Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass held a meeting on Friday afternoon with Fire Chief Kristin Crowley to address concerns raised by the fire department's budget cuts. Crowley recently expressed frustration over a $17 million budget reduction, stating that it has hampered the department's ability to combat wildfires in the county.
According to Crowley, over 100 fire apparatus are currently out of service due to the budget cuts, which also led to the elimination of civilian positions like mechanics. This has severely impacted the department's capacity to repair apparatus, she explained.
Crowley emphasized the urgent need for more firefighters, stating, 'We can no longer sustain where we are. We do not have enough firefighters.' Both Mayor Bass and Fire Chief Crowley were notably absent from a news conference on the wildfires, despite earlier announcements that they would be speaking at the event.
The mayor's office issued a statement refuting claims that Crowley had been fired, labeling such reports as false. The situation underscores the challenges faced by the fire department as it grapples with budget constraints amid ongoing wildfire threats in the region.
