LAFD standards-of-cover report finds major coverage gaps; council votes to note and file, seek annual updates

Battalion Chief Eric Roberts, presenting a report prepared with the International Association of Fire Fighters, told the Los Angeles City Public Safety Committee on Oct. 30 that the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) is "under resourced, understaffed, and underfunded for decades." Roberts said the department cannot meet the NFPA 1710 benchmark of a four-minute arrival for much of the city and offered short-, medium- and long-term remedies.

The briefing included data the department said show LAFD can reach only about 49.2% of residential locations within four minutes for an EMS call and that the department's ninetieth-percentile travel time is 7 minutes, 53 seconds—about twice the NFPA recommendation. "We went from a single focused fire department to an all hazard, all risk fire department," Roberts said, noting a rise from roughly 100,000 runs historically to about 514,000 runs in 2024.

The report recommended a mix of immediate deployments (for example, assigning 42 type-1 engines now in life-force configuration and deploying fast-response vehicles), medium-term staffing and organizational changes (additional battalions, administrative personnel), and a long-term infrastructure plan that proposes 62 additional fire stations (the IAFF analysis recommended 84 but the department proposed 62 after accounting for mutual-aid agreements). The study estimated a short-term need for about 712 additional firefighters to meet recommended staffing ratios.

Union leaders who spoke during public comment supported the analysis and urged larger investments. Freddy Escobar, UFLAC president, thanked Chief Crowley and the department's partners for the study and told the committee the city should invest at levels comparable to peer cities; Escobar calculated that matching San Francisco's per-residence funding would amount to "$2,500,000,000." Rich Ramirez, second vice president of UFLAC Local 112, said LAFD now has "0.9 firefighters for every 1,000 people," about half the NFPA recommendation, and warned that major events can deplete city resources.

Committee members pressed staff on implementable steps and budgeting. Roberts said the fire chief's formal budget request included a roughly 7% operating increase that would add 412 positions (a mix of sworn and civilian positions) and begin addressing facility and apparatus needs. He also told the committee the department has hired 267 firefighters in fiscal year 2023–24 and said the city's current hiring window presented a 15-year opportunity to make gains because projected retirements in the next five years are relatively limited.

Council members asked for more tailored data for their districts. Roberts said staff had prepared district-specific binders and interactive map tools showing coverage gaps, travel-time components (call-to-dispatch and travel time), and where unit-hour utilization (workload) is highest. He said the department recorded increases in specific incident types—rubbish fires rose from about 5,000 per year to over 30,000 per year in the period reviewed—and that incidents involving people experiencing homelessness accounted for an estimated 16% of fire incidents and about 12% of EMS incidents in 2023 based on departmental incident coding.

After discussion, the committee voted to note and file the department's report and to adopt a motion (co-sponsored by Councilmember McOsker and Councilmember Park) asking for annual updates timed to the budget process. The roll call on that item was: Councilmember John Lee, Aye; Councilmember Price, Yes; Councilmember McOsker, Yes; Councilmember Sotomayor Martinez, Yes; Councilmember Park, Yes. The item was approved.

Roberts closed his presentation by reporting equipment availability: at that time he said 39 engines, 32 rescue ambulances and 13 trucks were out of service for repair or other causes. Committee members and the chief agreed further work was needed to translate the standards-of-cover recommendations into budget and capital planning actions.

Ending: The committee requested annual updates and additional data to guide budget decisions, and members signaled willingness to pursue short-term deployments and to consider longer-term capital options during the next budget cycle.