Los Angeles County Fire Department

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Los Angeles County Fire Department

Established	1920
Staffing	Career
Strength	2,763 uniformed 1,036 other & support 748 lifeguards ^[1]
Stations	165
Engines	239
Trucks	20
Helicopters	8
EMS Units	91
EMS Level	ALS
Fire chief	P. Michael Freeman

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 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 television series Emergency!, which dramatized a department paramedic rescue squad; and before that, in the 1958 television series Rescue 8, which featured a rescue squad prior to the practice of squad members also being trained as paramedics. The television show Baywatch, depicting a glamorous version of the department's lifeguards, was filmed mostly on location at L.A. 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."

[edit] History

The Los Angeles County Fire Department began in 1920, and was known as the Los Angeles County Forestry Department. 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.

[edit] Fire Chiefs

Stuart J. Flintham (1920 - 1925)
Spence D. Turner (1925 - 1952)
Cecil R. Gehr (1952 - 1953)
Keith E. Klinger (1954 - 1969)
Richard H. Houts (1969 - 1977)
Clyde A. Bragdon (1977 - 1982)
John Englund (1983 - 1988)
P. Michael Freeman (1988 - Present)

[edit] Apparatus

LACoFD has 165 Stations which house Engines, Quints, Paramedic Squads, ESTs, Water Tenders, Patrols as well as Hazardous Materials Squads and USAR Units.

The department does not transport patients in ambulances. Rather, county paramedics provide treatment while private-contracted ambulances arrive to provide transportation to the hospital.

The department operates some unique units including the Sikorsky S-70 Firehawk, part of their Air Operations Section.

[edit] Emergency Operations

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Emergency Operations are commanded by Chief Deputy Gary Lockhart[1]. 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 neighboorhood fire stations and camps that are geographically based, while the fourth bureau has specialized teams that respond throughout the county. The former three bureaus of LACoFD serve 58 cities with 21 Battalions and nine 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.

[edit] North Regional Operations Bureau

Currently commanded by Deputy Chief Steve Lindsey[2], and contains two divisions.

[edit] 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 - 76, 111, 123,124, 126 (Battalion HQ)
Castaic - 149
Canyon Country - 104, 107
Chatsworth - 75
Gorman - 77
Newhall - 73
Camp 9, 12, 14

[edit] 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, 131
Pearblossom - 79
Camp 11, 16

[edit] Central Regional Operations Bureau

Currently commanded by Deputy Chief Tommey Massey[3], and contains four divisions (including the Lifeguard Division).

[edit] 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 (Battalion HQ), 159
Hawthorne - 160-162
Lawndale - 21

[edit] Division VI

Battalion 13

Florence - 16
Huntington Park - 164, 165
Lynwood - 147, 148
South Gate - 54, 57
Willowbrook - 41

Battalion 20

Athens - 14
Inglewood - 170-173
Lennox - 18

[edit] Division VII

Battalion 1

Los Angeles - 38, 58
Marina Del Rey - 110
Universal City - 51
West Hollywood - 7 (Battalion HQ), 8

Battalion 5

Agoura - 65
Agoura Hills - 89
Calabasas - 67, 68, 125
Malibu - 70, (Battalion HQ), 71, 72, 88, 99
Topanga - 69
Westlake Village - 144
Camp 8, 13

[edit] Lifeguard Division

The Los Angeles County Lifeguard Service is 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.

[edit] East Regional Operations Bureau

Currently commanded by Deputy Chief Daryl Osby[4], and contains four divisions.

[edit] 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

[edit] 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)
Hawaiian Gardens - 34
Lakewood - 45, 94, 122
Paramount - 31
Signal Hill - 60

Battalion 21

Cerritos - 35
La Habra - 191-194
La Mirada - 49
Norwalk - 20, 115
Whittier - 15

[edit] Division VIII

Battalion 12

Hacienda Heights - 91
Industry - 43, 87, 118
La Puente - 26
Rowland Heights - 145

Battalion 15

Pomona - 181 (Battalion HQ), 182-186, 188

Battalion 19

Diamond Bar - 120 (Battalion HQ), 121
Pomona - 187
Walnut - 61, 119, 146

[edit] 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), 167-169
South El Monte - 90
Rosemead - 4, 42
San Gabriel - 5
Temple City - 47

[edit] Special Operations Bureau

Currently commanded by Deputy Chief Michael Bryant[5], this bureau oversees two divisions.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Command and Control Division

This division handles the 911 calls and coordinates the communications for the department. It is more commonly known as "dispatch."

[edit] Business Operations

The Los Angeles County Fire Department's Business Operations are currently commanded by Chief Deputy Michael Dyer[6], and contain three bureaus: Prevention, Administrative, and Support Services.

[edit] See also

Los Angeles Fire Department

[edit] References

^ http://fire.lacounty.gov/PDFs/StatSummary.pdf

[edit] External links

Fire Portal

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Categories: Los Angeles County, California | Fire departments in California