ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Working Amid Riot and Fire

Westminster did the right thing in suspending Fire Chief D’Wayne Scott, the only chief to refuse aid to Los Angeles during the riots. Had Westminster not acted, other cities’ fire departments might have refused to help it in any future emergency there.

That said, however, it must be noted that Scott’s withholding of aid did succeed in drawing attention to important matters of safety for firefighters. As a result, and also because many other fire chiefs in Orange County have safety concerns in the wake of the riots, important policy changes are in the offing. If adopted, these changes should help prevent injuries and foster teamwork during periods of civil unrest.

Mutual aid long has been an key strategy in regional firefighting. No city or county can afford to maintain enough people or equipment to handle a blaze that gets out of hand. Each depends on the others.

Chiefs can, of course, deny assistance if they believe their firefighters would be in grave danger or if giving up units would jeopardize their own firefighting capabilities. But, as a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department said after the Westminster incident, “It’s very much understood that if you deny, then when your moment comes you might not get the help you need.”

Indicating it clearly understood this quid pro quo, the Westminster City Council overturned Scott’s decision on the second day of the rioting and dispatched a 16-person team to Los Angeles.

Although all other chiefs who were asked to help did so immediately, they too undoubtedly feared for the safety of their personnel in the riot areas. Some are still shaken by the fact that firefighters were subjected to insults, thrown objects and even gunfire. Several firefighters were injured by gunshots, including one from Santa Ana.

The Orange County Fire Chiefs Assn. is drafting a policy that would ask cities to provide a certain number of police units to escort their teams during rioting. Outfitting firefighters with bulletproof jackets is also being discussed. It’s clear these, and other, new strategies are required.