Councilmember Park: ‘We Need a 21st-Century Fire Department’
The Los Angeles City Council has unanimously approved a motion to explore a proposed bond measure for the June 2026 election that would potentially provide funding for fire station maintenance and the construction of new fire stations to meet the city’s need for repairs of firefighting equipment and infrastructure.
NBC 4’s news chopper found a yard of unusable fire engines in January while the fires were raging. Reportedly, the equipment was not in use because the LAFD lacked the funds or maintenance workers needed to put the equipment and vehicles back into service.
Councilwoman Park said, “Simply put, we need a 21st-century fire department that can tackle 21st-century problems. Too many stations past their originally intended life stamps. We have leaky roofs, broken staircases, and PFAS extractors that we can’t plug into the wall because we don’t have the right electrical equipment to support the equipment.” She added that Pacific Palisades has not had a new fire station added to the community since 1967.
The motion, introduced by City Councilmember Traci Park and co-sponsored by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, aims to address critical infrastructure needs within the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). Councilmembers John Lee and Imelda Padilla seconded the motion, reinforcing the urgency of investing in public safety facilities.
Under the motion, the City Administrative Officer (CAO), in collaboration with the Chief Legislative Analyst (CLA), City Attorney, Bureau of Contract Administration, and LAFD, has been directed to present recommendations within 60 days.
The report will outline the potential structure of a bond measure that would allocate funds for long-overdue fire station maintenance and the development of new stations designed to meet the department’s operational demands for the next 50 years.
However, the measure would not fund LAFD staffing, which is another issue.
After the destruction caused by the Palisades and Eaton Fires in January, better funding and maintenance of fire equipment for the Los Angeles Fire Department has become a top priority for members of the LA City Council. Obviously, approval and passage of a bond measure would help the LAFD in general and in all parts of the city.
