Firefighters urge immediate funding for more academies and drill towers as call loads surge

A series of LAFD rank-and-file speakers and union representatives told the Budget & Finance Committee the department lacks enough recruits to safely meet calls and prepare for upcoming major events.

"We’re operating with the same number of firefighters as we did in the 60s," said UFLAC presenters and station personnel, describing response times nearly "double the national standard" and repeated overtime that strains crews. Multiple speakers asked the council to fund additional academy classes and a total of four drill towers so the department can recruit and train more firefighters and paramedics.

Members gave operational detail: one speaker said the city’s current per-capita firefighter rate is about 0.87 per 1,000 residents compared with 2.1 per 1,000 in San Francisco; another said holding backfills costs "$40,000 to $50,000 just to hold people over." The union warned that without more recruits and training towers, public safety outcomes may worsen.

The speakers supported the mayoral request for academy classes but said the proposal did not go far enough and urged a larger commitment out of concern for public safety and staff burnout. The committee heard the testimony; no formal action was taken during public comment.