Overview
In January 2025, destructive wildfires in Los Angeles displaced thousands, including employees of a major media company. International SOS swiftly provided emergency accommodations and relief, ensuring affected staff had secure housing despite limited availability.
Problem
Starting on January 7, 2025 a series of destructive wildfires broke out around Los Angeles, California, fueled by high winds and dry conditions. More than 160,000 people faced evacuation orders, and 12,000 structures were destroyed along with a reported 25 fatalities. The largest was the Palisades Fire, which burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed about 6,000 structures. International SOS received an urgent request for assistance for domestic employees of a large media and entertainment company to arrange emergency accommodations and provide other relief.
Solution
Very rapidly, multi-disciplinary teams from the client and International SOS operations experts met to discuss support and define scope. Within four days, the International SOS team had stood up a program according to client’s specifications, sourcing temporary accommodations for staff, their families and pets, within commuting distance of the office. This was especially important in an area where housing was in low supply and high demand.
Impact
International SOS fielded more than 110 calls and provided more than 30 accommodation solutions, allowing company employees to focus on recovery rather than on searching for temporary housing.
ROI
With Workforce Resilience from International SOS, the client was looking out for the safety and well-being of its affected employees, going above and beyond its Duty of Care obligations. This allowed its staff to return to work quickly, as well as let them concentrate on getting back on their feet, filing insurance claims and securing permanent housing.