Los Angeles County (CA) Fire Department Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman has announced the promotional appointment of John B. Tripp to the position of Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations. In his new position, Tripp will serve second in command to the Fire Chief, and will be responsible for oversight of the Department’s three regional operations bureaus, encompassing 171 fire stations, technical rescue services, lifeguard service, air operations, camp crews and risk management. Four million residents living and working in 58 cities and all County unincorporated areas depend each day on the fire suppression and life safety services provided by the department, one of the largest fire agencies in America.
“I am pleased to promote John Tripp to Chief Deputy of Emergency Operations,” said Freeman. “Chief Tripp has spent more than two decades learning our organization from the ground up. He is a seasoned fire ground commander whose proven ability to handle our major incidents instills confidence and a sense of order in chaos. His experiences and successes establish him as a proven leader.”
Tripp joined the Department 26 years ago and has served in all ranks, most recently as Deputy Chief of the North Regional Operations Bureau, where he was responsible for emergency service delivery and management, performance and personnel management, training, budget and community relations for the region’s five battalions of 39 fire stations. The region serves four major cities and 28 unincorporated communities. He was also responsible for managing the agency’s internationally-acclaimed Air and Wildland Division.
Tripp began his service to the Department as a student worker and was one of the Department’s first fire protection engineering assistants. He graduated from the Department’s Fire Academy in 1986, and worked his way up to today’s appointment as Chief Deputy.
He also served his nation in the United States Air Force as a fire protection specialist. Tripp holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Fire Protection Administration from California State University Los Angeles.
“I am humbled to be given this responsibility, since very few people in the history of our organization ever get this opportunity,” said Tripp. “My top goal is to continue to build upon the synergy of our leadership, all of the way from our fire captains in the stations up to the Fire Chief, to improve our emergency services for the public.”
Tripp’s career highlights include serving as the Department’s Director of Training and as the Metro Rail Coordinator for the Fire Prevention Division. He also has served on many incident management teams and as a top commander on major wildfires and other disasters, including the 1993 Old Topanga Fire, 2005 La Conchita Mudslide, 2007Summit Fire (Interstate 5 Tunnel), 2007 Canyon Fire in Malibu, 2008 Sayre and Marek fires, and 2008 Metrolink Train Crash, which killed 25 people and injured 135 others. His expertise was also sought in assisting the United States Forest Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency with major rescue operations during Hurricane Katrina, and wildfires in Oregon, Montana and Alaska.
Tripp is a past director of the Department’s Association of Chiefs and a past president of the Chief Officers Club. He and his family reside in the City of Rancho Cucamonga.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department is one of the largest emergency service agencies in the world, providing fire protection and life safety services to more than 3.8 million residents and commercial business customers in the County’s 2,305-square-mile area. With over 85 years of world class service as proud protectors, the Department is a frontrunner in firefighting technology and offers many specialized services, including Urban Search and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services, Hazardous Materials, Air Operations and Homeland Security. The mission of its uniformed and civilian team of over 4,000 dedicated professionals is to provide prompt, skillful, cost-effective fire protection and life safety services to the public. For more information, visit the department’s Web site at www.fire.lacounty.gov.
