LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT - 1998 - 1999 - 2001
Check out this great website which lists all of the active LA City FD stations and rigs. October 1999 Rigs
Here is the LA City FD Official Website - www.lafd.org - which has a link to the above site (May 2001)
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Downtown LA Sits on a HUGE TIME BOMB - News at 11 :-)
But seriously - do check this out to see what the LAFD is up against Belmont Oil Field is Possibly Very Dangerous
And lets not forget that there was talk of serious structural steel damage to many LA hirises after the Northridge earthquake. Anyone know what became of that story?
April 2000 - now for the tsunami threat here
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Here is some miscellaneous info about the LA City FD from the July 1998 issue of "The LA Firefighter" (which is the firefighter's union's newspaper).
200 firefighter vacancies exist in the LA FD - attempts are being made to return the 10th person to the task forces - 14 new ALS assessment engines will be in service in July of 1998 - 9 division staff assistant positions have been restored - $3.6 million will be used to buy 2 new helos to replace helos which have crashed - $800,000 will be used in a 3 year program to upgrade SCBA tanks and gear in order to extend useful time from 12 minutes to 18 minutes - a new San Fernando Valley station is under way with $1.1 million in funds ($710,000 for the land) - $4.7 million will be spent to replace 3 1975 ladders and 6 1973 engines and 3 1976 engines - there is a newly created Light Force 72 in San Fernando Valley - 12 additional firefighter/EMT positions have been created to staff two 24hr per day BLS ambulances - $2.3 million will be spent to replace 26 1991 ambulances - money was obtained to provide 49 paramedic bonuses (any firefighter who also serves as a paramedic receives a $8300 per year bonus) - $3.5 million will be used to restock ambulances with medical supplies since the hospitals will no longer be doing it - 67 cell phones will be activated to assist comms between ambulances and hospitals - training of 126 new recruits is planned / no new recruits have been trained since 1994 / recruit training staff will consist of 1 battalion chief + 4 Capt II + 10 Capt I + 8 firefighters + 1 Apparatus Operator + 1 Engineer - $1.1 million will fund female bathrooms in 24 fire stations (of 80 stations that need these modifications, 26 will be done by July 1998) - $676,000 for 42 paramedic bonuses to put 14 paramedic assessment engines in service - $303,000 for an additional 16 ALS engines - $284,000 for a medical warehouse operation utilizing 1 Capt/Paramedic + 2 warehouse workers + 3 clerks - $413,000 for safety equipment and automotive parts - $190,000 for helo certification training for LAFD pilots and SCUBA training for LAFD SCUBA divers - $315,000 to buy 63 nonemergency sedans from the Division of Power and Water - $257,000 for the Human Relations Development Committee - $70,000 for a 9 month Fire Inspector II position at LA International Airport for airport expansion services (cost to be reimbursed by the Dept of Airports).
There are two photos of a light plane crash in Reseda - 2 people in the plane perished - 2 residents in the house escaped via a chain ladder from the 2nd floor which had been installed the night before - the plane and house blew up just as Engine 100 was radioing in his sizeup - the pilot was ?not instrument rated but took off in heavy cloud cover and drizzle.
[Caution - I am not sure as to how firm this info is - some of it may not happen as stated]
Take care - Peter Szerlag - August 4, 1998
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April 1999 Referendum Info From The LA FD Website
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March 2, 1999
From the January 1999 issue of the Los Angeles Firefighter Newsletter - several major capital projects are under way or proposed for the LAFD (in addition to the $744 million that they seek via Proposition 1 for ?18 replacement fire stations, etc - see www.lafd.org).
Let me list a few other items -
* $600,000 for helo safety package
* add 5 paramedic assessment engines (PAE)(PAE have at least 1 firefighter/paramedic on board - full paramedic engines have at least two firefighter/
paramedics on board)
* $450,000 for 800Mhz portable radio replacement
* $100,000 for replacement of MDT programming software
* $625,000 for NCP/RNC3 Data Radio Upgrade
* $1,100,000 for replacement of dispatch radio controller and upgrading of radio controller
* $1,000,000 for 100 new MDTs
* one new ALS ambulance company at airport
* $6.3 million for 1 new helo (possibly $6 million more for a 2nd new helo)
* 5 new variably staffed BLS ambo companies
* $400,000 for equipment at new San Fernando Valley fire station
* new rigs - 14E, 6L, 15A, 30 emergency sedans, 34 nonemergency sedans)
* $4.9 million to cover firefighter attrition (126 recruits) - presently, LAFD is 200 firefighters short of the authorized number - firefighters are averaging 75 hours of extra duty per month.
I do not believe that it is definite that all of these items will be funded. Take care - Peter S
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From the May/June 1999 Issue of The Los Angeles Firefighter
81 Year old blind man falls into 17' hole at street intersection - 1.5 hours required to rescue the critically injured party.
The Long Beach Federal FD/Navy Base FD was merged into the LAFD in October of 1977.
The Fire-Police-Paramedic Bond / Proposition 1 did not pass on April 13, 1999 - only 61% voted in favor - 75% were required in order to pass the ?$700 million expenditure.
The Fire Chief is considering the revival of Flexible Manning - this will see 1 ambulance added to every Task Force. Each Task Force presently has 2 engines, 1 ladder, and ?10 fire staff.
The Porter Ranch area had a $1.3M fire - 40 companies plus 3 rescue ambulances responded to this large two story commercial building - fire was under control in 2 hours.
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by Peter Szerlag - May 23, 1999
Detailed Info on LA City FD Radio System not found on other sites -
Most radio sites have all 18 radio channels
KNFV977 GP Mt Lukens - 9/12/1991 - first used - 500ERP
WNPS 351 - City Hall - 200 N Spring
WNXI 689 - Beverly Glen - Mulholland drive
WNXI 690 - Baldwin Hills - 4203 South LaBrea Ave
WNXI 691 - 100 Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica
WNXI 692 - Verdugo Peak in Glendale
WNXI 693 - KSKQ Radio - 4600 Carter Drive
WNXI 694 - Oat Mountain
WNXI 695 - Mount Washington - Glenalbyn Way
WNXI 696 - mobiles
WNXI 697 - San Pedro Hill - 3960 Crest Rd in Palos Verdes
This is a synchronized simulcast radio system. When a field unit transmits on Channel 1, the message is broadcast from/by the Channel 1 repeaters at all 10 of the antenna towers sites which are listed above.
June 6, 1999 typed up
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LAFD Comments On Adding Live Radio Audio To Website
As of today, 15 August 2000, there is no live audio feed of Los Angles City FD radio traffic on the Internet. (there are several feeds of LAPD) - May 2001 - try www.freqofnature.com and www.incidentpage.com for LAFD radio feeds
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Some interesting newspaper articles about LA FD.
Fire Chief Backpedals About Target Hazard Maps - 10/99 - OUCH!
October 12, 1999 - Hollywood Hills brush fire - no Santa Ana winds - 20 homes threatened - 43 fire companies, 5 water dropping helos, 2 Super Scoopers, and 6 camp crews
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The ?November 1999 Issue of the LA Firefighter's Union Newspaper has a big article about a proposal to reconfigure the EMS operations. The present Rescue Ambulances would move from a crew of 2 Paramedics to a crew of 1 Paramedic plus 1 EMT. Many Paramedics would be reassigned from the Rescue Ambulances to the various Engine and Ladder Companies so that all fire department first line units would always have at least 1 Paramedic onboard. Presently there are also ?25 Series 800 Ambulances that are staffed by 2 Firefighter/EMTs each (and they are SCBA equipped).
?Feb 2000 - LA County Health ?Dept votes to allow 1 + 1 concept.
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LAFD Response Levels - Fire Incidents
"A" Dispatch = 3 engines + 1 truck.... residential structure fire initial response (1 Task Force + 1 Eng)
"B" Dispatch = 3 Engines + 2 trucks ... commercial structure fire response (1 Task Force + 1 Light Force)
"Greater Alarm" = anything additional
"Major Emergency" = anything over 15 Companies
A Task Force is 10 firefighters operating 2 pumpers and 1 ladder truck - A Light Force is 5 firefighters operating 1 pumper and 1 ladder truck
Brush Fire Response - High Hazard - ?5 engines + ?2 helos + ?1 ladder truck
typed up 24 Sept 00
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May 2001 - see the fireradio list at www.yahoogroups.com for more detailed info on the LAFD (HT callsigns + response levels + radio usage + etc)
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Last Update - 20Apr00 - 15Aug00 - live audio comments - 24Sept00 - Response Levels - May2001 - see fireradio list