Los Angeles Light Force?

[Guest]

I was reading the Trench Rescue article on FireEMSAlpha and noticed the mention of a "Light Force". Can any of the LA guys elaborate on what that is?

[JBE 328]

The Light Force is a two piece unit. An engine(AKA Pump or Tender) and a truck, staffed by the truck company. It's a staff of 5 or 6. Here's an example.

LAFD Station 27 has Engine 27, Engine 227(Pump) and Truck 27. (I know there are other units in the house, but I'm sticking with this) The Pump and Truck always respond together, and they are known as Light Force 27. As for what a Light Force would respond to by themselves, the LAFD Buffs would have to help me out here.

Edited August 27, 2006 by JBE

[JBE 328]

PS, LA County also has Light Forces, but not as many as LAFD.

[Guest]

Ummm... you pretty much nailed it!

Theres a long history that stems back to the Watts Riots of the late 60's. Fire companys were being ambushed, shot and such so an assistant chief (later to become Chief Engineer of the LAFD) thought that it would be good not to send companies by themselves. He would send 3 engines and a truck and they would make a semi-circle with their rigs in front of the fire to protect them from rioting people (think stage coach's and indians - chief must have liked westerns). That was your first Task Force.

The idea caught on when the question came up as to what would a truck do if they came across a fire and they were there first? All LAFD trucks to this day ARE NOT quints. They are all 100' tillers. So they added an engine to the truck. (This is the extreme short version. Lots of other things happened). Now they can act as a truck or an engine company.

Out here, units are assigned numbers by what station they are at. So at station 27 (like mentioned before) you will have Truck 27, Engine 27 and Engine 227. Engine 27 is typically first out for EMS and small fires. Light Force 27 (Truck 27 and Engine 227) are out second except in cases like water sweeps, stuck elivators and pin jobs. When they all respond together to the same call, they are called Task Force 27 although the new dispatch computer recognizes them as two seperate units.

Fire Station 27 also houses USAR 27, RA27, RA827 and Battalion 5.

[JBE 328]

Orlando, refresh my memory real quick, didn't LAFD try out a Simon/Duplex LTI quint and it didn't pan out?? PS Check your PM's.

[Guest]

Orlando, refresh my memory real quick, didn't LAFD try out a Simon/Duplex LTI quint and it didn't pan out?? PS Check your PM's.

←

LAFD did try out a couple quints from other agencies to see how it would work. About 12 to 15 years ago, the LAFD borrowed a E-one 100' rear mount from Anaheim FD and put it at FS73 for a few months. Results: didn't like it...

About 10 years ago, they borrowed an LACoFD KME 100' tiller for a few months and I think it was tested iat a few stations. Results: Didn't like it.

I never recalled them testing an LTI quint. I checked the hystorical shop number list and didn't see one there. I'll keep checking.

I have nothing in my PM. Just email me...

[JBE 328]

That's what it was, the KME Tiller.

[dadbo46 50]

No buckets....tower ladders or snorkels....in LA City or County ?

[Guest]

No buckets....tower ladders or snorkels....in LA City or County ?

←

None at all... Don't see too many snorkels or towers out this way. I gues its that whole East vs. West thing. I'm amazed that large departments don't have copter fleets out there...

[JBE 328]

Not that it matters much, but there are tower ladders in Long Beach and if LA County has any towers they are reserves or spares.

[Guest]

I did not know that Long Beach had a tower. I know that have a Platform and several tillers though.

Did you get my PM JBE?

[JBE 328]

Yes I did, but when I think tower ladder, I think anything with a bucket looking thingie on the end of the boom/ladder.

[Guest]

Got it... I thought you were going that way.

When I hear "tower", I think Aerialscopes like FDNY uses or Terrytown's ALF. You dont see many of those out here at all. I have seen a tower in Lake Tahoe and an old one in San Francisco, but I think that ones retired.

LAFD uses tillers only.

LACoFD has tillers and rear mounts (more and more becoming quints) in front line and they have rear mounts, tillers and platforms in reserve status.

Most other departments that border LAFD and LACoFD, like Glendale, Burbank, Ventura Co. and Pasadena use tillers.