The chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) warned a month ago that nearly $18 million in budget cuts had plunged it into “unprecedented operational challenges” that would hamper its ability to respond to large-scale emergencies like forest fires.
LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley spoke out about the budget cuts in a Dec. 4 memo seen by Fox News Digital, where she predicted what she described as the “cascading effects” the austerity measures would have on the department.
The city cut $17.6 million from the LAFD in its latest budget, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism as several wildfires rage through the county and at least 10 people have already been pronounced dead disaster.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass tour the Pacific Palisades central business district as the Palisades Fire continues to burn on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Eric Thayer/Getty Images)
FIRES IN CALIFORNIA ravaged LOS ANGELES COUNTY, KILLED 5 PEOPLE AND THREATENED THOUSANDS OF HOMES
The budget measures were signed into law by LA Mayor Karen Bass — whose leadership has also come under scrutiny — and she denied the cuts hampered the city’s response. The reductions will take effect on July 1, 2024.
Crowley wrote that those cuts eliminated critical civilian jobs and about $7 million from the LAFD’s overtime budget, known as “v-hours.”
“These budget cuts have adversely affected the department’s ability to maintain core operations, such as technology and communications infrastructure, payroll processing, training, fire prevention and community education,” Crowley wrote.
“The reduction in v-hours … has severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare, train and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires, earthquakes, hazardous materials incidents and large public events,” Crowley wrote in the memo. .
Flames from the Palisades fire burn a building on Sunset Boulevard amid a powerful storm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images)
PHOTO GALLERY: FIRE ON THE PALISADES BEFORE AND AFTER
Various units and teams that rely on v-hours are now at risk of “reduced effectiveness”.
A 21-page memorandum titled “Impact of the Los Angeles Fire Department on Operations,” then detailed the effects of the budget cuts. It was presented last month to the Board of Fire Commissioners, the mayoral commission that oversees the management of the department, according to an NBC report Los Angeles.
For example, overtime hours were used in part to pay for FAA pilot training and helicopter coordination personnel to fight wildfires, according to Crowley’s memo, which was presented to the Board of Fire Commissioners.
“Without this funding, pilot compliance and readiness is compromised and aerial firefighting capabilities are diminished,” the memo said. “Changes to the Department of Air Operations affect the Department’s ability to comply with current automatic and mutual aid agreements, provide air ambulance services and respond quickly to forest fires with water-dropping helicopters.”
Crowley called for renewed funding.
“This report provides a detailed analysis of these cascading impacts, highlighting the critical need to restore resources to ensure operational readiness, firefighter safety and the delivery of high-quality public services,” she wrote.
Bass was asked about the budget cuts at a news conference Thursday and denied that the cuts are diminishing the city’s response.
“No reductions have been made to affect the situation we’ve been dealing with over the last few days,” Bass said.
“And then there was a little bit of confusion because the money was allocated to be distributed later, which actually went to support salaries and other parts of the fire department that were distributed a little later. So I think the most important thing is to understand that we were in tough budget times, but that the impact of our budget hasn’t affected what we’ve been going through the last few days.”
Firefighters battle a blaze during the Eaton fire Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California. (Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
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In addition to the budget cuts, Bass is facing criticism because she was in Ghana for the presidential inauguration there when fires broke out in her town on Tuesday. President-elect Trump has placed some of the blame on California Governor Newsom for the disaster, accusing him of refusing to sign a declaration to restore water supplies and criticizing him for low fire suppression.
Crowley told reporters Thursday that he palisade fire, which remains 0% contained at the time of this report, “is one of the most devastating natural disasters in Los Angeles history.”
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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Fox News’ Emmett Jones contributed to this report.
