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…
