Skip to content

LAFD Brownouts

18 comments

“Modified Coverage Plan” that began August 6th:

No station will be left without 1 fire suppression resource and 1 paramedic resource
Smallest resource will be a single assessment engine. A pumper with one ALS credentialed provider

No stations will be left unstaffed

Each day:
- Rolling closure of 15 fire companies (engine or a  light force [truck w/pumper])
- Rolling closure of 6 EMT Rescue Ambulances
- Complete closure of 3 variably-staffed EMT Rescue Ambulances. (Eight to 12 hour ambulances often staffed with overtime crews)
- Rolling closure of 1 of the 16 Battalion Command Teams
- Complete closure of 3 EMS Battalion Offices (Nine Captain II positions eliminated in the FY10 budget ). Prior to this there was an EMS Captain II assigned to every battalion

Personnel:
- Equates to 87 less personnel on duty each day (from 1,104 to 1,017), an eight percent reduction of field staffing.
- No layoffs or furloughs of sworn personnel

Remaining fully intact:
- Task Forces 4 and 95  will never go unstaffed
- All 89 Paramedic Rescue Ambulances remain staffed
- Air Ops unaffected

Change in policy:
- No more than 2 strike teams will be allowed to be deployed outside of the City for mutual aid

Training:
- In-service training and multi-company drill time will be significantly impacted due to resource/coverage reductions

Recruit classes:
- Cancellation of 2 out of the 3 classes
- Only 50 recruits this year, which will not cover the anticipated attrition of 120 per year through 2010

What to expect:
- Higher “collision” rates [LAFD term for resources responding into another district to cover the unavailable first-due resource(s)]
- Longer response times
- Decreased pre-deployment capabilities / move-up coverage
- Increased workload
- Reduced training

November 2008 article about LAFD funding (here)

Sharing the Pain or Inappropriate Vacancies?

 

UPDATE: Format of this report and some of the content provided by John Gregory, EMTBravoWest (LINK). I apologize for not attributing John’s excellent organization and description of the operational changes to LAFD.

Mike “Fossilmedic” Ward
Diamond or Dust budget series

Posted by on August 10, 2009 • Filed under: current events
  • http://www.longhillfd.com/ Mike

    Just sad… it’s not like LA has had its share or disasters

  • http://www.longhillfd.com/ Mike

    Just sad… it’s not like LA has had its share or disasters

  • DaGonz

    The polirticans like to play the fire version of “russian roulette”… and when the fire affects their district they represent, they are the first to be yelling and screaming.

    It’s not just happebning in Los Angeles.. it is happening everywhere. The mayors, city councilors, town selectmen, aldermen, city managers and claiming to protect the taxpayer’s wallets forget that the people carrying the wallets need the services they choose to underfund.

    Of course.. they will blame the firefighters for using their contractual time off and say that they are the problem….

  • DaGonz

    The polirticans like to play the fire version of “russian roulette”… and when the fire affects their district they represent, they are the first to be yelling and screaming.

    It’s not just happebning in Los Angeles.. it is happening everywhere. The mayors, city councilors, town selectmen, aldermen, city managers and claiming to protect the taxpayer’s wallets forget that the people carrying the wallets need the services they choose to underfund.

    Of course.. they will blame the firefighters for using their contractual time off and say that they are the problem….

  • http://yourhappymedic.blogspot.com/ Happy Medic

    I admire the way they are keeping all stations open with an ALS and a fire resource (if I read that correctly), my service is threatened with simply closing houses, single engine ALS houses.

    It is hard times and we will have to give back some of what we earned. But we need assurances that we will be among the first to be replenished. Keep up the coverage Geezers, love the series, Mike.

  • http://yourhappymedic.blogspot.com Happy Medic

    I admire the way they are keeping all stations open with an ALS and a fire resource (if I read that correctly), my service is threatened with simply closing houses, single engine ALS houses.

    It is hard times and we will have to give back some of what we earned. But we need assurances that we will be among the first to be replenished. Keep up the coverage Geezers, love the series, Mike.

  • http://home.gwu.edu/~mikeward/ Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

    Thanks Happy … yes they are keeping all stations open with a unit that has some type of ALS capacity.

    Fire crews with one ALS credentialed member are “assessment” companies – both a single engine and a light force (the unique LAFD tiller/pumper combination).

    The original FY10 budget called for elimination of 18 Captain II positions assigned as EMS Supervisors … closing 6 of the 16 EMS offices. This undoes a nearly decade long effort to increase ems operational field supervision.

  • http://home.gwu.edu/~mikeward/ Mike “FossilMedic” Ward

    Thanks Happy … yes they are keeping all stations open with a unit that has some type of ALS capacity.

    Fire crews with one ALS credentialed member are “assessment” companies – both a single engine and a light force (the unique LAFD tiller/pumper combination).

    The original FY10 budget called for elimination of 18 Captain II positions assigned as EMS Supervisors … closing 6 of the 16 EMS offices. This undoes a nearly decade long effort to increase ems operational field supervision.

  • http://www.report-on-conditions.blogspot.com/ Joseph Schmoe

    It’s everywhere. It would also appear that the local media in most areas are not too sympathetic.

    For other agencies in California, the two strike team limit along with the reduced state resources is going to hurt as well.

    It could be an ugly fall.

  • http://www.report-on-conditions.blogspot.com Joseph Schmoe

    It’s everywhere. It would also appear that the local media in most areas are not too sympathetic.

    For other agencies in California, the two strike team limit along with the reduced state resources is going to hurt as well.

    It could be an ugly fall.

  • http://hlsforthefd.blogspot.com/ FIREhat

    Strategic communications, strategic communications, and strategic communications.

    We don’t evangelize our mission and needs the way the cops do. It’s no wonder we lose all these battles.

  • http://hlsforthefd.blogspot.com/ FIREhat

    Strategic communications, strategic communications, and strategic communications.

    We don’t evangelize our mission and needs the way the cops do. It’s no wonder we lose all these battles.

  • Dal90

    >It’s no wonder we lose all these battles.

    Are the cops winning?

    That’s not what I’m seeing in the newspapers around here; if anything they’ve been taking a bigger hit.

    Local government has three big expenses — schools (where they’re not a seperate tax district), police, and fire. Outside of local pissing contest situations, any major cuts done by a disinterested party is going to affect those three the most.

    The cops may be suffering from harder cuts right now due to past successes that gave them more fat to cut.

  • Dal90

    >It’s no wonder we lose all these battles.

    Are the cops winning?

    That’s not what I’m seeing in the newspapers around here; if anything they’ve been taking a bigger hit.

    Local government has three big expenses — schools (where they’re not a seperate tax district), police, and fire. Outside of local pissing contest situations, any major cuts done by a disinterested party is going to affect those three the most.

    The cops may be suffering from harder cuts right now due to past successes that gave them more fat to cut.

  • http://www.emtbravowest.com/ John Gregory

    The information posted on http://www.firegeezer.com relative to the LAFD cutbacks was researched and compiled by John Gregory, EMTBravoWest.com

  • http://www.emtbravowest.com John Gregory

    The information posted on http://www.firegeezer.com relative to the LAFD cutbacks was researched and compiled by John Gregory, EMTBravoWest.com

  • http://firegeezer.com/ FossilMedic

    Hi John,

    I apologize for not providing proper attribution of your post from EMTBravoWest.com. You provided a well-organized and clear description of the operational changes to the department.

    I have added that information to the blog entry.

    But this was not just a rip, copy and post.

    In my day job I have analyzed LAFD ambulance operations. Have done ride-alongs and have contacts with LAFD and Local 112 leadership.

    I have written about operational and administrative aspects of LAFD for the past 15 years.

    The posts are similar but not identical. I have added content and explainations to many of the bullet points.

    I should have provided the attribution with the original post. I regret the oversight.

    Mike

  • http://firegeezer.com FossilMedic

    Hi John,

    I apologize for not providing proper attribution of your post from EMTBravoWest.com. You provided a well-organized and clear description of the operational changes to the department.

    I have added that information to the blog entry.

    But this was not just a rip, copy and post.

    In my day job I have analyzed LAFD ambulance operations. Have done ride-alongs and have contacts with LAFD and Local 112 leadership.

    I have written about operational and administrative aspects of LAFD for the past 15 years.

    The posts are similar but not identical. I have added content and explainations to many of the bullet points.

    I should have provided the attribution with the original post. I regret the oversight.

    Mike