Revealed: LA fire department begged for $100M to fix old trucks and replace 16 axed positions...

LA FIRE

PERKIN AMALARAJ

The Los Angeles Fire Department begged the city's council for nearly $100million to replace its entire fleet just two months before the deadly wildfires, DailyMail.com can reveal. 

The infernos that are consuming Los Angeles have so far killed at least 24 and have displaced more than 200,000 people, and critics have been excoriating the city's leadership for their decision to cut the LAFD's already dwindling budget. 

In a preliminary budget request for 2025/26, signed by Fire Chief Kristin Rowley, made on October 29, the LAFD asked for $96,535,000 to fund a 'fleet replacement plan'.

The revelations come amid growing anger at the city's Democratic leadership, particularly mayor Karen Bass, for its alleged focus on diversity and inclusion over emergency preparedness. 

The firefighting force said in its request to the city: 'Many vehicles have surpasses their expected service life, leading to increased maintenance costs, reduces parts availability and potential downtime.'

And in its formal proposal to the city in November, it requested $24,063,000 for 'new fleet/apparatus purchases'. 

In the preliminary budget request, the LAFD also asked for more than $1.9million to restore 16 maintenance positions 'deleted' in last year's budget. 

It said in its request: 'The positions support fleet maintenance, equipment engineering, purchasing and warehouse management and distribution.'

The positions requested include one truck operator, one tire repairer, four heavy duty equipment mechanics, nine mechanical helpers, one carpenter, one general automotive supervisor, two administrative clerks and one storekeeper. 

The LAFD also asked for $3.1million to replace body armour worn by '60% of sworn members.'