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Union leaders warn of paramedic staffing crisis as budget cuts loom
Summary
Firefighters and union representatives told the City Council during public comment that more than 100 paramedic positions are vacant and urged restoration of proposed budget cuts to maintain emergency response capacity.
Firefighters and union representatives told the Los Angeles City Council during public comment May 21 that the department faces a critical shortage of paramedics and that proposed budget cuts would worsen response capacity.
Union representatives said the city has "more than 100 paramedic vacancies," with speakers identifying specific station shortfalls and warning of risks to life-and-death responses. Capt. Dave Rias, who introduced himself as a fire captain and director of the city firefighters union, said staffing gaps are present across many districts and asked the council to restore funding. "Tenemos más de 100 vacantes de paramédicos," he said in Spanish during public testimony.
The comments highlighted station-specific shortages cited by speakers: a reported six vacancies at Station 93 in Tarzana and additional vacancies in other districts. Richard Merris, who identified himself as a union vice president and paramedic, said recent committee cuts removed funding for training programs, paramedic school support and station cleaning, and singled out cuts that would eliminate dozens of positions the department relies on for emergency response. "The city is in a crisis," Merris said in Spanish, urging restoration of approximately $545,000 the union said is needed to retain paramedics.
Speakers also warned of downstream effects if positions and services tied to emergency response and information technology are reduced, including fewer staffed trucks and greater reliance on overtime. Don Frank Limas, who identified himself as a fire captain and international union officer, said equipment and apparatus had been taken out of service in recent years and that overtime and understaffing are straining personnel.
No council action was recorded in the public-comment period. The remarks were part of the general-comment block on the mayor’s proposed budget and were delivered to the budget committee and council members for their consideration.
Ending: Council members heard repeated appeals from firefighters and union representatives to restore funding for paramedics and related emergency-response positions as they continue deliberations on the mayor’s budget.
