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The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La Habra, in Orange County. It should not be confused with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, which serves the city of Los Angeles.
The department is commanded by the Fire Chief, who has two subordinate Chief Deputies.
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The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La Habra, in Orange County. It should not be confused with the Los Angeles City Fire Department, which serves the city of Los Angeles.
The department is commanded by the Fire Chief, who has two subordinate Chief Deputies. In turn, each Chief Deputy heads either the Emergency Operations or Business Operations of the department.
The department was featured in the 1970s NBC television series Emergency!, which dramatized a department paramedic rescue squad; and before that, in the 1958-1960 syndicated series Rescue 8, with Jim Davis (1909-1981) and Lang Jeffries (1930-1987). Rescue 8 featured heart-warming stories about a rescue squad prior to the practice of squad members also being trained as paramedics. David Hasselhoff's Baywatch series, depicting a glamorous version of the department's lifeguards, was filmed mostly on location at Los Angeles County beaches.
The mission of the Los Angeles County Fire Department is
"To protect lives, the environment and property by providing prompt, skillful and cost-effective fire protection and life safety services."
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 fire fighting 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 Department of Motor Vehicles paperwork.
Fire Chiefs
- Stuart J. Flintham (1920 - 1925)
- Spence D. Turner (1925 - 1952)
- Cecil R. Gehr (1952 - 1953)
- Keith E. Klinger (1953 - 1969)
- Richard H. Houts (1969 - 1977)
- Clyde A. Bragdon (1977 - 1982)
- John Englund (1983 - 1988)
- P. Michael Freeman (1989 - Present)
Apparatus
LACoFD has 171 Stations which house Engines, Quints, Trucks, Light Forces, Paramedic Squads, ESTs, Water Tenders, Patrols as well as Hazardous Materials Squads and USAR Units.
The department does not transport patients in ground ambulances. Rather, county paramedics provide treatment while privately contracted ambulances provide transportation to the hospital. Patients are carried in the department's helicopters, however.
The department operates some unique units including the Sikorsky S-70A Fire Hawk and the Bell 412, part of their Air Operations Section.
Aircraft
Bell 412
Sikorsky S-70
Emergency Operations
The Los Angeles County Fire Department Emergency Operations are commanded by Chief Deputy Daryl Osby. The four bureaus that the Chief Deputy oversees contain the bulk of the fire fighting and rescue personnel and apparatus that the fire department provides. Three of the 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 three Operations Bureaus of LACoFD serve 58 cities with 21 Battalions and Nine Field Divisions. Each Division is commanded by an assistant chief, the only exception being the Lifeguard Division, which is led by the Chief Lifeguard. Each bureau has a regional headquarters:
- North Region Headquarters at station 126 in Santa Clarita.
- East Region Headquarters at station 118 in Industry.
- Central Region Headquarters at Station 171 in Inglewood.
North Regional Operations Bureau
Currently commanded by Deputy Chief John Tripp, and contains three divisions (including the Air and Wildland Division).
Division III
Battalion 4
- Altadena - 11, 12
- Kagel Canyon - 74
- La Canada Flintridge - 19, 82 (Battalion HQ)
- La Crescenta - 63
- Pasadena - 66
- Camp 2, 15
Battalion 6
- Santa Clarita - 73 (Division HQ), 76, 104, 107, 108, 111, 123, 124, 126 (Battalion HQ), 132, 156
- Castaic - 149
- Chatsworth - 75
- Gorman - 77
- Camp 9, 12, 14
Division V
Battalion 11
- Antelope Acres - 112
- Green Valley - 157
- Lake Hughes - 78
- Lancaster - 33 (Battalion HQ), 117, 129, 130, 134, 135
- Leona Valley - 140
- Quartz Hill - 84
Battalion 17
- Acton - 80
- Agua Dulce - 81
- Lake Los Angeles - 114
- Little Rock - 92
- Palmdale - 24 (Battalion HQ), 37, 93, 131, 136
- Pearblossom - 79
- Camp 11, 16
Air and Wildland Division
The Air and Wildland Division is commanded by an Assistant Chief, and is composed of two sections: the Fire Suppression Camp Section and the Air Operations Section. This division also oversees the Heavy Equipment and Transportation Units.
Fire Suppression Camp Section
The camp section is divided into two units, one containing the five paid/probation camps (Camps II), and the other containing the five inmate camps (Camps I). Camps I is operated in conjunction with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Camps I is composed of Camp 11, Camp 13, Camp 14, Camp 16, and Camp 19. Camps II is composed of Camp 2, Camp 8, Camp 9, Camp 12, and Camp 15. Camp 15 is operated in conjunction with the Los Angeles County Probation Department. The camps provide wildland fire suppression for the county, utilizing bulldozers as well as air support.
Air Operations Section
The Air Operations Section consists of eight helicopters which provide air support for medical rescues, search and rescue, and wildland fires. The department has three Sikorsky S-70A Fire Hawk helicopters and five Bell 412 helicopters. http://fire.lacounty.gov/AirWildland/AirOpsWhoWeAre.asp. The headquarters for the Air Operations Section is located at Barton Heliport in Pacoima.
Central Regional Operations Bureau
Currently commanded by Deputy Chief Tommey Massey, and contains four divisions (including the Lifeguard Division).
Division I
Battalion 7
- Carson - 10 (Battalion HQ), 36, 116, 127
- Gardena - 95
- Rancho Dominguez - 105
Battalion 14
- Two Harbors - 155
- Avalon - 55
- Lomita - 6
- Palos Verdes Estates - 2
- Rancho Palos Verdes - 83, 53
- Rolling Hills - 56
- Rolling Hills Estates - 106 (Battalion HQ)
Battalion 18
- Gardena - 158 (Division HQ), 159
- Hawthorne - 160, 161 (Battalion HQ), 162
- Lawndale - 21
Division VI
Battalion 13
- Florence - 16
- Huntington Park - 164 (Battalion HQ) & (Division HQ), 165
- Lynwood - 147, 148
- South Gate - 54, 57
- Willowbrook - 41
Battalion 20
- Los Angeles - 14
- Inglewood - 170, 171 (Battalion HQ), 172, 173
- Lennox - 18
Division VII
Battalion 1
Battalion 5
- Agoura - 65
- Agoura Hills - 89
- Calabasas - 67, 68, 125
- Malibu - 70 (Battalion HQ) & (Division HQ), 71, 72, 88, 99
- Topanga - 69
- Westlake Village - 144
- Camp 8, 13
Lifeguard Division
The Los Angeles County Lifeguards are an entity within the Los Angeles County Fire Department, serving the 72 mile coastline that Los Angeles County shares with the Pacific Ocean. Operating with 132 year-round lifeguards and 650 seasonal lifeguards, they staff 178 lifeguard stations and towers. The lifeguards are EMT trained. The Lifeguard Division is led by Chief Lifeguard Michael Frazer.
The lifeguard service has recently begun to utilize a fleet of modified Ford Escape Hybrids, as response vehicles.
East Regional Operations Bureau
Currently commanded by Deputy Chief Michael Bryant, and contains four divisions.
Division II
Battalion 2
- Claremont - 62, 101, 102
- Glendora - 85, 86, 151
- San Dimas - 64 (Battalion HQ), 141
Battalion 16
- Azusa - 32, 97
- Baldwin Park - 29
- Covina - 152, 153, 154 (Battalion HQ)
- Duarte - 44
- Irwindale - 48
- Camp 19
Division IV
Battalion 8
- Pico Rivera - 25, 40, 103
- Whittier - 17, 28 (Battalion HQ), 59, 96
Battalion 9
- Bellflower - 23, 98
- Cerritos - 30 (Battalion HQ) & (Division HQ)
- Hawaiian Gardens - 34
- Lakewood - 45, 94, 122
- Paramount - 31
- Signal Hill - 60
Battalion 21
- Cerritos - 35
- La Habra - 191, 192, 193, 194
- La Mirada - 49
- Norwalk - 20, 115
- Whittier - 15
Division VIII
Battalion 12
- Hacienda Heights - 91
- Industry - 43, 87, 118 (Battalion HQ)
- La Puente - 26
- Rowland Heights - 145
Battalion 15
- Pomona - 181 (Battalion HQ), 182, 183, 184, 185, 186, 188, 189 (during LACo Fair)
Battalion 19
- Diamond Bar - 120 (Battalion HQ), 121
- Pomona - 187
- Walnut - 61, 146
- Rowland Heights - 119 (Has Walnut mailing address)
Division IX
Battalion 3
- Bell - 163
- Bell Gardens - 39
- Commerce - 22, 27 (Battalion HQ), 50
- East Los Angeles - 1, 3
Battalion 10
- El Monte - 166 (Battalion HQ), 167, 168, 169
- South El Monte - 90
- Rosemead - 4, 42
- San Gabriel - 5
- Temple City - 47
Special Operations Bureau
Currently commanded by Deputy Chief James Powers, this bureau oversees two divisions.
Technical Operations Division
This division contains the personnel and apparatus for the Urban Search and Rescue team, HAZMAT, Swift Water Rescue, Canine Search Program, and several other programs.
Command and Control Division
This division in essence has two sections, main priority being the "dispatch" section which handles the receiving of 911 calls and the other which is responsible for the coordination of all the communications for the department. This includes the purchase and maintenance of all radios and mobile computers in the apparatus.
Business Operations
The Los Angeles County Fire Department's Business Operations are currently commanded by Chief Deputy Michael Dyer, and contain three bureaus: Prevention (which also includes the Department's Forestry Division, Administrative, and Support Services.
See also
External links
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