Investigation finds extensive list of alleged firefighting equipment issues in Port of Los Angeles

A Los Angeles city firefighter is raising new questions about the department's firefighting apparatus at the Port of Los Angeles after a blaze erupted on a container ship there last month, alleging that the equipment currently at the seaport isn't capable of stopping a future disaster.

The concerns are being raised nearly a year after a CBS News Los Angeles investigation found that dozens of LAFD engines were not operational during the Palisades Fire fight in January. 

Steve Meiche says that there are currently five fireboats that safeguard the port, but they're in such poor condition that if a fire similar to the one that ravaged a wooden wharf in 2014 breaks out, it could turn into a catastrophe. 

He was one of the first Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters in the water that day, working as a rescue diver. 

"I was on that fire for three days," Meiche said. "One of the most dangerous operations I've ever encountered."

Now, 11 years later, he says that Los Angeles is just one spark away from another similar disaster at the port. He says that the city would not be in the best position to battle a fire if the same thing were to happen today. 

The five LAFD fireboats are equipped with hoses, which Meiche says need to be prepped before use. The steps include lining a short intake hose to the water before it can be turned on by a pull-start. The result is a single weak stream of water, which Meiche says would be far from enough to protect the $912 million worth of daily cargo that is transported in and out of the port. 

Meiche says that people should be concerned, especially because rescuers have been using the boat and hose in place of Fireboat 1, which has been undergoing repairs since January.

Internal documents obtained by CBS Los Angeles show an extensive list of issues with the boat, many of which are from "maintenance that is past due." Other problems included hose pumps, hull leaks and the fuel gauge. 

Meiche says that Fireboat 1 isn't the only part of the fleet with extensive damage, with the internal documents further revealing dozens of issues for Fireboats 3, 4 and 5. 

The main firefighting boat in LAFD's fleet, Fireboat 2, has a 19-problem list, which includes one of the boat's engines and its only deck crane, which is used to rescue people off of cruise ships. He says neither works at all. 

"The systems are antiquated," Meiche said. "It's like having a fire truck with a big hook and ladder on it and not even being able to use the ladder."

When presented with evidence of LAFD's fleet of problems, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park said she was entirely unaware that the issues existed. 

"That is the most infuriating thing I've ever seen," Park said. 

She has been aware, however, of dozens of land rigs and ambulances that CBS Los Angeles found in January, all of which were broken and sidelined at an LAFD maintenance lot referred to as "the boneyard," when the Palisades Fire erupted. She spoke with reporters at the time, stating that she had been complaining about the issue for months. 

"There are almost a hundred fire engines, and fire trucks and ambulances sitting over at the boneyard. Million-dollar apparatuses out of service because there aren't adequate mechanics to fix them," Park said in January. "The scale of those vehicles just sitting there, rows and rows and rows with weeds growing up around the tires is infuriating."

Months later, the scene seemed to be exactly the same. 

"It's infuriating to see it," Park said. 

Last week, LAFD presented a report to the fire commission that revealed their "out of service rate for reserve apparatus consistently exceeds 95%."

When approached for a statement on that number, LAFD Maintenance & Supply Assistant Chief Peter Hsaio said that he could not provide further comment. 

Newly instated Chief Jaime Moore was on hand during the 2014 firefight and says that while he's unable to speak as to why the weak water pump on Fireboat 1 is still being used, the department's response to a recent cargo ship fire in late November shows that the port is safe. 

He also says that the issue isn't one of finances, and that LAFD's budget shows fireboat spending has been steadily increasing. 

A detailed breakdown of the department's budget, obtained from the Port of Los Angeles, shows erratic spending on maintenance over the years, ranging from $100,000 one year to $3 million in another. 

Meiche says that whatever it is, it's a trickle compared to what they need to keep the city safe.

"It comes down to budget," he said. 

The Port of Los Angeles pays for the fireboats and tells CBS Los Angeles that they've spent millions of dollars to try and fix the problem. Now, however, the city has added six captains to the marine unit, which costs $3 million annually. Firefighters say that they don't need more management and that the money should go to fixing the boats instead. 

Chief Moore said that there is no connection between the two and that the 95% out-of-service rate has actually dropped to 90%. 

Councilwoman Park says that she is working on a measure to directly fund equipment through a sales tax increase, which will fall to Los Angeles voters next November.