A Look Within: Overtime, over-response draw scrutiny in Redondo fire department assessment
by Garth Meyer Changes are on the way to the Redondo Beach Fire Department after Interim Chief Keith Kauffman last week presented a 92-page report to the City Council. The assessment showed a reliance on overtime for paramedics, too many vehicles responding to calls, inconsistent roles of the division chiefs, city leadership’s lack of confidence in the department and the need for more administrative staff. Immediate actions approved by the city council include over-hiring personnel to address overtime and to form a subcommittee of Mayor Bill Brand and city councilmen Nils Nehrenheim and Todd Loewenstein, to work with Kauffman to act on the report’s findings. “I’m committed to getting the city there, because after I leave, I’m a resident,” Kauffman said. “I want to see it happen too.” The newly-retired Redondo Beach Police chief was named interim fire chief in March 2021 and given the task to create a “blueprint” for a new chief. “We agree with probably a majority of (the report’s recommendations),” said Ken Campos, president of the Redondo Beach Firefighters’ Association. “It was thorough. It was well put-together. It’s always hard to look at yourself.” The city council also voted…
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