With recent fire seasons lasting closer to year-round, and the population rapidly growing, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has started to feel its age and is in need of additional resources and replacing old equipment, according to officials.

After the Woolsey Fire, the most destructive fire in modern LA County history, Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Santa Clarita as part of the fifth district, and Janice Hahn, proposed a joint motion to assess the needs of the department.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has been asked to approve a motion that would transfer $4,500,000 to the Fire Department’s Special District Fund to finance a public outreach project.

The LACoFD provides 24-hour emergency response, including fire and paramedic services, to over 4 million people living and working in Santa Clarita and in 59 of the County’s 88 cities, the unincorporated communities and the City of La Habra in neighboring Orange County.

The department’s vast 2,307 square mile jurisdiction also includes 72 miles of coastline.

The new challenges of fire season lasting longer and the population growth has only accentuated the urgency for additional revenue. It is essential for the cities and communities that are served by the department be offered a deeper understanding of this new reality and cost of equipment, officials said.

The LACoFD has aging fire engines — some of which are over 20 years old and exceeded their operational life expectancy, and must be replaced, said the motion.

Other vital equipment, such as breathing apparatuses, are also in need of being updated. The department has articulated the need for additional firefighter, paramedic and civilian positions to reduce the strain on the current force and to meet national standards for emergency responses.

According to the needs assessment performed earlier this year, the cost for replacing old fire engines, purchasing additional helicopters and replacing their communications system is over $170 million. The cost for repairing fire stations — and in some cases replacing fire stations that are over 50 years old — is close to $750 million, officials said.

The LACoFD’S current budget — which is funded primarily through property taxes — covers their operating costs but cannot pay for the significant costs associated with desperately needed infrastructure and equipment.

The Board of Supervisors is set to vote during the Dec. 4 meeting.

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