McChrystal Group Selected to Conduct After-Action Review of Response to Eaton and Palisades Fires 

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

The Board of Supervisors ordered this review on January 28, 2025, (Item 10) 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 LA County history, and to determine what factors led to the tragic deaths of at least 29 of our County residents.

This work has already begun, and 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, are committed to fully engaging in this 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. More information about the McChrystal Group and team members can be found here: mcchrystalgroup.com

Contact:
Coordinated Joint Information Center
cjic@ceo.lacounty.gov