LA County Supes Study Why Fire Department Is In Trouble

In Los Angeles yesterday … the county Board of Supervisors met … and says that there is a new reality about the Los Angeles County fire department.

And they have approved a 4.5 million dollar public relations program to educate the public about it.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the supervisors acknowledge there is significant strain on the County Fire Department.

The new chairwoman of the county Board of Supervisors is Janice Hahn.

She says … quote … “the number and severity of wildfires in Los Angeles County has dramatically increased over the past several years … and that is testing our county Fire Department like it has never been tested before.”

Close quote. 

There are serious questions … she says … about whether the fire department has what it needs… and if it is spending his money wisely.

The LA Times reported last month that staffing shortages are leading firefighters to work long hours … with more than 640 firefighters racking up at least $100,000 in overtime in 2017.

This … as commanders struggle with to staff vacant shifts and the demand for fighting wildfires.

The county has already identified the need to upgrade the department’s communications system …

Firefighters have been wanting for years that the current radio system is insufficient to handle huge catastrophes like the Malibu fire.

The head of the firefighters union tells the L-A Times that a culture changes needed in a fire department that has historically expected to “do more with less.”

He said: “You give us more, and we can serve the citizens better.”