The recent fires in Los Angeles tested the city’s emergency response, raising important questions about preparedness and coordination. In this episode, we sit down with former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who shares insights on the obstacles responders faced, the impact on communities, and what steps can be taken to improve future responses.
“If you look at the press conferences, you see all these people standing behind the microphone. Everyone’s crowding in, and then, when they get on the microphone, they say, ‘Oh, I want to thank this person. I want to thank that person.’ People don’t want to hear that. They want to hear what’s coming next and how you’re going to make their lives better—because, right now, they’ve lost everything. That’s what they want to hear,” says Villanueva.
Views expressed in this video are the views and opinions of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of The California Insider.
