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Firefighter warns of understaffing; residents press council on diversity and battery storage concerns
Summary
During public comment at the Jan. 6 Long Beach council meeting, Battalion Chief Tom Madonna raised urgent staffing concerns for paid engine companies; other residents urged more inclusive appointments, questioned a nominee’s past work with battery energy storage firms and asked the council to join a neighboring Town of Hempstead meeting about a BESS moratorium.
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.
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