Wildfires: Health advisory

Message from Sarah Van Orman, Chief Campus Health Officer and Vice President, Campus Health, and Deona Willes, Executive Director, USC Environmental Health & Safety (after quick-reference information)

Quick Reference Phone Number:
USC L.A. Wildfires hotline: 213-740-6291, email: campushealth@usc.edu

Key USC Websites

• USC Emergency site for university updates
• Wildfire Operations at USC, FAQ page
• Air Quality Index page (for both campuses)
• Community resources for USC employees
• Employee form: LA Wildfires Employee Impact Form

Additional information

• Los Angeles Times map of active wildfires. The University Park Campus is located near “Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum” and the Health Sciences Campus is south of Lincoln Heights, using “Keck Hospital of USC” for location identification.

As Los Angeles enters its second week of the regional wildfire emergency, the following health and safety reminders can guide members of our community as they navigate the current situation.

Many who live in our local community may be directly impacted by the wildfires, and their safety and wellbeing weigh heavily in our concerns.

Human Resources is maintaining an ongoing community resources page for employees; and additional information on navigating the current emergency may be found on emergency.usc.edu.

A 24/7 phone line has been established: 213-740-6291, and questions and concerns may also be sent to campushealth@usc.edu for timely reply.

The university is working to compile accurate information on our faculty and staff who have experienced serious disruptions, in connection with channeling support from the Campus Support and Intervention team. If you have been severely impacted, please complete the L.A. Wildfires Employee Impact Form.

The information here will streamline response time from the Campus Support and Intervention (CSI) team, so please use this form for wildfire-related reporting rather than contacting the CSI team directly by email. This information will also allow the university to better understand the scope and scale of impact that this regional emergency has had on our colleagues.

Air quality

The Environmental Health & Safety team continues to monitor air quality for both campuses, which will be a fluid situation as wind conditions and fire containment levels change. Key websites for air quality levels are aqi.usc.edu (for campuses) and the South Coast AQMD (for the region) websites. An AQI of 101 or greater is unhealthy for sensitive groups (people with asthma, COPD, heart conditions; those who are pregnant; older individuals; and children.)

The most important thing you can do to protect your health is to actively monitor the air quality and minimize your time outdoors during periods of time when the air quality index is high.

Wearing an N95 mask outdoors can reduce your exposure to particulate matter when the air quality index is high.

Limit physical exertion (refrain from outdoor exercise) when the air quality is poor or hazardous.
Portable air cleaners can be effective in reducing indoor pollutants, if you have one available to you.

Employees who work outdoors are provided N95 masks to limit their exposure when the air quality index may be high; departments, students, faculty and staff can obtain masks by contacting ehs@usc.edu or filling out this from  (for voluntary use) at no cost.

In light of current conditions, any activities that are outdoors for a prolonged duration are not recommended at this time, as air quality may change quickly.

Geographic context

USC is not located near the existing wildfires and our USC campuses are not impacted by current evacuation orders.

As reference for parents and family members outside of our region, you may view updated fire and evacuation information on the Los Angeles Times map of active wildfires. The University Park Campus is located near “Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum” and the Health Sciences Campus is south of Lincoln Heights, using “Keck Hospital of USC” for location identification.

Safety alerts

All members of our community are reminded that the Trojans Alert system is activated to reach all members of our university with timely and accurate information. Please pay attention to these alerts for emergency communication from USC.

Our community

Although the wildfires are not directly impacting the campuses, our hearts are heavy with the knowledge that so many of our friends, colleagues and family members experiencing loss, grief and the ongoing stress of the situation.

Our ties within this community are strong and longstanding, and we can lean on each other for support and understanding. Many have already been checking in on each other, and doing their best to provide excellence in care and support during this difficult time for all of Los Angeles. As always, counseling resources are available to students, faculty, and staff: The WorkWell Center for employees; Counseling and Mental Health Services for students; Care for the Caregiver for health care employees of Keck Medicine of USC.

Stay informed and stay safe, Trojans.