The Los Angeles Fire Department is known also as the Los Angeles City Fire Department in order to distinguish it from the County Fire Department. It is the department that provides fire protection and emergency medical services for the city of Los Angeles.
The department originated back in 1871. Late in that year, the Los Angeles County Engine Company No. 1 was put together by the County Clerk. It was a volunteer firefighting force utilizing a fire engine and a hose jumper. The equipment was hand-drawn to fire emergencies. In the spring of 1874, the fire company asked the Los Angeles City Council to buy horses to move the engine. The council responded in the negative and the fire company disbursed.
Soon after that L.A. purchased its first hook-and-ladder truck, which proved to be too cumbersome and was ill-adapted to the needs of the city. It was sold to the city of Wilmington, and in 1876, another hook-and-ladder was purchased, serving in the city until just after 1880.
In 1877, the first horses were acquired for the city fire department. The agency continued 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 formed in 1886, it had four fire stations, two steam fire engines, two hose reels, a hose wagon, an aerial ladder truck, thirty-one paid firefighters, twenty-four reserves and 11 horses to protect 30 square miles and a population of approximately 50,000.
By 1900, the fire department had grown to 18 stations with 123 full-time paid firefighters and 80 horses. Los Angeles installed 193 fire-alarm boxes allowing residents to give the alarm if a fire was seen. More than 650 fire hydrants were situated throughout the city, giving firefighters access to a reliable water source.
By 1911 the agency had 32 stations. That year, the last of the stations specifically designed for horses were constructed.
Today, the fire agency has approximately 3,600 personnel operating out of 106 stations who offer fire prevention, emergency medical care, hazardous materials mitigation, disaster response, and community service to a resident population of more than four million, living in 471 square miles.
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