LA fire department paid celebrity PR firm $65,000 to shape messaging after Palisades fire
AI Summary
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation acknowledged spending $65,000 to hire the Lede Company, a celebrity PR firm, to shape its messaging after the Palisades fire in 2023. The foundation stated the move was necessary because the LAFD's communications director position was vacant. The LAFD chief believes the firm may have been involved in a controversial after-action report on the fire, which critics allege understated shortcomings in the department's response. The foundation maintains its actions were transparent and intended to support the department's needs. The expenditure and the edited report are likely to increase scrutiny of the LAFD's handling of the fire and its aftermath, which has already drawn criticism from fire survivors and officials.
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