The LA fire chief claims that the city neglected residents' wildfire preparation and that budget cuts were a contributing factor.

The ongoing wildfire siege has left over 100,000 displaced residents in Los Angeles, and the city's fire department chief, Kristin Crowley, has stated that the city has failed to meet their needs.

Crowley responded to KTTV's inquiry about the City of Los Angeles and its Mayor Karen Bass by saying "Yes."

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For years, the department has faced pressing issues of staffing shortages and lack of resources, as pointed out by Crowley. She highlighted this problem in a series of memos she sent to the city, detailing the department's needs.

"From the beginning, we have recognized significant disparities in our service delivery and the effectiveness of our firefighters on the ground to perform their duties," she stated. "As we approach the 2025-2026 budget, I can confirm that we remain understaffed, under-resourced, and underfunded."

Crowley stated that the budget cuts, which reduced the budget from $837,191,237 to $819,637,423, negatively affected their ability to provide service.

"Our firefighters typically handle over 1,500 calls and transport 650 patients daily, but the last three days have been especially demanding," she stated.

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Crowley stated to the local outlet that the problems facing the fire department are not a new issue.

"Since 2010, the number of calls our firefighters are handling has doubled, resulting in a 55% increase, despite having 68 fewer personnel. This is not a new issue for us, as I have been raising the alarm for the past three years to emphasize the need for more resources."

We are screaming to be properly funded to make sure that our firefighters can do their jobs… — Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley

""We need to be properly funded to ensure our firefighters can perform their duties and serve the community," she stated."

The city received recommendations from the department on how to improve service, as stated by Crowley.

Since the city's growth since 1960 has doubled, we now require twice as many firefighters and 62 new fire stations, she stated.

When you discuss the need for justifiable budgets based on data, real data demonstrates the fire department's requirements to serve our city and community, as per our promise.

Crowley stated, "We, on the fire department, are not politicians."

""Our primary duty is to serve the public, and we are not politicians. We took an oath to put the public's needs first, even before our own families," she stated."

"Crowley stated, "My focus is on the path forward. I want to prioritize what the LAFD requires to save lives and protect property to the greatest extent.""

"And that's where my head is at," she said, "But we need to be funded appropriately."

Planet Chronicle Digital's Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.