 24/7 AI Assistant on the Arcadia website, available in multiple languages
- Indexed official emergency updates directly from the city and key external agencies (FEMA, utilities, etc.)
- Supported hundreds of critical questions about evacuation status, water safety, sandbag pickup, FEMA aid, and storm damage claims.
- Added AI agents in response to evolving needs (e.g. flood and mudslide risk after heavy rains)
The Results
Over the course of the incident and its immediate aftermath, Readyly delivered measurable and meaningful impact:
- 600+ emergency-related questions answered automatically
- Estimated 43 staff hours saved by handling timely inquiries via AI
- Residents received accurate, local info faster, keeping phone lines free for urgent calls
- Increased public trust through official, up-to-date answers
- Justine Bruno
Deputy City Manager