Barger, Horvath motion adopt After-Action Fire Report recommendations
Los Angeles County Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath yesterday saw the ful Board of Supervisors unanimously approve their motion to implement key recommendations from the McChrystal Group’s independent After-Action Report on the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires.
The report, commissioned to evaluate the County’s evacuation policies and alert systems, identified five critical areas for improvement:
- Policies, Protocols, and Authority – Updating policies and County Code to clarify decision-making responsibilities for issuing evacuation warnings and orders.
• Training and Planning – Standardizing and enhancing evacuation-specific training for all County departments and partner agencies.
• Resource Management – Restructuring and increasing staffing for the Office of Emergency Management strengthen its capacity to manage large-scale emergencies.
• Situational Awareness and Interoperability – Modernizing technology systems and integrating communications under a unified platform, called LA-RICS.
• Community Engagement and Public Information – Launching robust and consistent public education campaigns to increase community preparedness.
Additionally, the Board directed the Chief Executive Office to provide a 60-day feasibility and fiscal impact report on restructuring the County’s Office of Emergency Management to ensure it has the autonomy and authority to coordinate countywide emergency management effectively.
“The Eaton and Palisades Fires revealed critical gaps that must be closed to protect our residents in the face of worsening wildfires,” said Barger. “By implementing these recommendations, we are strengthening coordination, improving communication, and building a more resilient County. My focus is on ensuring that we act quickly and responsibly so that no community feels left behind in an emergency.”
“Change moves at the speed we choose—and when it comes to emergency preparedness, we are choosing urgency,” said Horvath. “To those who have suffered loss—in Sunset Mesa, Malibu, Topanga, the Palisades, and beyond—we carry your experiences forward as a call for change.
“Restructuring the Office of Emergency Management into a fully resourced department is the first crucial step to implementing the After Action Report’s recommendations. I am committed to seeing each step through because, as a disaster-prone region, we must learn from every crisis—past and present—and build a system worthy of our communities’ trust.”
The Eaton and Palisades Fires claimed 31 lives, destroyed more than 16,000 structures, and scorched nearly 37,000 acres, making them the most destructive in County history.
Pasadena declares October National Disability Month
Pasadena Mayor Victor M. Gordo on behalf of the City Council this week proclaimed October as National Disability Employment Awareness Month.
The proclamation recognizes the contributions of persons with disabilities is an effective way to overcome negative stereotypes and eliminate physical and attitudinal barriers to full participation in all aspects of community life, including education, recreation and employment.
“Whereas, people with disabilities are an important, vital part of our community as valued workers, civic leaders, business owners, veterans, family members, and friends, and they are innovative and valued contributors in the workplace, the classroom, and the community; and
Whereas, the City of Pasadena is committed to ensuring that City programs and employment practices effectively serve and benefit persons of all abilities in order to support individual dignity, self-reliance and productive lives for all people,” the proclamation reads.
In sum, the proclamation renews Pasadena’s dedication to fostering equal access and demonstrating commitment to full inclusion of people with disabilities; and recognizes the accomplishments and contributions of persons with disabilities throughout our community.
Santa Monica reaffirms Santa Monica Airport closure at end of 2028
The City of Santa Monica last week reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to permanently close the Santa Monica Airport at midnight on December 31, 2028, as required under a 2017 Federal Consent Decree with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The reaffirmation comes after the Airport Commission earlier in the week recommended that the City delay the approval of a proposed limited-term Commercial Operations Permit and lease for JSX Air until City staff can further study JSX’s proposed operations at the Santa Monica Airport.
While the Commission’s recommendation is an important part of the review process, the City will make a final determination on the permit application and lease in accordance with the Federal Consent Decree and established City law and procedures.
Why this matters:
- The Consent Decree requires the City to operate Santa Monica Airport through December 31, 2028, in compliance with certain federal laws, regulations, and general aviation airport standards.
- To safeguard the City’s authority to close the airport at the end of 2028, the Consent Decree requires that qualifying aviation uses – such as that proposed by JSX – be allowed to operate under limited-term leases during the airport’s final years.
- If approved, the proposed JSX permit and lease would expire in November 2028, prior to the airport’s closure date, and would require full compliance with City rules, including noise restrictions, hours of operation, and leasing policies.
“Santa Monica Airport will close at the end of 2028, and nothing about this process with JSX Air changes that fact,” said City Manager Oliver Chi. “To reach closure, the City must comply with the Consent Decree, which requires us to carefully review and allow qualifying aviation uses during the airport’s remaining years of operation.”
Rodriguez’s Family Preparedness Act proponents push for Newsom’s signature
Assemblymember Celeste Rodriguez (D-Burbank, Glendale, La Crescenta) saw a broad coalition of more than 50 organizations put pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign her Family Preparedness Act following a CNN investigation this week that revealed more than 100 US-born children have been left stranded without a parent this year due to President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
The Family Preparedness Act of 2025 provides legal tools for families, particularly those in mixed-status immigrant communities, to arrange for their children’s care during parental separation due to events like immigration enforcement actions A fact sheet on the measure can be found HERE.
“Families are enduring the unthinkable right now – separation from their children,” said Rodriguez. “AB 495 empowers parents to make arrangements and preserve their parental rights, so that California’s kids are not left with strangers and instead will be cared for by people they already know and love. While the Trump administration is fearmongering and disappearing our community members, California must step up. We have a moral duty to expand protections for our immigrant and mixed-status families.”
The Alliance for Children’s Rights, Public Counsel, and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights Los Angeles (CHIRLA) are among the organizations supporting the bill. The bill passed the Assembly and Senate this year and is currently sitting on Newsom’s desk for consideration.
