To the editor: Within the wake of final 12 months’s lethal and damaging fires, the L.A. firefighter union has launched a poll initiative that might elevate town gross sales tax to 10.25% (“L.A. firefighter union launches gross sales tax initiative to fund new stations and extra,” Jan. 15). The funds can be earmarked for the hiring of extra firefighters, development of latest stations and buy of latest gear.
The yearly enhance of $300 million is supposed to raised permit the division to arrange for and quickly reply to emergencies like earthquakes and fires.
To that finish, would the union additionally help a measure to require firefighters to reside inside L.A. County or at the very least the adjoining counties, and tighten liberal scheduling guidelines? As of 2023, greater than 150 firefighters reside out of state, some as far-off as Alaska, Texas and Florida. Others are in Northern California.
When there’s full mobilization, as throughout final 12 months’s fires or a significant earthquake, how efficient will those that reside a whole lot of miles away be?
Judy Pang, Palos Verdes Estates
