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Residents urge investigation into Montebello Fire Department culture as lawsuits mount

Montebello City Council · March 12, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Multiple residents told the City Council the department’s internal culture has deteriorated, citing high turnover, active litigation and safety concerns and urging transparency and an independent review.

Residents and business owners pressed the Montebello City Council on perceived leadership and safety problems in the city’s Fire Department, saying workplace dysfunction has produced lawsuits, high turnover and risks to public safety.

Will Cevera, speaking during the closed-session public-comment period, said the department’s culture "has deteriorated to the point where there's no longer just an internal problem," and alleged the atmosphere is "fueling lawsuits, complaints at a level of dysfunction that affects…

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