July 18, 2025 #1 Local News, Information and Event Source for the Century City/Westwood areas.

Santa Monica -based Rand Corp. releases report about LAFD women and minority firefighters

Female athletes and recent military veterans belonging to a minority racial group, such as Hispanic, Asian and black, should be targeted for recruitment, Rand Corp. researchers recommended. (Thinkstock)
Rand Corp. researchers recommended that female athletes and recent military veterans belonging to a minority racial group should be targeted for recruitment. (Thinkstock)

More outreach is needed to increase the number of women and minority firefighters in the Los Angeles Fire Department, according to a report released today by a Santa Monica-based think tank.

Female athletes and recent military veterans belonging to a minority racial group, such as Hispanic, Asian and black, should be targeted for recruitment, Rand Corp. researchers recommended in the 150-page report.

Mayor Eric Garcetti ordered the $270,000 study from Rand last year in an effort to improve the city’s firefighter hiring process amid criticism that the LAFD’s recruitment tends to favor relatives of existing employees, resulting in less diversity.

The Rand report also suggests that city leaders increase the fire department’s budget for recruitment efforts, which are currently being carried out by four individuals.

Rand researchers said fire stations could serve as recruitment centers, with staff at each site undergoing training to become “official recruiters.”

The Rand report also recommends that the city bring in experts to devise a selection process that is more tied to the skills “required to be an effective firefighter.”

Some applicants for city firefighter jobs complained last year that the city’s process for whittling down the number of initial applicants — often from an initial pool of 10,000 — to a more manageable number is too arbitrary.

In a recent hiring round, only the applicants who were able to submit paperwork within the first 60 seconds after the submission window began were moved onto the next round, which some said excluded qualified potential recruits.

Garcetti temporarily halted the recruitment process last year, saying he wanted to develop a better way of hiring firefighters using suggestions from Rand.

He ended up restarting the hiring before the Rand report was released, this time revising the winnowing process so that the smaller pool of applicants maintains the same gender and racial demographics as the initial group.

Garcetti spokesman Yusef Robb said the mayor is pleased the Rand report contains some recommendations that the city has already implemented.

“We will closely review this final report as we continue our work to ensure L.A. hires the best possible firefighters,” he said.

Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas said he will review the report and work with the mayor’s and personnel offices to “continue to refine the hiring process to employ a diverse field of qualified candidates as LAFD firefighters.”

The city began hiring firefighters again last year after a five-year hiring freeze prompted by budget cuts.

The first graduating class since the freeze was lifted contained no women. The original class of 70 recruits who started the 20-week-long training was about 55 percent white and had one women who dropped out. This group also contained 13 sons and three nephews of firefighters.

A recent class that started training in December contains four women — two who are white, one Asian and one Hispanic. The rest of the class is made up of 19 white, 13 Hispanic, five black and two Asian men.

Related Posts

Tesla Seen Nearly Crashing into West LA Home After Collision

July 17, 2025

July 17, 2025

Footage depicted a blue Prius on the road with significant front-end damage A crash involving injuries was reported around 12:30...

DUI Checkpoints to be Conducted Across LA This Weekend

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The LAPD selects checkpoint sites based on data indicating high incidents of impaired driving-related crashes and arrests The Los Angeles...

Mayor Bass Hails National Guard Withdrawal as Victory for Unity

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The Pentagon’s decision to reduce the troop presence follows weeks of legal challenges and public demonstrations Mayor Karen Bass celebrated...

(Video) Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The outpost is a first for the popular influencer Did You Know Emma Chamberlain’s Coffee Shop is in Century City?...

Dodgers to Host Back to School Bash for Fire-Affected Families

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The free event will offer free groceries, school supplies, outfits, haircuts, medical screenings, and carnival rides The Los Angeles Dodgers...

Hundreds of Red-Legged Frog Tadpoles Released in Santa Monica Mountains

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

Once widespread in California, red-legged frogs vanished from the Santa Monica Mountains by the 1970s Nearly 600 California red-legged frog...

LA Sees Second Straight Year of Homelessness Decline, Leaders Celebrate Progress

July 16, 2025

July 16, 2025

The survey, designed by the University of Southern California, reported a 17.5% drop—the largest two-year decrease on record The Los...

Westwood Village Board to Discuss Public Art Initiative

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The initiative aims to enhance community pride, boost local business revenue, and address urban blight through public art corridors and...

Beverly Hills Plans Major Apartment Development Near Civic Center

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

The site, currently holding 13 residential units, is slated for demolition to make way for the new development A proposal...

Federal Judge Sides with Santa Monica, Other Local Governments Against Immigration Raids

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete praised the ruling, saying it reaffirmed the city’s commitment to protecting residents from unjust detention...

California Hits Two-Thirds Clean Energy Milestone

July 15, 2025

July 15, 2025

This year, clean energy has powered the state for an average of seven hours daily, with over 90% of days...

Miami Developer Seeks to Convert Century City Apartment Tower into Condos: REPORT

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

If approved, the property at 10000 Santa Monica Blvd., known as Ten Thousand and built in 2017, would mark the...

Santa Monica Assault Suspect Faces Multiple Charges, Authorities Seek Additional Victims

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

Marbra allegedly assaulted a 52-year-old woman on the Strand in Santa Monica, facing a felony count of assault with intent...

Veterans Tech Group to Launch Los Angeles Chapter with Networking Event

July 14, 2025

July 14, 2025

Founded in San Francisco, VetsInTech operates 20 chapters nationwide and claims more than 60,000 veterans VetsInTech, a national nonprofit that...

Elvis’ TV Legacy in Beverly Hills to be Explored in Upcoming Event

July 13, 2025

July 13, 2025

The session will feature rare clips from the Paley Archive, including Presley’s debut TV appearance, his 1968 Comeback Special, performances...