PURPOSE:       

To obtain authorization to execute an agreement for Automatic/Mutual Aid for exchange of fire protection, specialized, rescue, and emergency medical services between the City of Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and the Fire Departments of the Cities of Burbank (BFD), Glendale (GFD), and Pasadena (PFD) � collectively referred to as Verdugo.

BACKGROUND:

To provide for rapid, systematic mobilization, organization, and operation of necessary fire and rescue resources in mitigating the effects of extraordinary events, the Burbank Fire Department maintains agreements with other local fire agencies.  �Automatic Aid� agreements provide that the closest available fire/rescue/EMS resources will respond to a particular incident without regard to political boundaries.  �Mutual Aid� agreements provide for the response to incidents in another jurisdiction upon request of the responsible agency.

The Burbank Fire Department has maintained an agreement with the City of Los Angeles  providing that, in exchange for our automatic response to certain areas within Los Angeles, they will respond with their resources, when requested, to Burbank incidents.  The agreement has served both agencies well.  While our responses to areas within Los Angeles are more frequent than their responses to Burbank incidents, when we do need their help they can, and do, rapidly respond with an unequaled level of resources, which includes aircraft.

Glendale has a similar agreement with the City of Los Angeles.  Pasadena, however, has not previously had such an agreement.  As the three (3) Verdugo cities have increased their cooperation, a single agreement between the three (3) cities and Los Angeles has become important to all four (4) agencies so that procedures are the same for all of the agencies.

With respect to Burbank, the proposed agreement is identical to our previous agreement with respect to our rights and responsibilities.  It does, however, allow us to treat the Verdugo cities as one department when required for the purpose of assisting Los Angeles.  The agreement does not affect our current automatic aid agreements with Glendale and Pasadena.

 FISCAL IMPACT: 

There is a small cost associated with automatically responding to areas within the City of Los Angeles, however, this is offset by the reciprocal response of the Los Angeles Fire Department resources when needed.

RECOMMENDATION:

To maintain continuity of fire protection services, authorize the Fire Chief to execute the agreement on behalf of the City.

Michael W. Davis

Chief of the Fire Department

by: ___________________________________

      Norm Stockton, Assistant Fire Chief

MWD:NS:rm

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