A Little Britain sketch has been called "explicitly racist and outdated" by Ofcom audience research.
The sketch featured in the television show, which was written and performed by David Walliams and Matt Lucas and aired from 2003 until 2006.
It depicts Walliams using racist language to describe an Asian student.
As part of a study into audience expectations on potentially offensive content across linear TV and streaming services, television regulator Ofcom showed people a number of clips.
Participants said they viewed the Little Britain content as "explicitly racist and outdated, and felt that society had moved on".
"A few participants said they found it funny but seemed embarrassed to say this and could recognise why it would be offensive," the report said.
Others were also surprised that the episode was still available to watch on BBC iPlayer, while some said video on demand platforms (VoD) were more appropriate for the content as they give viewers a choice about watching or not.
For some, the content was considered too problematic, even for VoD, the report said.
On iPlayer, the episode currently features a warning before a viewer clicks on the show, reading: "Contains adult humour. Contains discriminatory language."
Viewers in the Ofcom study did not think the current rating was enough, suggesting that a warning about "the racist language and an explanation for why it was still accessible" was needed.
Image:Lucas and Walliams in character as Little Britain regulars, Andy and Lou
The BBC defended its decision to show the sketch, saying it is "intended to expose and ridicule some of the outdated prejudices and racism that still exists in parts of British society, which is more apparent when viewing the sketches within the context of a full episode, and across the series as a whole".
A spokesperson for the broadcaster said: "All jokes in our output are judged on context and intent.
"The programme is part of the BBC's comedy archive, and information is provided for iPlayer viewers about the inclusion of discriminatory language."
While some participants agreed the sketch was important as it reflects the beliefs of society at the time, others were concerned that it could normalise racist behaviours that could be repeated by young children.
"If I saw my daughter watching that and then mimicking it, I'd be horrified," one respondent, a father from Scotland, said.
He added: "If kids are watching it, they need it to be explained that that's not acceptable. It's passed off as acceptable behaviour towards fellow human beings that come from a different part of the world."
Clips from Jimmy Carr's stand-up special His Dark Material, which is available on Netflix, Channel 4 show The Handmaid's Tale, Amazon Prime Video's The Boys and Disney animation The Aristocats, which is on Disney+, were also shown to respondents during the Ofcom research.
November 01, 2023 at 04:27AM
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Little Britain sketch 'explicitly racist and outdated', Ofcom research says - Sky News
A Little Britain sketch has been deemed "explicitly racist and outdated", with some viewers surprised it is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
TV watchdog Ofcom showed people a number of clips as part of a study into views on potentially offensive content.
The Little Britain sketch, first shown in 2003, features a David Walliams character using racist terms to describe an Asian character.
Ofcom said participants in its research felt that "society had moved on".
In response, the BBC said: "All jokes in our output are judged on context and intent.
"The sketches in which the character Linda Flint makes reference to the appearance or race of a series of people are intended to expose and ridicule some of the outdated prejudices and racism that still exist in parts of British society, which is more apparent when viewing the sketches within the context of a full episode, and across the series as a whole.
"The programme is part of the BBC's comedy archive and information is provided for iPlayer viewers about the inclusion of discriminatory language."
Before viewers click to watch the episode, they see a warning that reads: "Contains adult humour. Contains discriminatory language."
Polling company Ipsos questioned 115 people on Ofcom's behalf for the research.
"A few participants said they found it funny but seemed embarrassed to say this and could recognise why it would be offensive," the media regulator's report said.
"This content was not considered acceptable for linear TV and many were surprised that it was available on BBC iPlayer.
"Others thought a VoD (video on demand) platform was appropriate because it meant viewers could have the choice about whether to watch the content or not.
"However, they did not think the current rating was enough, wanting a warning about the racist language and an explanation for why it was still accessible. For some, the content was considered too problematic, even for VoD."
The report added: "The clip was considered less acceptable because the participants felt it was purposely offensive in stereotyping and targeting an ethnic minority group for comedy purposes. Some reasoned that it was important to still show this content to reflect the beliefs of society at the time.
"However, there were concerns that it could normalise racist behaviours which could be repeated by young children."
One respondent, a father from Scotland, said: "If I saw my daughter watching that and then mimicking it, I'd be horrified."
Episodes of Little Britain, starring Walliams and Matt Lucas, have previously been removed from streaming services following criticism over the use of blackface in the show. The whole series was removed in 2020 but returned last year with some scenes edited out.
Ofcom said further research found that the portrayal of sex and sexual relationships on TV has improved and modernised.
People said programmes are less likely to include the objectification of women, gender stereotypes or uncritical views of exploitative relationships.
Viewers also said sex scenes were less likely to be exclusively from the perspective of a man.
But there was a feeling that levels of violence on TV have increased and intensified.
Graphic and realistic violent content is considered the norm after the 21:00 watershed, while some viewers found that previously taboo topics such as sadistic behaviour and sexual violence are now more common, Ofcom said.
The media watchdog surveyed 118 people for that study.
Some participants felt the increase in violence on screen reflected changes in society and audiences' tastes, but others felt this was driven by a need to increase ratings and compete with more graphic and adult-focused content on streaming services.
Viewers said more realistic scenes of violence, like those in shows such as Game of Thrones and Peaky Blinders, made programmes more immersive and exciting, and also noted that modern portrayals were more likely to show the negative consequences of violent action.
One participant said: "With dramas like Peaky Blinders, that violence happens for a reason and it's to make you feel a certain way about a a character... It's not just happening for the sake of it."
Parents also said warnings and the watershed were still important measures to protect children, and that people expect edgier content to be shown on subscription services.
But they acknowledged that on-demand viewing had diminished the effectiveness of the watershed as a parental control.
October 31, 2023 at 10:15PM
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Little Britain sketch racist and outdated, Ofcom audience research says - BBC
A Massachusetts family has been stuck in Gaza for weeks amid the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists, and they are now without adequate resources – including food, water, fuel and connectivity – as they continue to look for a way home.
Abood Okal, Wafa Abuzayda and their 1-year-old son, Yousef, were visiting family in Gaza when Hamas launched its surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7. The family, which had been in the region since late September, was initially planning to return to their home in Medway, Massachusetts, on Oct. 13.
Sammy Nabulsi, friend and attorney for the family, spoke with Fox News Digital about their situation on the ground in Gaza, which he described as "extremely dangerous and dire," adding that their circumstances continue to worsen each day they remain in the region.
"Currently, the family is staying in a single-family home with 40 other people taking shelter," Nabulsi said. "They're having to sleep on the floor, as they've been doing for a little over two weeks. Their chief concern has been access to water. A couple of times over the last week, they've run out of clean drinking water. They've had to resort to drinking salt water from a well that they have access to."
Abood Okal and Wafa Abuzayda and their infant son Yousef were visiting family in Gaza when Hamas launched its surprise attack against Israel on Oct. 7.(Courtesy of Sammy Nabulsi)
"Another concern now on top of that is there hasn't been any access to fuel," he continued. "They rely on diesel fuel to pull and pump the well water, which is just the running water that they have at this home, and also to filter it, which they've been unable to do because they've run out of fuel and have no access to any fuel. So there have been days when they've just had to drink salt water, unfiltered salt water, to stay hydrated."
Nabulsi said the family told him over the weekend that they ran out of drinking water again and are now trying to figure out how they will access clean drinking water over the next few days. They are also completely out of cooking oil and fuel.
The family also has an extremely limited food supply and Nabulsi said he was told Sunday morning that they waited in line for six hours for some bread to share.
Additionally, Yousef, who turns two in December, relies primarily on milk as his main source of nutrition and the family ran out of milk a few days ago. They have been unsuccessful in their efforts to find milk in Rafah, which is the town they are currently staying in, or the nearby town of Khan Yunus.
Okal said in an audio message to Nabulsi on Saturday that there were three airstrikes within 800 to 900 feet of the home they are at.
"There continue to be airstrikes in the town that they are staying in," Nabulsi said. "And presumably, this is the same town where the other hundreds of American citizens who wish to cross into Egypt are currently located. So this family is in exceptionally dangerous circumstances at the moment."
As many as 9,700 people have been killed on both sides of the war since Hamas launched its largest attack on the Jewish State in decades on Oct. 7, prompting retaliatory action from Israeli forces. The death toll in Israel includes at least 1,400 Israeli civilians and soldiers and 33 Americans. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says more than 8,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and 110 in the West Bank.
Thousands more have been wounded, and many others have been taken hostage by Hamas and raped, tortured and murdered.
Nabulsi also spoke about the family's difficulty with connectivity over the weekend after cellular and internet service was cut for much of Gaza starting on Friday amid a heavy Israeli bombardment. Though connectivity was not easy before then due to reliance on solar-powered battery packs for their phones, Nabulsi said he had been able to reach the family three to five times a day from morning to early evening local time.
After communications were cut, Nabulsi was only able to reach the family about once a day.
Internet and phone service began gradually returning to Gaza on Sunday, and U.S. officials said they had pressured Israel to restore communications to the region.
The family's communications were limited, but possible, because they have U.S. phones and there is a field next to where they are staying that allows them to find a signal through Israeli telecommunication infrastructure if they walk far enough into the field. But, Nabulsi said, walking into the field has become dangerous because of concerns of being targeted or mistaken for a scout for Hamas or another group in the area.
"They've been approached by people they're staying with and neighbors [asking them] to stop going out into the field and making phone calls and trying to reach people in the United States," Nabulsi said.
Okal and Abuzayda feel "hopeless and abandoned" by the U.S. government, according to Nabulsi, because they say they have not received any information from the State Department or the White House about a departure option or timeline.
"They've done everything they've been asked to do," Nabulsi said.
The family has contacted the U.S. embassy in Cairo, Egypt, and Jerusalem, Israel, on a daily basis, signed up for every alert system the State Department has urged them to sign up for and they have been in contact with their elected officials.
"[The family] went down to Rafah when northern Gaza was evacuated, and they went to the Rafah Crossing every single time that the State Department has communicated an opportunity to them to do so, and at every single turn, they've not received any sort of help or assistance or even information from the U.S. government.," Nabulsi explained. "They just feel completely abandoned, and they don't think that the United States is focused on this effort at all."
Nabulsi pointed out the difference in how the U.S. government is handling the evacuation of Americans from Israel compared to the Americans stranded in Gaza as the State Department has organized charter flights from Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel and chartered cruise ships to move Americans from the ongoing violence.
"This has been my second-greatest frustration to just the fact there's no departure option for them is how stark the comparison has been between what the United States has done for American citizens in Israel versus what the United States has done for American citizens in Gaza," Nabulsi said. "To me, at the outset of this and what has motivated me to get involved, has just been that a citizen is a citizen, is a citizen. Shouldn't matter which side of the wall they're on. They are entitled to safety and security by their own government."
The Medway, Massachusetts, family has been stranded in Gaza for weeks amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.(Courtesy of Sammy Nabulsi)
"There's been no departure option or plan or timeline for any of the American citizens in Gaza," he added. "Our understanding at the moment is their only option is for them to cross at the Rafah Crossing into Egypt. I've not been made aware of any other options at the United States is looking at or considering. They appear to be putting all their eggs in this basket."
The Pentagon said Monday that Hamas is preventing hundreds of Americans stuck in Gaza from leaving the region and the State Department also told Fox News Digital that Hamas has, at times, prevented people from approaching the Rafah Crossing. Nabulsi claims these statements from the U.S. government are different from what he has heard from the ground and through his private communications with the State Department.
A spokesperson for the State Department told Fox News Digital it continues to work urgently with Egypt, Israel and the United Nations to facilitate the ability for U.S. citizens and their families to safely leave Gaza and travel through Egypt to their final destinations. The spokesperson said it is unclear how many Americans are stranded in Gaza since they are not required to register their travel to a foreign country with the State Department, which previously estimated that as many as 600 Americans could be in the region.
According to the spokesperson, the security environment in Gaza is distinct from the security environment in Israel, making it harder to facilitate safe passage for Americans stuck in Gaza. The spokesperson emphasized, however, that the State Department's commitment to providing all possible consular assistance to U.S. citizens is unwavering, regardless of location, and that it remains in contact with U.S. citizens in Gaza.
The Massachusetts family is staying in a home that is no more than a 10-minute drive away from the Rafah Crossing and had a vehicle they were planning to use to get to it. The State Department, Nabulsi said, has given the family three specific dates and times to arrive at the location to cross, yet each time they have arrived at the crossing, they aren't able to use it.
Nabulsi said he reviewed photos the family sent him that showed the only thing stopping people who wish to leave is the physical gate at the crossing as there are no Hamas terrorists at the location.
The only people at the crossing were Egyptian guards on the other side who informed people seeking evacuation that they had not been told to open up the crossing for them yet. After the third unsuccessful attempt at the crossing, which was the third time the State Department told the family of an opportunity to cross, Nabulsi reached out to contacts at the State Department who said the reason nobody was able to cross was that a three-way agreement with Egypt, Israel and the Hamas-run government in Gaza had not been reached.
"Each time this family has driven there to the crossing, waited six to eight hours only for not a single American citizen to cross," he said. "And unfortunately, now that the fuel supply that they had is out, they don't have a way of driving there themselves. So the next time that there's an opportunity for them to cross into Egypt at the Rafah Crossing, they're either going to have to make that walk there with their 1-year-old son or try to find vehicular access through someone they can pay to take them there."
The State Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that securing passage through the Rafah Crossing is complicated since one side of the border crossing is controlled by Hamas, but that the department has no higher priority than assisting U.S. citizens, including those in Gaza.
Not long after President Biden announced a deal was in the works to deliver aid to Gaza, a 20-truck convoy carrying humanitarian assistance was facilitated by Egypt, Israel and the United Nations through the Rafah Crossing. The State Department spokesperson said it is continuing to work on delivering additional aid to Gaza.
Immediately after Biden announced aid was on the way, Nabulsi said he contacted the State Department and the White House National Security Council and was told that this deal did not include any provision for the evacuation of American citizens out of Gaza, but that they "continued to hope that the deal might grease the wheels, so to speak, to get them out."
The Massachusetts family's situation in Gaza is described by their attorney as "extremely dangerous and dire."(Courtesy of Sammy Nabulsi)
"I don't know how the President of the United States goes to Israel, negotiates an aid deal and travels back to the United States without having first secured the safety and security of these American citizens, but since that time, there has been additional vehicular aid access into Egypt, but not a single American citizen has been able to leave," Nabulsi said. "So I don't think the United States is doing anything as part of these aid discussions to ensure any sort of safe or immediate departure for the hundreds of American citizens stranded in Gaza at the moment."
Nabulsi said he would like Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken to give the same effort to securing the safe and immediate departure of American citizens in Gaza as they are giving to Americans in Israel and the American hostages being held by Hamas – two of whom have been released on humanitarian grounds.
"My bottom line here is that an American is an American is an American," Nabulsi said. "None of them are worth more or less than the other. And my ask is to the administration to prioritize and to put effort into securing the safe departure of these American citizens. At the moment, it feels like, and this is what the family believes, that President Biden and the State Department are prioritizing aid to a foreign government, the destruction of a foreign territory, and frankly, the killing of foreign civilians all over the safety and security of American citizens."
October 31, 2023 at 06:23PM
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Massachusetts couple, 1-year-old son stranded in Gaza with little food, water, fuel, connectivity: attorney - Fox News
EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - A 25-year-old Little Canada man is facing murder charges after a woman was found dead inside an Eagan hotel room earlier this month.
Police responded shortly before midnight on Oct. 12 for the report of an unresponsive woman in the hotel room. Staff had checked on the woman at the request of a concerned friend. Police did not identify the hotel involved.
The victim, 53-year-old Jianqin Zhang, was found face down, hanging over one side of a bed and cold to the touch. She was pronounced dead at the hotel by first responders.
An autopsy later found injuries to the victim's face and neck. A toxicology report found no controlled substances in the victim's system, police said.
The concerned friend said that Zhang was a sex worker, the criminal complaint states. Zhang had booked the hotel room for 15 nights between Sept. 30 and Oct. 14. But the friend said she had been asked to check on Zhang by the "organization" that Zhang worked for.
According to the charges, a member from that "organization" shared information on the visit. They said the client that Zhang met showed up around 3 p.m. on Oct. 12. At 3:39 p.m., a message from Zhang's phone said the client had left the hotel. However, the organization was unable to get in contact with Zhang for the rest of the day.
At around 4:30 p.m., police say a housekeeper entered the room to empty garbage cans but left in a hurry after seeing the victim in bed – in the same position she was later found in – but apparently not realizing that Zhang had been harmed.
The concerned friend was able to pass along a phone number for the client to officers. In the charges, police said they were able to connect that phone number to the suspect, Philip Wong.
According to police, surveillance video shows Wong showing up at the hotel around 2:54 p.m. and leaving around 3:48 p.m.
Speaking with police, the charges state that Wong admitted to going to the hotel for a "massage and cuddle" after responding to an online advertisement. Police say Wong admitted to paying $200 at the hotel and later paying an additional $50 for sex. He claimed to have showered and left without incident. According to the charges, he said he learned that the victim had died after getting called by the "organization" later that night – but said he thought he was being lied to as part of an attempted scam.
However, a friend of Wong's went to police days later, saying Wong had told her that he had "choked out" Zhang after Zhang had tried to blackmail him, allegedly claiming she had a hidden camera in the hotel room. In a follow-up interview with police, Wong denied that version of events.
Wong was charged Monday with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter. He is currently being held in the Dakota County Jail.
October 31, 2023 at 05:09AM
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Charges: Little Canada man accused of killing sex worker at Eagan hotel - FOX 9 Minneapolis-St. Paul
Gabby Romero is Delish’s editorial assistant, where she writes stories about the latest TikTok trends, develops recipes, and answers any and all of your cooking-related questions. She loves eating spicy food, collecting cookbooks, and adding a mountain of Parmesan to any dish she can.
October 30, 2023 at 11:03PM
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We Ate Dozens Of Little Debbie Snacks In One Day—Here Is Our Definitive Ranking - Delish
Max Verstappen says he understands why Sergio Perez took such a big risk at the start of the Mexico City Grand Prix but believes his teammate could have left more space.
Perez was attacking for the lead around the outside of Turn 1 having made a great start form fifth place, but turned in too early on Charles Leclerc who had Verstappen on his inside. The following contact took Perez out of the race on the opening lap in front of a huge crowd that was largely there to support him, but Verstappen says the situation made such an aggressive move understandable.
“I understand because it’s his home grand prix,” Verstappen said. “You want to be on the podium, I fully understand that he went around the outside and he tried. Looking at the footage, I think he could have left a little bit more space but on the other hand if it would have worked, you look amazing. I think it’s just more that excitement of wanting to be on the podium and this time it didn’t work out, unfortunately.
“At the time, I didn’t really see a lot. At one point, I just saw that a car was flying in the air, but then I saw the footage after the race and then you can comment on it. But while driving it’s a bit hard because I was mainly focusing on Charles, because I couldn’t see what was happening on the outside.
“(I was) not nervous at all. I mean, it’s not the first time that I’ve been two-wide or three-wide into Turn 1 here. But also, I mean, we all trust each other. And of course, we’re all on the limit, braking into the corner, but it was all fine, I think. But then I saw on my outside that something happened. But luckily, on the inside, we could stay out of trouble.”
With Perez out of the race and Leclerc picking up damage, Verstappen went on to win his 16th race of the season, setting another record for the most single-season victories.
“It’s been another incredible season. I mean, the car has been unbelievable to drive in most places. So when you then, as a team, work really well together and you try not to make too many mistakes over the whole season, then you can achieve something like this.
“I’m very proud of the achievement, because I think after last year, when I won 15, I was like, ‘well, if I can ever try and replicate something like that, I will be very happy’ and now we are here with 16. So yeah, just very happy with everyone’s performance in the team, for the whole year for basically not making a lot of mistakes.”
October 31, 2023 at 12:08AM
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Perez 'could have left a little bit more space' - Verstappen - RACER
PITTSBURGH -- Trevor Lawrence smiled and adjusted his hoodie when asked about a comment he made days prior to Sunday's win over the Steelers.
Lawrence, who threw for 292 yards in the Jaguars' 20-10 win, was asked if he was aware that his "little terrible towel" comment had made waves in Pittsburgh leading up to the game. "I heard," said Lawrence, who has now won 12 of his last 14 starts, including the postseason.
While he could have been upset that his comment was taken out of context, Lawrence looked at the situation with the perspective of a veteran player.
"I don't really really care," Lawrence continued. "Fans do that. It's part of what makes this game great. It's fuel. You want to hate your opponent when they come in and make it as hard as possible on them. Totally understand that. I hope our fans do that in Jacksonville, too.
"No problem with that. It was great. I thought we played pretty clean with the noise minus a couple of things. I thought we communicated pretty well. Great environment. The fans were loud. They did a great job, too, but we found a way. It was great."
Prior to the game, Steelers Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher playfully grilled Lawrence for his terrible towel comment. Lawrence's performance on Sunday probably didn't make the former Steelers coach feel much better.
Despite being hit several times by the Steelers defense, Lawrence completed 75% of his throws that included his game-winning, 56-yard touchdown pass to former college teammate Travis Etienne.
"I don't think we've ever thrown the ball to the running back out there," Lawrence said of the touchdown pass. "Gotta give a lot of credit to Travis for staying ready and knowing what the look was. They played a Cover 2. The corner jumped our out (Calvin Ridley), and Travis was just rolling down the sideline.
"The safety, really instead of getting high over the top, he drove as well. I think he thought I was throwing it to Calvin, too. Got fortunate I put enough air on it because that could have been bad; he had a jump on it if I threw it flat. Travis making a great play down the field. That's a tough play for the running back. Him being able to haul it and score was a huge play for us."
While it wasn't pretty, the Jaguars won a tough game against a Pittsburgh team that also has playoff aspirations. In the process, Jacksonville became the second AFC team to win six games.
"It means that we've still got more to work for," Lawrence said when asked if the Jaguars are a Super Bowl contender. "We're not the best team in the league. We've still got more out there for us. ... It would be great if this decided the playoffs and all that right now, but it doesn't. We've got nine games left. We also know that last year, we were 3-7 going into the bye and we made the playoffs and won a playoff game.
"Honestly, it means nothing," Lawrence continued. "It means we've had a great start to the season. We're in a really good position going forward, but we've got a lot of big games ahead of us after this bye and a lot of good teams, too. We're just getting started."
October 30, 2023 at 04:52AM
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Trevor Lawrence praises Steelers fans, addresses 'little terrible towel' comment after Jaguars win - CBS Sports
Dolphin Hat Games is a small business that specializes in family-friendly card games.
Okay, so the rules: you divvy up all the cards equally, and then all the players take turns putting down cards that have different illustrations on them, saying "taco," "cat," "goat," "cheese," and "pizza" in order. If the card put on the table matches the word that's being said in that moment, whoever slaps a hand down on the card first gets all the cards under it. You keep playing until someone comes in possession of all the cards (or until you all start craving tacos and pizza so much you drive yourselves to the nearest combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell).
Promising review: "This game is hysterical! I played with my 7-year-old daughter and my 70-year-old father and we all enjoyed it. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time!" —bobkopolow
October 30, 2023 at 02:01AM
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36 Cheap Little Treats For Impulse Buyers - BuzzFeed
little.indah.link A passerby looks on as members of Placentia’s new fire department push their new engine into the station in 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Burly men packed the room, arms folded across their barrel chests. There wasn’t enough space for them all. Hundreds spilled into overflow rooms.
Dangerous. Destined to fail. Deceitful. Horrific mistake.
One after another, firefighters and their union reps paraded to the microphone, trying to scare the bejeezus out of the mild-mannered councilfolk of little Placentia.
Risky gamble with people’s lives. Half-baked. Untested. Extreme.
It was 2019 and the wee city was contemplating the unthinkable — being the first to pull out of the regional (and very expensive!) Orange County Fire Authority (with its state-of-the-art water-dropping helicopters and bulldozers and hazmat equipment and swift water boats) to form its own “Fire and Life Safety Department.”
But it wasn’t just that. Placentia would do the even more unthinkable: Cleave firefighting duties from emergency medical duties.
No more (very expensive!) firefighters who are also paramedics at every call. No more 25-ton fire trucks arriving beside ambulances for routine medical mishaps. No more fire trucks and their (constant-staffing as per union contract) four-man crews accompanying those ambulances to the hospital and waiting (“wall time”) until the patient is taken by the E.R. before returning to service.
In Placentia’s proposed revolutionary setup (which is really only revolutionary in Orange and Los Angeles counties), firefighters would do the firefighting and a private ambulance company would do the emergency medical/paramedic/lifesaving.
To the old guard in that room that night, this was Armageddon. The crack that could bring down the entire dam. It had to be stopped.
“A Placentia Police Department officer, God forbid, gets shot on these streets — I tell you right now they’ll be the first ones, as they’re bleeding out, wishing OCFA was en route, not a new fire department with volunteers,” Frank Lima of the International Association of Fire Fighters told the city council. “This dangerous decision is going to put somebody standing in front of a church at a funeral and you will own it. This vote’s going to follow you and we’ll make sure of that.”
And so it went. For hours. “Your consultants are selling you snake oil. You can’t get more with less. Your consultants — I’m going to tell you right to your face,” snarled Brian Rice, president of California Professional Firefighters, searching the audience for them. “If one member, whether they’re OCFA or one of these volunteers, gets injured, I’m going to come back and I’m going to sue your ass for everything you’ve got.”
We recall thinking that Placentia was, indeed, a bit crazy at the time. Providing services regionally is, at least theoretically, the more efficient way to go.
But these are fire services we’re talking about. Unions and management have agreed to staff up to handle extreme scenarios, despite their rarity, resulting in some crazy costs.
Understand that little Placentia – population of approximately 52,000 – has teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. Its OCFA bill jumped a stunning 47% over a decade, for zero extra personnel or services. Its general fund budget increased only 12% over that time, and its police department budget was sliced 9% to help make way for the increased costs.
Craig Green was a city councilmember that fateful night. He gazed out the giant picture windows of the trendy Golden State Coffee Roasters in the heart of Old Town and grinned. “No dead bodies in the streets,” he said.
Four years later, the results of Placentia’s “half-baked,” “dangerous,” “reckless” experiment are in. And they may be the old guard’s worst nightmare.
Placentia Fire Chief Jason Dobine, left, and Police Chief Brad Butts laugh as Butts messes up his Oath of Office being administered by Damien R. Arrula, city administrator, in Placentia, CA, on Thursday, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighter Branden Smith holds his sons, Owen, 2, and Nixen, 7 months, after his wife, Deven Smith, pined a badge on Branden Smith during his promotion to fire captain in Placentia, CA, on Thursday, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Placentia Fire Chief Jason Dobine, left, and Police Chief Brad Butts take their Oath of Office being administered by Damien R. Arrula, city administrator, in Placentia, CA, on Thursday, March 3, 2022. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters with the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department load hoses on to an engine on May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, as they prepared to launch the new department in July. (File photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Placentia Fire Chief Pono Van Gieson looks on as an engine with the Orange County Fire Authority leaves the fire station on Valencia Avenue for the last time on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The Placentia Fire Department took over covering Placentia from the OCFA beginning on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the new Placentia Fire Department salute as the American flag is raised at the station on Valencia Avenue in Placentia for the first time as a new department on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The new Placentia Fire Department took over covering Placentia from the Orange County Fire Authority on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Placentia Fire Department Engineers Branden Smith, center, and Scott Ferguson, right, prepare to raise the American flag at the fire station for the first time as a new department on Valencia Avenue in Placentia on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The new Placentia Fire Department took over covering Placentia from the Orange County Fire Authority on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Moments after raising the American flag at the fire station on Valencia Avenue in Placentia for the first time as a new department, members of the Placentia Fire Department prepare to leave after getting a call of a structure fire, on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The new Placentia Fire Department took over covering Placentia from the Orange County Fire Authority on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Former Placentia Fire Chief Pono Van Gieson, center, and other members of the new Placentia Fire Department in Placentia give a thumbs-up after they pushed the engine into the fire station on Valencia Avenue in Placentia on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The Placentia Fire Department took over covering Placentia from the Orange County Fire Authority beginning on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
While running through various skills and drills, firefighters with the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department load hoses on to an engine on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, in preparation for the start of the new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (File Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department in Placentia line up in formation just prior to practicing various drills on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, in preparation for the start of the new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A firefighter with the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department carries a hose during a practice drill on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, in preparation for the start of the new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The emblem for the Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department, a new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A firefighter with the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department uses a hose during a practice drill on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, in preparation for the start of the new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Members of the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department in Placentia line up in formation just prior to practicing various drills on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, in preparation for the start of the new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A firefighter with the new Placentia Fire and Life Safety Department sprays water during a practice drill on Wednesday, May 13, 2020, on the campus of El Dorado High School in Placentia, in preparation for the start of the new department which begins service on July 1, 2020. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Costly and outdated
City Administrator Damien Arrula was the rudder that kept the ship steady through stormy waters. Young, energetic, plain-spoken and well-versed in economic development and management analytics, he fought back at the fear-mongering and intimidation. He laid out painstakingly detailed, data-driven analyses of the city’s actual emergency needs and how they could be met with improved safety for less money.
” ‘Unproven,’ ‘untested,’ ‘half-baked’ — these claims are false, absolutely false,” Arrula told the city councilmembers.
In fact, 56 out of California’s 58 counties already provide 911 advanced life support with private paramedic services providers. That includes nearby Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and San Diego counties.
Damien Arrula, Placentia’s city administrator (File photo by Bill Alkofer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“This is not only the primary model in California, but throughout most of the U.S.,” he said. “Only two counties in California do not currently use private 911 ALS paramedic services – Orange and Los Angeles.”
The city’s consultants did an enlightening “workload analysis” examining OCFA data. They found that:
• Placentia averaged 7.1 emergency medical calls per day, and 2 calls for other emergencies, for a total of 9.1 calls.
• That means nearly 80% of those 911 calls — 4 out of 5 — were for medical, not fire.
• Only 0.8% of calls were for structure fires, and only 8 of those had losses exceeding $20,000.
• 90% of calls were handled with one engine.
• The average call duration was 23.2 minutes, with 6 to 8 minutes of response time.
• The actual workload of an on-duty firefighter was 3.9 hours per 24-hour work period.
And despite all the chatter about how deadly a “volunteer” fire department would be, Arrula said Placentia’s new Fire and Life Safety Department would be a professional operation with professional firefighters and reserves who could help in a pinch. It would have two trucks in the city, just as OCFA did, each staffed with three rather than four firefighters. It would have two Lynch EMS ambulances carrying four trained and licensed paramedics on duty 24/7, an increase in lifesaving personnel.
OCFA’s service and firefighters are great, the city council concluded. But its model is costly and outdated. Despite intimidation and outright threats — mutual aid might be withheld by surrounding fire departments during a big emergency — the council decided that a local department controlled directly by the city would better meet its residents’ needs. Its goals were to reduce response time, improve fire prevention and improve quality of emergency medical care.
Four years down the road, the numbers speak for themselves. According to Placentia:
• Under OCFA, the response time for fire calls was 9 minutes and 30 seconds.
• Under Placentia’s new fire department, that shrank to 6 minutes and 21 seconds.
• Under OCFA, the response time for emergency medical calls was 9 minutes and 30 seconds.
• Under Lynch EMS, that shrank to 4 minutes and 48 seconds.
• Among cardiac arrest patients in Placentia, Lynch paramedics were able to restore a pulse 58.8% of the time in 2021-22 and 54.2% of the time in 2022-23 — more than twice the national averages.
On the fiscal front, this improved performance has saved the city more than $1 million each year over what it would have paid OCFA — savings that’s expected to average out to $3 million a year over the next decade as OCFA costs continue to rise. That’s real money over the long haul: more than $30 million saved by 2032, and close to $60 million saved by 2038, according to Placentia’s projections.
And overtime? The firefighter with the most overtime pay in Placentia earned just shy of $51,000 in OT — a fraction of what the top OT earners rake in at other agencies.
“It’s been an amazing few years,” an almost-astonished Walt Lynch of Lynch EMS told the city council earlier this month. “If you asked me back then if I’d be sharing this with you today, I’m not sure I would have said yes.”
Councilmember Rhonda Shader was mayor that night back in 2019, retaining poise in the onslaught of threats. “The nimbleness of this model, it’s turning out to be more than we hoped for,” she said.
Arrula was vindicated. “This is really amazing work when you talk about fundamentally saving lives,” he said. “Really unprecedented.”
Change
So what do all the purveyors of doom have to say about all this?
We reached out to several unions and union reps who had warned of death and destruction. No one was chatty on the record, but there was suspicion about the veracity of Placentia’s data.
Predictions that Placentia would be so weak it would need constant backup from surrounding agencies? The 2021 data showed 128 mutual aid calls into Placentia under the new department, versus 806 under OCFA in 2019. (It responded to 104 mutual aid calls in 2021 versus 457 in 2019; Placentia is now called upon less by its neighbors. A snub?)
In an emailed statement, OCFA said this:
“The OCFA recognizes that there are a few jurisdictions in the state that utilize a non-fire-based EMS delivery systems due to their budgetary constraints. OCFA is fortunate and proud that our leadership supports a robust and proven Fire & EMS system that puts two firefighter/paramedics (along with two additional firefighters) to the side of our patients with speed, efficiency, competence, and care.”
The takeaway here is that there are other, more economical and efficient ways to deliver emergency services, but that the forces working against change are enormous. The old guard tried hard to thwart Placentia, asking surrounding cities not to enter into mutual aid agreements to help in emergencies, asking other agencies not to bid on Placentia’s fire and life safety contracts, threatening the city with lawsuits.
But change arrived nonetheless in Placentia, and it’s coming for everyone else.
“The DNA of fire departments is to respond to EVERYTHING and help EVERY TIME,” says a white paper called “21st Century Fire and Rescue,” co-chaired by retired Anaheim Fire Chief Randy Bruegman.
“While fires may be diminishing due to better engineering, codes and enforcement along with an increased focus on community risk reduction activities, calls for service are up for every department. These calls are for help, and the calls received today are much broader in scope. The services required often fall outside the traditional scope of fire and emergency services.”
Bruegman sees real opportunity here to deploy resources differently and more effectively, as has been done in Anaheim: sending nurse practitioners or behavioral health workers or community paramedics when that makes sense, rather than running four people on a 50,000-pound fire apparatus to everything.
“We need to look at what our statistics and data are telling us: Our demand for fire and rescue calls have gone down over the last 30 years, but call volume has skyrocketed,” he said. “It’s about how we address those calls in the most efficient and effective manner.”
As technology improves, precision will increase: Soon our wearable fitness devices will be able to transmit medical information to dispatch centers. Cars will alert first responders to traffic accidents. Smart buildings will send data instantaneously on emergencies.
“That’s going to change the way we do business in the future,” said Bruegman, president and founder of the Leadership Crucible Foundation. “There’s going to be a need for fire suppression, response and rescue for many, many years to come, maybe forever, but I think it will become a small component of our overall system.”
Many folks in Placentia agree. According to its most recent audit, the city that once teetered on the bankruptcy abyss had a 17% cushion for its general fund (for you numbers types, that’s a $7.2 million unassigned fund balance, compared to expenses of $42.1 million).
Green, the former city councilman who was on the dais when the decision was made back in 2019, had served on the OCFA board of directors and has great respect for the agency. “But Placentia doesn’t need helicopters. Placentia doesn’t need bulldozers,” he said. “We wanted our city to be fiscally sustainable, and now it is. We wanted to do this — and lo and behold, it works.”
October 29, 2023 at 09:30PM
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiWWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lm9jcmVnaXN0ZXIuY29tLzIwMjMvMTAvMjkvaG93LWxpdHRsZS1wbGFjZW50aWEtYnJva2UtYS1maXJlLXBvd2VyaG91c2VzLWJhY2sv0gFdaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cub2NyZWdpc3Rlci5jb20vMjAyMy8xMC8yOS9ob3ctbGl0dGxlLXBsYWNlbnRpYS1icm9rZS1hLWZpcmUtcG93ZXJob3VzZXMtYmFjay9hbXAv?oc=5
How little Placentia broke a fire powerhouse’s back - OCRegister
And so it went. For hours. “Your consultants are selling you snake oil. You can’t get more with less. Your consultants — I’m going to tell you right to your face,” snarled Brian Rice, president of California Professional Firefighters, searching the audience for them. “If one member, whether they’re OCFA or one of these volunteers, gets injured, I’m going to come back and I’m going to sue your ass for everything you’ve got.”
