Los Angeles County has decided to hire a consulting firm led by retired General Stanley McChrystal to improve public engagement regarding recent wildfires. This choice has raised some eyebrows, especially since the firm is not just focusing on listening to residents but also on other tasks.
McChrystal, who once commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan, was dismissed by President Barack Obama in 2010 after a controversial article in Rolling Stone. Since then, he has been vocal against former President Donald Trump, even advising efforts to counter Trump’s messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an email to her constituents, Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath shared that she played a key role in bringing McChrystal’s firm on board. The firm is expected to run “community listening sessions” and conduct a review of the county’s emergency response to the recent Palisades and Eaton Fires. This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of evacuation policies and alert systems, which have been criticized for failing to inform residents in time.
The decision to hire McChrystal’s firm was announced back in February. The county’s leadership hopes this independent review will help improve future responses to emergencies. Reports have indicated that faulty evacuation orders contributed to fatalities in areas like Western Altadena, where residents received alerts too late.
This move follows another controversial consulting deal in Los Angeles, where the city council hired Hagerty Consulting for $10 million despite past issues involving former consultants misusing disaster funds. The hiring of McChrystal’s firm has sparked discussions about the best ways to engage with the community and ensure safety during emergencies.