Report: Los Angeles Fire Apparatus, Ambulance Fleet Declined Over Past Year
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A report found that the Los Angeles Fire Department fire apparatus and ambulance fleet has less vehicles than it did a year ago during the Palisades Fire, when the questionable state of the fleet was first brought to light.
"We're putting about on the average, 40,000 miles a year on a fire engine," Los Angeles Fire Chief Jaime Moore told CBS Los Angeles. "The average person drives 14,000 a year."
When the Palisades Fire broke out a year ago, the department had 252 fire apparatus, or heavy apparatus are they are referred to in the Los Angeles region. The ambulance fleet had 217 ambulances, and the repair shop had 131 requests for service in their system.
By the end of the year, Los Angeles was down to 240 fire apparatus and 207 ambulances in their fleet. The number of services request totaled 90.
Earlier this week, 96 fire apparatus and ambulances were awaiting repairs and Moore said the age of some of those vehicles meant that parts were no longer available.
Moore said that the department has added three fire apparatus to the fleet and they are awaiting the delivery of three more but added that the long wait times for emergency vehicles plays a role in the situation.
"Right now, a fire engine is about a 2-year wait when we order a fire engine," Moore said.
Moore is looking to hire more mechanics, which he said has been a challenge for the city for many years. The city approved 17 positions in the shop since the wildfires, yet only one position has been filled.
The chief also wants to look at Fast Response Vehicles, which carries a 150-gallon water tank and other equipment and has a short delivery time.
"I'm trying to be as fiscally responsible as I possibly can," said Moore, who took the position of fire chief in November.
The department recently cleared the first step in adding a half-cent sales tax to create new funding for needed apparatus and equipment.
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Peter Matthews
Editor-in-Chief/Conference Director
Peter Matthews is the conference director and editor-in-chief of Firehouse. He has worked at Firehouse since 1999, serving in various roles on both Firehouse Magazine and Firehouse.com staffs. He completed an internship with the Rochester, NY, Fire Department and served with fire departments in Rush, NY, and Laurel, MD, and was a lieutenant with the Glenwood Fire Company in Glenwood Landing, NY. Matthews served as photographer for the St. Paul, MN, Fire Department and currently is a photographer for the Fort Worth, TX, Fire Department.