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Candidates debate Placentia public-safety model as response times improve
Summary
At a League of Women Voters forum, candidates agreed public safety is the top local government role but differed on whether the city's in-house fire model and administrative leadership need change; several urged technology upgrades to enable auto mutual aid.
At a public forum moderated by the League of Women Voters, candidates for Placentia City Council pointed to public safety as the city's primary duty while disagreeing over management and systems for the Fire & Life Safety Department.
Tom Hummer said the city has "done a very good job with public safety," citing improved response times and a personal medical emergency that benefited from quick service. Jeremy Yamaguchi, identifying himself as the incumbent mayor, said he was "very proud of our public safety" but urged continuous review of deployment, staffing and equipment.
Colson Hauck Teal praised officers and firefighters but accused city administration of creating a toxic environment that is driving departures. "We're losing people because we have a toxic work environment," Teal said, calling for new direction at the leadership level. Teal and other candidates also described operational barriers: Teal cited dispatch incompatibility with neighboring jurisdictions and routine delays when employees must use manual phone calls for mutual aid.
Ward Smith and Tom Hummer defended the decision to bring fire services in-house, noting faster response averages compared with the previous county model. Smith cited figures in the forum materials that put Placentia fire responses around six minutes and EMS around 4 minutes 45 seconds, compared with roughly 9 minutes 30 seconds under the prior provider.
Several candidates, including Yamaguchi, said the city needs technical upgrades such as CAD-to-CAD dispatch interfaces and automated mutual-aid protocols so surrounding departments can see apparatus locations instantly. Yamaguchi said, "We need CAD to CAD so we know where other apparatus is around us," framing the change as a fix to avoid manual phone calls that slow mutual aid.
The forum did not produce a policy decision; candidates described priorities for further review, technology investment and efforts to improve workplace culture and retention.
