LOS ANGELES : Commission to Study Use of Volunteer Fire Inspectors
Los Angeles city fire commissioners say they will consider the feasibility of using volunteers to help get the city’s fire safety inspection program back on track.
Commission President Elizabeth Lowe made the announcement as commissioners postponed responding to a week-old Fire Department audit that found 36% of apartment buildings had not been inspected annually, as required.
A separate audit by the city administrative office placed the figure at 51%. The two audits were conducted after a dozen people died in an apartment fire on Burlington Avenue in the Westlake district on May 3. Firefighters found unsafe conditions before the blaze, but a staff shortage prevented follow-up.
The Fire Department has resisted past efforts to farm inspections out to other agencies, contending that only firefighters have the training for the job.
The department says that inspections of apartment buildings have fallen behind schedule as a result of budget and staff cuts and higher workloads.
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