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Residents urge investigation into Montebello Fire Department culture as lawsuits mount
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 the entire community." Cevera said roughly "70 members have left the department" during the current chief’s tenure and warned those departures drain experience and institutional knowledge.
Mary Garcia, a resident, told the council the city is facing "five active lawsuits involving the Fire Department," and said defending litigation and investigations could cost "millions of dollars" that otherwise would support training, staffing and equipment. Garcia said seven firefighters had been placed on administrative leave in the past two years and stressed the public-safety implications of repeated personnel removals.
Another speaker, Raul Hurtado, made sharper allegations about personnel decisions and an investigation, saying an investigation "proved that Chief Lopez was a liar" and urging further review.
Speakers asked the council to investigate, demand transparency, and take steps to address workplace culture and leadership. The council did not take formal action on these public comments during the meeting; staff did not report any directive or formal follow-up motion in the open-session record.
The comments come amid wider budget and operational discussions at the meeting: city staff later presented the midyear budget and emphasized public-safety spending as a major component of the general fund.
What’s next: Council members and staff did not announce a specific follow-up vote or investigation at the meeting; residents urged the council to consider an independent review and to account for litigation costs in future budget planning.
