Residents and public-safety professionals used the Jan. 6 Long Beach City Council meeting to press officials on operational safety and representation.

Battalion Chief Tom Madonna, who identified himself as a Long Beach resident and a battalion chief with the FDNY, told the council he has observed paid engine companies operating with too few personnel and said the staffing level can leave crews unable to safely enter buildings or perform rescues. "We're putting that guy those guys in a horrible situation and the people in this community in a horrible situation," Madonna said, urging the council to "try" to keep minimum staffing and to work with unions and other partners.

Council members acknowledged the concerns and called for further review; no formal staffing directive or vote was recorded at the meeting. Fire officials who described proposed gear and equipment purchases during the agenda emphasized the importance of up-to-date protective equipment and monitors; fire/EMS staff told the council the four monitor-defibrillators would be deployed to three ambulances and one advanced-life-support engine and that the monitors can detect STEMI heart attacks and provide external pacing until hospital care is available.

Public commenters also raised equity and land-use issues. Several speakers urged the council to prioritize more diverse recruitment for advisory boards and departments, noting the planning board and police department currently lack African American representation. One commenter said inclusive appointments help prevent "blind spots in policy and community relations." The council heard the comments but did not adopt an immediate appointment policy.

Concerns about battery energy storage systems (often referred to as BESS) surfaced around the appointment of Greg Kalnitsky as the city’s new corporation counsel. A public commenter identified as Christina Kramer noted Kalnitsky’s prior work for a company involved with battery storage in Glenwood Landing and asked what that would mean for Long Beach; Kramer said she was "dead against them." President Finn responded that the council makes policy and corporation counsel would follow legal parameters and recuse where a conflict exists.

Other public comments touched on beach and boardwalk revenues, a bulkhead breach and requests for a parking-study update; speakers thanked outgoing council members John Bendo and Roy Lester and welcomed new council members. The meeting closed after the extended comment period, with the council scheduling its next meeting for Jan. 20.

No binding policy changes on staffing or appointment procedures were made at the meeting; speakers asked the council to prioritize those items for follow-up.