The Los Angeles Fire Department recently admitted that more than 100 firefighting equipment were out of service due to the wildfires that recently swept across California. The fire chief also said the LAFD has been asking government officials for more resources for the past three years.
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Christine Crowley said In an interview with CNN“More than 100 pieces of firefighting equipment are down. Having those equipment and the right number of mechanics would have helped. So it was a complete negative impact.”
“I have sounded the alarm that these additional cuts could be extremely devastating to our ability to provide public safety.”
of daily mail According to the report, LAFD had a total of 183 trucks “out of action” during the wildfires, which the paper claimed was “more than half of the city's fire trucks.”
Crowley qualified in October. budget request It requested $96,535,000 in “Fleet Replacement Program” funding for 2025-2026.
“Many vehicles have exceeded their expected useful lives, leading to increased maintenance costs, reduced parts availability, and potential downtime,” Crowley said in his budget request.
LAFD requested more than $1.9 million to restore 16 maintenance positions that were “eliminated” in last year's budget cuts.
Crowley said in her recent CNN interview“Let me be clear: $17 million in budget cuts and the elimination of civilian jobs like mechanics will continue to severely impact our ability to repair our equipment.”
Los Angeles Fire Commission Chair Genecia Hadley Hayes said LAFD doesn't have enough mechanics to repair equipment.
“Yes, I think the fire department is overwhelmed by what happened,” Hadley Hayes said. “We need to consider reductions in staffing in terms of our ability to respond to situations like this.”
Crowley said CNN's Jake Tapper said: “We can no longer maintain the status quo. We don't have enough firefighters.”
Crowley added: “It has been clear over the past three years that the fire department needs support.”
“I have sounded the alarm that these additional cuts could be extremely devastating to our ability to provide public safety,” Crowley said. declared.
In June, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) approved a nearly $13 billion city budget that included $17.4 million in cuts to LAFD. budget.
Mayor Bass said at the time: statement He claimed the city's new budget served as a “reset.” In November, Crowley wrote a memo to the city's fire commissioner asking for more firefighters.
“In many ways, LAFD's current staffing, deployment model, and size remain unchanged since the 1960s,” Crowley wrote. She added that the LAFD has seen a 55 percent increase in emergency calls since 2010.
LAFD has more than 3,500 uniformed firefighters and civilian support staff who respond to emergencies. 1,368 emergencies every day.
In December, Crowley wrote: memo The fire commission declared that the budget cuts had “adversely impacted the department's ability to maintain core operations such as technology and communications infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire protection, and community education.”
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said The wildfires have burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,300 structures. Los Angeles County Coroner's Office Confirmed 24 people died in connection with the Palisades and Eaton fires.
Authorities have not yet determined the official cause of the fire.
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