Los Angeles County Fire Department


The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides firefighting and emergency medical services for the unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, California, as well as 59 cities through contracting, including the city of La Habra which is located in Orange County and is the first city outside of Los Angeles County to contract with LACoFD.
the department is responsible for just over 4 million residents spread out in over 1.2 million housing units across an area of. The department is commanded by Chief Daryl L. Osby and has an annual budget of $1.15 Billion. According to Firehouse magazine, the LACoFD is the 4th busiest department in the US, behind New York City Fire Department, Chicago Fire Department, and Los Angeles City Fire Department. The Department responded to 394,585 calls for service in 2017. The LACoFD has been featured several times in popular culture, including the 1970s NBC TV series Emergency! and the 1950s TV series Rescue 8.

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, towns and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. Cities could choose to join the Fire Protection District by allocating property tax for this service. Cities formed as contract cities in the post-World War II period normally retained membership in the Fire Protection District. Following the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978, property taxes were capped at 1% and the Fire Department charged cities fees for services when annexation occurred. Properties within the district that are not covered under a fee for service arrangement also pay a special fire tax as a result of Proposition E, passed in 1997.
County vehicles assigned to the Los Angeles County Fire Department continue to list as registered owner the "Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County" on California Department of Motor Vehicles paperwork.

Emergency operations

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Emergency Operations are commanded by Chief Deputy David R. Richardson. The 4 Bureaus that the Chief Deputy oversees contain the bulk of the uniformed firefighting 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 59 cities and all unincorporated communities with 22 Battalions and 9 Divisions. Each Division is commanded by an assistant chief and each Battalion is commanded by a Battalion Chief. There are 2 Engine Companies at some fire stations. There are Medic Engines and PAU Engines. Fire Station 127 is the famous Emergency! Fire Station and it was designated Station 51 and it is named The Robert A. Cinader Station in honor of the man who made Emergency! famous.

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. 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. The camps are run in conjunction with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and the Los Angeles County Probation Department.

Apparatus

The Los Angeles County Fire Department utilizes a wide array of firefighting apparatus, including Engines, Quints, Trucks, Light Forces, Patrols, and Water Tenders. Support apparatus include Rescue Squads, Hazardous Materials Squads, and Urban Search & Rescue Squads. 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. 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

The LA County Fire Department has 10 helicopters available for aerial firefighting. With the exception of Copter 10 which is used primarily for command purposes, all copters are outfitted with water drop tanks for aerial firefighting. The headquarters for the Air Operations Section is located at Barton Heliport, next to Whiteman Airport in Pacoima.
Fire or Camp station NumberCity/unincorporated areaEngine companyQuint company or lightforce UnitSquad companyPatrol unitOther unitsReserve unitsDivisionBattalion
1East Los AngelesEngine 1Foam 193
2Palos Verdes EstatesEngine 2Squad 2114
3East Los AngelesEngine 3Quint 3Squad 393
4RosemeadEngine 4Quint 4910
5San GabrielEngine 5910
6LomitaEngine 6Squad 6114
7West HollywoodParamedic Engine 7Squad 7Battalion 1
Utility 1
71
8West HollywoodEngine 8Lightforce 8Squad 871
10CarsonEngine 10Squad 10Battalion 7
Utility 7
17
11AltadenaEngine 11Squad 1134
12AltadenaEngine 1234
14Los AngelesEngine 14Squad 14620
15WhittierQuint 15421
16Los AngelesEngine 16 Engine 9Squad 16613
17WhittierEngine 1748
18InglewoodParamedic Engine 18620
19La Cañada FlintridgeEngine 19Squad 1934
20NorwalkEngine 20Quint 20Squad 20421
21LawndaleEngine 21Squad 21ESU 21118
22CommerceEngine 2293
23BellflowerEngine 2349
24PalmdaleEngine 24Quint 24517
25Pico RiveraEngine 2548
26La PuenteEngine 26Squad 26812
27CommerceEngine 27Quint 27Battalion 3
Utility 3
93
28WhittierEngine 28Quint 28Squad 28Battalion 8
Utility 8
48
29Baldwin ParkEngine 29Quint 29Squad 29216
30CerritosEngine 30Quint 30Squad 30Battalion 9
Utility 9
49
31ParamountEngine 31Quint 31Squad 3149
32AzusaEngine 32Squad 32Water Tender 32216
33LancasterMedic Engine 33

Engine 233
Quint 33Squad 33Patrol 84Battalion 11
Utility 11
AP-11
RAC 33511
34Hawaiian GardensEngine 3449
35CerritosEngine 35421
36CarsonEngine 36

Engine 236
Squad 3617
37PalmdaleEngine 37Squad 37517
38View ParkEngine 3871
39Bell GardensEngine 39Squad 3993
40Pico RiveraEngine 40Squad 4048
41Los AngelesEngine 41Squad 41613
42RosemeadEngine 42910
43IndustryEngine 43HazMat 43
Haz Mat Tender 43
812
44DuarteEngine 44

Engine 244

Engine 444
Patrol 44216
45LakewoodEngine 45Quint 45Squad 4549
47Temple CityEngine 47Squad 47910
48IrwindaleEngine 48216
49La MiradaEngine 49Squad 49Battalion 21
Utility 21
421
50CommerceEngine 50Squad 503
51Universal CityEngine 51Quint 51Squad 51Patrol 5171
53Rancho Palos VerdesEngine 53114
54South GateEngine 54Squad 54RAC 54613
55AvalonEngine 55

Engine 255
Patrol 55

Patrol 255
Command 55
Helitender 6
114
56Rolling HillsEngine 56Patrol 56114
57South GateEngine 57613
58Ladera HeightsEngine 58Squad 5871
59WhittierPAU Engine 5948
60Signal HillParamedic Engine 6049
61WalnutEngine 61Squad 61819
62ClaremontEngine 62Patrol 6222
63La CrescentaEngine 6334
64San DimasEngine 64Quint 64Squad 64Battalion 2
Utility 2
22
65Agoura HillsEngine 65Patrol 6575
66PasadenaEngine 66Patrol 6634
67CalabasasEngine 67Patrol 6775
68CalabasasEngine 68Squad 6875
69TopangaEngine 69, Engine 269Patrol 6975
70MalibuEngine 70Patrol 70Battalion 5, Utility 5, Water Tender 70, Swiftwater 7075
71MalibuEngine 71 Engine 271Squad 71Patrol 7175
72MalibuEngine 72Patrol 7275
73NewhallEngine 73Squad 73Patrol 73Foam 7336
74Kagel CanyonEngine 74Patrol 7434
75ChatsworthEngine 75Patrol 7536
76ValenciaEngine 76Patrol 7636
77GormanEngine 77

Engine 477
Patrol 77Helitender 736
78Lake HughesEngine 78Patrol 78511
79PearblossomEngine 79, Engine 279Patrol 79517
80ActonEngine 80Patrol 80Water Tender 80517
81Agua DulceEngine 81Patrol 81517
82La Cañada FlintridgeEngine 82Lightforce 82Patrol 82Battalion 4
Utility 4
34
83Rancho Palos VerdesEngine 83Patrol 83114
84Quartz HillEngine 84Squad 84511
85GlendoraEngine 85

Engine 485
EST 8522
86GlendoraEngine 86
Engine 286
Patrol 8622
87La PuenteEngine 87Squad 87MAL87, Swift Water Rescue 87812
88MalibuEngine 88Squad 8875
89Agoura HillsEngine 89Squad 8975
90South El MonteEngine 90Squad 90910
91Hacienda HeightsEngine 91Patrol 91812
92LittlerockEngine 92Squad 92Patrol 92517
93PalmdaleEngine 93Squad 93Battalion 17
Utility 17
AP-17
ESU 93517
94LakewoodEngine 9449
95GardenaEngine 9517
96WhittierEngine 9648
97AzusaEngine 97Patrol 97216
98BellflowerEngine 98Squad 9849
99MalibuEngine 99Patrol 9975
100Hermosa BeachEngine 100Squad 100118
101ClaremontEngine 101Squad 10122
102ClaremontEngine 102Patrol 10222
103Pico RiveraParamedic Engine 103USAR 103, Heavy Rescue 103, Rescue Tender 103, Swift Water Rescue 10348
104SaugusQuint 104322
105Rancho DominguezEngine 105HazMat 105
Haz Mat Tender 105
Deluge 10517
106Rolling Hills EstatesEngine 106Quint 106Squad 106Patrol 106Battalion 14
Utility 14
114
107Canyon CountryEngine 107Squad 107322
108Santa ClaritaEngine 108322
110Marina del ReyEngine 110Quint 110Boat 110, Boat 310, Boat 51071
111SaugusEngine 111Squad 111322
112Antelope AcresEngine 112511
114Lake Los AngelesEngine 114 Engine 314Patrol 114517
115NorwalkEngine 115Squad 115421
116CarsonEngine 116Quint 116Squad 11617
117LancasterEngine 117 Engine 317Water Tender 117511
118IndustryEngine 118Quint 118Squad 118MIRV 118812
119WalnutEngine 119Squad 119819
120Diamond BarEngine 120Patrol 120Water Tender 120, Battalion 19
Utility 19
819
121Diamond BarEngine 121819
122LakewoodEngine 12249
123Santa ClaritaEngine 123Patrol 123322
124Stevenson RanchEngine 124Squad 12436
125CalabasasEngine 125

Engine 4125
Quint 12575
126ValenciaEngine 126Quint 126Battalion 6, Utility 6, Incident Command PostRAC 12636
127CarsonQuint 127Foam 12717
128Santa ClaritaEngine 128Patrol 128Water Tender 128322
129LancasterEngine 129Mobile Air 129, Helitender 1511
130LancasterEngine 130Squad 130Water Tender 130511
131PalmdaleEngine 131Squad 131517
132Santa ClaritaEngine 132

Engine 4132

OES Engine 8131
Patrol 132322
134LancasterEngine 134Squad 134511
135LancasterEngine 135Squad 135MIRV 135511
136PalmdaleParamedic Engine 136USAR 136, Rescue Tender 136, Swift Water 136517
140Leona ValleyEngine 140511
141San DimasEngine 14122
143CastaicEngine 143

Engine 4143
Water Tender 514336
144Westlake VillageEngine 144Patrol 144Water Tender 14475
145Rowland HeightsEngine 145EST 145, Battalion 12
Utility 12
812
146WalnutEngine 146819
147LynwoodQuint 147Squad 147613
148LynwoodEngine 148613
149CastaicEngine 149Squad 14936
150Santa ClaritaEngine 150HazMat 150, Hazmat Tender 150, Battalion 22, Utility 22322
151GlendoraEngine 151Squad 15122
152CovinaEngine 152ESU 152216
153CovinaQuint 153216
154CovinaEngine 154Squad 154Battalion 16
Utility 16
216
155Two HarborsEngine 155Patrol
155
114
156ValenciaEngine 156Water Tender 156, Helitender 2, Dozer Team 736
157Green ValleyEngine 157511
158GardenaQuint 158Squad 158118
159GardenaEngine 159118
160HawthorneEngine 160118
161HawthorneQuint 161Squad 161Battalion 18, Utility 18118
162HawthorneEngine 162118
163BellEngine 163Squad 16393
164Huntington ParkEngine 164Quint 164Squad 164Battalion 13, Utility 13613
165Huntington ParkEngine 165Mobile Air 165613
166El MonteQuint 166Battalion 10, Utility 10910
167El MonteEngine 167Squad 167910
168El MonteEngine 168910
169El MonteEngine 169910
170InglewoodLightforce 170620
171InglewoodEngine 171Squad 171Battalion 20, Utility 20MIRV 171620
172InglewoodEngine 172Squad 172620
173InglewoodEngine 173Squad 173620
182PomonaEngine 182Squad 182815
183PomonaEngine 183Squad 183815
184PomonaEngine 184815
185PomonaQuint 185Battalion 15, Utility 15815
186PomonaEngine 186815
187PomonaQuint 187Squad 187819
188PomonaEngine 188815
191La HabraPAU Engine 191Squad 191La Habra Ambulance 1421
192La HabraPAU Engine 192La Habra Ambulance 2421
193La HabraPAU Engine 193421
194La HabraPAU Engine 194421
Camp 2Arroyo SecoCrew 2-2, Crew 2-3, Supt 2, Supt 20, Supt 21, Supt 22, Helitender 4Air/Wildland46
Camp 8MalibuCrew 8-1, Crew 8-2, Supt 8, HelitenderAir/Wildland46
Camp 9Mount PintosCrew 9-1, Crew 9-2, Supt 9Air/Wildland46
Camp 11ActonCrew 11-1, Crew 11-2, Crew 11-3, Crew 11-4, Supt 11Air/Wildland44
Camp 12SaugusCrew 12-1, Crew 12-2, Supt 12Air/Wildland46
Camp 13MalibuCrew 13-1, Crew 13-2, Crew 13-3, Crew 13-4, Crew 13-5, Supt 13Air/Wildland44
Camp 14SaugusCrew 14-1, Crew 14-2, Crew 14-3, Crew 14-4, Supt 14Air/Wildland44
Camp 16TujungaCrew 16-1, Crew 16-2, Crew 16-3, Crew 16-4, Crew 16-5, Supt 16Air/Wildland44
Camp 17La VerneCrew 17-1, Crew 17-2, Crew 17-3, Supt 17Air/Wildland44
Camp 19East ForkCrew 19-1, Crew 19-2, Crew 19-3, Crew 19-4, Crew 19-5, Crew 19-6, Supt 19Air/Wildland44
Barton HeliportPacoimaCopter 11, Copter 12, Copter 14, Copter 15, Copter 16, Copter 17, Copter 18, Copter 19, Copter 21, Copter 22, Heavy Helitender 1Air/Wildland42

Communications Center

The LACoFD is currently dispatched from the P. Michael Freeman Command And Control Facility at the county fire operations center in East Los Angeles.

In popular culture

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