1 00:00:00,640 --> 00:00:00,840 Speaker 1: Can't. 2 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:03,600 Speaker 2: I am six forty. You're listening to the John Cobel 3 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 2: podcast on the iHeartRadio app. We are live everywhere on 4 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:14,320 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, over the air, streaming, and on a podcast. 5 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:16,560 Speaker 2: As soon as the show is over after four o'clock. 6 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:20,680 Speaker 2: We post the podcast every day so you can hear 7 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:25,040 Speaker 2: whatever it is you missed. We are going to spend 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,680 Speaker 2: some time on yesterday's interview with the Los Angeles Fire 9 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:34,279 Speaker 2: Department chief Hi me More. The whole video is on YouTube, 10 00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 2: so if you go to YouTube, and you can subscribe 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,480 Speaker 2: by going to YouTube dot com, slash at John Cobel Show, 12 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: and we've posted the video. It's about fifteen minutes or so. 13 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:51,240 Speaker 2: We were allocated ten and hime More of the chief, 14 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 2: graciously stretched it a little longer, and most of the 15 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 2: media outlets were lined up all afternoon talking to him, 16 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 2: and it was to be ten minute increments. And it 17 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 2: is hard to cover the breadth and depth of this 18 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 2: story in ten minutes, but I think we did. I 19 00:01:09,959 --> 00:01:12,360 Speaker 2: think we had a good conversation on some of the 20 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 2: most important issues. Other interviews were done with like the 21 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:19,000 Speaker 2: La Times that hit on other aspects, and I'll get 22 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 2: to them later, but I just want to express my 23 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 2: just general frustration that this has to be like pulling teeth. 24 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,240 Speaker 2: And I know the root of this is that Karen 25 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 2: Bass is trying to cover this up as best she 26 00:01:37,240 --> 00:01:39,040 Speaker 2: can for as long as she can and try to 27 00:01:39,040 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: get reelected. She has no interest in any of us 28 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 2: knowing the full story. I mean, what I think has 29 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:54,760 Speaker 2: happened is unconscionable, inexcusable, awful, incompetent and should completely disqualify 30 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,360 Speaker 2: her from holding any office for the rest of her life. 31 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 2: And for her to be going out of her way 32 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 2: to intimidate people so that nobody ever tells the truth 33 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: in public is just horrific. Considering the damage that's been done, 34 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:16,679 Speaker 2: the lives lost, the property damage, it's unbelievable and it's 35 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 2: really really frustrating. And if she thinks, if you ninnies 36 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:23,080 Speaker 2: at her office thinks that we're ever going to back down, 37 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,919 Speaker 2: that's never going to happen. And if somehow she gets elected, 38 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:32,160 Speaker 2: because I have no confidence in the intelligence of a 39 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 2: lot of people that live in this city, We're going 40 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 2: to hound you for the next five years at constantly 41 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:41,920 Speaker 2: reminding of what you did, because what you did was 42 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:44,520 Speaker 2: horrific and you ought to resign and you have no 43 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 2: business serving the serving the public in any capacity. So 44 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:54,680 Speaker 2: everything is a wrestling match to some extent. It could 45 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 2: be a polite wrestling match, or it can be a 46 00:02:56,680 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 2: nasty wrestling match. And you know, I know, I know 47 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 2: every day when we do this and every time we 48 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,079 Speaker 2: have people on, you're not going to quite get what 49 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 2: you have to And you could beat them over the 50 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 2: head and ran and rave and you're still not going 51 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 2: to get it. And talking to Heimiemore, when I did 52 00:03:12,400 --> 00:03:15,600 Speaker 2: appreciate at least as he admitted that there were a 53 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 2: lot of a lot of wrong decisions made. He wasn't 54 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:22,880 Speaker 2: but you know, a lot of time in government, you 55 00:03:22,919 --> 00:03:24,760 Speaker 2: get people who try to sell you that well, it 56 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,160 Speaker 2: actually was the right decision. And here's why it's like, no, 57 00:03:27,240 --> 00:03:31,079 Speaker 2: this was wrong. What we cannot get is the detail 58 00:03:31,280 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 2: who specifically made the decisions and what was going on 59 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: in their heads, When did they have the meetings, who 60 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 2: was at the meetings, and who ultimately said, wow, this 61 00:03:41,080 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 2: is the best way to go because a lot of 62 00:03:43,960 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: this stuff is just crazy, just crazy wrong. I'm going 63 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:50,560 Speaker 2: to play a couple of cuts here. Let me tell 64 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 2: you what I want to do talk about this, take 65 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:57,280 Speaker 2: a couple of play some cuts, so in case you 66 00:03:57,440 --> 00:03:59,840 Speaker 2: weren't here in the two o'clock hour yesterday, and that 67 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: is where you can find at the two o'clock hour 68 00:04:01,880 --> 00:04:05,440 Speaker 2: on the iHeartRadio app from yesterday, or you can look 69 00:04:05,480 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 2: at the segment in video on YouTube. And next hour 70 00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 2: we're going to take calls from people. I figured since 71 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 2: most of the people who have heard the interview were 72 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,440 Speaker 2: in the two o'clock hour, then two o'clock hour will 73 00:04:18,440 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 2: take the calls. This hour, I'm going to play a 74 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 2: couple of cuts. If you missed it, We're going to 75 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,799 Speaker 2: talk to Freddy Escobart one thirty. He's heard the interview. 76 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 2: He is the LA Fire Department union head, and he 77 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,840 Speaker 2: has run into a speed bump because he was suddenly 78 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 2: accused of falsifying expenses, claiming he didn't have receipts. He's 79 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 2: in the middle of a three day trial over those 80 00:04:46,200 --> 00:04:52,000 Speaker 2: receipts and those expenses, and he said he knows why. 81 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,840 Speaker 2: It's because he was very critical of what the fire 82 00:04:57,880 --> 00:05:03,039 Speaker 2: department did, what of Karen Bass did. And Bass of 83 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 2: course fired Kristin Crowley because she told the truth as well, 84 00:05:08,360 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 2: and the big truth in all this is that Karen Bass, 85 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:19,320 Speaker 2: as well as the mayors before her, Eric Carcetti and 86 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 2: Antonio via Ragosa, severely underfunded the fire department, like it's 87 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 2: only funded to a fifty percent level. We have roughly 88 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:33,599 Speaker 2: the same amount of firefighters and the same amount of 89 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 2: fire stations that we did in the nineteen sixties. And 90 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:41,720 Speaker 2: this has gone on for decades, and Bass made it worse. 91 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,680 Speaker 2: She added more cuts. I mean, they're already down to 92 00:05:46,720 --> 00:05:51,920 Speaker 2: the bare bones. And unfortunately Kristin Crowley and others who 93 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: are named at this point made decisions that morning on 94 00:05:57,160 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 2: January seventh because they didn't want to spend the money. 95 00:06:00,440 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 2: That's why the second shift of firefighters weren't asked to 96 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 2: remain on the job, to stay on for another shift. 97 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 2: And that's why they didn't pre deploy more fire trucks 98 00:06:12,080 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 2: fire engines than firefighters too places like the Palisades. I mean, 99 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 2: there were a lot of things wrong, but that's one 100 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,359 Speaker 2: of the original sins is that the fire department and 101 00:06:21,400 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 2: by the police department as well, not funded properly. Let 102 00:06:28,120 --> 00:06:31,880 Speaker 2: me play cut number three. This is me talking with chief. 103 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:38,240 Speaker 2: I meanmore that people want to know how this how 104 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 2: many bad decisions could have happened all at the same time. 105 00:06:41,279 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 2: I think people want to know how many bad decisions 106 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:47,599 Speaker 2: could be made in such a short period of time. 107 00:06:47,880 --> 00:06:51,560 Speaker 2: It seems like every decision ended up being the wrong decision. 108 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 2: How could that be with all the experience and the 109 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 2: training that your department. 110 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:01,000 Speaker 3: Has, Well, you know, you're absolutely right, it does seem 111 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:02,920 Speaker 3: like there were a lot of bad decisions that were made. 112 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,760 Speaker 3: We didn't anticipate this magnitude of the storm. It was 113 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 3: in perfect alignment. We had anywhere from forty to ninety 114 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 3: mile an hour winds. There were hurricane force winds with 115 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 3: occasional guss up to one hundred miles. 116 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 2: Now, no, there wasn't. There wasn't continuous ninety mile hour 117 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 2: winds most of the time. It was most of the 118 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 2: time it was closer to forty, all right, maybe high 119 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 2: up on a mountain, there was August at ninety. So 120 00:07:27,040 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 2: what was when it was blazing through the town itself 121 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 2: that those weren't ninety mile an hour winds? There were 122 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 2: forty mile an hour winds. And the thing is, you know, 123 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 2: we work here. We were broadcasting warnings for a week 124 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 2: about what was going to happen, and we collected all 125 00:07:44,240 --> 00:07:47,960 Speaker 2: the Twitter messages online, all the apocalyptic language from the 126 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,920 Speaker 2: National Weather Service, like it's impossible for people in charge 127 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 2: not to know that this had a very good chance 128 00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: of being this disastrous. 129 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 3: You know, John, You're absolute right, But let me tell 130 00:07:59,640 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 3: you this. 131 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: Four hundred and four hundred. 132 00:08:02,240 --> 00:08:07,080 Speaker 3: And sixty square miles of the city of Los Angeles 133 00:08:07,080 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 3: and the amount of wildland urban interface we can't put 134 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:12,120 Speaker 3: the number of resources we have all. 135 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,640 Speaker 2: Over the place, but the palastates the hot spot. The 136 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 2: palastates had the walk them the higher fire hotspot. 137 00:08:18,760 --> 00:08:21,560 Speaker 3: In hindsight, You're absolutely right, but we did not know 138 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 3: that at the time, and if we had the ability 139 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 3: to look back and in hindsight, we would have had 140 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 3: a resource sitting right on top of it. 141 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: And I wasn't the fire chief at the time. 142 00:08:29,680 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 3: I didn't deploy the resources at the time. 143 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: But I can tell you this. 144 00:08:32,160 --> 00:08:34,760 Speaker 3: Moving forward, we're going to have a better deployment model. 145 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 3: We have a better decision making matrix. We have a 146 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 3: larger number of resources that would be deployed, and we 147 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 3: have newer resources. We have Type six resources, which are 148 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 3: wildland urban interface special specialized resources to be able to 149 00:08:49,320 --> 00:08:52,200 Speaker 3: handle those roads that are up in the mountains like that. 150 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:54,600 Speaker 3: And then we also have hand crews. We didn't have 151 00:08:54,640 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 3: hand crews at the time that were dedicated to the 152 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:58,839 Speaker 3: City of Los Angeles. In my budget moving forward, I 153 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:00,040 Speaker 3: got another hand crew that's on. 154 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: And request. 155 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 3: So I've got funding comings for an additional helicopter. I've 156 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 3: got requests for funding for more personnel. Those are the 157 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 3: things that going to help us in the future. But 158 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,320 Speaker 3: it's also the decision making, so we put policies and 159 00:09:14,360 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 3: procedures in place so we don't make those same mistakes 160 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:19,080 Speaker 3: that we've made in the past. 161 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:25,920 Speaker 2: Great, he's very future oriented. I am past oriented. I 162 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,320 Speaker 2: want to know how you have a fire department with 163 00:09:29,720 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 2: thousands of people, many of them are a very long 164 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:36,360 Speaker 2: time and to tell me that we didn't know it 165 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 2: was a hotspot. You had a fire there six days before. 166 00:09:40,800 --> 00:09:44,240 Speaker 2: By definition, it's a hot spot. It is the hot 167 00:09:44,280 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 2: spot that may have been the only hot spot. If 168 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 2: you've got one crew to spare, you send it there. 169 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 2: Because while he talked about La being four hundred and 170 00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 2: sixty square miles or whatever, it wasn't going to be 171 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 2: a wildfire in mid city. There wasn't going to be 172 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 2: a fire in downtown or Korea Town or in Dennis. 173 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,040 Speaker 2: A lot of these places have never seen wildfires because 174 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 2: there's no wild there. The wildfires tend to happen along 175 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: the Santa Monica Mountain Ridge, potentially on either side, and 176 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 2: you know the towns. It would be the Palisades in 177 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 2: Brentwood and bel Air and the Hollywood Hills, and on 178 00:10:32,640 --> 00:10:38,120 Speaker 2: the other side in Sino and Tarzana at Sherman Oaks 179 00:10:38,280 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 2: and Studio City and a few other places. That's where 180 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:45,000 Speaker 2: the bulk of the fires tend to happen because that's 181 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:51,160 Speaker 2: endless wildland. And I'm glad that he agreed several times 182 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:54,679 Speaker 2: that yes, stuff I was saying was absolutely right, and 183 00:10:54,720 --> 00:10:57,360 Speaker 2: it's no special wisdom or knowledge that I have. It's 184 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:02,599 Speaker 2: just clear. So again, come clean with all the details 185 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: as to how who said what to who to decide 186 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 2: that nobody's going to go to the Palisades, and that 187 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 2: story is still very murky. We got to take a break, 188 00:11:20,280 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 2: play another clip when we come back. The next one 189 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:27,480 Speaker 2: is about the reservoir, and then we're going to talk 190 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 2: to Freddy Escobar, who's the head of the LA Firefighters Union. 191 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:36,560 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI AM 192 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 4: six forty. 193 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,040 Speaker 2: So coming up in a few minutes, right after Dever's news, 194 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,280 Speaker 2: we're going to talk with Freddy Escobar. He is the 195 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:51,760 Speaker 2: union chief and he's going to he's gonna give us 196 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 2: his reaction to himI Moore, the fire chief coming on 197 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 2: and he's frustrated too. You know, any reasonable per is 198 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 2: frustrated because what you get as answers, and I you know, 199 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,199 Speaker 2: I know this has been the way for one hundred 200 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 2: years with politicians and people who run public agencies. But 201 00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 2: good Lord, could you suspend your policy and tell the 202 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 2: truth and be clear and concise and forthcoming and candid, 203 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:31,360 Speaker 2: especially when you have a disaster of this proportion. I 204 00:12:32,120 --> 00:12:36,160 Speaker 2: just looking at the comments from all our social media 205 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 2: posts of pieces of this interview, or the interview in 206 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 2: its entirety. By the way, you can go to the 207 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:47,800 Speaker 2: get it on the podcast. It's our number two. Yesterday, 208 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:52,560 Speaker 2: nobody said, hey, thanks chief, more thanks for explaining things. 209 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:58,120 Speaker 2: I understand now what's going on. Nobody said that it 210 00:12:58,160 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 2: was more like more dancing, more dancing, more evasive action. 211 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 2: Answers that sound direct, but they're not. Let's play cut 212 00:13:15,720 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 2: number three. No, No, cut number four. Now about oh yeah, 213 00:13:19,600 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 2: the reservoir issue, the reservoir being empty, the hydrant's not working. 214 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:29,439 Speaker 2: Does anybody at the fire department talk with people from 215 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 2: the Department of Water and Power and talk with in. 216 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:36,480 Speaker 1: The process, right? 217 00:13:36,920 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 2: But I mean in the past year or two, that 218 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,200 Speaker 2: reservoir was empty for a year, and it seems the 219 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 2: firefighters showed up and they didn't realize there wasn't going 220 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:46,640 Speaker 2: to be much water to work with. 221 00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 3: Well, the water, the water problem was a problem with 222 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 3: the amount of water we were flowing from the hyrants. 223 00:13:53,880 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 3: It was also a matter of all the open butts 224 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:57,560 Speaker 3: that were happening because of the number of homes that 225 00:13:57,600 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 3: were being burnt down. So you had all these warfases. 226 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,080 Speaker 3: I mean, there's stories if you talked to these firefighters 227 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 3: where they were going and shutting off water valves to 228 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:08,480 Speaker 3: the house so they could shut off the messig which 229 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,200 Speaker 3: did nothing. It did absolutely nothing to help in the situation. 230 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 3: But it was everything they were doing to try to 231 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:15,640 Speaker 3: combat this conflagration, right, right. 232 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:17,679 Speaker 2: But it's hard to believe one hundred and seventeen million 233 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:22,200 Speaker 2: gallons wouldn't help. I talked to a guy who defended 234 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,600 Speaker 2: his house and two of his neighbors. He saved all 235 00:14:24,640 --> 00:14:27,000 Speaker 2: three homes and only had was a two inch hose 236 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:30,440 Speaker 2: that he had kept from the last fire. I mean 237 00:14:30,520 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 2: he could he had water. Yeah, he had water, but 238 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 2: it was a two inch hose and he saved three homes. 239 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: That's why it's hard to believe that one hundred and 240 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 2: seventeen million gallons in the Senti Sentianaz Reservoir wouldn't have 241 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 2: had en effect. 242 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 3: But John, what you're saying is he had water. It 243 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 3: wasn't a matter. We didn't have enough firefighting resources all over, 244 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 3: and when you look at the number of resources we 245 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 3: had till the end, it didn't stop until the wind 246 00:14:53,560 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 3: stopped blowing. We had aircraft. The next day when we 247 00:14:57,520 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 3: could finally get clearance for our aircraft to fly, we 248 00:14:59,600 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 3: had air craft up and that's that was one of 249 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 3: our number one things. And our aircraft even had a 250 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:06,560 Speaker 3: jump on fire because they were on their way to 251 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 3: Hollywood when they were fighting a fire in Hollywood that 252 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 3: broke out just for. 253 00:15:10,520 --> 00:15:11,320 Speaker 1: The Palisas fire. 254 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 3: So they gave us a leg up and they diverted 255 00:15:14,880 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 3: some aircraft over to the palisade. That still didn't do 256 00:15:17,280 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 3: us any good. 257 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 2: The thing is they're trained to jump. I don't know 258 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 2: how many different subjects he covered from here to hear 259 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 2: it to hear. But the question is the question was 260 00:15:32,400 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 2: do you guys talk. The firefighters didn't know the reservoir 261 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 2: was empty, the residents didn't know the reservoir was empty. 262 00:15:39,920 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 2: How could the reservoir be empty for a year? And 263 00:15:43,160 --> 00:15:46,760 Speaker 2: the fire chief and the mayria did they know? Probably not, 264 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:54,280 Speaker 2: That's the thing. And I thought, there's all kinds of 265 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:59,600 Speaker 2: planning for catastrophic fires that we always get. The public 266 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:01,800 Speaker 2: gets warn well, here's what you're supposed to do in 267 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 2: an earthquake, here's what you do if there's a fire. 268 00:16:05,280 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 2: Do they not do computer modeling and simulation of what 269 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 2: could happen? And then they'll say, well, the system really 270 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 2: wasn't built for this. Well, why isn't the system built 271 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:19,920 Speaker 2: for this? People have been paying taxes for one hundred 272 00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 2: years and this has happened before. We've had other catastrophic 273 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:25,880 Speaker 2: fires in the hills. And then you put in the 274 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:33,160 Speaker 2: extra reservoir, the Santi Enez reservoir specifically for firefighting, specifically, 275 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 2: and then they closed it because well the cover was torn. 276 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 2: Oh the cover was torn, So what it didn't have 277 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 2: a cover fifty years, you know, from nineteen seventy to no. 278 00:16:48,160 --> 00:16:50,960 Speaker 2: Actually it was built in the sixties. From the mid 279 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 2: sixties until twenty twelve there was no cover. Well, your 280 00:16:57,000 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 2: regulation is about drinking water. They didn't need it for 281 00:17:00,440 --> 00:17:04,240 Speaker 2: drinking water. Clearly they didn't have it working in twenty 282 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:08,399 Speaker 2: twenty four and everybody was drinking water. Fine, there was plenty. 283 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:11,960 Speaker 2: So what they do is they keep changing the subject 284 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,680 Speaker 2: and changing the subject, changing the subject. Why is it? 285 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,840 Speaker 2: Jens kenonians she should be forced to testify under oath 286 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:23,800 Speaker 2: as to why she allowed that thing to be empty, 287 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 2: and Kristin Crowley should be forced to testify, Karen bashould 288 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 2: be forced to testify. And if we had a legislature 289 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 2: that cared about anybody, I know they're all busy stealing 290 00:17:33,640 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 2: money with all their family nonprofits for homelessness and the 291 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:43,000 Speaker 2: legal aliens. But hey, give us a few minutes. We'll 292 00:17:43,040 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 2: let you go back to the stealing. Give us a 293 00:17:45,040 --> 00:17:50,879 Speaker 2: few minutes and get these incompetent boobs before the legislature, 294 00:17:51,760 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 2: before the attorney general, and everybody ought to be investigated 295 00:17:54,880 --> 00:17:56,960 Speaker 2: and charged with crimes, a lot of them. I think, 296 00:17:59,160 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 2: all right, we come back. We're going to talk to 297 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,080 Speaker 2: Freddie Escobar. He is the head of the firefighters union. 298 00:18:05,119 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 2: He heard the interview too. He's going through his own 299 00:18:07,840 --> 00:18:18,160 Speaker 2: retaliation procedure because he dared criticize the mayor. And next 300 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 2: hour we're going to take your calls on all this. 301 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:25,119 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobelt on demand from KFI A 302 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:26,240 Speaker 4: six forty. 303 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:31,359 Speaker 2: John Cobelt's show. Yesterday, we had the interview with the 304 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:37,119 Speaker 2: LA Fire Department Chief Haimi Moore, and we covered a 305 00:18:37,160 --> 00:18:39,920 Speaker 2: lot of territory. We got only fifteen minutes with him, 306 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:41,880 Speaker 2: and there were many other things I wanted to get into, 307 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 2: but what we covered was fascinating because he did cop 308 00:18:47,359 --> 00:18:51,120 Speaker 2: to a lot of mistakes that were made, but there 309 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:53,680 Speaker 2: seems to be a lack of curiosity about finding out 310 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:57,359 Speaker 2: the details on who made the mistakes and why in 311 00:18:57,440 --> 00:19:00,800 Speaker 2: general the fire department is under Did we knew that 312 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,720 Speaker 2: Freddy Escobar has heard the interview and we're going to 313 00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 2: talk to him now and up up until Well, Freddie, 314 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 2: what's your current status? You were leader of the Fire 315 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 2: Departments Union. 316 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, first, good afternoon, John, and thank you for 317 00:19:17,640 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: having me back, happy twenty twenty six and for all 318 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: the residents of out the Dena Pacific poliss You know, 319 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 1: our heart still bleeds out for everybody. It's going to 320 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:31,560 Speaker 1: be a long recovery. Our goal, my goal is to 321 00:19:31,600 --> 00:19:35,400 Speaker 1: tell the truth, to go out there and hold no punches. 322 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: My status as I'm still the elected president of the 323 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:43,080 Speaker 1: United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, representing over thirty four 324 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: hundred LAFD brothers and sisters. I'm currently in day two 325 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: of my three day trial over receipts misappropriations of funds. 326 00:19:53,680 --> 00:19:55,600 Speaker 1: I could tell you I have the receipts. I have 327 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: one hundred percent. This has nothing to do with receipts. 328 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:03,919 Speaker 1: This has to do with the political attack, a character 329 00:20:04,000 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: assassination by our own I f F but Mike used 330 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,320 Speaker 1: to be one of my closest friends. Frank Lima to 331 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:13,080 Speaker 1: shut us up. 332 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's a lot of there's a lot of that 333 00:20:15,520 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 2: going on in Los Angeles. 334 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: Well, tell you tell the truth, you get you know, 335 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:26,199 Speaker 1: you get assassinated by the far left movement, and I'm 336 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,680 Speaker 1: gonna fight. I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna clear my name 337 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: and I don't want this to happen to any other 338 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: brother or sister in local in the union business. But 339 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:38,200 Speaker 1: we should be aware of what our I f F 340 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:41,720 Speaker 1: is doing to us and shutting us up while we're 341 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: telling the truth. We were the strongest union in La 342 00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: City and now we're just an average union and uh, 343 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 1: you know what we have. What is before us is 344 00:20:53,160 --> 00:20:58,120 Speaker 1: I am going to shout out tell the truth and 345 00:20:58,200 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: called baths out for underfunded, understaffed fire department for illegally 346 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:05,960 Speaker 1: and well she did. She didn't do it illegally, but 347 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: she fired Chief Crowley for telling the truth. The Pacific 348 00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,920 Speaker 1: pol Sage report was changed everything. It was just crazy. 349 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:17,640 Speaker 1: What's happening? 350 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,240 Speaker 2: All right? So you heard the interview with Jimi Moore yesterday, 351 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:24,520 Speaker 2: the LA Fire chief. What's your reaction to what he 352 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:27,560 Speaker 2: said and didn't say in a lot of cases. 353 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: Well, what he's saying is he's trying to, in my opinion, 354 00:21:31,760 --> 00:21:37,760 Speaker 1: cover up for Mayor Bass and trying to move forward. 355 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,280 Speaker 1: I know him personally, I know we want him to 356 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,000 Speaker 1: do well. He does well, we do well, and he 357 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 1: wants to put it behind him because he wasn't the 358 00:21:47,160 --> 00:21:50,320 Speaker 1: fire chief at the time, but yes, he was a deputy. 359 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:53,639 Speaker 1: But he also you know, let's be real, all of 360 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: the chiefs are Lackey's to the mayor, so he had 361 00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:01,560 Speaker 1: to answer the mayor. Do I believe he's getting direction 362 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: from the mayor to do this? Yeah, absolutely, I believe it. 363 00:22:05,000 --> 00:22:07,159 Speaker 1: But do I believe he wants the best thing for 364 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:10,720 Speaker 1: the LFD. Yes, he's a good soldier. We want him 365 00:22:10,720 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: to do well. He does well, we do well. But 366 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:19,200 Speaker 1: let's be very factual. She probably got fired for not 367 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,399 Speaker 1: telling the truth. Foreth she told I'm sorry, excuse me 368 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: for telling the truth. Yeah, And the three things was 369 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 1: to tell Bass that the winds were coming, how ludicrous 370 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:37,199 Speaker 1: is at the budget was cut. That is factual, and 371 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:39,960 Speaker 1: there's a comprehensive reports still going to come out from 372 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: the state. She fired her for all three of those reasons, 373 00:22:44,400 --> 00:22:48,000 Speaker 1: and she got real support from city council. And we'd 374 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:49,920 Speaker 1: move on to the next page. And the next page 375 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 1: is Jamie Moore, and Jamie is you know, he's got 376 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:55,320 Speaker 1: a lot to deal with and he needs to put 377 00:22:55,320 --> 00:22:57,080 Speaker 1: it behind him, and that's what he's trying to do. 378 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: And it probably helps Bass to put it her because 379 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:02,160 Speaker 1: we got an election coming. 380 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 2: But it's it's not gonna No one's gonna put it 381 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 2: behind at all unless they come out with the full truth, 382 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,960 Speaker 2: and there's there's an enormous amount that hasn't been explained, 383 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:17,400 Speaker 2: and there's nobody that's that's that's satisfied with with with 384 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,200 Speaker 2: with anything Bass or more or anyone else has said. 385 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:24,439 Speaker 1: Well, I did an interview with Spencer Pratt and he 386 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:29,880 Speaker 1: asked me about, uh, the report that that report was 387 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: changed by city council. Somebody out there the City of 388 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: Los Angeles changed it. The Fire department did not change it. 389 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:41,880 Speaker 1: That is a fact. So Mayor Bass and her cronies 390 00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: need to answer to that. 391 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:46,040 Speaker 2: But how do we find out that story? 392 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 1: Well, I mean, I mean, this is. 393 00:23:50,760 --> 00:23:54,159 Speaker 2: This is where there should be an investigation by the state, 394 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,600 Speaker 2: except they're not going to investigate Bass or any of 395 00:23:57,640 --> 00:24:00,320 Speaker 2: the council members and and embarrass them. They're on the 396 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,520 Speaker 2: same team. But we're all left hanging out to dry 397 00:24:03,560 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 2: here still not knowing, I mean, and what Everything that 398 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 2: happened was really bad, and on top of it, they 399 00:24:10,080 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 2: start changing the report to soften it, to hide things, 400 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:17,440 Speaker 2: to cover things up. I mean, enough is it enough already? 401 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:22,199 Speaker 1: Yeah? And I listened to Jamie's audio, and you know, 402 00:24:22,280 --> 00:24:25,080 Speaker 1: they did make a mistake. They didn't pre deploy and 403 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: they should have. They didn't recall, and they should have. 404 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: And the people that made those decisions, they made it 405 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: on a monetary decision because you know, she Crawley at 406 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 1: that time was being pushed to cut the budget and 407 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:44,480 Speaker 1: she took a firm position if she can't cut anymore. 408 00:24:45,000 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: So her decision on that day not to recall and 409 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:53,080 Speaker 1: not to deploy everybody, she's got an answer to. But 410 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: that did not happen. 411 00:24:56,280 --> 00:25:00,480 Speaker 2: That's just crazy because you were in an emergency situation. 412 00:25:01,119 --> 00:25:03,119 Speaker 2: I mean, they had to be deployed before the fire 413 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 2: actually started, but it was so high risk because of 414 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 2: that rekindling of the old fire. You just you send 415 00:25:09,640 --> 00:25:12,240 Speaker 2: the troops out there and worry about it later, how 416 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,439 Speaker 2: it's going to be paid. I mean, everything's crazy about this. 417 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,359 Speaker 2: I don't understand any of these excuses, any of these explanations. 418 00:25:20,359 --> 00:25:24,480 Speaker 1: Well, number one, there shouldn't be any excuses, and excuse 419 00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: my language. They picked up the fire department. The leadership 420 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: at that time made a bad decision not to recall 421 00:25:32,800 --> 00:25:36,879 Speaker 1: the members to staff the apparatuses. And to remind you 422 00:25:36,960 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: as well, John, we don't have when they recalled, we 423 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,679 Speaker 1: didn't have enough apparatuses because our budget was cut to 424 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,439 Speaker 1: staff all the reserves. So you know, a lot of 425 00:25:46,440 --> 00:25:49,959 Speaker 1: it is to blame on the chief that made the 426 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,600 Speaker 1: decision not to recall, but a lot of it has 427 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: to be also on the ownership of city council and 428 00:25:57,119 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: especially the mayor to cut our budget. 429 00:26:00,080 --> 00:26:01,679 Speaker 2: Let me ask you one more thing before I gotta go. 430 00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:05,720 Speaker 2: What do you hear behind the scenes that hasn't made 431 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 2: the news yet that you can give us an idea. 432 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:11,760 Speaker 2: Is there any pieces to the story that you're aware 433 00:26:11,760 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 2: of that are just not been revealed yet. 434 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: That have not been revealed. No, I think everything is 435 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 1: coming out slowly. There's a lot of stuff that we 436 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:25,920 Speaker 1: are all learning at the same time. You know from 437 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:30,639 Speaker 1: the fire department side is that it's very unfortunate on 438 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:34,600 Speaker 1: what occurred. The members did the best they can and 439 00:26:34,680 --> 00:26:38,399 Speaker 1: they could and I could tell you as a homeowner, 440 00:26:38,920 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 1: I don't like taxes. And we have taken a position 441 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:48,520 Speaker 1: the union at u FLAC to send and have sent 442 00:26:49,080 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: measure to the residents of Los Angeles to properly staff 443 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:58,879 Speaker 1: the LAFD where these city council leaders cannot touch. The 444 00:26:58,960 --> 00:27:05,400 Speaker 1: money's specifically written to stop the LAFD fund. You stations 445 00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: fifty old ones apparatus equipment and it's coming to you 446 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:13,199 Speaker 1: in November. We hope to get it on there. We 447 00:27:13,240 --> 00:27:15,320 Speaker 1: hope for it to pass, and we want it to 448 00:27:15,359 --> 00:27:21,639 Speaker 1: pass significantly, and that will help preventing another Pacific palis agenciy. 449 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:24,520 Speaker 2: All right, we'll talk more about that in another conversation. 450 00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 2: Thank you for coming on. Okay, Henny Eskamar John he's 451 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:30,840 Speaker 2: the head of the LA Firefighters Union. We got more 452 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:31,239 Speaker 2: coming up. 453 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:36,439 Speaker 4: You're listening to John Cobel on demand from KFI AM 454 00:27:36,480 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 4: six forty. 455 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:42,160 Speaker 2: Moistline for Friday. Moistline is eight seven seven Moist eighty 456 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:45,159 Speaker 2: six eight seven seven moist eighty six and using the 457 00:27:45,200 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 2: talkback feature on the iHeartRadio app. But if you don't 458 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:51,639 Speaker 2: want to do the Moistline, we're gonna give you a 459 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,479 Speaker 2: rare chance to call in right after Debra's news at 460 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:56,719 Speaker 2: two o'clock. And the number is going to be one 461 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,640 Speaker 2: eight hundred. You know, I haven't given out the phone number, 462 00:27:59,640 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 2: and so long five to oh five to two oh 463 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 2: five one five three four. Okay, there you go, one 464 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 2: eight hundred, five to two oh one five three four. 465 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:10,920 Speaker 2: I knew that, and then it just blipped out one 466 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:13,360 Speaker 2: eight hundred and five to two oh one, five three four. 467 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,120 Speaker 2: It's the beginning of the end for me. I want 468 00:28:17,119 --> 00:28:21,560 Speaker 2: you to call and talk about the interview. I wanted 469 00:28:21,600 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 2: to take the calls in the two o'clock hour because 470 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 2: we had the interview with Honeymore, the LA Fire Department chief, 471 00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:31,439 Speaker 2: in that same hour, and I figured the largest number 472 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:35,560 Speaker 2: of people listening would have heard it. Most people listen 473 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,440 Speaker 2: around the same time every day. So if you heard 474 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,920 Speaker 2: the interview, or maybe you saw it on YouTube or 475 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:46,520 Speaker 2: you saw some snippets of it on social media, Uh, 476 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 2: it's on the podcast as well, the two o'clock hour 477 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,920 Speaker 2: from yesterday. If you heard it, I want you to 478 00:28:51,960 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 2: react to it. One eight hundred five to two oh one, 479 00:28:54,920 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 2: five three four, and right after DeBras News at two o'clock, 480 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:01,120 Speaker 2: we'll start taking calls for a little while and be 481 00:29:01,280 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 2: quick and be succinct, because I want to get in 482 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,000 Speaker 2: as many people as possible. I'm just curious how people 483 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 2: ingested that thing. One follow up to Freddi Escobar. He 484 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,120 Speaker 2: was on last segment. He's the chief of the union 485 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,000 Speaker 2: and he made a pitch because the union is sponsoring 486 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 2: a referendum which would raise the sales tax in La 487 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:26,400 Speaker 2: city by a half cent, with the money going to 488 00:29:26,640 --> 00:29:33,000 Speaker 2: a protected fund for the fire department, and so we 489 00:29:33,040 --> 00:29:36,479 Speaker 2: can restore some of the funding that has long been missing, 490 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:40,680 Speaker 2: because as I tell you, it's only fifty percent funded, 491 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 2: and it's been cut more and more by Karen Bass, 492 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 2: even though the firefighter's duties have increased tremendously, because Bass 493 00:29:49,600 --> 00:29:53,040 Speaker 2: allows thousands of homeless people to live in the streets, 494 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 2: and these mental patients and drug addicts start literally thousands 495 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 2: of fires. And I'm gonna I'm gonna talk to Freddy 496 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 2: some more on the air about this tax idea, because 497 00:30:10,920 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 2: I think taxes are obviously way way too high already. 498 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 2: And here's the thing that pisses me off the most. 499 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 2: This is the trick that the government always plays. And 500 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 2: I'm putting the Union and Freddie aside for a moment. 501 00:30:26,920 --> 00:30:30,600 Speaker 2: The government takes money that should go to the obvious 502 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:35,440 Speaker 2: like police and fire, and they blow it on nonsense 503 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 2: like illegal aliens and homeless. And so they cut from 504 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 2: something like the fire department, and then they load up 505 00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 2: on the nonprofit funding for homeless. Much of that gets stolen, 506 00:30:53,200 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 2: as we know, and then they come back and say, oh, yeah, well, 507 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:58,920 Speaker 2: you want a fire department. You know what the palaces 508 00:30:58,920 --> 00:31:00,880 Speaker 2: to happen in your town. Oh maybe you ought to 509 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:04,960 Speaker 2: ante up. Maybe that's another half pitchment, half percent, and 510 00:31:05,120 --> 00:31:08,560 Speaker 2: it's like you just want to punch them right in 511 00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 2: the nose. That's how you really. Let's see, you're getting 512 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,680 Speaker 2: a lot of tax money. You sent it to the 513 00:31:16,720 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 2: illegal aliens and the homeless. Then the people running those 514 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 2: fake nonprofits stole it. You're getting a cut in government, 515 00:31:24,840 --> 00:31:28,160 Speaker 2: you're getting a kickback, and now you want more money 516 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 2: from us. Are you have no fire department? Really? That's 517 00:31:35,360 --> 00:31:39,760 Speaker 2: that's the reaction I have in my gut here. You 518 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:46,520 Speaker 2: people are criminals, shameless criminals. You're cruel. You didn't fund 519 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:50,400 Speaker 2: the pirate fire department, and thousands of people lost their 520 00:31:50,440 --> 00:31:57,200 Speaker 2: homes and the illegal aliens went on. They've been, they've been, 521 00:31:58,480 --> 00:32:02,200 Speaker 2: they've got playing places to live, right, they get free healthcare. 522 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 2: The homeless they don't have homes either, but they're used 523 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 2: for the lifestyle and they have all day to inject 524 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:20,000 Speaker 2: themselves with drugs. Whereas the Palisades families, mom and dad 525 00:32:20,040 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 2: have to go back to work, so the lifestyle is 526 00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:32,280 Speaker 2: a little different. They have kids, so they really can't 527 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:37,080 Speaker 2: work homelessness into their routine and I'm that so, so 528 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 2: absolutely infuriating. That's right, all right, to lead into Debra's news, 529 00:32:45,720 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 2: and then on the other side of her news, we 530 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 2: are going to take your calls one eight hundred and 531 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:53,280 Speaker 2: five to two OHO one five, three four and your 532 00:32:53,320 --> 00:32:57,840 Speaker 2: reaction to the LA Fire Department chief I manymore. And 533 00:32:57,880 --> 00:32:59,719 Speaker 2: to lead into the news, I want to play you 534 00:32:59,760 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 2: a short clip from the interview yesterday asking about himI Moore, 535 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:09,640 Speaker 2: asking himI Moore, why doesn't everybody just come clean here? 536 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,920 Speaker 2: I still would like to get the details from everybody 537 00:33:12,920 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 2: involved in that week leading up to the fire and 538 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:20,000 Speaker 2: the day it happened. I would just love to have 539 00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 2: everybody show up at a press conference and just take 540 00:33:22,640 --> 00:33:25,400 Speaker 2: as much time as you want and explain it. And 541 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:27,160 Speaker 2: I think you'd end up with a lot of good 542 00:33:27,160 --> 00:33:30,720 Speaker 2: will from the public because I think you know this, 543 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:35,720 Speaker 2: You've alluded to this. Why should anybody believe anything you 544 00:33:35,800 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 2: say or anybody in government in Los Angeles. 545 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 1: After this. 546 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,520 Speaker 3: Because I come out and I can only speak on 547 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:46,520 Speaker 3: my behalf and what I'm responsible for, and that's the 548 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:47,560 Speaker 3: Los Angeles Fire. 549 00:33:47,360 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 2: Department, which is not really an answer, it's a non 550 00:33:54,800 --> 00:33:59,360 Speaker 2: answer answer, But the question was why should I believe 551 00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:06,920 Speaker 2: it what you're saying? And I realized today that they, 552 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:11,840 Speaker 2: all of them know they have no credibility. Bass knows 553 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:18,840 Speaker 2: that they don't care. Why would they care about credibility. 554 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:22,080 Speaker 2: She thinks she's got enough stupid people not paying attention 555 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:29,080 Speaker 2: to get her reelected. She doesn't suffer any consequences at all. 556 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:32,400 Speaker 2: She doesn't lose her job, she doesn't lose her house, 557 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:39,560 Speaker 2: nothing bad happens to her. She knows the idiot ninnies 558 00:34:39,600 --> 00:34:42,319 Speaker 2: will keep showing up. Oh, the union people will show 559 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 2: up for her because she keeps giving them raises, just 560 00:34:48,120 --> 00:34:52,440 Speaker 2: like the other mayors did. And all these people can 561 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:58,960 Speaker 2: get their back door deals through their friends nonprofit. So 562 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 2: what does she care if nobody leaves her? It doesn't matter. 563 00:35:04,000 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 2: And then when you're questioned, you give non answers. All right, 564 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 2: we come back, We'll take your costs. Deborah Mark live 565 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,560 Speaker 2: in the KFI twenty four hour News. Hey, you've been 566 00:35:17,560 --> 00:35:20,280 Speaker 2: listening to the John Cobalt Show podcast. You can always 567 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 2: hear the show live on KFI Am six forty from 568 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 2: one to four pm every Monday through Friday, and of 569 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,480 Speaker 2: course anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app,