Safe Community Project

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Leadership

Our Safe Community Project Leadership Team.

Safe Community Project utilizes an advisory council to ensure we gain expert advice on a wealth of resilience, command, and government related issues.

Our commitment to community cannnot be successful without the input of people who have held leadership positions in urban first responder, medical, or academic positions.

David Barrett

Executive Director, Commander

Meet David

Harout "Harry" Semerdjian

Director of Government Affairs

Meet Harout

Cameron Barrett

Education and Engagement Director

Meet Cameron

Steven Owens

Director

Meet Steven

William Whitney

Director

Meet William
THE SAFE COMMUNITY PROJECT & MYSAFE:LA.

Past Directors.

2017-2019

John Drake

LAFD Chief Deputy, (ret)

2009-2017

Dean Cathey

LAFD Assistant Chief (ret)

2009-2015

Margaret Stewart

LAFD Firefighter

2011-2014

Jayson Johnson

LAFD Firefighter/Paramedic (ret)

2011-2014

Wayne Johnson

LAFD Captain I (ret)

2009-2012

Michael Thomas

LAFD Battalion Chief (ret)

2014-2024

David Yamahata

LAFD Chief Deputy (ret)

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David Barrett

Executive Director, Commander

David Barrett is a distinguished executive with over three decades of senior management experience, currently serving the non-profit resilience organization the Safe Community Project. His illustrious career commenced in the film industry, where he accrued nearly one hundred awards for film and video production. A technological pioneer, David established one of the foremost software publishers for the Amiga Computer, introducing the revolutionary VideoScape 3D software, which subsequently evolved into Lightwave 3D (used for films such as Titanic). Over twenty-eight years, he collaborated extensively with Apple, authoring media-centric training materials and contributing to advancing innovative film-editing techniques using personal computers. His partnerships with Apple’s QuickTime, SuperMac, Radius, and Adobe’s video products were instrumental in shaping the current digital media landscape. David has been profoundly engaged in the fire service sector for the past twenty-one years, dedicating nineteen years to a close partnership with the Los Angeles City Fire Department. He has been pivotal in developing training materials, producing web content and media, and organizing live exercise drills with firefighters and the general public. He co-founded The Safe Community Project and its public safety divisions, MySafe:LA and MySafe:Riverside, both focused on fire prevention and disaster preparedness. At The Safe Community Project, David oversees strategic development, fosters new partnerships and programs, and manages grant and service performance. His mission is to influence public behavior toward enhanced safety and preparedness. As an esteemed thought leader, he frequently addresses regional fire prevention and disaster resilience initiatives. David holds a Bachelor’s in Music from Immaculate Heart College and has earned certifications in incident command, emergency response, and media. He resides in Orange County, California, with his wife and two Labrador retrievers.

Harout “Harry” Semerdjian

Director Of Government Affairs

Harout Harry Semerdjian has been a valued member of The Safe Community Project since March 2016. Harout is currently the organization’s Director of Government Affairs, working with elected officials throughout California to share our mission and progress. Harout has also served as a Campaign Adviser to several city and state election campaigns, and most recently helped secure victory for Professor Raul Bocanegra for California State Assembly, District 39.

Harout’s past positions include Legislative Deputy for the City of Los Angeles, Office of Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, where he focused on public safety, innovation & technology, and human relations. His numerous accomplishments for the City include securing a yearly day in April as Day of Religious Pluralism in the City of Los Angeles.

In 2019, Harout spent considerable time in Washington D.C., working for the Foreign Affairs Committee in Congress, under the leadership of Representative Eliot Engle. His work in the District has provided Harout with a wider scope of expertise, which he is now employing in his work with The Safe Community Project.

He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Modern History and Near Eastern Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an M.A.L.D. in International Law & Diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. He has also been a PhD scholar in International Affairs at the University of Oxford, St. Antony’s College.

Cameron Barrett

Education And Engagement Director

Cameron Barrett brings extensive educational, training, and media experience to The Safe Community Project. She has dozens of film and video production awards, as producer, director, camera operator and editor. Her projects have taken her around the world. She has multi-faceted experience in journalism including radio, television and online news (blogs, Audio/Video podcasts), education, as well as online, corporate, and for-broadcast production.

Prior to teaching broadcast journalism at both the University of Miami and the University of Georgia, Cameron spent several years as an on-air news anchor and then news director for an NBC affiliate in New York. She is a partner in a media production company in California with expertise in film, web, and software development.

Her role with The Safe Community Project includes oversight and development of educational content, and engagement with third-party clients who require emergency operations plans, learning management platform support, and training.

Working closely with firefighters, educators, and subject matter experts in multiple disciplines, Cameron and her crew create most of the video and educational content for MySafe:LA. Cameron qualified as an Emergency Medicine Technician (EMT) in 2010 and is a graduate of Brown University, where she earned a Bachelors of Arts with Honors, as well as a masters of Broadcast Journalism from Northwestern University. Outside of her professional activities, Cameron is an active and competitive golfer, not to mention a killer baker (people line up to sample her cakes, cookies, and pies). Cameron is married and is “mom” to two remarkable Labrador Retrievers – Walter Scott and Agnes Campbell.

Steven Owens

Director

Steven Owens served the Los Angeles Fire Department for 32 years, including 22 as a Captain, responsible for his own engine company. During his tenure with the LAFD, Steve was responsible for management, supervision, and training of a fire company to provide fire and emergency medical services within a geographical area to include fire prevention (application/enforcement of LA Municipal Code) and community relations activities. Steve spent four years as a Fire Academy Instructor and six years as a Chief Officer Aide/Staff Assistant/Adjutant.

He served as training cadre member for Flashover Simulator, Search and Rescue Operations, Firefighter Survival, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Air Management, and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Training teams. In addition to regular assignments, Steve also participated in investigative duties for significant incidents and professional standards.

Prior to joining the LAFD, Steve served for 20 years in the United States Air Force (nine years active and 11 years as a reserve NCO). Steve was responsible for administrative and technical support to air defense groups, airlift wings, and supply squadrons. He also provided logistical and staffing support for combat communications squadron and was assigned as Public Affairs Specialist with duties as Wing Historian and was Editor of the military magazine (Vanguard).

Today, Steve acts as the Training Officer for MySafe:LA and The Safe Community Project. This includes collaboration with the organization’s continuing education partner, The UCLA Center for Pre-Hospital Care, the LAFD, and other organizations. Steve attended the University of Maryland, Los Angeles Valley College, Community College of the Air Force and numerous military and LAFD leadership and training academies. He is the Associate Pastor and President of the Church of God in Jesus Christ.

William Whitney

Director

William A. Whitney has been with The Safe Community Project and MySafe:LA since its formation in late 2008. An expert in executive search and public safety, Mr. Whitney has worked in senior management for multiple search agencies in the U.S. and in Singapore. Mr. Whitney holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Puget Sound. A native of California, he is active in the community and been an active leader for the Men’s Garden Club of Los Angeles, has served as a Committee Chair for the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society & Museum, and is a past LAFD CERT Division Coordinator.

He is a past President and current member of the Breakfast Round Table, Past Director of the Central City Association, former Vice President and Trustee of the Los Angeles Children’s Museum, and has also served on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles County March of Dimes, The Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Governors and the Executive Committee of the American Business Council in Singapore.

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