OFF LIMITS: Los Angeles Democrats and the largest firefighter union in the state have joined forces on a proposal making public fire hydrants off limits to private fire crews, such as the ones billionaire developer Rick Caruso hired when wildfires were devastating the region. A new bill from Assemblymembers Isaac Bryan and Tina McKinnor, backed by the California Professional Firefighters, targets a longstanding headache for the union — and pokes Caruso, a former mayoral hopeful who has been sharply critical of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and the city’s response to the disaster. “Firefighting is a public good,” Bryan told Playbook. “It is a public resource. It is something that we all invest in and we all derive benefits from.” There is no clear indication that private use of public hydrants was widespread or that it hampered the city's response to the Palisades fire that destroyed thousands of homes. But the 35,000-member union has long argued that private crews hinder their members’ work and should be outlawed. “They don't train with us. They don't train to the same standards,” said Brian Rice, CPF president. “They're not equipped like we are. They're not professionals like we are. And anybody that wants to argue and tell you differently, they're fooling themselves. Nobody’s trained like a professional California firefighter.” The state already requires private crews to abide by certain rules, such as checking in with incident commanders, labeling their equipment non-emergency and not using lights or sirens. The proposal from Bryan and McKinnor would add another regulation to that list, originally created through a 2018 bill California lawmakers passed in the wake of a particularly destructive wildfire season in 2017. Caruso — who owns a shopping center in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood — was the most high-profile figure known to have hired private firefighters during the Los Angeles-area wildfires, though his team insists that he didn’t use any city water. He was also quick to pan Bass’ leadership when the mayor, his opponent during the 2022 mayoral election, was on a diplomatic trip overseas, stoking speculation about a 2026 run for mayor or governor. Rice slammed critiques of the fire response from Caruso and other prominent residents, saying they have “used social media to corrupt the messaging.” “It wasn't about saving the buildings,” Rice said about the early hours of the Palisades fire. “It was about saving people. Can you imagine the discussion we would be having instead of 17,000 buildings lost, if we'd have lost 17,000 citizens? And that pisses me off. These guys are about money. It's about the haves and the have-nots, period. And they don't put faith in their fire department.” Bryan and McKinnor are both allies of Bass, who has faced intense scrutiny since the Palisades fire began last month. Bryan said private firefighters hooking up to public water to defend wealthy Angelenos’ property “wouldn't be an issue, except everything else around it burned to smithereens, and there were conversations about whether the municipal infrastructure could handle the amount of water that was being drawn from it to fight the most intense wildfires Los Angeles has ever seen.” When asked about the bill and proponents’ arguments, a spokesperson for Caruso said the developer is “working around the clock to cut through red tape so that we have a fair recovery” through a nonprofit he recently created to accelerate rebuilding. “It’s a shame that some people would willfully spread disinformation and push partisan politics at a time when all our energy needs to be focused on rebuilding our communities,” the spokesperson said, referencing the allegations that Caruso’s crews hooked up to city water. “Rick is busy fixing problems and is not worried about political noise that does not clean a single lot or build a single home.” IT’S WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. This is California Playbook PM, a POLITICO newsletter that serves as an afternoon temperature check on California politics and a look at what our policy reporters are watching. Got tips or suggestions? Shoot an email to lholden@politico.com.
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