LA Fire Department to cut staffing in 2011

LOS ANGELES The Los Angeles Times is reporting that starting Sunday, the department will decrease the number of fire departments on duty each day.

Of the 153 companies, 22 companies will be closed each day on a rotating basis.

The cuts are one way the department hopes to make up for a $30 million budget shortfall.

The fire department has imposed furloughs, offered early retirement to veteran employees and put in place a staffing plan that has scaled back the number of engine companies by 15 on any given day.

Staff assistants, who act as drivers and secretaries to high-ranking firefighters, could be reassigned next.

City News Service contributed to this report.