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Title: Budget Cuts and Wildfire Response in LA: A Closer Look at the Fire Department's Funding

In a recent statement, Los Angeles' mayor assured that none of the budget trimming would impede the city's firefighting efforts, as wildfires continue to rage on.

Title: Karen Bass Discusses Key Issues at Press Conference
Title: Karen Bass Discusses Key Issues at Press Conference

Topline

Title: Budget Cuts and Wildfire Response in LA: A Closer Look at the Fire Department's Funding

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass squashed accusations of a rift between her and Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley on Saturday, assuring that any potential disagreements will be resolved in private while they focus on extinguishing the six actively burning fires in Los Angeles County. This reassurance came after Crowley, expressing concern over the city's budget cuts to her department that she argued could jeopardize the city's wildfire combat capabilities, publicly criticized Bass for the nearly $18 million in budget reductions she approved.

Key Facts

During a press conference on Saturday, Bass emphasized the unity between herself and Crowley, asserting that they are "focused" on mitigating the fires and any differences between them will be resolved privately. This reconciliation follows a public dispute between the two leaders after Crowley shared her concerns about the impact of the budget cuts in an interview with Fox 11.

Crowley expressed worry that the 2.7% reduction of the approximately $820 million LAFD budget, approved by Bass in June 2022, had restricted the department's capacity to offer adequate service. Despite the budget cuts, the city authorized additional pay increases for firefighters totaling $53 million and approving another $58 million for the purchase of new firetrucks and equipment in November, hastening the LAFD's budget surpassing the former fiscal year's figure by more than 7%.

In December, Crowley warned Bass and other Los Angeles County officials of the $7 million decrease in the LAFD's overtime budget, which she argued had "severely limited" the department's training, preparation, and ability to respond to large-scale emergencies such as wildfires.

Once the fires have been subdued, Los Angeles County authorities will assess the emergency response and provide a comprehensive review of what functionsed effectively and what faltered severely.

Critical Quote

Upon discussing the reductions in budget during a press conference on Thursday, Bass insisted "if you go back and look at the reductions that have been made, there were no reductions that would have impacted the situation we were dealing with over the last couple of days."

Did Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Fire Kristin Crowley?

In a statement sent to CNN, the LAFD confirmed that Crowley had attended a meeting with Bass on Friday, refuting earlier reports suggesting she had been dismissed. The Daily Mail, citing an anonymous source, previously claimed that Crowley was terminated during this encounter.

Background Information

Catastrophic wildfires swept across Los Angeles County earlier this week, with the Palisades and Eaton fires covering over 36,000 acres as of Saturday. The tragedies have left at least 11 people dead and 13 missing, according to county officials, with the death toll expected to increase as rescue efforts continue. Bass has drawn criticism for the county's handling of the emergency response, with billionaire Rick Caruso lambasting Bass for her commitment to a planned democratic trip to Ghana during the crisis. Caruso, a failed democratic mayoral candidate, also criticized the fire safety resources of the region, suggesting there was inadequate water pressure in the hydrants due to insufficiently filled reservoirs. Tesla CEO Elon Musk joined the chorus, deriding Bass as "utterly incompetent."

Notable Figure

65,196. That's the number of signatures on a petition on Change.org calling for Bass's resignation as of Saturday afternoon. The petition asserts Bass's mismanagement of the situation and her lack of an effective response to the wildfires.

Additional Reading

Sources:

[1] Los Angeles Times: [L.A. County] fires estimate grows to 42,000 acres; 25 homes destroyed[2] CNN: Los Angeles fire chief says budget cuts have affected city's ability to fight wildfires[3] Fox 11: LA fire chief on Mayor Bass: Budget cuts hampering wildfire efforts[4] Wall Street Journal: Los Angeles Fire Chief Says City's Budget Cuts Hamper Wildfire Fighting Efforts[5] LAist: LA Fire Chief Kristin Crowley Warned LA City Officials of Budget Cuts Based on Wildfires Failing to Prepare

Karen Bass met with Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley on Friday to address concerns over the impact of budget cuts on wildfire combat capabilities, following Crowley's public criticism of the budget reductions approved by Bass.

Despite the public dispute between Bass and Crowley, Karen Bass has not fired Kristin Crowley, as reported by some sources, as confirmed by a statement from the LAFD.

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