Politics & Government

Mike Bonin Calls to Bring iPads to Firefighters

The CD 11 city councilman visits fire stations in Pacific Palisades and Brentwood to observe the department's technology constraints and other needs.

Public safety was one of the overarching topics addressed by new District 11 City Councilman Mike Bonin Tuesday night to the Brentwood Community Council, following up on his trips to Fire Station 69 in Pacific Palisades and Station 19 in Brentwood.

"I want to particularly focus on police and public safety," Bonin said.

As vice chairman of the city's Public Safety Committee, Bonin said he's introducing a motion Wednesday to bring more technology - namely iPads - into public safety departments, starting with LAFD then to LAPD.

"You really learn about a lot of issues in the district," he added. " I got a scarier appreciation for public safety issues, such as the geographic isolation, traffic and [the] natural hazards we face here. I want to focus on the redeployment of LAFD resources back."

At Station 19, Bonin said he was alarmed that most firefighters and paramedics are still using Thomas Guides to navigate to locations, with some laminated maps that fell apart when shown.

Bonin talked to younger firefighters who've programmed their own iPad applications so they can track their own vehicles and the topography of the land.

"We have to bring ourselves into the smartphone era, and the mayor is too," he added.

Undoing L.A.'s broken parking meter fines

As chairman of the Transportation Committee, Bonin told the BCC he's motioned to rescind the policy of ticketing Angelenos for parking at broken meters.

Hiring planning team, Fred Sutton and Norm Kulla

Bonin described his staff, namely his planning "dream team," as well as his retaining of Palisades/Brentwood Senior Counsel Norm Kulla and the hiring of Fred Sutton, former election rival, as a constituent advocate for Brentwood and the Palisades. 


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