A legislative committee that monitors California’s emergency management policies has a new member — and it’s someone with decades of experience in firefighting.
Sacramento Snapshot
Editor’s note: Sacramento Snapshot is a weekly series during the legislative session detailing what Orange County’s representatives in the Assembly and Senate are working on — from committee work to bill passages and more.
Sen. Kelly Seyarto, a Republican whose district spans portions of Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties, was recently named to the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management.
“California faces significant challenges when it comes to disaster preparedness and response,” said Seyarto. “I look forward to working with my colleagues on policies that improve emergency coordination, address comprehensive wildfire solutions, enhance public safety and provide the necessary resources for first responders and communities.”
The appointment comes as Seyarto has advocated to be more directly involved in disaster-related work in the statehouse, particularly when it comes to fires. Before being elected to the state Senate, in 2022, Seyarto’s 35-year career included work as a firefighter and paramedic for the Inglewood Fire Department. He retired as a battalion chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
As Seyarto joins the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management — the only member who represents any portion of Orange County — we asked about the work he expects to do this year and his top priorities.
Sen. Kelly Seyarto (Photo courtesy of Kelly Seyarto)Q: What’s a specific goal of yours for the work the committee will do this year?
A: I would like the committee to focus on identifying and recommending strategies that will ensure best practices are used in all areas of emergency management, but with a special focus on wildfire prevention, response and recovery.
Q: You’ve had a long career as a firefighter. What’s one takeaway from your work in that field that has shaped your work as a legislator?
A: That our job is to serve the people. We need to listen to our constituents and focus on solutions that will improve their lives instead of focusing on political or personal agendas.
Q: Southern California is still reeling from the catastrophic wildfires. Is there something the legislature could do quickly that would provide immediate and tangible relief to those affected?
A: The legislature should do everything in its power to make it easier to clean up and rebuild… This includes cutting red tape and suspending certain CEQA regulations that slow down recovery efforts.
Q: With those fires, where did Los Angeles and Los Angeles County go wrong? What did they do right?
A: I am sure there will be a review of the incidents and honest discussions on what went right and wrong, agency-wise. However, we are not doing our part as a state in the form of prevention.
Along with that, we had some real challenges during the response and the ongoing recovery parts of the incidents. The state needs to learn from past fires and act with urgency to mitigate what we can to lessen the impacts of wildfires when they do occur. Currently, we are falling short in this effort.
Q: Aside from fires, what other disaster preparedness needs more attention in Southern California, in particular? And how specifically can the Legislature address that?
A: The overall preparedness for a variety of disasters needs to continue to be addressed; getting people to sign up for emergency alerts, knowing how to prepare and what they will do in case of emergencies. This information is already out there for people to find. But we need to drive access to that information so that when disaster strikes, people are prepared.
In other news
• Sen. Tony Strickland is officially back in the legislature. The Huntington Beach Republican, who earlier this month won the special election for the vacant 36th State Senate District, was sworn into the legislature last week. Strickland most recently was a member of the Huntington Beach City Council and previously served in the legislature representing communities in Ventura.
When asked what his No. 1 priority in the legislature is, Strickland pointed to a litany of issues he believes California has failed on: affordability, crime, education, energy, homelessness, infrastructure and insurance.
“We have our work cut out for us,” Strickland said in an email after he was sworn in. “While, of course, I’m going to fight for things like reducing the gas tax, my top priority isn’t any one issue but to more broadly get California back to taking care of the basics of government.”
A staunch conservative, Strickland does see infrastructure investment, particularly transportation, as a space for Democrats and Republicans to work together.
In the meantime, Strickland said he’s getting to know his new colleagues and encouraging constituents to reach out to his Huntington Beach office at 714-374-7000 or through his Senate website: www.sr36.senate.ca.gov.
• A bill that would allow California schools to carry new treatments to help students with food allergies cleared a committee last week by unanimous vote.
From Assemblymember Kate Sanchez, R-Rancho Santa Margarita, AB 228 would allow schools to carry U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved emergency epinephrine delivery treatments, such as a recently-approved nasal spray, according to the bill’s analysis, as an alternative to emergency epinephrine auto-injectors. The idea is to let schools carry new and effective treatments for anaphylaxis that may be less invasive, according to Sanchez.
The bill is backed by Zacky Muñoz, 12, who has become a food allergy advocate and has influenced legislation in Sacramento.
“I’m so excited to bring back my bill to make schools safer for kids with allergies,” Munoz said. “Last year, it didn’t pass. But now, with neffy being approved by the FDA, we’ve already made amazing progress for the future of epinephrine safety.
“As someone with life-threatening allergies and a fear of needles, I know how important this bill is for kids like me.”
In August, the FDA approved neffy, an epinephrine nasal spray, to treat emergency allergic reactions in adults and children, including those that are life-threatening. It was the first approved epinephrine product to treat anaphylaxis that is not administered by an injection, Dr. Kelly Stone, part of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said at the time.
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