"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 in highly dense areas of LA County. The report released Thursday says a series of weaknesses, including "outdated policies, inconsistent practices and communications vulnerabilities," hampered the effectiveness of the county's response."
"The Associated Press found some residents didn't receive emergency alerts until well after homes went up in flames. The after-action 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 communication platforms."
Los Angeles County's response to January fires was hampered by insufficient resources and outdated alert policies, causing evacuation warning delays as fires consumed Altadena and Pacific Palisades neighborhoods. Staffing shortages included many sheriff's deputy vacancies and an under-resourced Office of Emergency Management. First responders and incident commanders lacked consistent real-time information sharing because of unreliable cellular connectivity, inconsistent field reporting, and multiple unconnected communication platforms. Some residents did not receive emergency alerts until after homes were already burning. Frontline responders acted decisively, but clearer policies, stronger training, integrated tools, and improved public communication are needed to improve safety and restore public trust.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
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