(Editor’s note: At the Palisades Democratic Club’s Annual Meeting, Councilmember Traci Park was among the speakers. She urged everyone to sign a petition to get a half cent sales tax on the ballot for the fire department, with that money going towards equipment and staffing. In response Palisadian Krishna Thangavelu, who lost her home in Tahitian Terrance wrote the following letter.)
The Palisades Fire destroyed nearly 7,000 buildings.
Photo: CAL FIRE
A little detail to help you understand why I cannot support yet another measure asking money from the public.
I think the issue is putting the pressure where the pressure belongs. And it is most certainly NOT on the public and their pocketbook. The City must simply do a better job at fire response management.
This measure to raise money for Fire department/firefighters? If only money would actually solve the real issues:
- A reactive and casual culture at LAFD — poor 911 response. Why was Station 23 at the beach during a windstorm? Why was the 911 call not responded to? It took 30 minutes for a station further away to fight traffic to get to the Palisades Fire. I did bring this up with LAFD Chief Jamie Moore at the last PPCC meeting. And he heard all points. And promised to change culture.
- Failure to study earlier fires like Lahaina and prepare accordingly … why did no one know about rekindle risk, burn scar patrol, and appropriate predeployment. What sort of shabby Fire department is this? Does no learning… are we recreate fire response from scratch each time around?
- Failure to use current technology like drones and imaging. Chief assured us he does have drones now. But they will only be used reactively to put eyes on fire. I want them to be used proactively. There is exactly zero reason why drones cannot patrol the Santa Monica mountains. At a fraction of the cost of a human.
- The morons at LADWP. Will money make them smarter? They are once again going to do repairs during peak fire season? Yeah… can’t support this sort of casual behavior from city departments that will once again put us at risk. Six miles of untested BS pipes from District 12. From the same geniuses that drained our reservoirs. Count me a skeptic. I am not convinced this patchwork will keep the Palisades safe.
- Failure to employ innovation to staff better, fix engines better, using zero to low-cost global talent. I’ve submitted proposals before to Chief Crowley and now to Chief Moore. Too bad LA City is too dumb to learn from corporate America. Why are firefighters making CEO level salaries on overtime? Bring in hundreds of free trainees using the best talent the world has to offer … offer them dormitory housing and feed them. A good spin might even have them paying to learn from LAFD.
- Get a handle on the permissive mismanagement of homeless encampments throughout the city. This is where most of LAFD’s work appears to be going. Use some of the previous homelessness measure money to fund LAFD. Oh wait.,, you don’t know where that money went. What makes me think you’ll manage money any better now?
EVERY SINGLE operation of LAFD and LADWP needs to be studied by outside experts in their fields. Every bad outdated policy needs to be kicked to the curb. Every bad actor needs to be fired.
This is not business as usual where more money will solve problems. More money will simply bring us MORE bad services. The system is broken. We don’t need a BIGGER broken system.
Our biggest exposure to fire risk is our poorly managed city services. Get these houses in order before daring to ask the public for more money.
FINALLY… when our judgements lawsuits from the Palisades Fire hit the State and City will be broker than they are now. We will need a federal bailout. Maybe ask the FEDS for money for all the issues detailed above. Stop wasting the public’s money and betraying their trust, one burned town at a time.
Krishna Thangavelu
P.S. The Palisades community has for YEARS complained about teenagers using explosives and setting off fires. The lack of response addressing this issue by LAPD and the Council Office has not gone unnoticed. Y’all need a tune up as well.
Kids scramble to avoid being hit by embers a year ago. These fireworks were lit at the Rec Center and no one was ever held accoutable.