"An outside review of Los Angeles county's response to January's deadly wildfires found a lack of resources and outdated policies for sending emergency alerts led to delays in warning residents about the need to evacuate as flames began consuming neighborhoods in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. The Independent After-Action Report, produced by the consulting firm McChrystal Group, was commissioned by county supervisors just weeks after the Eaton and Palisades fires killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes."
"The report cited critical staffing shortages including a high number of sheriff's deputy vacancies and an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management. In addition, first responders and incident commanders were unable to consistently share real-time information due to unreliable cellular connectivity, inconsistent field reporting methods, and the use of various unconnected platforms. While frontline responders acted decisively and, in many cases, heroically, in the face of extraordinary conditions, the events underscored the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication,"
Outdated alert policies, inconsistent practices, critical staffing shortages, and communication vulnerabilities delayed emergency warnings during January wildfires in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Some residents did not receive emergency alerts until after homes were already burning, contributing to more than 30 deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes. First responders and incident commanders lacked reliable cellular connectivity, consistent field reporting methods, and integrated platforms for real-time information sharing. Frontline responders acted decisively and often heroically, while the events revealed the need for clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication. The causes of the two fires remain under investigation.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]