The men and women of the LA Fire Department (LAFD) are so desperate for the equipment they need to do their jobs that they’re reaching into their own pockets to fund a sales tax measure they say is the only way to protect the communities they love. They were underfunded and understaffed on the eve of the Pacific Palisades fire last year, with trucks out of commission due to maintenance and firefighters told to stand down because the city did not want to pay overtime. Now, Freddy Escobar, the