The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a $4.5-million plan Tuesday to reduce the strain on the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which responds to devastating incidents such as the Woolsey fire but also provides 24-hour emergency services across 2,300 square miles.
The supervisors’ plan seeks to educate the public and leaders in the 59 municipalities the department serves about the “new realities” in staffing, equipment and facilities — and to gather their input about their experiences during recent fires. The new effort comes months after the board raised concerns about the department’s aging stations and equipment, and weeks after the Woolsey fire burned more than 90,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.