Council approves acquisition to site a future Sylmar fire station; members urge wider station repairs

The Los Angeles City Council approved acquisition of property intended to house a future fire station in the Sylmar neighborhood and discussed a wider need to repair and replace aging fire stations across the city.

Councilmember Rodríguez, who sponsored the measure, said Sylmar has faced decades of wildfire risk and understaffed or outdated fire-station coverage. She thanked Councilmember Park and city fire leadership for working on the acquisition and said the purchase fulfills a long-standing promise to District 7 residents.

Rodríguez described Sylmar as a community that has “had to endure being short‑handed for many years” for resources and cited recent major wildfires in the region. She said city staff and fire-department leaders, including Chief Crawley (referred to in the discussion as “jefa Crawley”), supported the acquisition and that the property will allow a future fire station to be built there.

Several councilmembers framed the item within a citywide context, saying many fire stations are well beyond their expected lifespans and require investment. Rodríguez suggested exploring a ballot measure in 2026 to fund repairs and new stations; no ballot language or funding figure was presented at the meeting.

The council adopted the item as amended. The transcript records the item as adopted but does not record an unambiguous roll-call tally in the public discussion excerpt.

Discussion versus decision: the discussion focused on both the Sylmar acquisition and broader station-condition concerns; the formal action approved acquisition and related implementation steps as presented and amended.

Implementation notes: the motion directs coordination with the Fire Department and other city departments to acquire the identified property and plan for station construction; staff were asked to continue work on funding options, including the possibility of a future ballot measure.