by Roy Francis and Joan Klopfenstein
The La Habra Heights Volunteer Fire Department was begun in the 1930s by resident farmers and growers who banded together for self-protection. The first fire engine was a Model-A flatbed truck with a 100 gallon tank. When the truck was not needed to provide water at fires, it was used for grove spraying. Today, by contrast, we are about to acquire two new engines that pump property-saving fire retardant foam on fire sites. These trucks represent the latest technology in firefighting equipment, and they greatly enhance the efficiency of our available water.
Fire protection in La Habra Heights was originally provided primarily by residents, but over the years the demands have grown because the number of houses has increased dramatically - from roughly 1500 homes at the time of incorporation to about 2300 homes today, an increase of 50%. Given the difficult terrain in the Heights, the growing number of expensive homes, and the difficulties with emergency access over narrow roads, a partially professional firefighting staff gradually came to be a necessity.
The increased risk has meant that the Volunteer Fire Department has had to develop beyond the organization it was in the 1960s and 1970s. Additional state and federal regulations of equipment and field practices to enhance the safety and effectiveness of the firefighters have been put in place. Our community is fortunate to have the benefits of a professional fire department with minimal cost and the minimal number of paid employees. How was this achieved?
Demographic changes in the community throughout the 1970s brought new residents who worked mostly outside La Habra Heights. They generally did not and still do not have the time to volunteer. In order to attract more volunteers, the Fire Department started a training program in 1978 for college student interns studying Fire Science. After 1979, the Department had two paid supervisors, or "Day Captains," on duty, both of whom worked 5 days a week. On the week-ends, a few resident volunteers were designated as Captains by the volunteer Fire Chief.
Staff salaries and equipment needs of the fire department in the 1970s were paid by an annual donation of $35 from residents. About 1/2 of all residents were contributing to the fire fund, which was administered by the non-profit Fire Department corporation established in 1942. In 1980, members of the Board of Directors of the Fire Department asked City Council to help keep the Department viable. Voluntary contributions were insufficient, and the Department faced serious problems as a result. City Council then instituted a fire fee, which appears on our property tax bill. Although the City now administers the Fire Department, fire fee revenue must remain by law strictly separate from the City's General Fund.
The development of our Volunteer Fire Department is also evident in the history of its equipment. In 1965, the Heights acquired its first new fire engine. In 1974, a mini-pumper truck was purchased that had a 250 gallon capacity. That would be the last equipment acquisition until 1980, when the Department purchased its first large pumper engine. Its rating is 1500 gallons per minute. In 1981 the Department purchased a second pumper engine identical to the first one. Residents raised thousands of dollars in contributions to make this purchase possible. These engines now have logged several thousand hours of service and are often in need of repairs.
An additional engine purchased in 1990 with an enclosed cab for safety is the engine of choice for firefighters nationally. Our enclosed cab engine receives constant wear and tear due to calls and training. A few months ago, the City authorized the purchase of the two new engines mentioned at the beginning of this article. One is a large pumper engine like the others and the second engine is an "attack pumper" that is rated at 500 gallons per minute. It is shorter and more maneuverable on our hillsides and narrow streets than the other engines.
The people responsible for getting firefighters and equipment to an emergency site are the dispatchers. During the day, a pre-professional dispatcher at Station #1 is in charge of taking calls and dispatching the response. But from 7:00 p.m. until 7:00 a.m., dispatching is covered by four resident volunteers, who have been answering fire calls for almost 30 years. Like firefighting itself, dispatching is covered by an ideal combination of pre-professionals and volunteers.
Around 1990, the "Constant Manning Program" was devised. Before this program existed, fire engines were dispersed throughout the Heights depending on where the resident volunteers lived. The engines were readily accessible and response time was excellent. But by the late 1980s, there were too few resident volunteers to cover for student trainees, who were not available evenings and weekends. With the Constant Manning Program, Station #1 behind City Hall had an engine, a rescue squad, and patrol vehicle available with firefighters living in the fire station 24 hours a day.
The great majority of our volunteers are Fire Science students. At present, 8 volunteers are residents, 15 volunteers live just outside the City limits, and 55 live outside the area. Seventy members of the department have the goal of becoming a career firefighter. La Habra Heights like many other cities in the Los Angeles Basin has come to rely on its Training Program for fire fighting response. The objective of City Council is to keep our Volunteer Program intact, so that residents can participate if they wish.
In order to ensure the most effective administration of this program, the Fire Department has proposed to City Council that a revised command structure be implemented. The key to maintaining this program is cooperation with the La Habra Fire Department. Three Captains from La Habra would be on duty in the Heights on a rotating basis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The La Habra Fire Chief would dedicate a minimum of 25% of his time to our City, and 75% of his time to La Habra. (Currently, Interim Fire Chief Bob Wilson spends Mondays and Wednesdays at our Department.) Besides our present professional Heights Battalion Chief, a second Battalion Chief from La Habra would be available on an "as-needed" basis.
The negotiations with La Habra could also result in a contractual paramedic service in La Habra Heights. The City is at present served by an "EMT" (Emergency Medical Technician) unit and also a paramedic unit when available. The job of an EMT is to stabilize the patient until paramedics arrive on the scene. The EMT can provide Basic Life Support: CPR, oxygen, and the splinting of some fractures. Paramedics, by contrast, act as an extension of the emergency room staff. They can start an IV, apply a heart monitor, or insert a breathing tube directly into the lung.
The contract with La Habra thus might offer a higher level of service than before, even as it guarantees that qualified residents who want to volunteer will be able to participate in community firefighting.
The Fire Department has evolved as a result of changes in the community. A 50% increase in the number of homes since incorporation, the decline in the number of resident volunteers for firefighting, and the demands of the workplace in the 1990s have meant changes in the staffing of the Fire Department. The Volunteer Fire Department, which was started by residents who were concerned about the ability of Los Angeles County to take care of our property, has grown with our community through the years into the outstanding organization that meets our needs today.