LOS ANGELES — With the city facing a roughly $1 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year and on the verge of finalizing a budget that limits spending, a commission Tuesday advanced a report detailing ways the Los Angeles Fire Department will have to pivot to meet its recruitment goals.

Under the 2025-26 budget, the LAFD is expected to receive funding for two classes of 59 recruits, according to a report from Deputy Fire Chief Kristine Larson, who is responsible for recruitment. She acknowledged there will be some "extreme challenges" with staffing due to budget constraints during Tuesday's Board of Fire Commissioners meeting.

In the short term, the department aims to replace three firefighters who were lost as a result of promotions, and one due to long-term injury.

The department still has an active hiring list consisting of about 100 candidates from 2023, which was put on pause due to the city's budget constraints. Candidates still need to finish background, medical and psychological exams to move forward in the hiring process.

In total, the department has 412 candidates, of which 27 indicated they were certified paramedics at application in 2023. Larson's report said the LAFD's recruitment unit is working with the Personnel Department to determine the best time to interview the 412 candidates.

Larson added that Personnel officials informed her they would be focusing on executive recruitment moving forward.

"So, right now ... I have tasked recruitment with trying to get all our assets back, which are videos, pictures, templates for flyers and stuff like that because they indicated that they were not going to be able to support us enough," Larson told the five-member commission.

She said the LAFD will be able to continue recruitment, but will have to examine some of its tools, in particular in-person events. According to Larson's report, recruiters will focus on finding free and other community events that attract large crowds to get a higher return on investment.

The department will also double down on its connections with local fire academies, colleges, EMT and paramedic schools — an area that has the highest value since those individuals are already intent on becoming firefighters.

Some of those local programs include the Mt. San Antonio College EMT program, UCLA Center for pre-hospital care, and various colleges and universities in the region.

Larson added that social media will play an important role in the department's recruitment efforts as well.

The LAFD employs 1,338 certified paramedics in its ranks, and 814 of are categorized in the rank of firefighters/paramedic. Through July 2026, the department anticipates paramedic vacancies to increase.

According to figures from the department, as of April 25, there were about 118 vacancies in paramedics, which decreased to 95 by May 25. The department's report noted that vacancies will fluctuate in the coming months, but could ultimately reach more than 130 by April 2026.