A Los Angeles fire union president had warned the city about staffing shortfalls prior to the deadly fires that have ravaged the county for more than a week, according to a new interview.
Freddy Escobar, president of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, broke down during an interview with CNN where he described the dire warnings he gave to officials that went unheeded.
At a commission meeting just last month, Escobar told LA city officials that short staffing in the Los Angeles Fire Department was “dire” adding that “someone will die,” according to a CNN report.
“You’re not supposed to make me cry,” Escobar, a 35-year veteran of the LAFD, told to correspondent Kyung Lah, while wiping away a tear and walking away from the camera.
“This is a woefully understaffed fire department,” Escobar said. “We’re either going to have a fire department that’s going to reflect 2025, or we’re going to have a fire department that’s going to reflect the 1960s.”
This short-staffing problem has been a long-term issue for the LAFD, according to Escobar, who had been warning for years of the persistent issue.
Last year, Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley noted her own concerns stating that the fire department’s levels were half the size that it should be based on standards laid out by the National Fire Protection Association, according to CNN.
Budget constrictions are also adding to the logistical nightmare that has played out across the county. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass slashed the department’s budget by $17.6 million in the 2024-25 fiscal budget.
Currently, millions of dollars of rescue equipment sits in a lot in Los Angeles, unused because the department cannot afford to hire mechanics, the outlet reported.
About 88,000 residents remain under evacuation orders in the City of Angels— with an additional 84,000 potentially getting mandatory orders in the coming days.
The Santa Ana winds are expected to kick up into Wednesday morning, potentially spreading more flames across the beleaguered landscape.
So far, 25 people have died as a result of several blazes that have gone up across LA County.
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