LAFD strike teams
wsxc
respond within the county but never outside yet I have seen numerous
other LA County municiple departments send stike teams out of
county)....
thanks
Brian Humphrey
should participate), wsxc wrote...
>Does LA City FD ever send strike teams out of county??
Yes.
>(I have seen some
>respond within the county but never outside yet I have seen numerous
>other LA County municiple departments send stike teams out of
>county)....
Individual departments (within California) are guided by their respective
OES Regional Coordinating Agency.
LA City, along with Culver City and Santa Monica, fall within Region 1 Area
A, and are therefore under the guidance of LA County Fire (our Regional
Coordinating Agency).
In accordance with California's Master Mutual Aid agreement, LA City
resources can be called anywhere in the State. While we rarely seem to get
North of San Luis Obispo or South of Oceanside for brushfire activity, we
have and continue to be called "out of County" on a regular basis. While we
may be limited in some situations to Strike Teams that are dedicated to Type
1 Engine operations (our fleet is primarily such equipment), we are ready to
go anytime - anywhere.
Same thing goes for our 6 helicopters, dozers, heck - even our fireboats!
There are certainly emergencies other than brush fires, a perfect example
being when our Swift Water Rescue Teams are seen working in the Sacramento
region to the North.
On the Federal level, our 62 member FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team
(CA-TF1) can be sent anywhere in the US or its territories.
It is also common to see our command staff fulfilling key overhead positions
at major incidents state- and nation-wide.
[START SOUNDTRACK: Beach Boys "Round, Round, Get Around... ]
Nevertheless, one most often sees us at the big stuff within the thousands
of square miles of the County of Los Angeles, such as the Malibu Firestorms
in 1993, when we at the good ol' LAFD sent more than 100 Engine companies to
assist in the battle and *still* managed to cover all of our own Stations
with our own personnel <a tip of the helmet to our logistics staff for that
one!>.
Well "wsxc", I hope this answers your question.
I also hope this important forum (alt.wildland.firefighting) becomes more
active. It is only through this type of dialogue that we can strengthen our
abilities (and dispel a rumor or two) <grin>
Stay Safe Brother!
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Paramedic
Public Information Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
LAFD website: http://www.lafd.org
wsxc
(I should have been more specific about engine strike teams...I was aware of all
the other stuff LAFD sends out of county and the professional job they always
do).
The mutual aid system we have here in California has always fascinated me and I
would like to find out more.
(start sound track "....Don't know much about history......")
Do you know where I can find out more info about how it is organized and how it
functions (info such as what agencies are in which regions and how requests for
resources beyond the local county are processed)?
thanks
Brian Humphrey
>Thanks for the response Brian
You are welcome!
>(I should have been more specific about engine strike teams...I was aware
of all
>the other stuff LAFD sends out of county and the professional job they
always
>do).
Though we do send stuff, it is indeed mostly Type 1 Engines. I won't debate
the fact that their focus can be a limiting factor in some wildland fires.
As for the "professional job we *always* do", you must've been watching a
very different LAFD <grin>.
>The mutual aid system we have here in California has always fascinated me
and I
>would like to find out more.
It is fascinating, and is one of the prime reasons our State's FF's have
been able to accomplish so much with so little.
>Do you know where I can find out more info about how it is organized and
how it
>functions (info such as what agencies are in which regions and how requests
for
>resources beyond the local county are processed)?
Sure! You can learn more by visiting:
... and digging through:
Stay Safe!
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Paramedic
Public Information Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
LAFD website: http://www.lafd.org
>thanks
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