Staff Reports
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a Democrat with a penchant for budget cuts, is facing some heat after a mere week of contemplating slashing funds to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Just as flames engulfed the Pacific Palisades, Bass was cozying up to her plan to cut $49 million more from a department already bracing for a 2% budget reduction. Sources within the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) indicated that these cuts would have closed 16 fire stations, jeopardizing the city’s emergency response capabilities when they were needed most.
It seems the mayor’s priority list is mismatched, as the leaked memo suggests that she was more focused on reallocating funds to combat homelessness rather than ensuring the city’s firefighters had the resources needed to battle wildfires. According to information from LAFD’s whistleblower—dubbed the “LAFD Watchdog”—this document came straight from the top of City Hall after an apparently fiery meeting between Mayor Bass and Chief Kristin Crowley. The discontent among LAFD personnel was palpable even before the fires began raging, with experienced firefighters expressing frustration over the changes that were about to hit their department like a raging inferno.
Firefighters have made it clear: with these proposed cuts, they would be operating with approximately 750 fewer personnel. They are already facing a daunting workload, having responded to nearly 3,800 calls in just one day. All this, despite being short 200 paramedics and with the threat of more quitting. A seasoned LAFD veteran revealed that fire engines are aging and rusty, leaving firefighters in a lurch when it comes to maintaining equipment. Apparently, the budget constraints have forced them to cannibalize older engines for parts, which sounds like something out of a dystopian survival show rather than a city that can tackle emergencies effectively.
🚨🚨 NEW: LA Mayor Demanded Steep Fire Department Budget Cuts Just Days Before Palisades Firehttps://t.co/6xsB9piogT
— JOSH DUNLAP (@JDunlap1974) January 12, 2025
In a classic case of mismanagement, Chief Crowley had previously warned Bass about the stark realities of budget restrictions and their impact on the department. The mayor had already approved a 2% budget cut, which had severely limited firefighters’ ability to respond to emergencies. Now, she’s seemingly doubling down on disaster preparedness by wanting even more cuts, which has plenty of locals scratching their heads, and perhaps their fire extinguishers, in disbelief.
With wildfires raging and the city’s firefighting resources about to take a nosedive, the calls for change are growing louder. As the Pacific Palisades fire sits only at 11% containment, and other fires wreak havoc on entire neighborhoods, the question remains why a mayor would prioritize these budget cuts in times of crisis. Bass’s approach to the city’s fire safety suggests that fiscal planning takes precedence over public safety. It’s a situation that’s become lamentably clear: in the fiery battlegrounds of Los Angeles, the flames aren’t the only thing that needs attention.
