City Council

(13) 22-1431 PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE REPORT relative to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Special Training Fund No. 40J Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2021-22 (FY 21-22). Recommendation for Council action: APPROVE the Board of Fire Commissioners (BFC) report dated November 15, 2022, attached to Council file No. 22-1431, relative to the Training Fund No. 40J Annual Report for FY 21-22. Fiscal Impact Statement: The BFC reports that the fiscal impact of the State's annual training reimbursement to the LAFD is critical due to the cost of recurrent training fees that rise significantly each year, in addition to the expansion of LAFD training programs. If the Vocational Education Training funding was interrupted, numerous mandatory certifications and re-certifications could not occur within the LAFD budget and would need to be absorbed by the General Fund. Section 5.148 of the Los Angeles Administrative Code (LAAC) requires that revenue receipts in excess of $1.5 million be deposited into the General Fund, thus limiting funding to $1.5 million per year. This section was last revised in March of 2002 despite rising costs and the expansion of training programs. The East Los Angeles College and West Los Angeles College contracts are the vehicles that enable the LAFD to conduct mandatory training at applicable sites by providing LAFD certifications and college credits. A few examples of mandatory training requiring certifications and re-certifications include mandatory state certifications for fire academy recruits and graduates, Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Swift Water Rescue, fire station level member training, Disaster Preparedness, Hazmat, Arson and Counter-Terrorism, Pilot initial and recurrent certification programs, and training for recently promoted members. Fire Prevention, USAR, and Hazmat must recertify to existing Fire Code updates every alternate year, and all Chief Officers are mandated to certify or re-certify as Strike Team Leaders, Division Group Leaders, and Safety Officers.