1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:03,160 Speaker 1: Can't. I am six forty. You're listening to the John 2 00:00:03,240 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: Cobel podcast on the iHeartRadio app. We're going to talk 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:09,040 Speaker 1: now with Heimi Moore. I am for a short time. 4 00:00:09,119 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: Homi Moore is the new LA Fire Chief. Welcome Chief more, 5 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:14,560 Speaker 1: Thank you for coming on. 6 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:17,800 Speaker 2: You got it. John. It's been a while. Last time 7 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 2: I spoke to you, you were still hanging out with Ken. 8 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: Yes, I know well Ken. Ken has moved on. He 9 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:26,640 Speaker 1: enjoys being home. Now, let me let me ask you this. 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: Why doesn't everyone in government and everyone in the fire 11 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:35,480 Speaker 1: department just come clean and tell us the whole story. 12 00:00:35,280 --> 00:00:38,159 Speaker 1: Why didn't everybody do that for us? 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 2: I think, well, I can only speak for myself, and 14 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:43,600 Speaker 2: I think I did that just last Tuesday at our 15 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 2: part commission meeting when I came clean and I talked 16 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 2: about the Lockman fire and how we could have done better. 17 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: No, but the whole story, it's coming out in little 18 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,320 Speaker 1: drips and drabs, you know, text messages are leaked. The 19 00:00:57,320 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: whole story is like starting with meetings, like say, the 20 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: week before the fire, there was no deployments, the whole 21 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: situation with the state Parks Reps, there was no hydrants, 22 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: the reservoir being empty. I want to hear the story 23 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:17,600 Speaker 1: of everybody's role, day by day, hour by hour, how 24 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: this developed and what happened. That's what everybody wants to know. 25 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:24,880 Speaker 2: Okay, well let me tell you this is so I 26 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: can tell you how it works. Whenever we have inclement 27 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:32,679 Speaker 2: weather like we had back in January of twenty twenty five, 28 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 2: we as a fire department, I can only speak about 29 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 2: the fire department get together and we have a meeting, 30 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 2: and it's the deputy duty commander with emergency operations and 31 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,679 Speaker 2: those decision makers that are going to staff the resources. 32 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 2: They're going to handle the metro fire communications, are going 33 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 2: to handle the dispatching of apparatus. They get together and 34 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: they look at a deployment model matrix. Back back in 35 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 2: about three years ago, we made a agent that deployment 36 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:05,600 Speaker 2: model matrix which changed from given certain conditions, you shall 37 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 2: provided this many resources to us should And we did 38 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 2: that because of fiscal responsibility, trying to reduce the budget, 39 00:02:13,639 --> 00:02:16,480 Speaker 2: trying to manage the amount of resources we were deploying. 40 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:19,239 Speaker 2: So when we did that, we put a human factor 41 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: into it. And that's where I think we went wrong, 42 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 2: is that human decision making was allowed us to be 43 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 2: able to say from shall do this to should do this? 44 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: And back in January. If you look back on January sixth, 45 00:02:32,280 --> 00:02:35,600 Speaker 2: the decision was made to pre deploy resources, but not 46 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: the amount of resources that we significantly needed for the 47 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:44,399 Speaker 2: January seventh fire. So we did deploy resources, we didn't 48 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 2: deploy nearly as many resources as we should. We never recalled, 49 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 2: we never held anybody over, and we're paying the price 50 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 2: for it. And that's unfortunate because we didn't anticipate what 51 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 2: happened with Rockman fire, because we honestly thought that fire 52 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 2: was out. So in January first, when that fire broke out, 53 00:03:00,320 --> 00:03:02,240 Speaker 2: firefighters went out there. They were there all day the 54 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:04,440 Speaker 2: first they were all day, the second in for that evening, 55 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:05,200 Speaker 2: and then they picked up the. 56 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: H Right, I've got to interrupt you here because you've 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: seen the stories. Apparently the firefighters on duty did not 58 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: believe it was put out, and they told their battalion 59 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: chief that it's not put out. It was still smoldering. 60 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,839 Speaker 1: The rocks were hot, the tree stumps were hot. There's 61 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: video of actual smoke coming out of the area after 62 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:28,920 Speaker 1: the fire was mocked up. So why did the battalion chief, 63 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 1: roll up the hoses. What's the role of the state 64 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 1: park Reps trying to chase these guys off. There's a 65 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:37,960 Speaker 1: big story there, and nobody's coming clean. 66 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,240 Speaker 2: And John, I hear what you're saying. And I have 67 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:45,160 Speaker 2: heard about these text messages. They've never been brought to 68 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,119 Speaker 2: my attention, but I'm treating them as if they're real. 69 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,720 Speaker 2: I've spoken to the battalion chief that was on scene 70 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 2: that day and the day, the one that was there 71 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 2: previously that fire was out. They truly believed that fire 72 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 2: was out. Nobody came up to them and told them 73 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:00,680 Speaker 2: that the fire wasn't out. Nobody told send them a 74 00:04:00,680 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 2: text message, according to them, and nobody. And I've asked everybody, 75 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:07,600 Speaker 2: even even the media, to please turn over these text messages. 76 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:09,560 Speaker 2: I have yet to see a single text. 77 00:04:09,760 --> 00:04:13,680 Speaker 1: If you see them, though, let's assume they're true. Someday 78 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: we're going to see that. 79 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 2: I have assumed they're true, right, Okay, that's the. 80 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: Thing, So if you see them, it's not going to 81 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: make a difference in how you're you're thinking right now. 82 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:25,480 Speaker 1: Let's assume they're true. Someday we'll all get to see them. Uh, 83 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,119 Speaker 1: it's it's inexplicable. 84 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 2: So John, I have to assume they're true, and that's 85 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 2: the way I've been dealing with this thing. All the 86 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 2: changes that are made have been made with our policy 87 00:04:37,640 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 2: in regards to the use of drones, thermal imaging, the predeployment, 88 00:04:43,040 --> 00:04:46,159 Speaker 2: those are all assuming that those were true. Our mop 89 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 2: up procedures have changed completely, all based on what I'm 90 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 2: assuming are true in those text messages. 91 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:54,559 Speaker 1: But I think people want to know how many bad 92 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: decisions could be made in such a short period of time. 93 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:02,680 Speaker 1: It seems like every decision ended up being the wrong decision. 94 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,279 Speaker 1: How could that be with all the experience in the 95 00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: training that your department has. 96 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 2: Well, you're you know, you're absolutely right, it does seem 97 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 2: like there were a lot of bad decisions that were made. 98 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,880 Speaker 2: We didn't anticipate this magnitude of the storm. It was 99 00:05:17,920 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 2: in perfect alignment. We had anywhere from forty to ninety 100 00:05:22,920 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 2: mile an hour winds. There were hurricane force winds with 101 00:05:25,720 --> 00:05:27,520 Speaker 2: occasional gusts up to one hundred miles an hour. 102 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 1: That no, there wasn't. There wasn't continuous ninety mile an 103 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,280 Speaker 1: hour winds most of the time. It was most of 104 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: the time it was closer to forty. All right, maybe 105 00:05:35,839 --> 00:05:37,839 Speaker 1: high up on a mountain there was August at ninety 106 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,840 Speaker 1: So what was when it was blazing through the town itself? 107 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,080 Speaker 1: That those weren't ninety mile an hour winds. There were 108 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: forty mile an hour winds. And the thing is, you know, 109 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: we work here. We were broadcasting warnings for a week 110 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: about what was going to happen that and we collected 111 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: all the Twitter messages online, all the apocalyptic language from 112 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 1: the National Weather Sir Like, It's impossibly for people in 113 00:06:02,680 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: charge not to know that this had a very good 114 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: chance of being this disastrous. 115 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: You know, John, You're absolutely right, But let me tell 116 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 2: you this. With four hundred and fifty four hundred and 117 00:06:13,440 --> 00:06:18,280 Speaker 2: sixty square miles of the city of Los Angeles and 118 00:06:18,320 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 2: the amount of wildland urban interface, we can't put the 119 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:23,640 Speaker 2: number of resources we have all over the place. 120 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: But the Palistatees had the hot spot, the Palisades had 121 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:28,680 Speaker 1: the Walkman Higher fire hotspot. 122 00:06:29,880 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 2: In hindsight, you're absolutely right, but we did not know 123 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 2: that at the time, and if we had the ability 124 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 2: to look back in hindsight, we would have had a 125 00:06:37,640 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 2: resource sitting right on top of it. And I wasn't 126 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 2: the fire chief at the time. I didn't deploy the 127 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,160 Speaker 2: resources at the time, but I can tell you this, 128 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 2: moving forward, we're going to have a better deployment model. 129 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: We have a better decision making matrix. We have a 130 00:06:49,640 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 2: larger number of resources that would be deployed, and we 131 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 2: have neual resources. We have Type six resources, which are 132 00:06:54,560 --> 00:07:00,479 Speaker 2: Wildland Urban Interface special specialized resources to be able to 133 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 2: handle those roads that are up in the mountains like that. 134 00:07:03,400 --> 00:07:05,719 Speaker 2: And then we also have hand crews. We didn't have 135 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 2: hand crews at the time that we're dedicated to the 136 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 2: CE of Los Angeles. In my budget moving forward, I 137 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:14,160 Speaker 2: got another hand crew that's on and requests so I've 138 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 2: got funding coming for an additional helicopter. I've got requests 139 00:07:18,560 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 2: for funding for more personnel. Those are the things that 140 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 2: going to help us in the future. But it's also 141 00:07:23,440 --> 00:07:26,120 Speaker 2: the decision making, so we put policies and procedures in 142 00:07:26,160 --> 00:07:29,040 Speaker 2: place so we don't make those same mistakes that we've 143 00:07:29,040 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 2: made in the past. 144 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: The reservoir being empty, the hydrant's not working. Does anybody 145 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,200 Speaker 1: at the fire department talk with people from the Department 146 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:43,920 Speaker 1: of Water in Power, Yeah, we. 147 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 2: Do and talk with in the process, right. 148 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 1: But I mean in the past year or two, that 149 00:07:49,040 --> 00:07:52,040 Speaker 1: reservoir was empty for a year, and it seems the 150 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,240 Speaker 1: firefighters showed up and they didn't realize there wasn't going 151 00:07:55,280 --> 00:07:56,480 Speaker 1: to be much water to work with. 152 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 2: Well, the water, the water problem was a problem with 153 00:08:01,160 --> 00:08:03,680 Speaker 2: the amount of water we were flowing from the hydrants. 154 00:08:03,760 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 2: It was also a matter of all the open butts 155 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 2: that were happening because of the number of homes that 156 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,600 Speaker 2: were being burnt down. So you had all these open warfices. 157 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:12,920 Speaker 2: I mean there's stories if you talk to these firefighters 158 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 2: where they were going shutting off water valves to the 159 00:08:15,480 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 2: house so they could shut off the messig which did nothing. 160 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 2: It did absolutely nothing to help in the situation. But 161 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 2: it was everything they were doing to try to combat 162 00:08:23,840 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 2: this conflagration, right. 163 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: Right, But it's hard to leave one hundred and seventeen 164 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: million gallons wouldn't help. I talked to a guy who 165 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,319 Speaker 1: defended his house and two of his neighbors. He saved 166 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,480 Speaker 1: all three homes and only had was a two inch 167 00:08:36,520 --> 00:08:40,120 Speaker 1: hose that he had kept from the last fire. I 168 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: mean he could if he had water. Yeah, he had water, 169 00:08:43,600 --> 00:08:45,199 Speaker 1: but it was a two inch hose. And he saved 170 00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:47,200 Speaker 1: three homes. That's why it's hard to believe that one 171 00:08:47,240 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: hundred and seventeen million gallons in the Senti Sentiena his 172 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: reservoir wouldn't have had an effect. 173 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:55,560 Speaker 2: But John, what you're saying is he had water. It 174 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,559 Speaker 2: wasn't a matter of we didn't have enough firefighting resources 175 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,640 Speaker 2: all over, And when you look at the number of 176 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:02,920 Speaker 2: resources we had till the end, it didn't stop until 177 00:09:02,920 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 2: the wind stopped blowing. We had aircraft. The next day 178 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 2: when we could finally get clearance for our aircraft to fly, 179 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,559 Speaker 2: we had aircraft up and that's that was one of 180 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,120 Speaker 2: our number one things. And our aircraft even had to 181 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:16,400 Speaker 2: jump ons fire because they were on their way to 182 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:19,520 Speaker 2: Hollywood when they were fighting a fire in Hollywood that 183 00:09:19,559 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 2: broke out just before the Palasaes fire. So that gave 184 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 2: us a leg up and they diverted some aircraft over 185 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:27,640 Speaker 2: to the Palisade. It still didn't do us any good. 186 00:09:28,679 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: I have had many friends who lost their homes. I've 187 00:09:32,480 --> 00:09:34,880 Speaker 1: since spoken to many people in the Palisades because my 188 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: wife and I hiked there a lot, and we run 189 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,080 Speaker 1: into them all the time, and they told us the 190 00:09:39,160 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: stories and they all say the same thing. Nobody ever 191 00:09:44,240 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: came to our neighborhood. There were no firefighters. We just 192 00:09:47,880 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: eventually had to evacuate and watch our home burn on 193 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:54,199 Speaker 1: our ring cameras. I can't tell you how many times 194 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: that story was told to me. So where where where 195 00:09:57,080 --> 00:09:57,760 Speaker 1: was everybody? 196 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,000 Speaker 2: John? Our firefighter responded to where that fire started, and 197 00:10:02,040 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 2: they got locked into fighting fires right around there, putting 198 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,199 Speaker 2: out fires. And if you look at the footprint of 199 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 2: the Palisade fire, the majority of the homes were lost 200 00:10:10,600 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 2: or at the tail end of it, where the fire 201 00:10:12,720 --> 00:10:17,920 Speaker 2: just became such a large, a large volume of flames 202 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,600 Speaker 2: with the amber casts that were burning home after home 203 00:10:20,640 --> 00:10:24,160 Speaker 2: after home. Our firefighters were tied up trying to take 204 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:26,360 Speaker 2: care of those initial ones. And then when we called 205 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:29,840 Speaker 2: in more resources, they were trying to do what they could. 206 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,319 Speaker 2: We just didn't have enough resources. And if you look 207 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 2: at the eaton, they battled the same issues. This was 208 00:10:35,520 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 2: a this was an anomaly of a fire. 209 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, except if there was a crew at the Lockman 210 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:46,800 Speaker 1: fire at the at the flare up, then maybe none 211 00:10:46,800 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: of this happens. 212 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:51,679 Speaker 2: And John, if we had that ability to know that 213 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 2: that was going to happen, we honestly thought that fire 214 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 2: was out. It had been wind tested for five days. 215 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,520 Speaker 1: But common sense, justin like, just in case mentality, if 216 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 1: there's one place it was going to kick up number 217 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: one place, if you would put together a matrix top 218 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:09,120 Speaker 1: ten places that I worry about, if you were in charge, 219 00:11:09,160 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: then wouldn't you have said, Okay, we just had a 220 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:15,079 Speaker 1: fire there six days ago, and we know winds can 221 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: whip that up, and we know they burn underground. 222 00:11:20,040 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 2: And John, the reason we're having this conversation is because 223 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,960 Speaker 2: last Tuesday I said we own that. 224 00:11:28,920 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: I still would like to get the details from everybody 225 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: involved in that week leading up to the fire and 226 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 1: the day it happened. I would just love to have 227 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:41,319 Speaker 1: everybody show up at a press conference and just take 228 00:11:41,360 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: as much time as you want and explain it. And 229 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: I think you'd end up with a lot of goodwill 230 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:49,679 Speaker 1: from the public because I think you know this, You've 231 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:54,839 Speaker 1: alluded to this. Why should anybody believe anything you say, 232 00:11:55,240 --> 00:11:58,520 Speaker 1: or anybody in government in Los Angeles after this? 233 00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 2: Because I come out and I can only speak on 234 00:12:03,280 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 2: my behalf and what I'm responsible for, and that's the 235 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 2: Los Angeles Fire Department. 236 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:11,199 Speaker 1: Why is it so badly funded. What is the bias 237 00:12:11,320 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: that the city council and the mayors over the years 238 00:12:13,960 --> 00:12:15,560 Speaker 1: have had against the fire department. 239 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:18,640 Speaker 2: Well, I'll tell you one of the things that I 240 00:12:18,640 --> 00:12:21,439 Speaker 2: think we struggle with is firefighters is we always make 241 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 2: things work. When they cut our resources several years ago 242 00:12:25,920 --> 00:12:28,360 Speaker 2: and shut down our fire engines and some of our 243 00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 2: fire trucks that and some of them have yet to 244 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:33,679 Speaker 2: be replaced, we continue to run those calls. When nine 245 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:37,679 Speaker 2: one one calls are made, we respond and we do 246 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 2: our best to provide the level of service that the 247 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 2: people of Los Angeles expect. And it's running our people 248 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 2: into the ground. I mean, it really is. The call 249 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 2: volumes insane, the amount of miles we're putting on our resources. 250 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,240 Speaker 2: We're putting forty thousand miles a year on our fire engines. 251 00:12:55,840 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 2: That's not a hurd of we are. Our replacement cycle 252 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,760 Speaker 2: is every fifteen years. That I'm going way beyond the 253 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:02,640 Speaker 2: fifteen year mark. 254 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:07,480 Speaker 1: And you're responding to thousands and thousands of homeless fires 255 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: every year. That seems insane, especially when there wasn't enough 256 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,400 Speaker 1: available for the only fire really this year that mattered. 257 00:13:16,080 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 1: I mean, what do you find the policy of allowing 258 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: all the homeless in the streets to start fires by 259 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: the thousands. What do you think of that policy? 260 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 2: So, John, we obviously have a problem with the homeless 261 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 2: starting fires, and some of those are behavioral health and 262 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 2: mental health crisises, and so we're working with those service 263 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 2: providers to assist them. But what we're doing on the 264 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 2: flip side is we're bringing in innovative resources like our 265 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 2: fast response vehicles which will only have two individuals on 266 00:13:45,600 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 2: them and said of an entire fire engine. So it's 267 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,360 Speaker 2: not tying up the fire engine, it's got a tank 268 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 2: of water on it, and it's got ability to put 269 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 2: those fires out. We're using those fast response vehicles to 270 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:57,240 Speaker 2: combat those type of fires, to help with the call volume, 271 00:13:57,559 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 2: to free up the call volume and the demand our resources. 272 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:03,840 Speaker 2: We're trying to be innovative with what we can right. 273 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:05,600 Speaker 1: But what I was asking you, what do you think 274 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: the biases from the various mayors and the city council 275 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:12,959 Speaker 1: members that you've never come close to the proper funding. 276 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: I've read that you should have double the fire engines, 277 00:14:17,200 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: double the firefighters available, double the budget. Therefore, why is 278 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:25,240 Speaker 1: it we're so just tragically short? What is it about 279 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: the politicians that vote on this stuff. What do you 280 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: think it is? 281 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:32,479 Speaker 2: I wish I could answer that question. 282 00:14:34,800 --> 00:14:38,480 Speaker 1: Because now look at the tremendous price we paid, and 283 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: I believe you that you don't have the funding. And 284 00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: that's what Kristin Crowley said too, and Crowley got fired 285 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:47,160 Speaker 1: in part because she said that out loud. Are you 286 00:14:47,280 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: do you feel free to speak on these matters? 287 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 2: Well, I'm speaking to you right now, right, But. 288 00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,920 Speaker 1: Do you have to hold back and not tell everything? 289 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 1: Because you might I get the call that she got 290 00:15:02,160 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: saying you're out of here? 291 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:06,080 Speaker 2: What? I always going to run that risk, and that's 292 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 2: something that the city charters set forth is that we 293 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 2: work you know, we work for the Mayor's office, and 294 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 2: there's always that risk. And so is there a balance, Yeah, 295 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 2: you have to have a balance. But I like to 296 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 2: think that I'm doing what's best for the people Los Angeles, 297 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 2: no matter what it is. 298 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,920 Speaker 1: So it's a year. It's a year later now. 299 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:31,040 Speaker 2: And I got go ahead. I've got another meeting that 300 00:15:31,080 --> 00:15:33,760 Speaker 2: I got to run to. Okay, we're supposed to be 301 00:15:33,800 --> 00:15:35,520 Speaker 2: about ten minutes. I think we went quite a bit 302 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:36,120 Speaker 2: over that. Well. 303 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:39,360 Speaker 1: I appreciate the extra time and I think everyone listening 304 00:15:39,400 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: really appreciates you coming on and talking. 305 00:15:42,160 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 2: Well. I appreciate, I appreciate your interests, and I understand 306 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 2: your frustration. And one of the things that I encourage 307 00:15:47,800 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 2: your listeners to understand is that they do have an 308 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:55,120 Speaker 2: incredible fire department, and we recognize some of the challenges 309 00:15:55,120 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 2: we've had in the past. We're making those changes and 310 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 2: we're going to be better for them. And my sympathy 311 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,760 Speaker 2: go out to the families that lost loved ones at 312 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 2: the Policies fire and anybody and everybody who was affected 313 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 2: with either the loss of their home or the loss 314 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 2: of their business. 315 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: All Right, well, I hope you can come back on 316 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: and we can talk even longer. 317 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 2: Anytime. 318 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: John all right, Hi me more. He's the LA fire Chief. 319 00:16:18,400 --> 00:16:19,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for the extra time. 320 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:24,800 Speaker 3: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 321 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:25,360 Speaker 3: six forty. 322 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:29,960 Speaker 1: You're just tuning in. We had an interview in the 323 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,360 Speaker 1: first segment with the fire chief for Los Angeles, him More, 324 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: and I do appreciate him coming on, and we did 325 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: manage to get him a bit longer then it was allocated, 326 00:16:43,720 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: and I do want him to come back and talk more, 327 00:16:46,600 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: and he seems to be sincere about wanting to change things, 328 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,240 Speaker 1: but he can't change things alone. I will say what 329 00:16:55,440 --> 00:16:58,080 Speaker 1: I really want, and I am sure most people want this. 330 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:04,199 Speaker 1: You probably want this. I want to complete, you know, 331 00:17:04,640 --> 00:17:09,600 Speaker 1: tick by tick story, minute to minute of that entire week. 332 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,440 Speaker 1: And I want to know who had meetings and who 333 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: didn't have meetings, and I want to know why they 334 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,639 Speaker 1: didn't have meetings. I want to know. And he doesn't 335 00:17:19,680 --> 00:17:23,720 Speaker 1: have all this information necessarily, but collectively they all know. 336 00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:28,720 Speaker 1: Karen Bass knows if she had a preparation meeting with 337 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:35,520 Speaker 1: Kristin Crowley and anybody else. Jeniez Kenoniez knows if the 338 00:17:35,520 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: information about the empty reservoir was transmitted to the right 339 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: people at the fire department. And Bass and Kenonias should 340 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: have to explain how they let the reservoir stay empty 341 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: for a year, How come the fire hydrants are all broken? 342 00:17:54,760 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: How come money wasn't spent on a study and then 343 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,560 Speaker 1: changes implement So if you had a big wildfire, how 344 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:09,760 Speaker 1: do you get the system to work better? Not everything 345 00:18:09,920 --> 00:18:13,920 Speaker 1: was done to track that Lochman fire after was allegedly 346 00:18:13,960 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 1: put out. You know, they didn't do things like thermal 347 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: imaging and whatnot. There were locals who saw the smoke 348 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 1: and the smoldering. There was something wacky happened when the 349 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 1: State Park Reps came and chased out the LAPD the 350 00:18:32,600 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 1: LA Fire Department rather over the milkvetch plant. I mean, 351 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: the thing is this scandal, the incompetence of this is 352 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: so big, so massive, involving so many different departments and 353 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 1: so many different people over a long period of time. 354 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: You know, what can we do in a fifteen minute 355 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:56,840 Speaker 1: interview with one guy? And let's be honest, he can't 356 00:18:56,880 --> 00:18:59,720 Speaker 1: say everything that's on his mind. He can't say everything 357 00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:06,240 Speaker 1: he needs Again, you go back to Kristin Krowlen. But 358 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:11,960 Speaker 1: we pay for this, and every everybody forgets that we 359 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: pay for this. You know, I people all day long 360 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: worry about how much money they're paying for gasoline. Right, 361 00:19:19,520 --> 00:19:21,960 Speaker 1: They'll they'll drive an extra block or an extra mile 362 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: get cheaper gas. You're always going to a cheaper grocery 363 00:19:25,280 --> 00:19:28,080 Speaker 1: store to get cheaper fruits and vegetables, cheaper meat. Right 364 00:19:28,400 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 1: look what look what what? 365 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:30,280 Speaker 2: Now? 366 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: People are growing crazy during the the UH, the inflation 367 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: coming out of the pandemic, people scrambling to find less 368 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:46,640 Speaker 1: expensive everything. That's why people order online through Amazon because 369 00:19:46,640 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: it's less expensive than going to the store. So why 370 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: not apply that same mentality to all the tax money 371 00:19:53,440 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: we're spending and get nothing back for it. Why not? 372 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: And why at the very least right now isn't bath 373 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 1: in keinoniaes La City council members, the fire chief at 374 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:16,120 Speaker 1: the time, Kristen Crowley, the second fire chief, Ronnie van Aweva. 375 00:20:16,760 --> 00:20:20,080 Speaker 1: Why aren't they all required to sit at a public hearing. 376 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,000 Speaker 1: This is what ought to be investigated by the legislature, 377 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: by the Assembly, by the Senate, by the Attorney General. 378 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 1: They should be televised hearings for weeks and everybody under 379 00:20:32,480 --> 00:20:36,119 Speaker 1: oath should come clean and explain it all. That's what 380 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,520 Speaker 1: ought to happen. We pay for all this. Everybody should 381 00:20:39,560 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: demand that, absolutely demand it. There's a story there and 382 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: they know the story. 383 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:52,359 Speaker 3: You're listening to John Cobel's on demand from KFI, A 384 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 3: six forty. 385 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: Run every day one until four o'clock. After four o'clock 386 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:00,479 Speaker 1: John Cobelt's Show on demand on the iHeart app. On 387 00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: social media, you follow us at John Cobelt Radio at 388 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:09,120 Speaker 1: John coblt Radio, but on YouTube it's the John Cobelt 389 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: Show and you can subscribe YouTube dot com slash at 390 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,359 Speaker 1: John Cobelt's show, and I imagine the segment, the interview 391 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 1: with the fire Chief will be the feature segment video. Well, 392 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: he was on the phone, so I guess it's just 393 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: going to be me talking to him more. We had 394 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 1: him Moore on the fire Chief about a half an 395 00:21:30,640 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: hour ago, and if you missed it, that's what podcast 396 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: is for after four o'clock John Cobelt's show on demand 397 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:40,560 Speaker 1: the two o'clock hour, the second hour of the show, 398 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:43,600 Speaker 1: and you can listen to the podcast, and you really should, 399 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: because we covered a lot of ground in a short time. 400 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:51,920 Speaker 1: Now coming up after three o'clock and sometimes I feel bad, 401 00:21:52,840 --> 00:21:55,760 Speaker 1: you know, the Altdena fire just doesn't get that much 402 00:21:55,840 --> 00:21:59,480 Speaker 1: media coverage, and we can all speculate on the reasons, 403 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: and there's just less material that comes out. But it 404 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,800 Speaker 1: is certainly a tragedy. They had even more people die 405 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:11,800 Speaker 1: there and they had thousands of homes get destroyed. We 406 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:16,240 Speaker 1: are going to interview a filmmaker named Andy Timinar and 407 00:22:18,200 --> 00:22:22,959 Speaker 1: she has created a documentary which has caused quite a buzz. 408 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 2: Uh. 409 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: May you know, maybe it'll get nominated for an Oscar 410 00:22:26,720 --> 00:22:30,879 Speaker 1: Uh it's a short documentary called All the Walls Came Down. 411 00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:37,720 Speaker 1: She lost her home, and she chronicled her return, showing 412 00:22:37,760 --> 00:22:41,400 Speaker 1: up in a hazmat suit and bending down to look 413 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 1: at the ruins. It's it's quite emotional and and what 414 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: happened to the what happened to the Altadena community there? 415 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,159 Speaker 1: And she's also going to be on with another woman 416 00:22:53,160 --> 00:22:56,040 Speaker 1: who lost her home in the fire, Heavenly, So it's 417 00:22:56,080 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 1: going to be filmmaker Andy Timiner and Heavenly, another Altadena resident, 418 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,879 Speaker 1: And we're going to talk about that film, which is 419 00:23:05,040 --> 00:23:07,600 Speaker 1: certainly she'll explain where you can see it. It is 420 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 1: certainly worth watching. It's quite moving, quite emotional. And I 421 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,120 Speaker 1: was talking about earlier in the show about Rob Vonta. 422 00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:22,840 Speaker 1: He's not running for governor. He wants to repay remain 423 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: attorney general. And he said, I heard in the news 424 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:32,440 Speaker 1: report that Debor had that he says he's going to, 425 00:23:32,520 --> 00:23:37,280 Speaker 1: you know, pursue immigrant rights. And I just stopped dead, 426 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:41,359 Speaker 1: and I thought, well, what about taxpayer rights? What about 427 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:48,359 Speaker 1: American citizen rights? What about more dollars spent on the 428 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: fire department so that this doesn't happen? You heard Haimi 429 00:23:54,680 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: Moore talk about how a lot of the early decisions 430 00:23:59,520 --> 00:24:04,840 Speaker 1: to send out cruise in advance before the fire, to 431 00:24:04,920 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: deploy pre deploy was based on financial concerns. And I'm thinking, 432 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: in the city of Los Angeles, in the state of California, 433 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:16,480 Speaker 1: we have financial concerns about how many fire trucks we 434 00:24:16,520 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: could deploy. But the Attorney general who's announcing he's running 435 00:24:22,080 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: for re election to be attorney general, he leads with 436 00:24:28,720 --> 00:24:34,639 Speaker 1: immigrant rights. Nobody ever runs on taxpayer rights. Have you 437 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:39,399 Speaker 1: ever heard anybody, especially in California. Nobody runs on taxpayer rights. Hey, 438 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 1: how about a fire department in Los Angeles? Because we 439 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,120 Speaker 1: told you in the first hour, and that's another hour 440 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:52,960 Speaker 1: you ought to be listening. That shockingly, amazingly, stunningly, According 441 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,920 Speaker 1: to a CBS two investigation, we have in the city 442 00:24:55,920 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: of Los Angeles fewer fire trucks, fewer fire engines, and 443 00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:04,960 Speaker 1: fewer ambulances than we did a year ago. Fewer because 444 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: it's breaking down and we don't have the mechanics or 445 00:25:09,080 --> 00:25:14,960 Speaker 1: the parts to replace to fix the fire trucks. We 446 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:21,359 Speaker 1: don't have the personnel, we don't have anything. So I 447 00:25:21,440 --> 00:25:23,919 Speaker 1: just want to run through these numbers quickly. And we 448 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:25,760 Speaker 1: get into more detail. As I said in the one 449 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:27,639 Speaker 1: o'clock hour, but I want everyone to be aware of this. 450 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:31,120 Speaker 1: We had a year ago two hundred and fifty two 451 00:25:31,160 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: fire engines, Now we're down to two forty. We had 452 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:41,160 Speaker 1: two hundred and seventeen ambulances. Now we're down to two 453 00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:45,919 Speaker 1: hundred and seven. Five percent drop in both categories. But 454 00:25:45,960 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: the hell and I say this because there's there's a 455 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:59,640 Speaker 1: there's another story about Newsome unveiling a three hundred and 456 00:25:59,800 --> 00:26:05,160 Speaker 1: four forty nine billion dollar budget, three hundred and forty 457 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:15,879 Speaker 1: nine billion, and we're short. We are short hundreds of 458 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:20,520 Speaker 1: fire engines and ambulances in LA. How is that? If 459 00:26:20,560 --> 00:26:24,719 Speaker 1: you have all this money flowing, why aren't grants given 460 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: to the cities to buy more fire trucks, more ambulances, 461 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:36,639 Speaker 1: and hire more firefighters instead, I'm reading here about how 462 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:41,320 Speaker 1: much money they're spending on illegal alien healthcare, which has 463 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,280 Speaker 1: to take a cut because we're in a budget deficit, 464 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 1: and so the illegal alien healthcare budget is getting shrunk, 465 00:26:53,119 --> 00:26:56,560 Speaker 1: but it's still going to get billions of dollars. Why 466 00:26:56,600 --> 00:26:59,159 Speaker 1: is it getting even a dollar? How is it that 467 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,480 Speaker 1: we don't have fire trucks and ambulances and firefighters. And 468 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:08,240 Speaker 1: I know I'm talking about city and state, but it 469 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:10,479 Speaker 1: seems like there should be a statewide program to make 470 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,560 Speaker 1: sure the cities and counties have the fire trucks and 471 00:27:12,600 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: the firefighters. Isn't that more important than what benefits illegal 472 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: aliens get, what benefits homeless people get. I mean, is 473 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:26,640 Speaker 1: there any priorities anymore that make any sense anything at all. 474 00:27:30,920 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: They're getting more money coming in because of AI. AI 475 00:27:37,119 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 1: is leading to bigger profits for companies. AI is driving 476 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 1: higher stock prices and investors cash in. And remember, the 477 00:27:45,160 --> 00:27:49,040 Speaker 1: wealthy pay the top one percent of the income tax 478 00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: in this state, and they have the biggest homes, so 479 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:57,000 Speaker 1: they certainly play pay plenty and property tax. They have 480 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,439 Speaker 1: to pay the most sales tax because they buy more stuff. 481 00:28:00,040 --> 00:28:05,640 Speaker 1: So the wealthy are spending plenty. But we don't have 482 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: any money for a fire department. We have half a 483 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:15,560 Speaker 1: fire department in the city, and I'm sure we have 484 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,200 Speaker 1: a much smaller fire department than we need in the county. 485 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: Because that Altadena response wasn't too hot either. We talk 486 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: about that with the filmmaker Andy Timiner coming up after 487 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,440 Speaker 1: three o'clock. But this is again, well, I said in 488 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 1: the last seme ago, we're paying for all this, Why 489 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:41,720 Speaker 1: doesn't everyone demand that we get our money's worth. They 490 00:28:41,800 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: have the highest taxes in all categories. I've beaten that 491 00:28:44,720 --> 00:28:47,760 Speaker 1: to death. So why don't we get the highest number 492 00:28:47,760 --> 00:28:51,960 Speaker 1: of services to American citizens, to the taxpayers, to the 493 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:56,520 Speaker 1: stuff we need. Why isn't it being demanded. Why isn't 494 00:28:56,600 --> 00:29:03,840 Speaker 1: Rob Bonta investigating all the fraud that goes on homeless nonprofits, 495 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:11,640 Speaker 1: illegal alien nonprofits? Why isn't that being investigated? And why 496 00:29:11,640 --> 00:29:16,000 Speaker 1: does everybody allow him to do this? I don't understand. 497 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 1: If we were on the case banging on these guys' heads, 498 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 1: maybe we don't have the palisades burned as much, maybe 499 00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:28,720 Speaker 1: not at all. In that case, maybe the Altadena situation 500 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:35,960 Speaker 1: is mitigated. I don't understand starving fire departments. When did 501 00:29:35,960 --> 00:29:38,200 Speaker 1: that become a thing, Well, apparently for quite a while, 502 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:43,960 Speaker 1: now decades. Why what's wrong with everyone who's been elected 503 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: to government in the county and the city for I 504 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,280 Speaker 1: don't know, the last thirty forty years. What's wrong with you? 505 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,680 Speaker 1: Why are you spending money on homeless and illegal aliens 506 00:29:52,760 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: and not the effing fire departments? What's wrong with you 507 00:29:56,440 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 1: do you all have brain damage? And why do all 508 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 1: the voters put up with it? Well, we're gonna keep 509 00:30:05,400 --> 00:30:08,720 Speaker 1: trying try to figure this out all right again. Andy 510 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:12,640 Speaker 1: Timiner coming up, the filmmaker on her on the movie 511 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:16,440 Speaker 1: she's made on Alta Dina All the walls came down, 512 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:21,000 Speaker 1: And if you missed Haimi Moore's appearance on the show, 513 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: he's the La fire Chief. We just interviewed him earlier 514 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:25,560 Speaker 1: in the hour. That's going to be on the podcast 515 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,600 Speaker 1: John Cobolt Show on demand posted after four o'clock. 516 00:30:29,520 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 3: You're listening to John Cobbels on demand from KFI AM 517 00:30:33,880 --> 00:30:34,400 Speaker 3: six forty. 518 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,640 Speaker 1: John Cobelt Show continues. Coming up after Debra's news at 519 00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: five o'clock, we have Andy Andy Timiner. She is a 520 00:30:43,480 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 1: filmmaker and she's done a beautiful short film on the 521 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: fire in Alta Dina. Her home was destroyed and the 522 00:30:54,480 --> 00:31:00,160 Speaker 1: film chronicles her discovering what was left the rubble, the 523 00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,400 Speaker 1: birch rubble that was left on her lot, and also 524 00:31:03,680 --> 00:31:10,360 Speaker 1: about the whole Altadena community coming together. Afterwards, we're gonna 525 00:31:10,360 --> 00:31:14,960 Speaker 1: have Onion and another Altadena resident Heavenly and they'll be 526 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: with us right after three o'clock. You like the beach, right, 527 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:23,920 Speaker 1: like vacationing at beaches. Okay, I have an Ecuadorian beach 528 00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,959 Speaker 1: for you. Ecuador used to be a really nice country. 529 00:31:27,120 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: I went there once, spent a week there. Galapagos Islands 530 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,760 Speaker 1: belonged to Ecuador, and they spent some time in Quito, 531 00:31:35,960 --> 00:31:38,880 Speaker 1: the capitol, and it was really a wonderful trip. But 532 00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: this is fifteen years ago. Since then, violent drug gangs 533 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:46,920 Speaker 1: have taken over. So the other day this week, if 534 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: you were walking along this Ecuadorian beach near Quito, there 535 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:58,040 Speaker 1: were two tall wooden posts on the beach, looks like 536 00:31:58,120 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: something you would drape a net across baby, And they 537 00:32:02,600 --> 00:32:07,680 Speaker 1: had wires connecting one post to the next, and hanging 538 00:32:07,720 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: from the wires, we're five human heads. Oh are you serious? 539 00:32:14,000 --> 00:32:14,360 Speaker 2: Area? 540 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 1: You know, I don't know, it looks like a nice beach. Uh. 541 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:22,000 Speaker 1: Five human heads decapitated. Of course, there's there's no body. 542 00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:24,680 Speaker 1: I'm looking at a photo, but and i'd send it 543 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:26,040 Speaker 1: to you, but I don't want to see it. They 544 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:29,200 Speaker 1: not waste your time. They blurred out the heads and 545 00:32:29,240 --> 00:32:35,320 Speaker 1: I was so these Uh, you know, this is what 546 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:38,320 Speaker 1: drug cartels do. In case you wonder by the way, 547 00:32:38,720 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: why we're bombing those drug boats coming out of Venezuela, 548 00:32:41,760 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 1: and why we got rid of the Venezuelan president, and 549 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: why we're threatening Mexico, why we're threatening Columbia. I'll give you, 550 00:32:49,280 --> 00:32:53,040 Speaker 1: I'll give you. What's what's going on in Ecuador? Uh 551 00:32:53,480 --> 00:32:56,880 Speaker 1: Next to the heads was a warning sign directed at 552 00:32:56,960 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 1: the extortionists of fishermen, because the fishermen are forced to 553 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:07,360 Speaker 1: carry the drugs and the drug cartel members in their boats, 554 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: and they they've used the fishermen in the boats for 555 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:15,920 Speaker 1: all their drug activities. There's violence all over Ecuador. It's 556 00:33:15,920 --> 00:33:18,880 Speaker 1: been going on for four years. It became the logistical 557 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:22,960 Speaker 1: center for storing and distributing drugs that enter through the 558 00:33:23,040 --> 00:33:26,560 Speaker 1: northern border with Columbia and the southern border with Peru. 559 00:33:26,920 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 1: So last year they had nine thousand murders. Nine thousand 560 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:35,760 Speaker 1: equator is not that big, and much of it fueled 561 00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 1: by this drug trade. And the record was set just 562 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 1: two years before that at eighty four hundred. So there 563 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:50,440 Speaker 1: was a masker Masacar that left six people dead two 564 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,880 Speaker 1: weeks ago in Puerto Lopez. There was a second attack 565 00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: three days later, six people dead in the town of 566 00:33:56,920 --> 00:33:59,800 Speaker 1: Manta and then you're walking on the beach and the 567 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:03,000 Speaker 1: five heads swaying in the wind on the wires. I'm 568 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: going to take that off my bucket list. Yeah, you know. 569 00:34:06,520 --> 00:34:09,319 Speaker 1: I mean, in order to get the Galapagos Islands, you 570 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 1: have to go to Ecuador, right, and then the boat. 571 00:34:12,600 --> 00:34:14,520 Speaker 1: The ship, well it was a cruise ship. We got 572 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:16,399 Speaker 1: it and it went from island to island. And it's 573 00:34:16,440 --> 00:34:19,359 Speaker 1: absolutely the Galapagos Islands the most magic maybe the most 574 00:34:19,360 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: magical place ever went to, because they have all these 575 00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,360 Speaker 1: extremely rare creatures that you can't find anywhere else in 576 00:34:27,400 --> 00:34:34,280 Speaker 1: the world. That's where Charles Darwin went and it made him. 577 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:38,800 Speaker 1: It inspired him to develop his theory of natural selection 578 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:43,680 Speaker 1: and evolution, and it is really a wonderful trip. I 579 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:46,080 Speaker 1: would like to go there one day. Yeah, I want 580 00:34:46,080 --> 00:34:47,680 Speaker 1: to go back. That was the one place I said, 581 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:51,239 Speaker 1: all right in Africa. Yeah, but I have I have 582 00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:52,719 Speaker 1: to go back to the golf. But you also want 583 00:34:52,719 --> 00:34:54,080 Speaker 1: to go back to Africa. And I do want to 584 00:34:54,120 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 1: go back to Africa too, after doing a safari there. 585 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:02,000 Speaker 1: We want to go see the mountain gorillas, the baby gorillas. 586 00:35:02,719 --> 00:35:05,000 Speaker 1: You could stand with them in their little community, Are 587 00:35:05,000 --> 00:35:08,120 Speaker 1: you serious? Yeah? And they treat you nicely. Once in 588 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: a while, they like to play around, I'm told, and 589 00:35:10,920 --> 00:35:14,920 Speaker 1: they'll whack you. I would love that. I hope your 590 00:35:14,920 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 1: wife takes some pictures and nobody gets really hurt. But 591 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,919 Speaker 1: it's like having a big kid just push you around. Yeah, 592 00:35:21,920 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 1: it would be. But the's Ecuador's just completely gone to hell. 593 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: All right, we come back Altadena wildfire not nearly enough 594 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:34,400 Speaker 1: coverage and those people have suffered a lot. Andy Timinter, 595 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:40,600 Speaker 1: she lived there. She makes films, award winning films, and 596 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:44,000 Speaker 1: she did a short documentary on it which I saw 597 00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,960 Speaker 1: over the weekend. And her house burned in the fire, 598 00:35:47,040 --> 00:35:50,320 Speaker 1: and she's gonna tell her story. All the walls came down. 599 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,959 Speaker 1: We'll tell you on how you could find this film. 600 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:55,319 Speaker 1: You're gonna want to see it. Yeah, you really, you know, 601 00:35:56,160 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: people just would would see these films and really absorb 602 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:02,680 Speaker 1: the personal suffering. Then maybe you'd get inspired to do 603 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,200 Speaker 1: something to rid us of the people who run this state, 604 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:09,360 Speaker 1: in county and city, because that's a lot of suffering. 605 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: We're going to talk to it, Andy Timiner, and also 606 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:19,959 Speaker 1: Heavenly another restaurant, a restaurant, another resident, Yes, Deborah Mark 607 00:36:20,040 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: Live KFI twenty four our news. Hey, you've been listening 608 00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:25,560 Speaker 1: to The John Cobalt Show podcast. You can always hear 609 00:36:25,600 --> 00:36:28,319 Speaker 1: the show live on KFI AM six forty from one 610 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:30,839 Speaker 1: to four pm every Monday through Friday, and of course, 611 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,640 Speaker 1: anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app