The most eagerly anticipated municipal documents in the City of Los Angeles recently made their annual debut.

We are of course, speaking of the Mayor's proposed annual budget for Fiscal Year 2007-08, which is manifested in sibling texts known informally as the "Brown Book", "Blue Book", and "Red Book".

These publications, combined with supporting information for the Budget and Finance Committee, are essential in helping the public and elected officials understand the overall budget, which is summarized in one 94-page document.

The arrival of the Mayor's proposed budget is but one step in a time-honored process that involves members of the community, elected City Councilmembers, appointed Board Members and Commissioners and the General Managers of City Departments and Bureaus, such as the Fire Chief of Los Angeles.

While encouraging you to become familiar with and participate in the overall City Budget process, we want to make sure those with an interest in our agency can easily find budget information for the Los Angeles Fire Department

As such, we are pleased to highlight...

Within the 643-page Blue Book of Department Programs, the proposed budget elements for the LAFD begin on 'document page' 195 (pdf file page 213).

In the 255-page Brown Book of Positions and Salaries including Recommended Changes in Personnel, the proposed elements for the LAFD commence on both 'document page' 35 (pdf file page 53) and 'document page' 178 (pdf file page 202).

In the 159-page Red Book of Supplemental Schedules, proposed elements for the LAFD can be found beginning on 'document pages' 2, 28, 56, 80, 127, 131, 138 and 157. (pdf file pages 11, 37, 67, 91, 140, 146, 155, 157).

And because many of you asked...

The proposed budget apportions $24.25 million in MICLA financing for the Fire Department's Fleet Replacement Program.

Replacement vehicles identified for the LAFD in Fiscal Year 2007-08 are: 36 Rescue Ambulances, 16 Triple Combination Pumpers, 4 Tractor-drawn Aerial Ladder Trucks, 1 Brush Patrol, 1 Electric Cart, 1 Overhead Crane w/Hoist, 1 Bulldozer, 1 Water Tender, 1 Ten-Wheel Dump Truck, 1 Low-Side End Dump Truck, 1 Stakebed Dump Truck, 1 Trailerable Generator, 17 Alternative-Fuel Non-Emergency Sedans, 22 Emergency Sedans, 14 Emergency Suburbans, 12 Pickup Trucks, 1 Stake-bed Dump Truck, 2 Utility Service Trucks, 6 Passenger Vans and 6 Cargo Vans.

Each of the documents mentioned above are worthy of your attention. After viewing them, we hope you will join us in saluting the many City Employees who worked diligently this past year in preparing a roadmap for our municipal future.

We remind you that the documents above reflect a proposed budget, and that several key steps remain before an approved City of Los Angeles budget is adopted by elected officials in June 2007.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department