Los Angeles Fire Department

History

The Los Angeles Fire Department has its origins in the year 1871. In September of that year, George M. Fall, the County Clerk for Los Angeles County organized Engine Company No. 1. It was a volunteer firefighting force with an Amoskeag fire engine and a hose jumper (cart). The equipment was hand-drawn to fires. In the spring of 1874, the fire company asked the Los Angeles City Council to purchase horses to pull the engine. The Council refused and the fire company disbanded.

Many of the former members of Engine Company No. 1 reorganized under the name of Thirty-Eights No. 1 in May 1875, Engine Co. No. 2 was organized under the name Confidence Engine Company.

Los Angeles acquired its first "hook and ladder" truck for the Thirty-Eights. It proved to be too cumbersome and was ill-adapted to the needs of the city. It was sold to the city of Wilmington. In 1876, another "hook and ladder" truck was purchased, serving in the city until 1881.

In 1878, a third fire company was formed by the residents in the neighborhood of Sixth Street and Park. It was given the name of "Park Hose Co. No. 1". East Los Angeles formed a hose company named "East Los Angeles Hose Co. No. 2" five years later. The final volunteer company was formed in the fall of 1883 in the Morris Vineyard area. This company was called "Morris Vineyard Hose Co. No.3."

All of these companies remained in service until February 1, 1886, when the present paid fire department came into existence.

In 1877, the first horses were bought for the city fire department. The department would continue to use horses for its equipment for almost fifty years, phasing out the last horse drawn equipment on July 19, 1921.

By 1900, the department had grown to 18 fire stations with 123 full-time paid firefighters and 80 fire horses. In 1955 Station 78 in Studio City became the first racially integrated station in the department.

Since 1978 the LAFD has provided emergency medical and fire suppression services to the city of San Fernando by contract.

In responses to the 2020 pandemic, the LAFD has helped to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents from Los Angeles. Also, more than 1,800 Los Angeles firefighters have received the COVID-19 vaccine.

In 2022, Kristin Crowley became the first female, and the first openly gay, chief of the LAFD.

Modern day

A 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that more than 54 percent of all fires requiring an LAFD response were associated with homelessness. Most are unintentional, resulting from the use of open-flame cooking equipment or campfires near tents and other flammable materials. Until June 2024, the city could not prohibit unhoused people from performing vital activities like cooking, and attempts to remove encampments from high-risk areas had been blocked by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which had ruled that the city was obligated to provide housing for the residents of a removed encampment.

About a third of homeless-related fires are classed as arson by the LAFD. The LAFD only forwards arson cases to the Police Department for investigation when there is significant property damage or they believe the victim was being targeted. Thus, very few homeless-related arsons are prosecuted. The problem of homeless-related fires becomes more grave with each passing year:

• In 2021, Los Angeles had, on average, 24 homeless-related fires every day (more than 54% of all fires).
• In 2024, Los Angeles had, on average, 46 homeless-related fires every day.

Organization

Administration

Administration has the official office for the Fire Chief of the department.CAD designation of'FC1'and radio designation of'Fire Chief'.The Fire Chief reports directly to the Board of Fire Commissioners.

Executive Bureau/Office Of The Chief of Staff

The Executive Bureau/Office Of The Chief Of Staff is commanded by a Deputy Chief (Bureau Commander) who holds the title of Chief of Staff.The Chief of Staff is assisted by an Executive Administrative Assistant II and Senior Management Analyst I.In 2022,the Executive Bureau was changed from the previous name of Administration Bureau.

Rank structure

Types of apparatus

The department utilizes a wide array of apparatus and equipment. These are most but not all of the apparatus.

Triple combination engines

Light Forces and Task Forces

The LAFD uses the concept of Light Forces and Task Forces which can be considered one "Resource", although comprising more than one unit or company.

A Light Force is composed of a Pump Engine (200 Series, for example Engine 201 or Engine 301 for 100 stations) and a Ladder Truck. Light forces will almost always respond together as one unit or resource.

A Task Force is simply a Light Force coupled with an Engine. An Engine Company is considered a single unit or "resource" when responding to incidents on its own. A Task Force usually responds to larger incidents, such as structural fires, and is made up of an Engine, a 200 Series Engine (Pump), and a Truck, all operating together. While a standard Engine is always staffed with a full crew, a 200 Series Engine (Pump)is only staffed by a driver (and one other firefighter if responding as part of a Light Force). The purpose of the 200 Series Engine (Pump) is to provide support and equipment to the Truck in a Light Force, and either the Truck Company or the Engine Company in a Task Force.

Rescue Ambulances

Rescue Ambulances (RAs) in the LAFD are often called'rescues'for short.They can be considered either Paramedic Staffed/advanced life support (ALS),or Emergency Medical Technician Staffed/basic life support (BLS) units. Ambulances number 1-112 are frontline Advanced Life Support Units staffed by 2 firefighter / paramedics, while those in the 200 series are Advanced Life Support reserve units. Ambulances in the 800s & 900s are Basic Life Support Units staffed by 2 firefighter EMTs, with 900-series units assigned to Stations identified numerically over 100. Rescue Ambulances have Cardiac Defibrillators and Monitors,Cardiac Drugs,Intubation and Airway Management supplies and other equipment for Emergency Medical Responses.

Helicopters

The Air Operations Section (AIROPS) of the LAFD operates out of Fire Station 114 at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY). The helicopter fleet consists of five Medium Duty helicopters and two Light Duty helicopters, making the Department capable of handling brush fire suppression, air ambulance transport, high rise fire response, and hoist rescues.

FIRE 1, FIRE 2, FIRE 3, FIRE 4, and FIRE 5 are all AgustaWestland AW139s. FIRE 6 and FIRE 7 are both Bell 205 Jet Ranger X. The department previously operated Bell 205 and Bell 412 types, the last of which was retired in 2017 to make way for the newer AW139s.

Fireboats

The Port of Los Angeles is under the jurisdiction of the LAFD which operates 5 fireboats to provide fire protection for ships and dockside structures. Fireboat 1, Fireboat 3 and Fireboat 5 are identical 39 ft long aluminum fireboats capable of a top speed of 29 kn while fully loaded. They are equipped with a 2400 USgal/min pump and a 1000 USgal/min deluge gun. They also have a 50 USgal firefighting foam capacity.

Fireboat 4, also known as the Bethel F. Gifford, was commissioned in 1962 and is the oldest of the fleet. It is capable of pumping water at 9000 USgal/min and carries 550 USgal of foam solution for petrochemical fires. It is equipped with jet-stream nozzles to allow for increased maneuverability.

The newest and most technologically advanced of the fireboats is the 105 ft long Fireboat 2, also known as the Warner Lawrence, which has the capability to pump up to 38000 USgal/min up to 400 ft in the air. Boat 2 also has an onboard area for treatment and care of rescued persons.

California Task Force 1

Main article: Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 1

The Los Angeles Fire Department is the founding member of one of California's eight FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces. California Task Force 1 (CA-TF1) is available to respond to natural or man-made disasters around the country and world and assist with search and rescue, medical support, damage assessment and communications.

Command structure

The LAFD is divided into four operational Bureaus: Operations Central Bureau (OCB), Operations West Bureau (OWB), Operations South Bureau (OSB); formerly known as 'South Division', and Operations Valley Bureau (OVB); formerly known as 'North Division'. Each Bureau is commanded by a Deputy Chief, who holds the title of 'Bureau Commander'. Each Bureau also has an Assistant Chief who serves as the 'Assistant Bureau Commander'. To replicate the former North and South Division, Operations Central Bureau (OCB) and Operations Valley Bureau (OVB) also have three additional Assistant Chiefs who work 24-hour platoon duty. These Assistant Chiefs staff marked Dodge RAM SUVs and respond to major incidents - Assistant 2 for Operations Central Bureau (OCB) and Assistant 4 of Operations Valley Bureau (OVB).

• Operations Central Bureau compromises of 3 battalions and 22 Fire Stations. Battalion 1 (8 Fire Stations), Battalion 2 (8 Fire Stations) and Battalion 11 (6 Fire Stations). Operations Central Bureau headquarters are located at Fire Station 3 located in Civic Center and Bunker Hill.
• Operations West Bureau compromises of 3 battalions and 21 Fire Stations. Battalion 4 (7 Fire Stations), Battalion 5 (7 Fire Stations) and Battalion 9 (7 Fire Stations). Operations West Bureau headquarters are located at Fire Station 82 located in Hollywood
• Operations South Bureau compromises 3 battalions and 25 Fire Stations. Battalion 6 (11 Fire Stations), Battalion 13 (8 Fire Stations), Battalion 18 (6 Fire Stations). Operations South Bureau headquarters is located at the San Pedro Municipal Building (638 South Beacon Street, Suite 374).
• Operations Valley Bureau compromises of 5 battalions and 31 Fire Stations. Battalion 10 (9 Fire Stations), Battalion 12 (7 Fire Stations), Battalion 14 (7 Fire Stations), Battalion 15 (8 Fire Stations) and Battalion 17. Operations Valley Bureau headquarters is temporarily located at Fire Station 83 located in Encino.

Each of the four operational Bureaus house a number of battalions. These battalions are staffed by uniformed personnel who rotate on a 24-hour platoon duty. Each battalion is commanded by a Battalion Chief, who responds to major incidents within their battalion, usually 20-30 square miles in size. They have the responsibility of commanding these scenes as the Incident Commander (IC). Battalion Chief's drive a Dodge RAM SUV to emergency incidents.

Note that stations with a truck and a 200 series engine (pump) will usually respond the two apparatus together as a light force. So, for example, Truck 1 and Engine 201 will often respond together as Light Force 1. The only full time exception is Fire Station 9 where Engine 209 is fully staffed. Truck 9 responds as a single company when appropriate. During "Augmented Staffing" (red-flag brush fire weather, or other increased threat days) the 200 series engines can be fully staffed as a 4-member Engine Company. Each company can then either be dispatched individually or as a "Task Force".

400 series Engines are ready reserve apparatus. These apparatuses are full loaded with equipment and hose. They are used either for short term relief IE when a frontline apparatus is shut down for repair or maintenance. 400 series Engines are also staffed as needed during "High Hazard" days or other augmented staffing times.

The LAFD has six Type 3 wildland Engines. Five are property of the State of California OES but are staffed as needed and maintained by the LAFD. Together these 5 Engines form Strike Team 1880C. Engine 29C is housed at Fire Station 29 and is a Type 3 wildland Engine.

The LAFD also has four Type 6 OES wildland engines. These engines are property of the State of California OES but are staffed as needed and maintained by the LAFD.

Command Assignment List

CAD Designation List

Station list