Mutual-Aid Agreements Increasing in L.A. County
Los Angeles City and County Fire Departments have worked hard to maintain a high level of interdepartmental cooperation. Now more mutual-aid agreements are spreading throughout the area.
In brush and mountain areas, units from the two departments (and other departments such as Ventura and Orange Counties, Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena) have previously responded in designated initial action zones. In some of the crazy-quilt borderline areas such as West Hollywood, city units often put out county fires and vice versa. City requests for county assistance in areas like West Hollywood were usually honored as were requests from small departments like Beverly Hills.
In the southeast area of the county, municipal departments joined together more than a dozen years ago with joint running cards. In the South Bay, departments helped each other, and Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena always cooperated and now have a joint dispatch center.
With escalating costs and budgets being trimmed because of Proposition 13, an evolution to more formalized programs for providing quick, efficient fire protection in borderline areas was inevitable.
Los Angeles City and County last year agreed to provide first response services in four areas—with the city giving a bit more in two and the county giving more in the other two.
A formal agreement between Los Angeles City, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and the county also has greatly increased first response in several previously underprotected areas.
Two-way aid
“Los Angeles City always helped with mutual aid to adjoining cities and in major brush emergencies,” commented L.A. City Fire Chief John Gerard. “In the past, most of our mutual aid was more or less one way. These new programs are more truly mutual and of benefit to the taxpayers of all jurisdictions involved.
“With all government agencies in California facing budgetary problems, agreements like this are vital.”
“These aid agreements have provided the taxpaying public with a higher level of fire protection at no additional cost,” said L.A. County Fire Chief Clyde A. Bragdon, Jr. “It represents an extension of the high level of cooperation that always has existed in the fire service of Southern California. Several other agreements are in the formulative stages.”
All of the agreements differ, but in effect the agency receiving the alarm report will dispatch its own response and then advise the cooperating agency which in turn will dispatch its closest company.
The outside initial action companies either carry a radio on the home agency frequency or, in most cases, walkietalkies for direct communication with dispatchers.
Good evaluation
Battalion Chief Dal Howard, former L.A. City planning officer, told Fire Engineering that a recent evaluation of the program showed that it was working well.
“We did not analyze the time spent on each run,” he said, “but on the number of runs.”
Here is an example of how the system works in Beverly Hills:
For many years Beverly Hills has relied on city equipment, particularly aerial units, for major fires. Now, in return for this assistance, Beverly Hills Engine 2 is responding as first-in along with L.A. City Engine 108 to the Coldwater Canyon and other areas on the south slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains adjacent to Beverly Hills. Those who monitor fire radios are surprised when they hear “Beverly Hills 2 to OCD.” Beverly Hills is also responding the same Engine 2 to Franklin Canyon under county jurisdiction. In return, the county has equipment available for second alarms in Beverly Hills.
In the unincorporated area of West Hollywood which includes film studios, condominiums, fancy restaurants, hotels and high-rises, L.A. City Engine 41 responds on first alarm. Task Forces (two engines and a truck) 27, 61 and 58 are also available if needed.
A large industrial tract borders the cities of La Mirada and Cerritos in Los Angeles County and Buena Park. The aid agreement calls for Buena Park Engine 2 to respond into Los Angeles County on first alarm. Either Engine 35 or Engine 49 from Los Angeles County respond into the Buena Park side on first alarm.
