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http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_20244069/mayor-
villaraigosas-fire-department-joke-causing-controversy

Some folks aren't laughing at a joke Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa 
made the other night about the Los Angeles Fire Department.

The mayor was speaking at an annual political charity fundraiser 
in Beverly Hills which traditionally features rounds of 
boisterous jokes at the expense of the city's political figures.

At the event for City Council President Herb Wesson, 
Villaraigosa quipped: "Is Chief (Brian) Cummings here yet? We 
called him five minutes ago. Late again."

The comment, first reported by the political website City Maven, 
was a reference to criticism the department has faced over 
giving misleading information on how often it met a goal of five-
minute response times to emergencies.

Pat McOsker, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles 
City, called Villaraigosa's remark highly insensitive.

"Real people have suffered because of his budget cuts," McOsker 
said during a City Hall hearing on Friday to discuss response 
times.

For example, he argued two deaths from a fire in South Los 
Angeles earlier this year might have been avoided if the city 
hadn't cut resources in the area, leading to a nine-minute 
response.

Similarly, a West Hills fire in January left a man burned over 
60 percent of his body, after firefighters took about nine 
minutes to get there, according to KNBC, which reported the 
department apologized to the man's family for the arrival time.

City Hall gadfly John Walsh also criticized the mayor's comment. 
He was later thrown out of the meeting for his loud behavior.

On Friday, Villaraigosa's office defended the mayor's comments.

"Last night's comments at the roast were jokes intended to poke 
fun at individuals and their foibles, and were told at a charity 
event that raised thousands of dollars for a good cause," said 
Peter Sanders, spokesman for Villaraigosa.