Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristen Crowley gave some candid remarks Friday about how a reduction in the department's budget and the elimination of civilian positions have hurt the city's response to the devastating wildfires ravaging the region.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
During interviews with CNN and Fox11, Crowley emphasized how she had been sounding the alarm since the "very beginning" about the needs of the Los Angeles Fire Department. She added that such impacts "did absolutely negatively impact" the department's response.
"The $17 million budget cut and elimination of our civilian positions like our mechanics did, and has, and will continue to severely impact our ability to repair apparatus," Crowley said on CNN.
"I want to also be clear that I have, over the last three years, been clear that the Fire Department needs help," Crowley said. "We can no longer sustain where we are. We do not have enough firefighters."
After being pressed by a Fox11 reporter on whether the city failed the department, Crowley said: "Yes."
Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council have received criticism for cutting the LAFD's budget as part of overall reductions stemming from a city deficit.
According to a December memo from Crowley, the department's operating budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year was $819 million, a decrease of about 2% from the $837 million the department received in the 2023-24 fiscal year.
"(LAFD) is facing unprecedented operational challenges due to the elimination of critical civilian positions and a $7 million reduction in Overtime Variable Staffing Hours," the memo reads. "These budgetary reductions have adversely affected the department's ability to maintain core operations, such as technology and communication infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention and community education."
City officials have refuted those claims and insisted the budget ultimately will increase the LAFD's operating funding later this fiscal year.
A spokesperson for City Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who was the chair of the council's Budget Committee during deliberations over the 2024-25 budget, told the Los Angeles Daily News that the city increased the fire department's overall budget by approximately $53 million.
He explained that $76 million intended to pay for sworn personnel was placed in a fund separate from the fire department's regular account when the budget was adopted because contract negotiations with the union representing department employees were still taking place at the time.
Bass told reporters at a morning news conference there were no reductions that were made that "would have impacted the situation that we were dealing with over the last couple of days."
According to City Controller Kenneth Mejia's office, as part of the reduction in the department's operating budget, 61 civilian positions were eliminated, of which three were "resolution positions," meaning they were specific to projects with limited duration or funding.
In November 2024, the City Council and Bass approved a $203 million contract with the union representing the fire department's sworn personnel. Members of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles such as firefighters, fire captains, apparatus operators, engineers and helicopter pilots received an annual 3% increase to their base wages, which will total 12% by the 2027-28 fiscal year.
They also received a 5% annual increase to their health benefits.
According to a city report, the agreement cost about $76 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year and is expected to cost $39.4 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year, $45.4 million for the 2026-27 and fiscal year and $42.2 million for the 2027-28 fiscal year.
In anticipation of the contract, funding was set aside during the 2024- 25 fiscal year budget process.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok