Please welcome Captain Erik Scott who is now the new LAFD Disaster Preparedness Officer. As you know, the DPO collaborates with the CERT unit and particularly with the CERT Commander, Captain Francisco Hurtado, especially in critical times of city-wide emergencies and deployments of our CERT Call-out teams.
Erik Scott is a Captain II / Paramedic with the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD), bringing approximately 25 years of Fire and EMS service experience, including service with the City of Fillmore Fire Department. As the Department’s Disaster Preparedness Officer, he supports community resilience, disaster readiness, and public preparedness initiatives, including the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program.
Throughout his career, Captain Scott has served in a variety of leadership and operational assignments, earning recognition as the LAFD’s Top Overall Recruit and Firefighter of the Month. His professional background includes serving as a UCLA paramedic instructor, training as a Terrorism Liaison Officer, and graduating from the West Point LAFD Leadership Program. He holds an Associate of Science degree in Emergency Medical Services and a Bachelor of Science degree in Emergency Services Management, graduating with a 4.0 GPA.
Before transitioning to disaster preparedness, Captain Scott served as a senior LAFD Public Information Officer and lead spokesperson during the Palisades Fire. A Type 1 Public Information Officer, he has conducted tens of thousands of media interviews and, for more than a decade, has disseminated crucial information about major wildfires and large-scale emergencies through local, state, and federal incident management teams.
In addition to his emergency management and public information work, Captain Scott is an author and a sought-after keynote speaker on crisis communications, leadership, emergency response, and lessons learned from the front lines. His work reflects a commitment to public service, effective communication, and helping communities prepare for and respond to disasters.
From Captain Scott, “As Disaster Preparedness Officer, I look forward to supporting LAFD CERT volunteers and strengthening partnerships that empower Angelenos with the knowledge and skills to help themselves, their families, and their neighbors before, during, and after emergencies. I welcome the opportunity to meet and work with the amazing CERT team!”
