LA Fire Department briefed council on rising call volume and EMS focus in San Fernando

Deputy Chief Hyman Moore and Battalion Chief Jason Getchas of the Los Angeles Fire Department's Operations Valley Bureau presented incident and response‑time data for the three stations that primarily serve San Fernando (stations 75, 91 and 98). Moore said the department responded to more than 254,000 incidents countywide so far in 2024 and reviewed local totals: roughly 1,950 calls in 2023 across the three stations and 1,519 calls so far in the first nine months of 2024.

Moore emphasized that emergency medical services make up the bulk of current calls. "The fire service has become predominantly a medical service provider," he said, explaining the department's shift to add fast response vehicles (FRV), advanced provider resources (AP7), and a staffed ambulance (Rescue 807) to better match demand. He and Getchas described response‑time metrics by station and noted that travel times can lengthen due to road construction and traffic.

Council members asked whether call volumes could be redistributed and where additional stations might be sited; Moore said adding a new fire station would split workload but requires funding for facilities and staffing. Chiefs described community programs—My Safe LA smoke alarm canvassing, targeted referrals for repeat EMS locations, and data analysis to create heat maps of calls—that aim to reduce preventable emergencies and better align resources.

Council thanked LAFD for the briefing and asked staff to pursue a heat map and data visualization so the council and public can see where EMS and fire incidents cluster in San Fernando.