Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Fire Department Staffing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
LAFD standards-of-cover study finds gaps in coverage, committee approves annual update
Summary
A newly presented standards-of-cover analysis said the Los Angeles Fire Department is understaffed and under-resourced, recommending dozens of new stations and hundreds of firefighters; the Public Safety Committee voted to note and file the report and seek annual updates.
The Public Safety Committee on Wednesday noted and filed a standards-of-cover analysis for the Los Angeles Fire Department that found the department ‘‘has been under resourced, understaffed, and underfunded for decades,’’ and directed annual updates on steps to address the findings.
The analysis, presented by Battalion Chief Eric Roberts of the LAFD planning section, concluded that the department’s deployment model is decades out of date and is not meeting national response recommendations. Roberts said the department can currently reach about 49% of city locations within the National Fire Protection Association’s 4-minute benchmark for certain emergency responses and that the LAFD’s 90th‑percentile travel time is ‘‘7 minutes and 53 seconds, twice what the NFPA recommends.’’
The report said the LAFD’s staffing ratio is roughly 0.91 firefighters per 1,000 residents — about half the NFPA’s recommended range of 1.54–1.81 per 1,000 — and recommended short‑term and long‑term remedies, including 712 additional firefighters in the near term and a long‑term reconfiguration that could add 62 new fire stations to fill coverage gaps.
Why it matters: Committee members said the findings bear directly on life‑and‑death response times across the city and on firefighter workload. Committee Chair Councilmember John Lee said the council ‘‘will try to help’’ the department meet the report’s recommendations as the budget and other follow‑up items are considered.
Key findings and recommendations - Deployment and coverage: The presentation showed maps and modelled coverage that leave large swaths of the city outside the 4‑minute target for medium‑hazard occupancies; the presenter described the maps as showing ‘‘gaps in coverage that need to be addressed with more resources, more fire stations, and more firefighters.’’ - Response times: Analysis of incident data through February 2022 showed worsening response performance over the study period; the department’s 90th‑percentile travel time was reported at 7:53. - Staffing: The study calculated a short‑term need for about 712 additional firefighters and recommended pursuing expanded recruitment and multiple classes per year (the department said its maximum practicable training capacity is five recruit classes per year under the state curriculum and facility limits). - Intermediate actions: The study recommended near‑term deployment of additional two‑person emergency medical response units and up to 32 additional ambulance‑type resources or equivalent fast‑response units where they are already effective. - Facilities: The report’s technical recommendation initially identified 84 needed stations; the department’s planners proposed 62 additional stations after accounting for mutual and automatic aid from neighboring agencies.
Public comment and labor response: Several speakers during public comment included union representatives who urged swift funding increases and a fire bond measure. Freddy Espar, introducing himself as UFLAC president, said the findings are ‘‘indisputable’’ and urged elected officials to support a fire bond. Rich Ramirez, identified as second vice president of UFLAC Local 112 and an LAFD firefighter‑paramedic, told the committee that the department responds to far more calls today than in the 1960s while having fewer stations.
Budget and next steps: Chief Roberts told the committee that the fire chief’s current budget request includes a 7.6% increase and a package that combines sworn and civilian positions; he described a longer 25‑year vision and said the department’s total request in the budget process exceeded $1.1 billion for capital and operating items. Committee members asked for an annual briefing timed before the budget cycle; the committee voted to note and file the report and to adopt a motion requesting annual updates.
Ending: Committee members said they would use the report in budget deliberations and in exploring possible bond financing and other capital strategies to address long‑standing gaps in the department’s deployment and equipment. The committee’s action was recorded as approved by roll call.
