Whistleblower complaint alleges emergency management employee slept during part of Eaton Fire

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- A current employee of L.A. County's Office of Emergency Management is alleging a now former colleague, who had a crucial role as the Eaton Fire raged the first night in Altadena, was, at times, asleep on the job.

Nick Vaquero filed an official complaint with the county last year but is now speaking with 7 On Your Side Investigates out of frustration, saying the office needs reform.

Vaquero is currently an associate director with the Office of Emergency Management.

"You're supposed to be the one that's kind of keeping an eye on the whole operational picture," said Vaquero as he described the role of the Emergency Operations Center director.

That's a leading position inside the county's Emergency Operations Center when it's activated.

Vaquero says the EOC Director oversees everyone in the room.

On January 7, 2025, at 7 p.m., so shortly after the Eaton Fire sparked, Vaquero says now retired OEM employee Steve Lieberman started his 12-hour shift in the EOC Director role.

At 5:30 a.m. the next morning, Vaquero says he came in to replace him.

"So as I'm walking in, Steve walks out of his office, and as loud as he could for the entire Emergency Operations center to hear, he yells, 'I don't know why we're even activated, nothing's happening.' To which I obviously got very angry and screamed at him to look at the TVs," Vaquero told ABC7.

Vaquero says he then spoke to overnight staff at the EOC to get a debrief.

"They told me that he was sleeping," Vaquero said.

Three people who were inside the EOC during all, or part, of that overnight shift tell 7 On Your Side Investigates off camera that they either saw Lieberman sleeping during parts of his shift, or did not see him in the EOC for good portions of his shift.

"So, if you were to take it in terms of the military, it would be like having the commanding officer be AWOL during a major battle," Vaquero told ABC7.

"You're not making the calls on evacuations, that's done by law and fire. But you are overseeing the unit that's pushing the button to send out the alerts."

L.A. County sent Eyewitness News a statement that says in part:

"Steve Lieberman had no responsibility for receiving or issuing evacuation alerts and warnings. Emergency alerts and warnings are issued based on decisions made by Unified Command in the field and relayed directly to the Office of Emergency Management Alert and Warning unit."

"It is unacceptable for any OEM employee in the midst of an emergency response to fall asleep. However, to be absolutely clear, Mr. Lieberman had no impact on the timing of alerts and warnings to Altadena...as per County policy, we have forwarded all of Nick Vaquero's claims for investigation."

Office of Emergency Management Director Kevin McGowan declined our interview request but told us through a statement that, "Neither I nor my Deputy Director observed Steve Lieberman sleeping during any emergency activation."

"During the overnight operational period of January 7 ... we were present in the Emergency Operations Center and observed Mr. Lieberman awake and performing his responsibilities when we were there."

Vaquero says he believes the Office of Emergency Management remains deeply understaffed. At the time of the fires, the OEM had a staff of 37.

The office tells ABC7 it is requesting to boost its budget to add 44 more staff members, and says it is ready to respond to any emergency.

The office of L.A. County Supervisor Katheryn Barger confirms to ABC7 that Vaquero has filed an official whistleblower complaint.

"Residents of Los Angeles County deserve absolute confidence in the integrity and readiness of our emergency management system," Barger told Eyewitness News.

"The allegations are serious and are being fully reviewed through the appropriate whistleblower and investigative processes."

We did try to reach out to Lieberman, but our requests for comment have not been returned.

However, the outlet LAist reports that Lieberman told them he was not asleep during that overnight shift.

Vaquero filed the whistleblower report last October. He says Lieberman was already retired at the time.