City Council moves forward with recommendations for LAFD Redeployment Plans...

As the Chair of the City’s Public Safety Committee, I have made it one of my top priorities to restore our Fire Department, which was cut back during these past few years of economic devastation. This restoration comes in many forms. First, we have to hire more firefighters and paramedics and ensure they have the latest equipment and training available. In addition, improving internal processes and ensuring the best trained people are in the right positions are critical decisions as we begin to rebuild and restore life and property saving functions.

On Wednesday, we moved forward with recommendations made by a special joint Public Safety and Budget & Finance Committee towards improving resources and analyzing our deployment plans.

We directed the City Administrative Officer (CAO), in consultation with the Board of Fire Commissioners and the United Firefighters (UFLAC), to prepare a Request for Proposals to assist the LAFD in the development and preparation of a Standards of Response Coverage strategy.

Council also directed the LAFD, taking into account available FIRESTAT data, to evaluate the formation of geographic service bureaus with the corresponding maps and boundaries for each bureau, and operational plans, a similar tactic employed by the Los Angeles Police Department. We have also asked the Fire Department to take into consideration the unique geographic characteristic and challenges of each community within the City.

We continue to have the best trained firefighters and paramedics in the Country that continue to do more with less. As Chair of the City’s Public Safety Committee, I couldn't be more proud of our brave Los Angeles City firefighters and paramedics!

- Mitchell Englander, Chair Public Safety Committee