Is LA’s $225M Firefighter Overtime a Moral Hazard or a System Failure?

The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is mired in a scandal that strikes at the heart of public trust: a pattern of excessive overtime and questionable financial practices by the firefighters’ union, United Firefighters of Los Angeles City (UFLAC). This isn’t just about a few bad actors—it reveals a deeper rot of moral hazard and systemic failure that the city can no longer afford to ignore.

LA Firefighter Overtime: A Dubious Structure Built to Exploit

For years, UFLAC leaders have taken advantage of a loophole that allows them to double dip. On weekdays, union officials perform union duties while receiving full firefighter pay. On weekends and holidays, they claim overtime, pocketing additional compensation funded by city taxpayers.

Even though this setup is technically legal, it blurs the line of ethical responsibility. The union has loudly criticized the city’s chronic understaffing and budget cuts, yet it quietly maximizes its own payouts through this very system—a glaring contradiction.

A striking example is Freddy Escobar, UFLAC’s president. According to the LA Times, Escobar collected $424,500 in 2022 from the city—including base salary and overtime—and an additional $115,962 from union funds, totaling around $540,000 for the year. He reported working an average of 48 hours weekly on union business, while city records also list about 30 hours of overtime per week.

Union Misuse Uncovered: Fund Transfers and Tax Dodging

Beyond overtime, UFLAC’s financial integrity has come under serious question. The International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) audit has exposed suspicious activities, such as improper use of corporate credit cards and welfare fund transactions.

Former officer Adam Walker transferred more than $75,000 from a welfare fund to his personal account between December 2022 and January 2024. Walker claimed these were reimbursements for a charity golf event benefiting disabled firefighters. But IAFF ruled the transfers improper and expelled him from both the union and its foundation.

Meanwhile, Domingo Albarran Jr., another former officer, admitted to underreporting the sale price of a union vehicle he bought for personal use, dodging taxes in the process.

Structural Flaws: Why LA Can’t Quit Overtime

It’s tempting to pin the blame squarely on UFLAC, but the scandal also exposes how deeply overtime is embedded in the LAFD’s operational DNA.

In 2022, the LAFD spent a staggering $225 million on overtime—matching the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) despite having just one-third of LAPD’s staff. Roughly 500,000 emergency calls pour in each year, and 81% involve medical emergencies. The department’s 24-hour, three-shift rotation often collapses when sick leave or vacation creates gaps, forcing the system to rely on overtime to keep fire trucks and ambulances in service.

This is not just unsustainable—it’s dangerous.

City Response: Promises Made, Progress Delayed

The city isn’t blind to the problem. Mayor Karen Bass earmarked $13.6 million this year for new firefighter training and pledged more equipment upgrades and hiring. But progress has been slow. Despite years of warnings—including a 2019 audit that flagged ballooning overtime costs—structural reforms have failed to take hold.

Mark Bashoor, former chief of Prince George’s County Fire Department, calls it a vicious cycle: “Staffing shortages create new shortages. When exhausted firefighters take sick leave, the rest are forced into even more overtime.”

Breaking the Cycle: No More Excuses

Let’s be clear: this crisis is no longer just about rogue union officers. It’s about a system that incentivizes overwork and misuse, then looks the other way. Without real accountability—from both UFLAC and City Hall—this cycle will continue, at the taxpayers’ expense and to the detriment of public safety.

The time for hand-wringing is over. The city needs bold action: enforceable reforms, transparent oversight, and a complete overhaul of the overtime system. Anything less is a dereliction of duty.

BY YOONJAE JUNG [jung.yoonjae@koreadaily.com]