Los Angeles Mayor Wants To Cut Chief's Aides

[Truck4 48]

Mayor bringing proposal to city council to cut B/C's aides:

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_16244848?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Mayor bringing proposal to city council to cut B/C's aides:

http://www.dailynews.com/ci_16244848?IADID=Search-www.dailynews.com-www.dailynews.com

The LAFD brass, led by Fire Chief Millage Peaks, in a rare open break with the mayor, are planning to appeal to the City Council to overrule the mayor and allow them to keep the staff assistants.

Gotta love FD Brass with a matching pair. Good luck and stay safe LAFD.

[jack10562 414]

Remarkable how this comes just in time for the world renowned, California " wild-fire season" where they will need all the help they can get!

Politicians....

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Remarkable how this comes just in time for the world renowned, California " wild-fire season" where they will need all the help they can get!

Politicians....

You got that right Jack. The department should send them out alone in a Battalion's car, into the urban jungle of the LA basin; throw a few fires at them and while they're responding, hit them with some CIDS information, tell them they're receiving multiple calls for persons trapped, and let them figure out the best way to establish a rescue attempt, fire attack, apparatus placement, think about the construction type, the occupancy, water supply, special call of additional apparatus....without an aide to drive/assist them. Maybe they can jot down notes on the dashboard while navigating the notorious traffic; the people texting while driving, chatting on their cell phones, blasting their rap music and not hearing the siren, etc.

[PEMO3 523]

You got that right Jack. The department should send them out alone in a Battalion's car, into the urban jungle of the LA basin; throw a few fires at them and while they're responding, hit them with some CIDS information, tell them they're receiving multiple calls for persons trapped, and let them figure out the best way to establish a rescue attempt, fire attack, apparatus placement, think about the construction type, the occupancy, water supply, special call of additional apparatus....without an aide to drive/assist them. Maybe they can jot down notes on the dashboard while navigating the notorious traffic; the people texting while driving, chatting on their cell phones, blasting their rap music and not hearing the siren, etc.

No texting while driving. That means he can't read the CIDS info till he is onscene and the vehicle is in park.

[batt2 145]

The LAFD has to continue to educate the public what the Chiefs' Aides do and counter the perception that they're "chauffeurs" and "staff assistants." Those are oversimplications and misconceptions of their function.

By the way I hope the mayor doesn't have anyone who drives him or his Commissioners...

Edited October 7, 2010 by batt2

[hudson144 150]

After a double LODD death with the Washington DC FD a few years ago one of the points made I believe in the NIOSH report was to put the Chief's aides back on the roster. If I remember correctly it was stated that the aides are the eyes and ears of the Chiefs which often leaves the Chief to concentrate 100% on the operations on the fireground. From working in this postion i have been in positions where I am under the direction of the working Deputy Chief who depends on me to carry out certain tasks to allow him to focus on the incident. A Chiefs aide IMO should be a firefighter with experience (knowledge of the job/dept operating procedures)and who can be trusted to carry out orders or tasks for the Deputy Chief. Just putting a guy in the car to be nothin but a driver does nothin but take away a working member on the fireground. Not that i will see it in my career but many depts have on board computors,multiple radio frequencys etc that need to be watched during the incident. The working force also needs to realize that any assignments issued to the working crews come directly from the Deputy Chief. Accountability is another big issue for the aide to be concerned with.I am sure more can be added to this.

[abaduck 123]

Fine. Great. Let the mayor try running a major incident if he's so clever.