Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), who was on a trip to Ghana when fire engulfed large portions of the city, cut nearly $20 million from the city’s budget for fire services for the current fiscal year — and proposed even higher cuts.
As the Westside Current reported in April 2024, Bass proposed about $23 million in cuts to the fire department:
Significantly, the proposal — described by Bass a “reset” — includes $65 million in cuts to her signature Inside Safe homelessness] program; an increase of more than $138 million for the Los Angeles Police Department; and a decrease of about $23 million for the L.A. Fire Department.
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However, the proposal would increase funding for the fire department to support the Emergency Appointment Paramedic Program, with city officials noting the LAFD responds to more calls for service related to medical emergencies than other categories.
In addition, another $2.5 million would bring new equipment and technology updates for the LAFD, prompted by the aftermath fire beneath the Santa Monica (10) Freeway that forced a temporary close of the road.
The proposed budget also invests $50 million in alternative response programs, such as the Crisis and Incident Response through Community-Led Engagement, Summer Night Lights program, and the Office of Community Safety.
The final budget that was approved by the L.A. City Council included $17.5 million in cuts to the fire department. $13 million of that came from cuts to operating supplies, while there were also large cuts to salaries.
In the 2023-4 fiscal year, the fire department actually underspent its budget by about $18 million ($819 million versus $837 million). That seems to have given the city cover to reduce the department’s 2024-5 budget to nearly the exact same level.
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