Wildfire smoke near Angeles Crest Highway, 2020 (File Photo – Reg Green)
The measure will provide critically necessary funding for wildfire response, 911 call center upgrades, paramedics, firefighting engines and aircraft, to serve their 2,300 square mile fire protection district.
By News Desk
On Monday, June 3, 2024, Los Angeles County Firefighters IAFF Local 1014, the union representing over 3,400 firefighters and paramedics from the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), submitted 182,497 signatures to qualify the LA County Fire Safety Measure for the November 2024 ballot.
Facing the nation’s second highest wildfire risk and an increase in incident calls over the last 20 years, the Los Angeles County Fire Department is underfunded. The Los Angeles County Fire and Safety Ballot Measure will help close this dangerous funding gap.
If passed, the L.A. County Fire Safety Measure would authorize the L.A. County Fire Protection District to levy a tax of 6 cents/square foot parcel, excluding the square footage of improvements used for parking. The measure will generate approximately $150 million annually to fill the critical funding need for aging infrastructure. It will provide funding to bring the Department up to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard of four-person staffing on every engine for the safety of firefighters and the public. Currently, LACoFD operates below the national standard, running three-person staffing throughout.
“This is a critical time for our Department and our members,” said LA County Firefighters Local 1014 President Dave Gillotte. “The fire service has changed drastically over the last decade, from major wildland fires to a significant increase in call loads and call complexity. The skills and equipment required of today’s firefighters are immense. If we do not invest now, we will see the detrimental effects on emergency services for our communities in the next few years.”
Additionally, the measure will:
- Allow the Department to replace, upgrade, and maintain communications and information technology systems to accurately respond to 911 calls from cell phones. The current system was built for landlines. Now, 75-80% of current 911 calls come from cell phones, causing delays in location detection.
- Provide funding for new fire engines and water-dropping helicopters. With more than 63% of the firefighting fleet aged fifteen years or older, LA County Fire is relying on outdated fire engines and fire-dropping helicopters, not to mention the increased cost associated with maintaining an additional fleet for active service in one of the busiest fire districts in the nation.
- Provide protective clothing for Firefighters, breathing devices, defibrillators, and emergency medication to keep up with the number of incidents.
If qualified, the initiative will appear on the November 2024 ballot.
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