5. 19 Dogs, 57 Cats

There are many in the community who possess only a casual attitude toward responsible pet ownership. The results have led to greater euthanasia and increased risks to public health due to various animal diseases including rabies, typhus, scabies, distemper, hookworm, toxo, histoplasmosis, crypto and others. 12 http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/AboutUs/htm 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 127 Adoption Best Friends, a non-profit organization, operates a pet adoption and spay and neuter clinic in their shelter located in Mission Hills. They draw companion animals from City shelters and have saved Los Angeles City Department of Animal Services $1,000,000 a year.

Adoption and fostering by a non-profit coalition has increased for the feline and canine population, which has helped to reduce their euthanasia rate. Population Control, Not Animal Cruelty ASPCA Spay/Neuter Clinic at City’s Veterinary Clinic at the County’s Carson Chesterfield Square Animal Shelter Animal Shelter The addition of low cost veterinary and spay and neuter clinics, in conjunction with shelters, have helped support the public and control the animal population. 128 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT National figures indicate pet overpopulation is an overwhelming problem throughout America and the only way to solve it is by tackling it proactively through effective and expansive programs of spaying and neutering. Failing this forces a grim solution to this problem by the killing of the 2.4 million adoptable cats and dogs every year; an animal every 13 seconds.13 According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), the numbers are even higher at 2.7 million and these animals are being euthanized because, in many cases, there are few alternatives to help address the sheer numbers being brought into shelters or the length of time animals are being held. Since the government facilities are considered “open admission” shelters, as opposed to many rescue and “boutique” shelters that can “pick and choose” their intake, they are required to take in all animals crossing their doorstep. Concentrating on the euthanasia statistics per se may be depressing; a more appropriate focus should be on the adoption and live release rates which would include those animals adopted, fostered and Returned to Owner (RTO).

The key to reducing the euthanasia rate and protecting public health is responsible pet ownership. This includes licensing, immunization, micro chipping, spaying and neutering. From Shelter to Pet Store A new code in California states, “pet store operators shall obtain dogs, cats, and rabbits from a public or private shelter or approved organization.”14 Beginning January 2019, pet stores must offer only shelter animals for sale and adoption. Since the City and County require that immunization, spay and neutering, and micro-chipping be done for any animals over 4 months old that leave their shelters, this should help to reduce many problems related to compliance with these requirements. It is assumed that compliance to this law, sourcing animals from shelters for sale from pet stores will likely be done by non-profits “buying” animals from the shelters at a reduced rate and selling them to pet stores. There is hope that the law, as implemented, would not treat these animals as being fostered by the pet stores, in that they would not be able to be returned if they are not sold, 15 although there is a concern that as more adoptable pets are removed from shelters, the remaining animals will be less likely to be adopted.

Further policy and implementation of Health & Safety Code 122354.5 procedures need to be addressed and initiated by both City and County to prevent problems with this expected benefit. Benefits of Ongoing Public Education Expenditures on education and promotions can result in better public and pet owner awareness. When agencies are effective in educating the public and there is an increase in immunizations, spaying and neutering, micro chipping and licensing of animals, shelter populations should decrease16 because of the reduced numbers of unwanted pets surrendered at animal care centers. When shelter space improves, due to increased licensing, spay and neutering, and microchipping, there will be fewer animals available in the shelters. Any concern that there will be decreased 13 Humane Society of the United States, www.humanesociety.org 14 California Health and Safety Code 122354.5 15 Meeting with a senior official at LA Animal Services 16 Supra.see note 3, 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 129 funding is only temporary. As everyone in animal control wishes to clear the shelters, with less animal intake and sheltering, these fluctuations will enable more opportunity for outreach to the public. Shelter activities will change as the shelter pet population changes so there should not be a direct relationship between numbers and funding. Animal Services personnel will be able to address projects and goals which are currently limited as a result of routine responsibilities. This can include involvement in schools along with other outreach programs to protect both the public and animal population.

Only about one-third (39%) of Los Angeles County Fire Department fire stations are compliant with building code requirements that provide adequate accommodations for both female and male firefighters. All City of Los Angeles and Long Beach Fire Department fire stations are compliant and provide accommodations for both female and male firefighters. The following sections outline the information provided by each of the three fire departments. Los Angeles County Fire Department The following are the actions outlined by the LACFD their efforts to improve the recruitment and success of female firefighters within the Department. Recent Efforts in the Fire Series • Creation, Community Outreach, Recruitment, Diversity and Inclusion (CORDI) Section to prioritize recruiting and hiring practices throughout the department. • Conducting the 3rd Annual Women’s Fire Prep Academy which almost doubles the number of women this year (2018). • Conducting New Firefighter Trainee Exam in Late Summer 2018. • Reviewing and reassessing the Exam process to increase access and remove obstacles. • Inaugural LACFD Arise Summit, focused on partnering with other fire agencies in the region to gather feedback, identify focused areas of needed improvement and work throughout the year to develop strategic solutions that will support the needs of women in the fire service. Thoughts Moving Forward • The goal of the LACFD is to strive to grow a workforce that represents the communities the LACFD serves. • The LACFD made a substantial financial and staffing investment to ensure it is successful and takes advantage of every opportunity it has to improve our ability to reach underrepresented groups. • The LACFD is wholeheartedly committed to this mission throughout the entire Department. The LACFD has created a structure that will develop pathways with various groups including LGBTQ, women, military, foster youth, socioeconomic challenged communities, ethnicity and geographic diversity. • Through CORDI, the LACFD will work hand in hand with stakeholders, board offices, cities, schools, colleges, county departments, community and faith based groups to assess and identify key target methods for recruiting specific to their areas. Strategic Approach and Implementation • Over the last year, the LACFD worked together with our members and subject matter experts (SME’s) to assess the needs and areas of improvement in relation to our hiring practices, recruiting and community outreach efforts; and identified key areas of improvement and growth to focus on in 2018. • As part of the process, the LACFD is collecting and analyzing data of all recruiting and exam activities to see where their gaps are and what is successful. 114 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT • The LACFD is creating an entirely new recruiting website which will be an informational resource for all employment opportunities within the department. • In regard to recruiting women for the Lifeguard and Fire Divisions, the LACFD is implementing a two-fold approach of ensuring our process and procedures and facilities are updated and able to accommodate our current and future members (i.e., privacy and access, maternity policy). • As this is a multi-faceted issue, and not just about increasing our recruiting numbers to take the exam, the department is addressing both internal and external opportunities to increase our diversity and truly represent the communities we serve. • In addition to what the LACFD has accomplished so far, the department realizes there is much more work to do and has a great team in place to accomplish these goals. City of Los Angeles Fire Department In 2016 the LAFD developed a “Gender Equity Action Plan” as required by Executive Order No. 11 issued by Mayor Garcetti. This plan states: The ultimate goal of the Gender Equity Action Plan is to create a diverse workforce that is more reflective of the citizens we serve, embrace diversity and recognize individual worth within the team environment and create greater job satisfaction and retention of female firefighters while continuing to encourage and support diversity within the leadership ranks. The Department, with the support of the Mayor's Office and Executive Directive No. 11, will continue to strive towards creating greater gender parity. Some of the key strategies outlined in the Gender Equity Action Plan as well as the Department’s Recruitment Plan for 2015-16 include: Recruitment and Mentoring of Females • In the short term, each Captain, Firefighter, and Battalion Chief assigned to the Firefighter Recruitment Section (FRS) will be focused on developing programs, scheduling events, and hosting orientation sessions that welcome and encourage, in every way, female applicants. • A Captain II position has been requested in the 2016/2017 budget process as a Women’s Recruitment Officer. Some areas the Women's Recruitment Officer will be responsible for are: o Recruitment and marketing campaign development o Analyzing, tracking, and assessing female applicant progress o Developing a Girls Camp o Liaison with stakeholder groups (Mayor, Council, Board of Fire Commissioners, Empower LA, Los Angeles Women in the Fire Service, etc.) o Oversee the Applicant Orientation Program at Drill Tower 21 Youth Programs • The FRS is also dedicated to offering a variety of youth programs to increase the number of girls and boys motivated to become LAFD firefighters. As an update to the prior plan, all youth programs have been or are undergoing re-design with standardized curriculum development. 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 115 • Increased efforts have been made to get more girls involved in the various youth programs. The Department now has the tools to collect the data necessary to track the involvement by ethnicity and gender. • There have also been 3 Girls Camps (ages 14-18 years old) with a total of 194 female participants. The Department is committed to continuously providing 2 girls camps per fiscal year at various locations rotating throughout each Geographic Bureau. • Although the youth programs will not create immediate results in increasing the number of female firefighters on the job, the long-term goal is to create a group of diverse, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable candidates for the FRS to follow and mentor throughout the hiring process, training academy, and probationary period. Work Environment • The Department has taken many steps to ensure that the work environment is free from discrimination and/or harassment, including Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) training. This training includes: o Mandatory reading of the Discrimination Prevention Policy Handbook (DPPH) by all members o Mandatory completion of the "EEO Challenge" training course by all members o Mandatory completion of "EEO for Supervisors”, a required course for all supervisors to be completed every two years o Required enforcement of the City's zero tolerance policies, as defined in the DPPH o Maintenance of a Complaint Tracking System in which members can submit complaints either from their workplace or from home. • A women's strategic planning workgroup was also formed to develop goals aimed at improving the work environment for women. Long Beach Fire Department The following are the actions outlined by the Long Beach Fire Department as their efforts to improve the recruitment and success of female firefighters within the Department. • The LBFD works cooperatively with the City’s Civil Service Department with the objective of recruiting a qualified and diverse candidate pool. When additional funding has been available, the LBFD has assembled a diverse team of firefighters to actively recruit members of underrepresented groups. Female firefighters are included in this group. • Additionally, the LBFD has implemented opportunities for all candidates to better prepare for success in the testing process and the academy. These include offering advance practice sessions to better prepare all candidates for the physical agility test. Additionally, in advance of the academy, Fire Training staff offers an orientation at which candidates are given an overview of the Training Center, information on physical training requirements, and familiarity with tools of the trade. Also, during a firefighter’s probationary period, the Department encourages mentorship relationships in which the probationary firefighter can learn from, and ask questions of, more experienced firefighters. 116 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT • Looking forward, the LBFD continues to work with local schools to implement fire service programs. This includes working with the Long Beach Unified School District to incorporate the fire service into the District’s Regional Occupational Program (ROP) curriculum, and ongoing discussions with Long Beach City College to implement a fire service program. These programs will prepare interested female and male students from all backgrounds for careers in the fire service and educate them, at an early age, with regard to the requirements and demands of being a firefighter.

Each of Los Angeles County’s three largest fire departments have developed and implemented strategies to improve the recruitment and success of female firefighters within their departments. Fire Science Programs A number of colleges in Los Angeles County have programs and instruction in Fire Science that helps to prepare students for careers as firefighters. As part of this investigation the CGJ requested information from these colleges, including the number of female and male students enrolled in these programs.

The percentage of female students enrolled in Fire Science programs at Los Angeles County colleges that offer such programs is very low. Exhibit 10 shows, of the 4,575 total students enrolled in Fire Science programs at Los Angeles County colleges that provided information, only 205, or 4% are females. The remaining 4,370 students in these programs are male. Exhibit 10 Colleges with Fire Science Programs in Los Angeles County Student Enrollment by Gender Students Enrolled College Male Percent Female Percent Total Cal State Los Angeles 140 93% 10 7% 150 College of the Canyons 278 93% 20 7% 298 East L.A. College 3,092 97% 96 3% 3,188 El Camino College 450 90% 51 10% 501 Mt. San Antonio 410 94% 28 6% 438 Totals / Averages 4,370 96% 205 4% 4,575 Source: Responses to Civil Grand Jury request for information on fire science programs and student enrollment. 2017-2018 This information confirms that the most significant challenge to increasing the percentage of firefighters that are female is changing the perception that the profession is limited to males. 2017-2018 LOS ANGELES COUNTY CIVIL GRAND JURY FINAL REPORT 117 REPRESENTATION BY ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY During the 2017-2018 television season, citizens are able to view a new television program, “Station 19”, on the ABC network. This program is not reality; however, it does show women in responsible, leadership roles as a Captain and a Battalion Chief. It should be noted that, certain aspects are not appropriate in real life fire stations: the promotion of the female firefighter to the position of “Captain” by her father, being directly supervised by his or her parent, or that a firefighter would be dating a superior in the fire station where they are both supervised by her father is not likely to occur. These are just a few examples of “artistic license”, however, showing a positive representation of female firefighters should be helpful in changing the perception of women in the fire service.