It's easier to call for fire preparedness than to be prepared;
People don't appreciate firefighters enough;
Preparedness and firefighting keep getting better, but are never quite enough;
When you refer to the Great Malibu Fire, try to be more specific.
December 19, 2004
Bland Role in San Diego Drama Fine With Mayor
During last year's wildfires, as flames raced across the county for nearly a week, [San Diego Mayor Dick] Murphy held multiple news conferences to report the progress of firefighters in saving homes.
Wearing a yellow Fire Department slicker, he was unwavering in his message: It's a dangerous situation, but we have good people working on it.
No one would confuse Murphy with Rudolph Giuliani's commanding performance in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks, but Murphy's steady message of "Don't panic; we'll get through this" was later praised.
December 28, 2003
NIGHT OF FIRE
The deadly Cedar blaze's speed and ferocity repeatedly surprised officials, who were outmatched from the start.
... In Poway, Chief Mark Sanchez had 15 firefighters to protect the city's 49,000 residents.[...]