Editing Los Angeles Fire Department (section)

==History==
The Los Angeles Fire Department has its origins in the year 1871.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://lafd.org/lafd-history |title=LAFD History |publisher=Lafd.org |access-date=2014-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lafd.org/lafd-history/105-historic-archives |title=LAFD History |publisher=Lafd.org |access-date=2014-02-07}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lafd.org/lafd-history/105-historic-archives/315-the-origins-of-the-lafd |title=The Origins of the LAFD |publisher=Lafd.org |access-date=2014-02-07}}</ref> In September of that year, George M. Fall, the County Clerk for Los Angeles County organized Engine Company No. 1. It was a volunteer firefighting force with an [[Amoskeag Locomotive Works|Amoskeag]] fire engine and a hose jumper (cart). The equipment was hand-drawn to fires. In the spring of 1874, the fire company asked the Los Angeles City Council to purchase horses to pull the engine. The Council refused and the fire company disbanded.<ref name=histvol>{{cite web | url = http://www.lafire.com/the_volunteers/volunteers.htm | title = The Volunteers, 1871 to 1885 | publisher=Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive | access-date = September 5, 2006 }}</ref>

Many of the former members of Engine Company No. 1 reorganized under the name of Thirty-Eights No. 1 in May 1875, Engine Co. No. 2 was organized under the name Confidence Engine Company.<ref name=histvol/>

Los Angeles acquired its first "[[Fire trucks|hook and ladder]]" truck for the Thirty-Eights. It proved to be too cumbersome and was ill-adapted to the needs of the city. It was sold to the city of [[Wilmington, California|Wilmington]]. In 1876, another "hook and ladder" truck was purchased, serving in the city until 1881.<ref name=histvol/>

In 1878, a third fire company was formed by the residents in the neighborhood of Sixth Street and Park. It was given the name of "Park Hose Co. No. 1".  East Los Angeles formed a hose company named "East Los Angeles Hose Co. No. 2" five years later. The final volunteer company was formed in the fall of 1883 in the Morris Vineyard area. This company was called "Morris Vineyard Hose Co. No.3."<ref name=histvol/>

All of these companies remained in service until February 1, 1886, when the present paid fire department came into existence.<ref name=histvol/>

[[File:1890LAFireStn.jpg|thumb|left|[[Old Plaza Firehouse|Los Angeles Fire House]] near [[Olvera Street]], 1890]]
In 1877, the first horses were bought for the city fire department. The department would continue to use horses for its equipment for almost fifty years, phasing out the last horse drawn equipment on July 19, 1921.<ref name=histhorse>{{cite web | url = http://www.lafire.com/stations/fire_stations.htm | title = The Era of the Horses 1886 to 1921 | publisher=Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive | access-date = September 5, 2006 }}</ref>

[[File:The two-story Mission-style Fire Station Eleven at 1819 West Seventh Street, ca.1910 (CHS-2469).jpg|thumb|left|L.A.F.D. Engine No. 11 at 1819 West [[7th Street (Los Angeles)|7th Street]], ca.1910]]
By 1900, the department had grown to 18 fire stations with 123 full-time paid firefighters and 80 fire horses.<ref name=histhorse/>  The city had also installed 194 fire-alarm boxes allowing civilians to sound the alarm if a fire was spotted. 660 [[fire hydrant]]s were placed throughout the city, giving firefighters access to a reliable water source.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.lafire.com/stations/lafd1900.htm | title = The Era of the Horses 1886 to 1921 | publisher=Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive | access-date = September 5, 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060902000423/http://www.lafire.com/stations/lafd1900.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = September 2, 2006}}</ref> In 1955 Station 78 in [[Studio City]] became the first racially integrated station in the department.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Los Angeles Ends Jim Crow Fire Department |journal=Jet |date=January 13, 1955 |volume=7 |issue=10 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TLIDAAAAMBAJ&q=%22Studio%20City%22%20History&pg=PA7 |access-date=August 29, 2011 |last1=Company |first1=Johnson Publishing}}</ref>

[[File:Bradbury Fire,1947.jpg|thumb|left|LAFD on the scene of a fire in the [[Bradbury Building]], Downtown Los Angeles in 1947.]]
[[File:Los Angeles City FD 01-1977.jpg|thumb|Los Angeles Fire Department Sunday morning training in [[downtown Los Angeles]], February 1977]]
Since 1978 the LAFD has provided emergency medical and fire suppression services to the city of San Fernando by contract.<ref>{{cite web |title=FIRST AMENDMENT TO AGREEMENT C-124774 BETWEEN LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY OF SAN FERNANDO FOR COMPREHENSIVE FIRE AND MEDICAL SERVICES |url=https://ens.lacity.org/lafd/lafdreportarchv/lafdlafdreport1864112802_06142017.pdf |access-date=7 July 2024 |date=June 7, 2017}}</ref>

In responses to the 2020 pandemic, the LAFD has helped to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents from Los Angeles. Also, more than 1,800 Los Angeles firefighters have received the COVID-19 vaccine.<ref>{{cite web|title=LAFD administering vaccine sites for those looking for first or second doses|url=https://www.foxla.com/news/map-lafd-administering-vaccine-sites-for-those-looking-for-first-or-second-doses/|publisher=KJ Hiramoto|access-date=22 May 2021|date=9 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=LAFD administering vaccine sites for those looking for first or second doses|url=https://www.firehouse.com/safety-health/news/21208459/lafd-more-than-half-of-firefighters-vaccinated|publisher=Ben Welsh and Dakota Smith|access-date=22 May 2021|date=3 February 2021}}</ref>

In 2022, [[Kristin Crowley]] became the first female, and the first openly gay, chief of the LAFD.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.foxla.com/news/kristin-crowley-to-be-sworn-in-as-lafds-first-female-chief-friday|title=Kristin Crowley sworn in as LAFD's first openly-gay, female chief|date=March 25, 2022|website=City News Service}}</ref>