Los Angeles County Fire Department

Operational area
Country	United States
State	California
County	Los Angeles
Agency overview[1][2][3]
Established	1923
Annual calls	403,924 (2021)
Employees	3000 fire series personnel (2021)
Annual budget	$1.440 billion (2021)
Staffing	Career/Paid-On Call
Fire chief	Anthony C. Marrone
EMS level	Basic Life Support (BLS) & Advanced Life Support (ALS)
IAFF	IAFF local 1014
Facilities and equipment[1]
Divisions	9 Divisions
Battalions	22 Battalions
Foam units	3 Foam Units
Reserve units	61 engines 12 quints/trucks 36 paramedic squads
Stations	177 Fire Stations
Engines	171 frontline Engine Companies (staffed & call) including 5 Paramedic/Advanced Life Support (ALS) Units + 28 Paramedic Assessment Unit (PAU) Units 61 reserve
Quints	34 (including 3 light forces) 12 reserve Quints
Squads	76 Frontline Squad Units 36 Reserve Squad Units
Tenders	15 Tender Trucks
HAZMAT	3 Hazardous Materials Units
USAR	2 Urban Search and Rescue Units
Wildland	11 (including 5 OES Type 3 Engines) 42 Patrol Units
Bulldozers	10 Bulldozer Units
Helicopters	10 Helicopters
Fireboats	2 frontline, 1 reserve
Rescue boats	8 Fire Rescue Boats + 2 paramedic rescue boats
Light and air	3 Light and Air Units
Website
Official website
IAFF website

The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) provides firefighting and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California,^[1] as well as 59 cities through contracting, including the city of La Habra,^[4] which is located in Orange County and is the first city outside of Los Angeles County to contract with LACoFD.

As of 2021^[update], 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] The department is commanded by Chief Anthony C. Marrone and has an annual budget of $1.4 billion.^[5] According to Firehouse magazine, the LACoFD is the fourth busiest department in the United States, behind New York City Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department, and Los Angeles City Fire Department.^[6] The LACoFD has been featured several times in popular culture, including the 1970s NBC TV series Emergency! and the 1950s TV series Rescue 8.

In 2021, the department engaged in 312,550 emergency medical responses and a total of 403,924 total responses.

History

Patch of the LACoFD, worn on the LACoFD's uniform shirt sleeves.

Badge of an LACoFD firefighter, with badge number 1426.

In 1949, the Consolidated Fire Protection District was established by the Board of Supervisors through the consolidation of numerous fire districts which existed since the 1920s. From 1967 to 1986, there existed four fire protection districts within the Los Angeles County, all of which were governed by the Board of Supervisors: the Consolidated Fire Protection District (CFPD), Universal Fire Protection District, Dominguez Fire Protection District, and Wrightwood Fire Protection District. In addition, there was the Forester and Fire Warden (F&FW) which is a chartered office of the County and was funded by the General Fund. The property tax rate for each district was considerably different. With the property tax limitations and standardization of tax rates established by Proposition 13 in 1978, there was no longer a need to maintain the separate districts. From 1986 to 1992, the F&FW and the CFPD were the two remaining legal entities that made up what is commonly known as the Los Angeles County Fire Department. In 1992, the CFPD annexed all the remaining unincorporated area in with a corresponding property tax transfer to fulfill the chartered responsibilities of the F&FW. The Los Angeles County Fire Department has a very rich and unique history, which is full of innovation, and daring accomplishments. From designing the 9-1-1 system and initiating a paramedic program in the 1970's to the current day Urban Search and Rescue and Homeland Security Sections, our Fire Department is a leader and model to fire departments around the world. Our Department's ability to develop new techniques and tactics to fight fires of all kinds has benefited not only the residents we serve, but the fire service in general, both nationally and internationally.^[7]

Emergency operations

The Emergency Operations Bureau includes the Training and EMS Bureau (TEMSB), nine major firefighting divisions, Air and Wildland Division, and Homeland Security Section. The Fire Department's service area includes suburban neighborhoods, city centers, commercial district, sandy beaches, mountain ranges, and more. The region's varying terrain causes unique emergency incident challenges, including increased EMS calls and variety of fires that can take place on a single day (i.e., wildland, structure, railroad, aircraft, vehicle, etc.) as well as ocean rescues and medical calls across 72 miles of coastline.^[7]

Fire suppression camps

The LACoFD has 10 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.^[8] 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.^[9] The camps are run in conjunction with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

Rank structure

• Firefighter Recruit
• Firefighter Trainee (FFT)
• Firefighter (FF or FF/EMT)
• Firefighter/Paramedic (FF/PM or FP)
• Firefighter Specialist (FFS)
• Fire Captain (CPT)
• Battalion Chief (BC)
• Assistant Chief (AC)
• Deputy Chief (DC)
• Fire Chief (FC)

Apparatus

The Los Angeles County Fire Department utilizes a wide array of firefighting apparatus, including engines, quints, trucks, light forces (engine + quint or truck), patrol units, and water tenders. Support apparatus include rescue squads, hazardous materials squads, and urban search and rescue squads.^[1] LACoFD uses private ambulance providers such as Care Ambulance Service and McCormick Ambulance Service to provide emergency medical services. ^[10]

LACoFD apparatus are painted reddish-orange as opposed to LAFD apparatus, which are fire engine red.

Tiller trucks

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.^[11] The benefit of a quint is that it also has a built in pump and water tank and can thus operate without an engine. The Tiller trucks carry fire suppression tools and medical equipment as well as specialized rescue equipment for responses to a variety of emergencies.

Helicopters

The LA County Fire Department has 10 helicopters available for aerial firefighting.^[12][13] The headquarters for the Air Operations Section is located at Barton Heliport, next to Whiteman Airport in Pacoima.^[14]

• Five Sikorsky S-70A/S-70i Firehawks Copter 15, Copter 16, Copter 19, Copter 21, and Copter 22 are fitted with 1,000 US gallons (3,800 L) tanks.^[14]
• One Bell 412 Copter 12 is fitted with a 360 US gallons (1,400 L) tank.^[14]
• Two Bell 412EP Copter 11 and Copter 14 are outfitted with 360 US gallons (1,400 L) tanks.^[14]
• Two Bell 412HP Copter 17 and Copter 18 are outfitted with 360 US gallons (1,400 L) tanks.^[14]

Stations and apparatus

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

LA County Engine Company 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 September 2020^[update].^[15][16]

Some Stations have 2 engines. Engines with a 4+station number are cross-staffed Type 3 wildland engines. Units marked “paramedic/Advanced Life Support” are full medic units (two paramedics on board). Units marked “PAU” are paramedic assessment units (one paramedic on board).