Local Firefighters an Important Part of Los Angeles Community and Government

The Los Angeles Fire Department is also known as the Los Angeles City Fire Department in order to distinguish it from the County Fire Department. It is the department that gives fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of L.A.

The department has it origins in the year 1871. In September of that year, the Los Angeles County Engine Company No. 1 was organized by the County Clerk. It was a volunteer firefighting force with a fire engine and a hose jumper. The equipment was hand-drawn to fires. In the spring of 1874, the fire company requested of the Los Angeles City Council to purchase horses to pull the engine. The council responded in the negative and the fire company disbursed.

Soon after that L.A. acquired its first hook-and-ladder truck, which proved to be too cumbersome and was not well adapted to the needs of the city. The truck was sold to the city of Wilmington, and in 1876, another hook-and-ladder was purchased, serving in the city until 1881.

In 1877, the original horses were acquired for the city fire department. The agency would continue to use horses for its firefighting duties for almost fifty years, phasing out the last horse powered equipment in 1921.

When the Los Angeles Fire Department was established in 1886, it had 4 fire stations, two steam fire engines, two hose reels, a hose wagon, an aerial ladder truck, thirty-one paid firefighters, 24 reserves and 11 horses to protect 30 square miles and a population of approximately 50,000.

By 1900, the agency had grown to 18 stations with 123 full-time paid firefighters and 80 horses. The city installed over 190 fire-alarm boxes allowing citizens to sound the alarm if a fire was seen. More than 650 fire hydrants were placed throughout the city, providing firefighters access to a reliable water source.

In 1911 the agency had 32 stations. In this year, the last of the fire houses specifically designed for horses were constructed.

Today, the fire agency has nearly 3,600 personnel operating out of 106 stations who offer fire prevention, emergency medical care, hazardous materials mitigation, disaster assistance, and community service to a resident population of more than 4 million, living in 471 square miles.