Los Angeles County has selected the McChrystal Group to conduct an independent review of the evacuation policies and emergency alert notification systems utilized by the county and its partners in responding to the Palisades and Eaton Fires.

Concern about the emergency alert system emerged after inaccurate evacuation notices were sent to thousands not affected by the fires, including those living in the Santa Clarita Valley.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ordered this review on Jan. 28 to ensure the county and the public will ultimately have a clear understanding of all that was done to prevent the loss of life and property during the worst fire disaster in modern Los Angeles County history and to determine what factors led to the tragic deaths of at least 29 of ountyc residents.

The McChrystal Group is led by retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, former leader of the United States military’s Joint Special Operations Command, and has extensive experience with disaster response reviews, including an ongoing review concerning the North Carolina hurricane.

The first progress report will be delivered within 90 days of the Board’s motion. All county departments, including the Fire Department and Sheriff’s Department and the Office of Emergency Management, will be involved in the extensive review, which will include gathering and validating the call histories of the fire, interviewing first responders who were on scene as well as incident commanders in the field and overseeing operations, searching and reviewing 911 records and gathering information from many other relevant sources, including community members.

The McChrystal team of consultants, and subject matter experts, will be led by Shandi Treloar (principal) and Erin Sutton (partner), both of whom have deep experience in public sector emergency management.

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger issued the following statement about the review:

“Ensuring accountability and being analytical about our county’s emergency notification work are both critical to strengthening our disaster response. I am pleased our county swiftly engaged the McChrystal Group to conduct an independent review of our evacuation policies and emergency alert systems following the devastating Eaton and Palisades Fires. This is an essential step toward improving transparency. The McChrystal Group’s forthcoming structured, thorough, and objective assessment will help us better protect lives and property in the future. I’m eager to review their findings.”

More information about the McChrystal Group and team members can be found at mcchrystalgroup.com.