Devastation is partly a result of “chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure,” Los Angeles councilmember says
Traci Park, councilmember for Los Angeles’ District 11, which includes the Pacific Palisades, said the ongoing blazes have been “horrifying, terrifying and traumatic,” and that the people who are affected are not just her constituents but also her friends.
“This is a community that is no stranger to fires,” Park told CNN, adding that people in the district are very familiar with what she described as faulty protocols required of them in an emergency situation like this.
“It is indicative of chronic underinvestment in critical infrastructure as well as in public safety.”
Park told CNN that the number of fire stations and firefighters in the city of Lost Angeles has remained the same for 50 to 60 years –– despite a need for at least 62 new fire stations to serve the average daily demand.
“During last year’s budget, I fought to retain those positions, and I was successful in doing so. But it’s only a drop in the bucket,” she said. Park said the calls for service had tripled.
We are so understaffed that our response times are twice the national standards.”
By CNN
