Today, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger issued the following statement reacting to the recent announcement that an independent contractor—the McChrystal Group—has been selected and is now reviewing the County’s evacuation policies and emergency alert notification systems used in response to last month’s firestorms:
“Ensuring accountability and being analytical about our County’s emergency notification work are both critical to strengthening our disaster response. I am pleased our County swiftly engaged the McChrystal Group to conduct an independent review of our evacuation policies and emergency alert systems following the devastating Eaton and Palisades Fires. This is an essential step toward improving transparency. The McChrystal Group’s forthcoming structured, thorough, and objective assessment will help us better protect lives and property in the future. I’m eager to review their findings.”
As shared in the press release issued by Los Angeles County’s Joint Information Center, the McChrystal Group is led by retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former leader of the United States military’s Joint Special Operations Command. He has extensive experience with disaster response reviews, including an ongoing review concerning the North Carolina hurricane.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion ordering this review on January 28, 2025, to ensure the County and the public will ultimately have a clear understanding of all that was done to prevent the loss of life and property during the worst fire disaster in modern Los Angeles County history, and to determine what factors led to the tragic deaths of at least 29 of our County residents.
This work has already begun, and the first progress report will be delivered within 90 days of the Board’s motion. All County departments, including the Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department, and the Office of Emergency Management, are committed to fully engaging in this extensive review, which will include gathering and validating the call histories of the fire, interviewing first responders who were on scene as well as incident commanders in the field and overseeing operations, searching and reviewing 911 records, and gathering information from many other relevant sources, including community members.
More information about the McChrystal Group and team members can be found at mcchrystalgroup.com.