Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., has sharply criticized a high-ranking appointee of California Gov. Gavin Newsom for dismantling the state’s emergency-response volunteer firefighting units.
Shortly after Newsom appointed Matthew Beevers as adjutant general of the California Military Department in May 2023, Beevers decommissioned the Emergency Response Command, a highly trained joint command consisting of two volunteer units, according to Maj. Gen. Jay Coggan, retired commanding general of the California State Guard.
“Your article was very important, because the fact is that dismantling volunteer fire departments is not only an additional cost, but it eliminates a force multiplier,” Issa said, referring to a Jan. 16 article on The Daily Signal.
