Happy 133 birthday to Los Angeles Fire Department!

A big fist bump to all the excellent folks city wide at LAFD on turning 133. And an extra high five to fire fighters at Venice’s Fire Station 63. Thank you for all you do, Venice loves you!

Check out the history of LAFD as well as some of Venice Paparazzi’s photos we have taken at Fire Station 63 over the years!

Following info from Los Angeles Fire Department

About LAFD: The men and women of your Los Angeles Fire Department are honored to preserve life and property, promote public safety and foster economic growth through a commitment to prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

LAFD HISTORY: The history of the Los Angeles Fire Department is one of the most unique and inspiring in U.S. fire service history. An all-volunteer department for nearly two decades in the mid 19th Century, the department became an official agency of the City of Los Angeles on February 1, 1886.

THE ORIGINS OF THE LAFD. In the mid 1880s, the City of Los Angeles could go several weeks without a fire. On the morning of February 1, 1886, the eight “firemen” at 26 Plaza had no expectations of alarms. It was just another day in the growing little community of Los Angeles. But this day was different. This was the day the city officially began paying firefighters – the true birthday of the Los Angeles Fire Department. For 15 years prior to this day, up to 380 men had volunteered their services to the city as firefighters.

On February 1, 1886, 31 firefighters, including a Chief Engineer, and an Assistant Chief, entered the city’s payroll. In addition, 24 reserve (on call) firefighters stood by, knowing that their part-time responsibility was to respond to any fire in their district. At that time, Los Angeles had 35,000 residents and many carried hand guns. In fact, three shots fired into the air was a typical signal of a discovered fire. Getting anywhere in the 30 square miles that made up the city took only a few minutes, but already, the signs of rapid expansion were visible on the horizon. The Southern Pacific Railroad had determined that Los Angeles would become one of its larger hubs, and people were flocking to town, looking for jobs and opportunity.

Los Angeles has always had a unique take on firefighting. Even in the early days, individuals who found firefighting to be an exciting lifestyle were making their mark. One of the the most popular volunteer companies (and a paid company after 2/1/1886) called themselves the Original thirty-eights, Engine Company Number 1. They held their own fund-raising events, and the city considered their activities to be major civic events. Today, Los Angeles still refers to its fire stations in the plural – Engine 86s, or simply, 86s.

Today, the Los Angeles Fire Department responds to more than 1,300 emergency responses every day. Approximately 3,200 uniformed members protect over four million people, and the department transports more than 600 people to area hospitals every day. To learn more about the history of the department, you can also visit the online archives, as listed here in the LAFD website.

For more info: www.lafd.org Join LAFD on facebook!