Federal Worker Fired by DOGE: Firefighters Will Not Get a Training on How to Deal with Lithium Battery Fires & EVs

BROWN Well over the ░░░░░░░░ month thousands of government ░░░░░░░░ have been fired by ░░░░░░░░ and Elon Musk I ░░░░░░░░ to speak now with ░░░░░░░░ of those affected workers ░░░░░░░░ the potential impact of ░░░░░░░░ of this on Americans ░░░░░░░░ Pettit worked at the ░░░░░░░░ Fire Academy until he ░░░░░░░░ laid off this week ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much ░░░░░░░░ being here So you ░░░░░░░░ dispatched in the aftermath ░░░░░░░░ Hurricane Helene to help ░░░░░░░░ the clean up efforts ░░░░░░░░ does the loss of ░░░░░░░░ firefighters like you mean ░░░░░░░░ our country s ability ░░░░░░░░ respond to future disasters ░░░░░░░░ Well I will clarify ░░░░░░░░ m not actually a ░░░░░░░░ I m an instructional ░░░░░░░░ at the National Fire ░░░░░░░░ So my role is ░░░░░░░░ with national experts and ░░░░░░░░ specialists to make sure ░░░░░░░░ our firefighters and first ░░░░░░░░ have the emergency training ░░░░░░░░ need when they respond ░░░░░░░░ incidents like this But ░░░░░░░░ a FEMA employee we ░░░░░░░░ wear two hats We ░░░░░░░░ our full time steady ░░░░░░░░ role and then we ░░░░░░░░ our emergency response role ░░░░░░░░ in this instance because ░░░░░░░░ the impacts of Hurricane ░░░░░░░░ I was called up ░░░░░░░░ was deployed to Savannah ░░░░░░░░ for 30 days and ░░░░░░░░ with our individual assistance ░░░░░░░░ to provide one on ░░░░░░░░ assistance to survivors to ░░░░░░░░ a face to FEMA ░░░░░░░░ be someone they could ░░░░░░░░ to for questions about ░░░░░░░░ claims needing assistance with ░░░░░░░░ their claims that sort ░░░░░░░░ thing BROWN So what ░░░░░░░░ you think the impact ░░░░░░░░ be moving forward when ░░░░░░░░ s a natural disaster ░░░░░░░░ is pretty inevitable PETTIT ░░░░░░░░ the obvious initial impact ░░░░░░░░ going to be there ░░░░░░░░ fewer people available at ░░░░░░░░ to be called up ░░░░░░░░ these disasters That will ░░░░░░░░ a direct impact on ░░░░░░░░ quickly they re able ░░░░░░░░ respond how broadly they ░░░░░░░░ able to respond But ░░░░░░░░ terms of my individual ░░░░░░░░ it s really going ░░░░░░░░ strain their resources in ░░░░░░░░ of being able to ░░░░░░░░ cutting edge courses for ░░░░░░░░ responders Before I left ░░░░░░░░ were working on a ░░░░░░░░ of updates to programs ░░░░░░░░ with everything from how ░░░░░░░░ deal with lithium ion ░░░░░░░░ fires to dealing with ░░░░░░░░ vehicles all of these ░░░░░░░░ technologies that are coming ░░░░░░░░ that firefighters and first ░░░░░░░░ need to know how ░░░░░░░░ deal with we re ░░░░░░░░ institution they come to ░░░░░░░░ get that training and ░░░░░░░░ m really afraid that ░░░░░░░░ re not going to ░░░░░░░░ able to offer them ░░░░░░░░ they need to keep ░░░░░░░░ safe BROWN Yeah And ░░░░░░░░ be clear and thank ░░░░░░░░ for your clarification with ░░░░░░░░ L A wildfires because ░░░░░░░░ course that is in ░░░░░░░░ memory right What would ░░░░░░░░ PETTIT Yes BROWN academy ░░░░░░░░ have what role did ░░░░░░░░ play with that and ░░░░░░░░ to that and of ░░░░░░░░ the aftermath and all ░░░░░░░░ cleanup that s happening ░░░░░░░░ now PETTIT Well we ░░░░░░░░ incorporating content into our ░░░░░░░░ about dealing with the ░░░░░░░░ urban interface That s ░░░░░░░░ drum we ve been ░░░░░░░░ for a number of ░░░░░░░░ and because of incidents ░░░░░░░░ the L A wildfires ░░░░░░░░ s now getting national ░░░░░░░░ But when you take ░░░░░░░░ and resources away from ░░░░░░░░ academy again that s ░░░░░░░░ to stymie their ability ░░░░░░░░ incorporate that content into ░░░░░░░░ courses to make sure ░░░░░░░░ the firefighters are properly ░░░░░░░░ to respond to those ░░░░░░░░ of incidents and to ░░░░░░░░ sure that our communities ░░░░░░░░ ready and prepared before ░░░░░░░░ incidents even happen so ░░░░░░░░ we can save lives ░░░░░░░░ can save property and ░░░░░░░░ we can get responders ░░░░░░░░ home safely after these ░░░░░░░░