Los Angeles County Fire Department

Los Angeles County Fire Department

Seal of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Flag of the Los Angeles County Fire Department Patch of the Los Angeles County Fire Department
Operational area
Country	United States of America
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Agency overview[1][2]
Established	1920
Annual calls	329,119 (2013)
Employees	4,713 (2013)
Annual budget	$939 million(2010)
Staffing	Career
Fire chief	Daryl L. Osby
EMS level	ALS
IAFF	1014
Facilities and equipment[1]
Divisions	9
Battalions	22
Stations	171
Engines	163
Trucks	2
Quints	25
Squads	67
Tenders	12
HAZMAT	4
USAR	2
Wildland	6 – Type 3 30 – Patrols
Bulldozers	10
Helicopters	9
Light and air	4
Website
Official website
IAFF website

The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California.^[1] as well as 58 cities, including the city of La Habra^[3] which is located in Orange County and is the first city outside of Los Angeles County to contract with LACoFD. As of 2013 the department is responsible for just over 4 million residents spread out in over 1.2 million housing units across an area of 2,305 square miles (5,970 km²).^[1] According to Firehouse Magazine which keeps statistics on fire departments across the United States, the LACoFD is the 6th busiest department in the US, behind New York City Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department, Houston Fire Department, Los Angeles City Fire Department, and Dallas Fire Department.^[4] The department is commanded by Chief Daryl L. Osby with an annual budget of $939 million.^[5]

History

The Los Angeles County Fire Department began in 1920, and was known as the Los Angeles County Forestry Department and Los Angeles County Fire Protection Districts. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors enlisted Stuart J. Flintham to lead the new department, and directed him to establish a program for fire prevention and firefighting in the county. He succeeded in opening 30 Fire Protection Districts, which served, and continue to serve, small towns and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County.

County vehicles assigned to the Los Angeles County Fire Department continue to list as registered owner the "County of Los Angeles Fire Protection Districts" on California Department of Motor Vehicles paperwork.

Emergency operations

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Emergency Operations are commanded by Chief David R. Richardson. The 4 Bureaus that the Chief Deputy oversees contain the bulk of the firefighting and rescue personnel and apparatus that the Fire Department provides, as well as the Technical Services Division. The 3 Operations Bureaus consist of the neighborhood fire stations and camps that are geographically based, while the fourth bureau has specialized teams that respond throughout the county. The 3 Operations Bureaus of LACoFD serve 58 cities with 22 Battalions and 9 Divisions. Each Division is commanded by an assistant chief, the only exception being the Lifeguard Division, which is led by the Chief Lifeguard.

Fire suppression camps

The LACoFD has 8 fire camps with handcrews which are used for both fire prevention and wildland firefighting. In 2013, to help combat jail crowding as well as increase time served by serious criminal offenders, Los Angeles County sent more than 500 inmates to firefighting camps in mountain and foothill areas.^[6] Inmates assigned to the camps are nonviolent offenders who have completed physical and security screenings. They are trained by county firefighters to help fight fires and assist with clearing brush and debris.^[7] The camps are run in conjunction with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

Lifeguard Division

Lifeguard Patrol

The Los Angeles County Lifeguards are an entity within the Los Angeles County Fire Department, serving the 72 miles (116 km) coastline that Los Angeles County shares with the Pacific Ocean. As of 2013 the division employed 151 year-round lifeguards with an additional 630 seasonal lifeguards for the busy summers. These personnel staff the 159 lifeguard towers and 23 stations.^[1] All lifeguards are EMT certified and have training in rescue boat operations as well as swift water rescue.^[8]

USAR

The LACoFD sponsors one of the eight FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces in California.^[9] The team is made up of members of the department that have been through additional training in search and rescue in damaged or collapsed structures as well as in areas that have sustained significant flooding.^[10]

Apparatus

Swift water rescue drills on the Los Angeles River, Engine 7 in foreground

The Los Angeles County Fire Department utilizes a wide array of fire apparatus, including Engines, Quints, Trucks, Light Forces(Combination of an Engine and a Quint), Paramedic Rescue Squads, Water Tenders, Patrols as well as Hazardous Materials Squads and USAR Units.^[1] County Fire Apparatus are painted reddish-orange as opposed to Los Angeles City Fire Department which are fire engine red.^[11]

Tillers

While many modern fire departments have opted to go with trucks/quints that have rear-mounted ladders, the LACoFD has chosen to stay with tiller trucks because of their enhanced maneuverability in tight areas.^[12] The benefit of a quint is that it also has a built in pump and water tank and can thus operate without an engine.

Helicopters

Copter 16, a S-70A Firehawk performs a water drop demonstration.

Copter 16 rescues an injured hiker.

The LA County Fire Department has 9 separate helicopters available for search and rescue as well as aerial firefighting.^[13] With the exception of Copter 10 which is used primarily for command purposes, all copters are outfitted with water drop tanks for aerial firefighting and hoist for rescue.^[14] The headquarters for the Air Operations Section is located at Barton Heliport, next to Whiteman Airport in Pacoima.

• Three Sikorsky S-70A Firehawks Copter 15, Copter 16 and Copter 19, are each capable of transporting up to 4 patients and are fitted with 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L) tanks.^[14]
• One Bell 412 Copter 12 can transport up to 2 patients and is fitted with a 360 US gallons (1,400 L) tank.^[14]
• Two Bell 412EP Copter 11 and Copter 14 can transport 2 critical patients and are outfitted with 360 US gallons (1,400 L) tanks.^[14]
• Two Bell 412HP Copter 17 and Copter 18 can transport 2 critical patients and are outfitted with 360 US gallons (1,400 L) tanks.^[14]
• One Bell 206 B3 Copter 10 is used as a command platform and for mapping of a fire scene.^[14]

Paramedic Rescue Squads

The department provides Advanced Life Support (ALS) emergency care through the use of 2-person paramedic squads. These units carry both basic and advanced life support equipment, forcible entry tools, rotary and chainsaws and other emergency equipment. Squads are staffed by 2 paramedic firefighters. The department also has several Heavy Squads. Heavy Squads carry all the same equipment as the regular squads, they also carry additional equipment for Mass Casualty Incidents (MCI), such as 14 backboards, extra oxygen and additional medical supplies.

The department does not transport patients via ground ambulances but contracts with Care Ambulance Service, American Medical Response Ambulance, Cole-Schaefer Ambulance Service, and McCormick Ambulance to provide medical transport.^[15][16]

Stations and apparatus

Engine Company 81 a 1998 KME triple combination pumper at Vasquez Rocks serving Agua Dulce California

LA County Engine 23, serving the city of Bellflower. Engine 23 has been painted in the latest color scheme, red/orange overall with a reflective yellow stripe down the side and a reflective chevron pattern on the back.

As of February 2015 this is the current breakdown of the LACoFD apparatus and stations. It is collated from multiple sources including FireDepartment.net and Code2High.com. ^[11][17]

	City	Engine	Truck	Squad	Wildland	Other	Div.	Batt.
1	East Los Angeles	Engine 1				Foam 1	9	3
2	Palos Verdes Estates	Engine 2		Squad 2			1	14
3	East Los Angeles	Engine 3	Quint 3	Squad 3			9	3
4	Rosemead	Engine 4	Quint 4				9	10
5	San Gabriel	Engine 5					9	10
6	Lomita	Engine 6		Squad 6			1	14
7	West Hollywood	Engine 7		Squad 7		Battalion 1, Utility 1	7	1
8	West Hollywood	Engine 8 Engine 208	Truck 8[I 1]	Squad 8			7	1
10	Carson	Engine 10				Foam 10, Battalion 7, Utility 7	1	7
11	Altadena	Engine 11		Squad 11 Squad 511	OES 8132		3	4
12	Altadena	Engine 12					3	4
14	Los Angeles	Engine 14		Squad 14			6	20
15	Whittier		Quint 15				4	21
16	Los Angeles	Engine 16 Engine 9[I 2]		Squad 16			6	13
17	Whittier	Engine 17					4	8
18	Inglewood	Paramedic Engine 18					6	20
19	La Cañada Flintridge	Engine 19		Squad 19			3	4
20	Norwalk	Engine 20	Quint 20	Squad 20			4	21
21	Lawndale	Engine 21		Squad 21			1	18
22	Commerce	Engine 22					9	3
23	Bellflower	Engine 23					4	9
24	Palmdale	Engine 24	Quint 24				5	17
25	Pico Rivera	Engine 25				Light 25	4	8
26	La Puente	Engine 26		Squad 26			8	12
27	Commerce	Engine 27	Quint 27			Battalion 3, Utility 3	9	3
28	Whittier	Engine 28	Quint 28	Squad 28		Battalion 8, Utility 8	4	8
29	Baldwin Park	Engine 29	Quint 29	Squad 29			2	16
30	Cerritos	Engine 30	Quint 30	Squad 30		Battalion 9	4	9
31	Paramount	Engine 31	Quint 31	Squad 31			4	9
32	Azusa	Engine 32		Squad 32		Water Tender 32	2	16
33	Lancaster	Engine 33	Quint 33	Squad 33		Battalion 11, Utility 11	5	11
34	Hawaiian Gardens	Engine 34					4	9
35	Cerritos	Engine 35					4	21
36	Carson	Engine 36 Engine 236		Squad 36			1	7
37	Palmdale	Engine 37		Squad 37			5	17
38	View Park	Engine 38					7	1
39	Bell Gardens	Engine 39 Engine 539		Squad 39			9	3
40	Pico Rivera	Engine 40		Squad 40			4	8
41	Los Angeles	Engine 41		Squad 41			6	13
42	Rosemead	Engine 42					9	10
43	Industry	Engine 43				HazMat 43	8	12
44	Duarte	Engine 44 Engine 244			Patrol 44	Water Tender 44	2	16
45	Lakewood	Engine 45	Quint 45	Squad 45			4	9
47	Temple City	Engine 47		Squad 47			9	10
48	Irwindale	Engine 48					2	16
49	La Mirada	Engine 49		Squad 49		Battalion 21, Utility 21	4	21
50	Commerce	Engine 50		Squad 50			9	3
51	Universal City	Engine 51		Squad 51	Patrol 51		7	1
53	Rancho Palos Verdes	Engine 53					1	14
54	South Gate	Engine 54		Squad 54			6	13
55 [I 3]	Avalon	Engine 55 Engine 255		Squad 55	Patrol 55 Patrol 255	Utility 55	1	14
56	Palos Verdes Peninsula	Engine 56			Patrol 56		1	14
57	South Gate	Engine 57					6	13
58	Ladera Heights	Engine 58		Squad 58			7	1
59	Whittier	Engine 59					4	8
60	Signal Hill	Paramedic Engine 60					4	9
61	Walnut	Engine 61		Squad 61			8	19
62	Claremont	Engine 62			Patrol 62		2	2
63	La Crescenta	Engine 63					3	4
64	San Dimas	Engine 64	Quint 64	Squad 64		Battalion 2, Utility 2	2	2
65	Agoura Hills	Engine 65			Patrol 65		7	5
66	Pasadena	Engine 66 Engine 566			Patrol 66		3	4
67	Calabasas	Engine 67			Patrol 67		7	5
68	Calabasas	Engine 68		Squad 68			7	5
69	Topanga	Engine 69 Engine 269[I 4]			Patrol 69		7	5
70	Malibu	Engine 70			Patrol 70	Battalion 5, Utility 5, Water Tender 70	7	5
71	Malibu	Engine 71 Engine 271[I 5]		Squad 71	Patrol 71		7	5
72	Malibu	Engine 72			Patrol 72		7	5
73	Newhall	Engine 73		Squad 73	Patrol 73	Foam 73, Water Tender 73	3	6
74	Kagel Canyon	Engine 74			Patrol 74	Water Tender 74	3	4
75	Chatsworth	Engine 75			Patrol 75		3	6
76	Valencia	Engine 76			Patrol 76		3	6
77	Gorman	Engine 77			Patrol 77		3	6
78	Lake Hughes	Engine 78			Patrol 78		5	11
79	Pearblossom	Engine 79 Engine 279[I 6]			Patrol 79		5	17
80	Acton	Engine 80			Patrol 80	Water Tender 80, Water Rescue 80	5	17
81	Santa Clarita	Engine 81			Patrol 81	Water Tender 81	3	22
82	La Cañada Flintridge	Engine 82 Engine 282 Engine 582	Quint 82[I 7]		Patrol 82	Battalion 4, Utility 4, Battalion 582	3	4
83	Rancho Palos Verdes	Engine 83 Engine 583			Patrol 83		1	14
84	Lancaster	Engine 84		Squad 84	Patrol 84		5	11
85	Glendora	Engine 85			OES 8135	EST 85	2	2
86	Glendora	Engine 86 Engine 286			Patrol 86		2	2
87	La Puente	Engine 87				Water Rescue 87, Deluge 87	8	12
88	Malibu	Engine 88		Squad 88			7	5
89	Agoura Hills	Engine 89		Squad 89			7	5
90	South El Monte	Engine 90		Squad 90			9	10
91	Hacienda Heights	Engine 91			Patrol 91		8	12
92	Littlerock	Engine 92		Squad 92	Patrol 92		5	17
93	Palmdale	Engine 93				Battalion 17, Utility 17	5	17
94	Lakewood	Engine 94				EST 94	4	9
95	Gardena	Engine 95					1	7
96	Whittier	Engine 96					4	8
97	Azusa	Engine 97			Patrol 97		2	16
98	Bellflower	Engine 98		Squad 98			4	9
99	Malibu	Engine 99			Patrol 99		7	5
101	Claremont	Engine 101		Squad 101			2	2
102	Claremont	Engine 102			Patrol 102		2	2
103	Pico Rivera	Engine 103				USAR 103, Heavy Rescue 103 Collapse Rescue 103, Rescue Tender 103 Water Rescue 103	4	8
104	Saugus		Quint 104				3	22
105	Rancho Dominguez	Engine 105				HazMat 105, Deluge 105	1	7
106	Rolling Hills Estates	Engine 106	Quint 106	Squad 106	Patrol 106	Battalion 14	1	14
107	Canyon Country	Engine 107		Squad 107	Patrol 107		3	22
108	Santa Clarita	Engine 108					3	22
110	Marina Del Rey	Engine 110	Quint 110			Boat 110, Boat 310	7	1
111	Saugus	Engine 111		Squad 111			3	22
112	Antelope Acres	Engine 112					5	11
114	Palmdale	Engine 114			Patrol 114		5	17
115	Norwalk	Engine 115				Mobile Air Unit 115	4	21
116	Carson	Engine 116	Truck 116	Squad 116			1	7
117	Lancaster	Engine 117				Water Tender 117	5	11
118	Industry	Engine 118	Truck 118	Squad 118		MIRV 118, Utility 118	8	12
119	Walnut	Engine 119		Squad 119			8	19
120	Diamond Bar	Engine 120			Patrol 120	Water Tender 120, Battalion 19	8	19
121	Diamond Bar	Engine 121					8	19
122	Lakewood	Engine 122				Water Rescue 122	4	9
123	Santa Clarita	Engine 123			Patrol 123		3	22
124	Stevenson Ranch	Engine 124		Squad 124			3	6
125	Calabasas	Engine 125	Quint 125				7	5
126	Valencia	Engine 126	Quint 126			Battalion 6, Utility 6	3	6
127	Carson	Engine 127	Truck 127[I 8]			Foam 127	1	7
128	Santa Clarita	Engine 128					3	22
129	Lancaster	Engine 129 Engine 329				HazMat 129, Heli-tender 129 Mobile Light & Air 129	5	11
130	Lancaster	Engine 130				USAR 130, USAR Tender 130	5	11
131	Palmdale	Engine 131		Squad 131			5	17
132	Santa Clarita	Engine 132					3	22
134	Lancaster	Engine 134		Squad 134		Water Tender 134	5	11
135	Lancaster	Engine 135		Squad 135		MIRV 135, Medic Ambulance 135	5	11
136	Palmdale	Engine 136				Water Tender 136	5	17
140	Palmdale	Engine 140					5	11
141	San Dimas	Engine 141					2	2
144	Westlake Village	Engine 144			Patrol 144	Water Tender 144	7	5
145	Rowland Heights	Engine 145				Battalion 12, Utility 12	8	12
146	Walnut	Engine 146					8	19
147	Lynwood		Quint 147				6	13
148	Lynwood	Engine 148					6	13
149	Castaic	Engine 149		Squad 149	Patrol 149		3	4
150	Santa Clarita	Engine 150				HazMat 150,[I 9] Battalion 22	3	22
151	Glendora	Engine 151		Squad 151			2	2
152	Covina	Engine 152					2	16
153	Covina		Quint 153				2	16
154	Covina	Engine 154		Squad 154		Battalion 16, Utility 16	2	16
155 [I 10]	Avalon	Engine 155			Patrol 155		1	14
156	Valencia	Engine 156					3	4
158	Gardena	Engine 158		Squad 158			1	18
159	Gardena		Quint 159				1	18
160	Hawthorne	Engine 160					1	18
161	Hawthorne	Engine 161		Squad 161		Battalion 18, Utility 18	1	18
162	Hawthorne	Engine 162	Quint 162				1	18
163	Bell	Engine 163		Squad 163			9	3
164	Huntington Park	Engine 164	Truck 164	Squad 164		Battalion 13, Utility 13	6	13
165	Huntington Park	Engine 165				Mobile Air & Light 165	6	13
166	El Monte		Quint 166			Battalion 10, Utility 10	9	10
167	El Monte	Engine 167		Squad 167			9	10
168	El Monte	Engine 168					9	10
169	El Monte	Engine 169					9	10
170	Inglewood	Engine 170	Truck 170[I 11]				6	20
171	Inglewood	Engine 171		Squad 171		Battalion 20, Utility 20	6	20
172	Inglewood	Engine 172		Squad 172			6	20
173	Inglewood	Engine 173		Squad 173			6	20
182	Pomona	Engine 182					8	15
183	Pomona	Engine 183		Squad 183			8	15
184	Pomona	Engine 184		Squad 184			8	15
185	Pomona	Engine 185	Quint 185			Battalion 15	8	15
186	Pomona	Engine 186					8	15
187	Pomona		Quint 187				8	19
188	Pomona	Engine 188					8	15
191	La Habra	Engine 191		Squad 191			4	21
192	La Habra	Engine 192					4	21
193	La Habra	Engine 193					4	21
194	La Habra	Engine 194					4	21

1. Truck 8 and One-Man-Engine 208 team up as Light Force 8
2. Engine 9 is former Engine 216, renumbered in honor of Fire Fighter Specialist Jim Howe of former Engine 9
3. Call Fire Fighters
4. staffed by Call Fire Fighters
5. staffed by Call Fire Fighters, stationed at Corral Canyon
6. staffed by Call Fire Fighters
7. Quint 82 and Two-Man-Engine 282 team up as Light Force 82
8. Truck 127 and One-Man-Engine 127 team up as Light Force 127
9. former HazMat 76
10. Call Fire Fighters
11. Truck 170 and Two-Man-Engine 170 team up as Light Force 170

In popular culture

Paramedic Rescue Squad 51 from the NBC-Universal television series, Emergency!.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department has been featured in multiple different television series.

• Rescue 8 – The syndicated series of the late 1950s focused on Rescue Squad 8 and starred Jim Davis and Lang Jeffries.^[18]
• Emergency! – The NBC series of the 1970s dramatized a department paramedic rescue squad. The exterior fire station scenes for the show were shot at county fire station 127.^[19]
• Baywatch – The NBC series starring David Hasselhoff focused on the Los Angeles County Lifeguards who patrol the beaches of Los Angeles.^[20]
• Grand Theft Auto V – The fictional Los Santos County Fire Department is based on the LACoFD.

See also

• Heninger Flats
• Los Angeles County Lifeguards – division of the LACoFD focused on patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles County
• PulsePoint – Application used by the LACoFD
• The Stentorians

References

1. "2013 Statistic Summary" (PDF). Los Angeles County Fire. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
2. "Chief Osby". LA County Fire. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
3. McKibben, Dave (9 February 2005). "L.A. County to Absorb La Habra's Fire Unit". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
4. "2013 Run Survey" (PDF). FireHouse. Firehouse Magazine. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
5. "The County of Los Angeles Annual Report 2009-2010" (PDF). Public Affairs, Chief Executive Office. p. 80. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
6. Sewell, Abby (17 September 2013). "L.A. County to use fire camps for some long-term jail inmates". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
7. Mehta, Seema (17 September 2013). "Los Angeles County to send 500 inmates to fire camps". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
8. "Lifeguard Training". Los Angeles County Fire. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
9. "Task Force Locations". FEMA. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
10. "CA-TF2 Rated Fully Operational by FEMA". Los Angeles County Fire. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
11. "Los Angeles County Fire". Code2High. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
12. Vaccaro, Bob (20 March 2009). "Return of the Tiller Quint". Firefighter Nation. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
13. Pociask, Martin. "Los Angeles County Fire Department Air Operations Section" (PDF). Retrieved 14 February 2015.
14. "Air Operations". Code 2. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
15. "Care". http://www.careambulance.net/services.asp. External link in |website= (help);
16. "AMR Los Angeles County". American Medical Response. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
17. "Los Angeles County Fire Equipment". FireDepartment.net. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
18. "Rescue 8". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
19. "Q & A with Randolph Mantooth". route51.com. 1 February 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2014.
20. Carter, Bill (1995-07-03). "Media: TELEVISION; Stand aside, CNN. America's No. 1 TV export is – no scoffing, please – 'Baywatch.". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-08-10.

External links

• Los Angeles County Fire Department
• County of Los Angeles Fire Museum Association
• Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014

Coordinates: 34°3′N 118°15′W / 34.050°N 118.250°W