L.A. Voters to Decide on Critical Funding for Firefighters and Emergency Services

New L.A. County Parcel Tax to Provide Funding for Fire Department

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will place a new parcel tax on the November ballot aimed at raising revenue for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. This six-cent ($0.06) per square foot parcel tax, named the “Emergency Response & Infrastructure Special Parcel Tax,” intends to enable the department to:

• Hire additional paramedics and firefighters
• Replace and maintain fire engines
• Update other critical equipment

The tax implies an approximate cost of $60 per 1,000 square feet of structural improvements to property owners.

Who the Tax Affects and Why

The Los Angeles County Fire Department provides services to 58 of the county’s 88 cities and all unincorporated areas, including county beaches, under the County’s Consolidated Fire Protection District. Unlike other county departments, the Fire Department does not receive funding from the county's general fund but relies on property taxes collected within its jurisdiction. However, this revenue has not kept pace with the department’s resource needs.

The proposed parcel tax would be limited to properties within the Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County, which encompasses:

• Agoura Hills, Artesia, Azusa,  Baldwin Park,  Bell, Bellflower, Bell Gardens, Bradbury, Calabasas, Carson, Cerritos, Claremont, Commerce, Covina, Cudahy, Diamond Bar, Duarte, El Monte, Gardena, Glendora, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Hidden Hills, Huntington Park, Industry, Inglewood, Irwindale, La Canada Flintridge, Lakewood, La Mirada, Lancaster, La Puente, Lawndale, Lomita,  Malibu, Maywood, Norwalk, Palmdale, Paramount, Pico Rivera, Pomona, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rosemead, San Dimas, Santa Clarita, Signal Hill, South El Monte, South Gate, Temple City, Walnut, West Hollywood, Westlake Village, and Whittier
• All unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County

The Need for New Funding

The County claims that firefighters and paramedics are using decades-old equipment that needs to be replaced. Examples provided include outdated Equipment: Firefighters and paramedics are using equipment that is decades old and in dire need of replacement. Examples include:

• 20-year-old fire engines and rescue vehicles that frequently break down
• An antiquated 30-year-old 9-1-1 communications system incompatible with current technology

Such outdated equipment hampers efficient emergency response due to:

• Lack of direct communication capabilities for paramedics with emergency rooms
• Inadequate response coordination for firefighters due to the absence of GPS mapping in current systems
• The department is also in need of thermal image cameras used to locate and rescue children, the elderly, and people with disabilities who are particularly vulnerable during fires, floods and earthquakes.

This measure, if approved by voters, represents a critical step towards updating the Los Angeles County Fire Department's capabilities to better serve the community.