By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• • The City of Clovis, New Mexico, will hire six firefighters earlier than planned after receiving a $2 million federal SAFER grant.
• • The grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will help fund the positions over three years with a local cost share rising from 25 % to 65 %.
• • New hires are scheduled to start training in March and join operational squads by May 1, 2026.
• • Clovis has faced challenges meeting response goals amid population growth and staffing shortages.
• • City officials also plan to use Measure Y sales tax revenue for related staffing and equipment support.

CLOVIS, NM — The City of Clovis will accelerate firefighters hiring efforts after receiving a $2 million federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant, officials said Jan. 9.

The grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will partially fund six new firefighter positions intended to strengthen emergency response capabilities. Clovis Fire Chief Chris Ekk said the department will hire the firefighters beginning March 23, 2026, with training completed by April 30 and operational staffing expected by May 1.

Under the three-year grant, the city’s local cost share is set at 25 % for the first two years and increases to 65 % in the third year, with about $140,000 planned from the General Fund in the first year.

Clovis has struggled to expand its workforce quickly enough to meet the demands of a growing population. Preliminary 2025 data shared with the City Council showed average emergency response times exceeding departmental goals.

Voters approved a 1 % sales tax, known as Measure Y, in 2025 to generate revenue for public safety and other operational needs. Officials said part of that revenue will support promotions, equipment purchases and supervisor staffing as the department grows.

Officials said the newly funded squad positions will remain after the grant period ends, with the city fully funding the roles beyond the initial three years.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• A homeowner in Wagener, South Carolina, said the local fire department did not respond to his house fire Jan. 2 because the property was outside its reduced coverage area.
• The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said the address was technically outside Wagener’s response plan.
• Former Wagener Fire Chief Hendrik Swanepoel said decreased funding has shrunk the department’s service area from about 95 square miles to around 1.5 square miles.
• Funding shortfalls have left the department with just enough to fuel apparatus, Swanepoel said.
• Past leadership controversies and investigations into fire fees have also affected the department in recent years.

WAGENER, SC — A house fire Jan. 2 drew firefighters from neighboring departments but not from the Wagener Fire Department after the property was determined to be outside the town’s reduced coverage area, officials said.

Homeowner O’Neal Miller said he watched crews from Salley, Couchton and New Holland fight the blaze that heavily damaged the rear of his Collum Pond Road residence, and he expressed disappointment that Wagener units did not respond.

The Aiken County Sheriff’s Office said the fire occurred outside the department’s response plan, as Miller’s property lies beyond the town limits and the department’s current service boundaries.

Former Wagener Fire Chief Hendrik Swanepoel said funding cuts have forced the department to shrink its coverage area from roughly 95 square miles to about 1.5 square miles, leaving limited capacity for calls beyond that zone. Swanepoel, who resigned in November, said dwindling tax revenue and a lack of resources have made it difficult to maintain essential equipment.

The Wagener Fire Department did not respond to requests for comment. In recent years, the department has faced leadership controversies, including the arrest of two former chiefs on breach of trust charges and disputes over the handling of fire fees, events that contributed to local scrutiny of funding and operations.

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• The Los Angeles Fire Department’s after-action report on the 2025 Palisades Fire was sent to Mayor Karen Bass’ office for “refinements,” the president of the city’s Fire Commission said. FireRescue1
• Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva described the document sent as a “working draft.” FireRescue1
• Commission President Genethia Hudley Hayes raised concerns about potential outside influence on the report. FireRescue1
• Fire Chief Jaime Moore acknowledged that earlier drafts were edited before public release. FireRescue1
• Bass’ office said it sought only factual confirmations and did not demand changes. FireRescue1

LOS ANGELES, CA — A draft of the after-action report examining the 2025 Palisades Fire was sent to the office of Mayor Karen Bass for “refinements” before its release, the president of the Los Angeles Fire Commission said. FireRescue1

Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva described the document provided to the mayor’s office as a “working draft,” according to comments relayed by Fire Commission President Genethia Hudley Hayes to the Los Angeles Times. FireRescue1

Hudley Hayes, appointed to the commission in 2023, said she learned that the mayor’s office asked for refinements but did not detail what changes were requested. She said her experience suggested that such wording could signal outside influence on the report. FireRescue1

Fire Chief Jaime Moore acknowledged to commissioners that earlier versions of the report underwent edits before the public version was issued. He said that process occurred prior to his appointment and pledged such editing would not recur. FireRescue1

Officials from the mayor’s office said it did not demand changes and only asked the Fire Department to confirm the accuracy of certain factual elements, such as weather conditions and budget matters tied to the wildfire response. FireRescue1

By MES Dispatch staff

The Briefing

• More than a dozen lawsuit filings allege deaths tied to the 2025 Palisades Fire in California, including suicide and terminal illness claims. FireRescue1
• Plaintiffs filed the death-related claims before a state law allowing broader damage claims expired Dec. 31, 2025. FireRescue1
• Lawsuits name the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and multiple other entities as defendants. PR Newswire
• Families allege trauma and fire-related conditions hastened or contributed to their relatives’ deaths. PRESSBEE
• Defendants, including SoCalGas, have issued statements disputing responsibility for the fire and its impacts. FireRescue1

LOS ANGELES, CA — Families of wildfire victims have filed lawsuits alleging that trauma and illness following the 2025 Palisades Fire contributed to suicides and terminal illness deaths, according to court filings and legal notices. FireRescue1

More than a dozen plaintiffs added death-related claims to existing litigation against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), Southern California Gas Company, Southern California Edison and other entities, according to legal filings. PR Newswire

The lawsuits were filed in late 2025 under California Senate Bill 447, a pilot law that expired Dec. 31, 2025, permitting recovery for decedents’ pain and suffering. Plaintiffs sought to meet the filing deadline before the law’s expiration. FireRescue1

Among the claims is an action by the widow of a man who took his own life after suffering months of distress following the loss of his home and belongings in the fire. Families of other victims allege that their relatives’ deaths from prostate cancer, colorectal cancer and myelofibrosis were hastened by conditions and trauma associated with evacuations and property loss. PRESSBEE

The master complaint against LADWP and co-defendants also alleges that operational factors, including dry hydrants and utility infrastructure failures, contributed to the spread and impact of the fire. Defendants, including SoCalGas, have issued statements saying they dispute liability and noting efforts to support recovery and infrastructure repair. FireRescue1