Los Angeles Fire Department faced another budget setback as they have been forced to remove the Only Hazardous Materials Response crew from service to the San Fernando valley.

With major factories, junkyards, airports and transportation corridors in the San Fernando Valley Grieg Smith and his Chief of Staff Mitch Englander have failed to provide the funding needed to keep Fire Stations open, and have resulted in the Only Hazardous Materials Response Team to be removed from service.

San Fernando Valley is roughly 260 square miles and home to nearly two million people, It is larger then Philadelphia, it has two Airports, Burbank Airport which borders the City of Los Angeles and Van Nuys Airport. Major oil distribution pipe lines &  several major Rail lines running through it, and it has the 405,  5, and 101 Freeways which are some of the busiest in the world and the San Andreas fault also runs right through the San Fernando valley.

Removing crews trained to handle these specific fire emergencies put’s the community at risk as well as our first responders, you can’t expect to throw together people at a moments notice and hope for the best when dealing with the threats we face today.

Mitch Englander  is the Chief of Staff and has failed to say a critical word about his partner Councilman Greig Smith instead he has supported the budget and finance decisions he has made, and he want’s to represent the very same council district he has helped put in harms way, from closing fire stations and removing hazardous materials response crews.

When will politicians and wanna be politicians learn, you can’t take from the public and then peddle for their votes?

We will not forget how you voted to risk our brave fireman’s lives and our very own in order to fund gang prevention programs or keep the lights on at the park at midnight. We all make choices and CD 12 has made some bad ones.

Take note of our politicians failures and remember them at the ballot box.