Senator Kelly Seyarto, a Republican from Murrieta, possesses a wealth of experience fighting fires, particularly in the face of the notorious Santa Ana winds. With an impressive 35-year career in fire services, Seyarto is distinct among California legislators, being one of the rare former firefighters in office, currently holding the only position of a career firefighter in the Legislature’s history. During his tenure, he transitioned from serving as a firefighter and paramedic with the Inglewood Fire Department to retiring as a battalion chief at the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Throughout his career, he was involved in numerous fire incidents across Southern California and played a leadership role in handling the 2007 Canyon Fire, which impacted areas similarly affected by recent Palisades fires.
Despite his extensive background, Seyarto expressed frustration over his exclusion from discussions regarding recent wildfire response legislation. He noted that initial planning meetings were primarily conducted among Democratic legislators, leaving him and other Republican members out of the conversation. “For Pete’s sake, folks, I’ve been in the fire service for 35 years,” he asserted during a Senate session, where he supported two bills aimed at funding fire recovery efforts. He emphasized the need for a collective approach: “We need a plan from all of us to make sure this doesn’t happen again.” Despite his efforts, Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire did not provide any comments on the matter when approached.
Chris Micheli, a seasoned lobbyist, explained that legislative leaders often choose a select few to work on pressing issues such as wildfires, which typically excludes Republican lawmakers, albeit they are still permitted to propose their own bills and contribute to discussions. Tim Edwards, the union president for state firefighters, echoed the sentiment of the importance of having legislators with firsthand firefighting experience to effectively convey relevant challenges to their peers. Seyarto recently backed a proposal aimed at transitioning seasonal firefighters to year-round positions, marking another instance where his expertise has been vital.
Seyarto, now 65, hails from the San Gabriel Valley and aspired to become a doctor in his youth. However, after receiving advice from a firefighter neighbor, he opted to pursue a career in paramedicine when his academic performance didn’t meet medical school requirements. Reflecting on his time as a firefighter, Seyarto prefers to recount stories of success, avoiding discussions on the more tragic events he witnessed during his service. One memorable experience occurred in the late ’80s or early ’90s when an apartment fire forced 40 individuals to leap from the second floor to safety.
Faced with managing numerous injured victims, Seyarto devised an efficient method to aid them. This experience inspired the Los Angeles County Fire Department to implement a formalized system known as the Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment (START) system. “My focus often turns to how to organize things quickly and effectively,” he said, expressing frustration with legislative inefficiencies, noting how legislative processes can inhibit quick problem-solving.
Seyarto’s political career began in 1997 when he was elected to the Murrieta City Council while still active in the fire department. He served there until 2006 before briefly stepping back to enjoy time with his family. In 2015, he retired from firefighting and returned to the council in 2016, holding the mayor’s position multiple times. He transitioned to the state Assembly in 2020, serving for two years prior to moving to the Senate. Currently, he serves on seven committees and is the vice chair of four, including public safety and natural resources.
When it comes to wildfire legislation as a state senator, Seyarto takes a broader view, applying lessons from his firefighting career to various policy sectors rather than focusing solely on wildfire-specific bills. Since being in the Senate, he has only introduced a handful of wildfire-related bills, but none have passed.
In contemplating the legislative approach to wildfires, Seyarto advocates for a comprehensive, bipartisan strategy that zeroes in on prevention, response, and recovery on a statewide level, rather than treating each incident in isolation. He called for collaboration among experts from multiple fields such as housing and insurance. “We cannot solve these problems with only Democrat or Republican discussions; it requires a unified legislative effort paired with field expertise,” he asserted.
Seyarto pointed out that waiting until a fire ignites makes the situation increasingly difficult to manage. Therefore, he emphasizes that risk management is crucial, which includes pinpointing fire hazards and ensuring adequate personnel are available for brush clearance and burns to avert potential fires. Recently, he introduced a bill aimed at enabling evacuation routes in fire-prone areas to qualify for funding under a Proposition approved by voters last year for climate-related projects.
“In a crisis, saving lives is paramount, so establishing evacuation routes is critical. We must eliminate bureaucratic hurdles that could delay this process,” he conveyed. Addressing bureaucratic inefficiencies is essential in preventing a recurrence of devastating fire catastrophes.
