Brickbat: Burn, Baby, Burn

During the Palisades fires earlier this year, private firefighting companies were credited with saving several structures. But some state lawmakers want to make it more difficult for them to do that in the future. The idea comes from California Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan (D–Culver City) and Tina McKinnor (D–Inglewood) and is supported by the California Professional Firefighters union, which says private crews aren't trained or equipped as well as public firefighters and shouldn't use public water. Businessman Rick Caruso used private firefighters to protect his shopping center while nearby areas burned, but his team says they didn't tap into city water.

Comments

[Adans smith]

It's always about who has the biggest ' hose'.

[Vernon Depner]

Outlaw public employee unions.

[Fist of Etiquette]

A control group that shows how less-than-effective government services can be, especially in a single party state, can't be allowed.

[MWAocdoc]

"California Professional Firefighters union says private crews aren't trained or equipped as well as public firefighters and shouldn't use public water" plus "California bill would make public hydrants off-limits to private fire crews, report says" somehow equals "private firefighters say they didn't tap into city water." Apparently truthiness is not the strong suit of California legislators or public employee unions. Training that was not received at official government training centers and provided by official government trainers and equipment that was not purchased with official government tax-supported deficit spending must be inferior because it's not official government something-or-other. Talk about "begging the question!" (Number 27 on the Official List of Official Government Logical Fallacies)

[jimc5499]

No. It is the issue that private firefighters are often NOT Union members. That's probably the only difference.

[Rick James]

bipartisan effort...

[Fist of Etiquette]

Everyone must suffer equally.

[Medulla Oblongata]

Ahh, real communism. With the elites "some animals are more equal than others" and everything!

[Eeyore]

When the politicians send the public fire fighters to fight the fires in the neighborhood where the politicians own property - I guess that is ok?

[Chipper Chunked Chile Con Congress (ex NCW)]

I would support a law forbidding the extinguishing of Democrat politicians who have somehow managed to catch on fire. It should also legalize arson in that very narrow case.

Sounds "mostly peaceful" to me, anyway.

[Don't look at me! (No longer muted!)]

“Public water”

[mad.casual]

shopping center

The real problem is the structures they saved were lower density than the housing that *could've* been built to lower housing prices.

If it had been an apartment building full of people that public firefighters couldn't put out because the hydrants were empty that would've been better for lowering housing costs.

[Eeyore]

Equity man equity. Rich man gotta lose his shit too.

[Will Nonya]

Best to just let it all burn I guess than risk people thinking they don't need government for everything.

[Gasman]

Had the shopping center burned, then city gets to tax the new post fire value of that land, looses any sales tax receipts, and any other secondary economic benefits that accrue from having thriving businesses within their area.
The principal thing stopping residential homeowners from improving the fire resistance of their homes is the belief that insurance will cover all their faults. That attitude will change only if insurance is allowed to price to actual market risk.