Public Safety Hears Again: Why No Support For Citizen Firefighters? County May Grudgingly Allow Aid
Written by 991KBU on October 8, 2020
Why don’t the local governments support citizens who fight fires?
And why doesn’t the local Bureaucracy use modern tools to help people fight crime int heir neighborhoods?
Those important questions were raised … again … last night by Malibu residents.
Not the first time … we heard similar complaints as far back and 25years ago.
David Cranston appeared before the Public Safety Commission.
He urged a program where residents can be trained in how to respond to the aftermath of a fire.
Those residents would have to have their homes inspected by the city … and would have to be safe in fires.
Those people would be allowed into recently burned areas .. to follow the fire front and put out spot fires and embers … which can grown into secondary fires.
NEWSCART 73039 DAVID CRANSTON
“And I think it’s a city’s responsibility to help accommodate those folks who are going to stay back and not view the folks who will not evacuate as enemies of … or demonize us … but rather those of who can collaborate with the fire department and provide for a more effective response into a wildfire.”
Not the first time this has been suggested.
And now… the idea appears to be getting a little traction at the L A County Fire Department.
Ever so slowly … city officials say the county is warming to the idea of some sort of training and certification for what they call fire front followers.
The idea if for most people to evacuate when a fire comes … but for some to stay behind at fire safe places like a beach or athletic field.
They could put out fires that develop after a fire front passes through.
Public Safety Commissioner Chris Frost cautions … a lot of departments need to sign off on this … not the least of which is the sheriff’s office.
And speaking of the sheriff’s office … another resident is wondering why the Malibu Lost Hills sheriffs station is not using modern computer technology to keep residents aware of crimes in their neighborhood.
Josh Speigel says the summer has residents worried.
NEWSCART 73038 JOSH SPEIGEL
“I wanted the commission to come up with a way to let our neighbors know what’s happening on the beach.
“There were home invasions .
“There were trespassers, there were people breaking in and stealing.
We’ve had three home invasions that I know about, one of which made national news.“And there is still no real way to understand what is happening in our neighborhood.”
Speigel recommends that Malibu-Lost Hills use a free crime mapping program … an app … now used by the City of Ventura.
Police there enter the locations of crimes …. and resident scan download maps to see what is going o.
Despite the overwhelming perception that crime is on the increase in Malibu … sheriff’s officials say the 10-year trend is … not so.
But the big crowds this summer …. plus the popularity of NexDoor and neighborhood face brook groups … is giving people more information about the crimes tag are occurring.
Chalk up another one to reinforcement … the confirmation bias theory … where hearing more information about events makes people think there are more events … instead of more information.
