The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) is the full-service fire department of the city of Los Angeles, California, United States, and of the city of San Fernando, California, United States, via contract.
The department provides fire suppression services, technical rescue services, emergency medical response services, and hazardous materials response services to the residents of the city of Los Angeles. The LAFD is responsible for approximately four million people who live in the agency's jurisdiction. department was founded in 1886 and is the third-largest municipal fire department in the United States, after the New York City Fire Department and the Chicago Fire Department. The department is sometimes also referred to as the "Los Angeles City Fire Department" or "LA City Fire" to distinguish it from the Los Angeles County Fire Department, which serves unincorporated areas and, via contracts, other incorporated municipalities within Los Angeles County without their own fire departments.
The department is currently under the command of Jamie Moore, after former LAFD chief Kristin Crowley was fired by Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass following the 2025 Southern California wildfires for refusing to write an after-action report.
History The Los Angeles Fire Department has its origins in 1871. That September, George M. Fall, the county clerk for Los Angeles County, organized Engine Company No. 1. It was a volunteer firefighting force with an Amoskeag fire engine and a hose jumper (cart). The equipment was hand-drawn to fires. In the spring of 1874, the fire company asked the Los Angeles City Council to purchase horses to pull the engine. The council refused, and the fire company disbanded.
Many of the former members of Engine Company No. 1 reorganized under the name of Thirty-Eights No. 1 in May 1875, Engine Co. No. 2 was organized under the name Confidence Engine Company.
Los Angeles acquired its first "hook and ladder" truck for the Thirty-Eights. It proved to be too cumbersome and was ill-adapted to the needs of the city. It was sold to the city of Wilmington. In 1876, another hook and ladder truck was purchased, serving in the city until 1881.
In 1878, a third fire company was formed by the residents in the neighborhood of Sixth Street and Park. It was given the name "Park Hose Co. No. 1". East Los Angeles formed a hose company named "East Los Angeles Hose Co. No. 2" five years later. The final volunteer company was formed in the fall of 1883 in the Morris Vineyard area. This company was called "Morris Vineyard Hose Co. No.3."
All of these companies remained in service until February 1, 1886, when the present paid fire department came into existence.
In 1877, the first horses were bought for the city fire department. It would continue to use horses for its equipment for almost fifty years, phasing out the last horse-drawn equipment on July 19, 1921.
By 1900, the department had grown to 18 fire stations with 123 full-time paid firefighters and 80 fire horses. The city had also installed 194 fire-alarm boxes, allowing civilians to sound the alarm if a fire was spotted. 660 fire hydrants were placed throughout the city, giving firefighters access to a reliable water source.
In 1955, Station 78 in Studio City became the first racially integrated station in the department.
Since 1978, the LAFD has provided emergency medical and fire suppression services to the city of San Fernando by contract.
In responses to the 2020 pandemic, the LAFD helped administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents from Los Angeles.
In 2022, Kristin Crowley became the first female, and the first openly gay, chief of the LAFD.
Modern day A 2021 Los Angeles Times investigation revealed that more than 54 percent of all fires requiring an LAFD response were associated with homelessness. Most are unintentional, resulting from the use of open-flame cooking equipment or campfires near tents and other flammable materials. Until June 2024, the city could not prohibit unhoused people from performing vital activities like cooking, and attempts to remove encampments from high-risk areas had been blocked by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which had ruled that the city was obligated to provide housing for the residents of a removed encampment.The New Homelessness California Law Review, vol. 113, April 2025San Francisco and other cities, following a Supreme Court ruling, are arresting more homeless people for living on the streets The Conversation, 2025 08 12. "In June 2024, the Supreme Court issued a ruling, Grants Pass v. Johnson, that determined it is constitutional to issue citations to or arrest homeless people, even when there is no available shelter. The ruling reversed earlier federal appeals court rulings from 2019 and 2022 that determined cities cannot enforce anti-camping laws against homeless people if there are not enough shelter beds available for them."
About a third of homeless-related fires are classed as arson by the LAFD. The LAFD only forwards arson cases to the Police Department for investigation when there is significant property damage or they believe the victim was being targeted. Thus, very few homeless-related arsons are prosecuted. The problem of homeless-related fires becomes more grave with each passing year:
In 2021, Los Angeles had, on average, 24 homeless-related fires every day (more than 54% of all fires).Smith, Doug; Queally, James; Molina, Genaro. Los Angeles Times, 2021 05 12 In 2024, Los Angeles had, on average, 46 homeless-related fires every day.Palombo, Ross. KCAL Uncovers Records Showing Dangerous Spike in Homeless Fires KCAL News, 2025 03 07. "Since 2019, the number of fires connected to a homeless person has increased by between two and three thousand incidents every year. In 2024, there were almost 17,000 fires attributed to the same cause across the entire city."
Organization
Administration Administration has the official office for the fire chief of the department,with the Fire Chief having the CAD designation of"FC1"and radio designation of"fire chief".The fire chief reports directly to the Board of Fire Commissioners.
Executive Bureau/Office Of the chief of staff Executive Bureau/Office Of the chief of staff is commanded by a deputy chief (bureau commander) who holds the title of chief of staff. The chief of staff is assisted by an executive administrative assistant II and senior management analyst I. In 2022, the Executive Bureau was changed from the previous name of Administration Bureau.
Rank structure TitleDetailsFire chiefThe Fire Chief is General manager of the department.This is the Highest ranking uniformed employee.Deputy chiefThere are Seven positions for the Deputy Chiefs:chief of staff,deputy chief (emergency operations),chief of administrative operations,x4 bureau (Division) commandersAssistant chiefThere are Seventeen positions for Assistant Chiefs.Assignment varies.Battalion chiefthere are Sixty-seven positions for Battalion Chiefs.Assignment varies.Captain IICaptain II Generally is the station commander of a task force station.Captain ICaptain I is the Company commander of an engine company.Apparatus operatorApparatus Operator Drives truck,USAR,squads and heavy rescue UnitsEngineerEngineers Drive on the engine companies and manage the pump panel. Firefighter III/paramedicFirefighter holding a paramedic certification.Firefighter III/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)Regular Duty Firefighter also performs as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)Firefighter II/Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)Probationary firefighter also performs as an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)Firefighter I/EMTAcademy recruit
Types of apparatus The department utilizes a wide array of apparatuses and equipment. These are most but not all of the apparatus.
Triple combination engines
The triple combination fire engine or "triple" (as it is commonly called) is the most common type of firefighting apparatus in Los Angeles. The term "triple combination" refers to the apparatus having three components: a water tank, high capacity water pump, and hose. The triple can be found as a one-piece engine company or as two engines assigned to a task force station. The "triples" used by the LAFD have a direct drive, dual centrifuge main pump rated at 1,500 GPM at 150 psi with a 10-foot lift through a 6-inch suction. These apparatuses carry a combination of all of the following sizes of hose: 4″, 2″, 1 3/4″, 1 1/2″ and 1″. The standard hose load is 750' of 4", 750' of 2 1/2" with a 325GPM nozzle, 400' of 1 3/4" with a 200 GPM nozzle, 400' of 1 1/2" with a 125 GPM nozzle and 500' of 1" with a dual gallonage 10/40 GPM nozzle. The water tank carrying capacity of all LAFD engines is 500 gallons. All frontline engines are equipped with a 30-gallon Class A foam injection system with the exception of Engine 51 at LAX that carries Class B foam in the onboard system.
All Engine Companies have a wide range of Fire Suppression Tools and Equipment along with a wide variety of Basic Rescue and Medical Equipment.They are Staffed by an Engine Company Driver who is also responsible for manning and managing the pump,an officer (Captain) and Two Firefighters.
Light forces and task forces
The LAFD uses the concept of light forces and task forces, which can be considered one "resource", although comprising more than one unit or company.
A light force is composed of a pump engine (200 series, for example Engine 201 or Engine 301 for 100 stations) and a ladder truck. Light forces almost always respond together as one unit or resource.
A task force is simply a light force coupled with an engine. An engine company is considered a single unit or "resource" when responding to incidents on its own. A task force usually responds to larger incidents, such as structural fires, and is made up of an engine, a 200 series engine (pump), and a truck, all operating together. While a standard engine is always staffed with a full crew, a 200 series engine (pump) is only staffed by a driver (and one other firefighter if responding as part of a light force). The purpose of the 200 series engine (pump) is to provide support and equipment to the truck in a light force, and either the truck company or the engine company in a task force.
Rescue ambulances
Rescue ambulances (RAs) are often called"rescues"for short.They can be considered either paramedic Staffed/advanced life support (ALS),or emergency medical technician Staffed/basic life support (BLS) units.Ambulances numbered 1-112 are frontline advanced life support units.They are staffed by two firefighters/paramedics,while those in the 200 series are advanced life support reserve units. Ambulances in the 800s and 900s are basic life support units staffed by two firefighter EMTs, with 900-series units assigned to stations identified numerically over 100.The Rescue Ambulances have a wide range of Specialized Medical Equipment on board including Cardiac Monitors and Defibrillators,Cardiac Drugs,Intubation And Airway Management Supplies and other Equipment for Medical Responses.
Helicopters
The Air Operations Section (AIROPS) of the LAFD operates out of Fire Station 114 at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY). The helicopter fleet consists of five medium duty and two light duty helicopters, making the department capable of handling brush fire suppression, air ambulance transport, high rise fire response, and hoist rescues.
FIRE 1, FIRE 2, FIRE 3, FIRE 4, and FIRE 5 are all AgustaWestland AW139s. FIRE 6 and FIRE 7 are both Bell 206 B-III Jet Rangers.
The department previously operated Bell 205 and Bell 412 types, the last of which was retired in 2017 to make way for the newer AW139s.
Fireboats