| The Los Angeles Fire Department is known also as | | | | phasing out the last horse powered equipment in |
| the Los Angeles City Fire Department in order to | | | | 1921. |
| distinguish it from the County Fire Department. It is | | | | When the Los Angeles Fire Department was formed |
| the department that provides fire protection and | | | | in 1886, it had four fire stations, two steam fire |
| emergency medical services for the city of Los | | | | engines, two hose reels, a hose wagon, an aerial |
| Angeles. | | | | ladder truck, thirty-one paid firefighters, twenty-four |
| The department originated back in 1871. Late in that | | | | reserves and 11 horses to protect 30 square miles |
| year, the Los Angeles County Engine Company No. 1 | | | | and a population of approximately 50,000. |
| was put together by the County Clerk. It was a | | | | By 1900, the fire department had grown to 18 |
| volunteer firefighting force utilizing a fire engine and a | | | | stations with 123 full-time paid firefighters and 80 |
| hose jumper. The equipment was hand-drawn to fire | | | | horses. Los Angeles installed 193 fire-alarm boxes |
| emergencies. In the spring of 1874, the fire company | | | | allowing residents to give the alarm if a fire was seen. |
| asked the Los Angeles City Council to buy horses to | | | | More than 650 fire hydrants were situated |
| move the engine. The council responded in the | | | | throughout the city, giving firefighters access to a |
| negative and the fire company disbursed. | | | | reliable water source. |
| Soon after that L.A. purchased its first | | | | By 1911 the agency had 32 stations. That year, the |
| hook-and-ladder truck, which proved to be too | | | | last of the stations specifically designed for horses |
| cumbersome and was ill-adapted to the needs of the | | | | were constructed. |
| city. It was sold to the city of Wilmington, and in | | | | Today, the fire agency has approximately 3,600 |
| 1876, another hook-and-ladder was purchased, | | | | personnel operating out of 106 stations who offer |
| serving in the city until just after 1880. | | | | fire prevention, emergency medical care, hazardous |
| In 1877, the first horses were acquired for the city | | | | materials mitigation, disaster response, and |
| fire department. The agency continued to use horses | | | | community service to a resident population of more |
| for its firefighting duties for almost fifty years, | | | | than four million, living in 471 square miles. |