LOS ANGELES FIRE DEPARTMENT FOUNDATION

The LAFD Foundation strives to ensure the Los Angeles Fire Department is provided with the best available technology, tools, training, and equipment to keep them safe while they save lives. The Foundation’s goal is to prevent important needs from going unfulfilled due to insufficient municipal funds.

The LAFD Foundation closely collaborates with Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas and his LAFD leadership team to identify funding opportunities in five key areas:

• Tools and technology that improve efficiency, performance, communication, and response times.

• Life-saving gear and equipment like lightweight brush fire helmets, flame-resistant, carcinogen-blocking hoods, and medical-grade PPE to help keep our firefighters safe.

• Development and training programs to cultivate the next generation of LAFD leaders and encourage young men and women from underserved communities to explore careers in fire service.

• The Adopt-A-Fire-Station Program, which improves working and living conditions for firefighters and paramedics in each of the 106 stations across the city.

• Leadership development training to foster the next generation of LAFD commanders, and youth outreach programs to cultivate a diverse recruitment pipeline of future firefighters.

The LAFD Foundation is guided by a dedicated and involved board from a wide variety of business sectors, active relationships with LAFD leadership and specialty units, a committed professional staff, and an active and growing social media base of supporters.

Since its founding in 2010, the LAFD Foundation has provided millions of dollars in support for our LAFD heroes. In 2020 alone, the Foundation was successful in delivering more than $5,000,000 in essential tools, equipment, programs, and technology. Recent highlights include:
-Providing critical PPE and cleaning supplies like gloves, masks, face shields, gowns, sanitizer, and disinfectant at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
-State-of-the-art hydration backpacks for all 3,500 firefighters, specifically designed for use during wildfires. Each pack carries a 3-quart hydration reservoir and ample storage for wildfire-specific gear.
-Rescue flashlights for every firefighter. These heavy-duty, rechargeable LED flashlights were custom-built to the specifications of the LAFD. These versatile flashlights replaced aging equipment that was nearly a decade old.
-Individual emergency fire shelters for every firefighter to carry with them when fighting brush fires. These shelters are used as a last resort if they become overrun by a wildfire.
-Youth Programs – The LAFD Foundation provides funding for four vital recruitment and outreach programs administered by the Department. These programs offer approximately 1,500 teens and young adults the opportunity to explore careers in the fire service while they develop skills in leadership, teamwork, and overall confidence.

The LAFD’s needs are ever-changing. In the wake of the COVID-19 aftermath, we have learned that some needs cannot be anticipated, but we can be ready to fund swift solutions. Climate change is also directly impacting the LAFD as wildfire season arrives earlier and earlier each year. For the foreseeable future, the Foundation will focus on funding these key projects:

-Securing gear and equipment that will help keep our firefighters safe. Whether, it is PPE items like gowns and masks or firefighting gear like state-of-the-art turnout pants and jackets – protecting the health and safety of our firefighters is a mission-critical priority.
-Wildland Brush Tools to help clear fire roads and creating natural barriers in anticipation of fire
season. Brush clearance is a labor-intensive and exhausting process. These light and durable hand tools are specially designed to help firefighters and ground crews cut through tree limbs, clear brush overgrowth, and remove potential fuel sources. These hand tools are especially useful to fire stations serving wildland-adjacent communities and Crew 3 (the LAFD’s volunteer brush clearing crew).