LAFD Public Safety Advisory Committee Meeting

I attended this meeting after a request was posted online (FB), for a representative from the Boyle Heights Neighborhood Council would attend and relay back the information to the community.  So here i go.

First here was the agenda presented:

 1. Introductions
2. LAFD Update
3. Weather/El Niño Update
4. Presentation - Red Flag No Parking Program
            DC Philip Fligiel, LAFD
5. Operation Pull to the Right
6. Poison Prevention Month
7. Open Discussion

Next Meeting:
Held third Wednesday of odd months
May 18, 2016 at 6:00pm
Location: 500 E. Temple St,
1st Floor Meeting Room

 Copy of Agenda can be found here
Audio of meeting can be found here:  
         32k or 128k




 Secondly. This place was a bitch to locate.  There are no marking for 500.  There are for 520 and 490, i think it was.  So i had to guess as to where it was to get to the meeting.  I did manage to find it.  It's essentially, two heavily gated doors, with a driveway between the two listed numbers at the T-intersection across from the DWP.

I am going to summarize.  Most of the items discussed did not pertain to Boyle Heights or East L.A. in general.  An update regarding skid row, and the restoration of engine 209 (which would provide more service), @ Fire station 9. The main concerns were advocating smoke alarms and CO (Carbon Monoxide) alarm awareness, the Pull to the Right Campaign, and Red Flag No Parking Program.

Also, regarding the NC board members becoming CERT certified and potentially holding more classes for the public, and what would be the best way to promote or get people to go.  Briefly mentioned was "poison prevention month," which as they spoke, was to make people aware of the 'not so obvious' poisons such as make-up and things that young children should not put in their mouth.

LAFD is partnering with My Safe L.A. canvasing event on April 9th in Koreatown to distribute smoke detectors and awareness.  Free smoke alarms, CO alarms and installations are available through http://www.mysmokealarm.org.  However, i am unsure if this is just for the Koreatown event. Later, they will be canvassing East L.A. (El Sereno) area.

 The other item, was regarding the Red Flag No Parking Program.  They had emphasis that this was mainly targeting "hillside" areas such as the Hollywood Hills.  In combination with areas prone to dry brush fires. Where getting a fire truck through would be difficult.  The program would see that on red flag days street parking would be not allowed during issued hours.  And fines would be increased.  No mention of towing was implied or asked.  

Finally, they wanted us to bring up the "Pull to the Right" campaign.  You know how when you hear a fire truck, and cars just stop.  Yeah.  They are asking that instead of just stopping, that you essential, get out of the way.  It makes it difficult for them to stop a fire if say, you don't [get out of the way].... "pull to the right."

_Jason G.