Memo details plan to manage blowback from Palisades Fire review.
Internal documents obtained through public records requests, from the ABC7 On Your Side Investigates team and the Los Angeles Times, show that the Los Angeles Fire Department developed a communications strategy ahead of the release of its after-action report on last year’s deadly Palisades Fire, including efforts to manage potential reputational fallout for city leadership.
The 13-page memo, labeled “for internal use only” and titled “LAFD AARR: Strategic Response Plan,” outlines plans to coordinate messaging and prepare for media coverage surrounding the report’s findings, as reported by the Los Angeles Times. The document was obtained under the California Public Records Act and details proposed steps aimed at addressing concerns about how the report could affect both the department and Mayor Karen Bass.
According to the memo, LAFD officials worked with outside public relations consultants to develop a strategy intended to mitigate criticism. The plan references holding pre-release briefings with the Fire Commission and select City Council members in order to “minimize tough Q&A” and “secure alliance ahead of the City Council public meeting, “ according to the Los Angeles Times.
The memo reads, as quoted by ABC Eyewitness News, “It’s our goal to prepare and protect Mayor Bass, the City, and the LAFD from reputational harm associated with the upcoming public release of its AARR (after-action report) through a comprehensive strategy that includes risk assessment, proactive and reactive communications, and crisis response.”
The memo was unsigned and undated but notes it was updated as of Oct. 7, one day before the after-action report was publicly released on Oct. 8. The document is printed on LAFD letterhead and includes email addresses for department officials, representatives from the mayor’s office and communications consultants. It is unclear how widely the memo was distributed.
Last week, additional records reviewed by media outlets, such as the LA Times, included an email from an LAFD spokesperson referencing the mayor’s “guidance” regarding whether the then-fire chief should participate in further interviews or hold a press conference about the report.
