Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley warned city officials weeks ago that a nearly $18 million reduction in the fire department’s budget would impact its ability to prepare and respond to major disasters and emergencies, NBC News reported Wednesday.
Crowley’s warning was sent out in a memo on Dec. 4, more than a month before a string of large fires threatened Los Angeles County, after what is normally the off-season for wildfires. Fire season in Southern California typically runs from the summer through October.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass approved the changes to the budget last June.
The fire chief claimed that the budget reduction left many administrative jobs unfilled. It also pulled funding from the overtime budget which had been used for training and fire prevention, including the Federal Aviation Administration’s mandated pilot training and helicopter coordination staffing for wildfire suppression.
“The reduction … has severely limited the department’s capacity to prepare for, train for, and respond to large-scale emergencies, including wildfires,” Crowley wrote in the memo. “Without this funding, pilot compliance and readiness are jeopardized, and aerial firefighting capabilities are diminished. […]
— Read More: justthenews.com
