March 7, 2012
Politician's charge sparks debate
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner complained in a Huffington Post column that recent Fire Department budget cuts have sent response times for medical emergencies soaring.
Relying on Fire Department reports presented to lawmakers, Beutner said that in 2008 the department responded to medical emergencies within five minutes 86% of the time. After the cuts, the department last year met that standard just 59% of the time, he said.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner
(Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)
March 9, 2012
LAFD explains shifting statistics
Top brass at the Los Angeles Fire Department admitted that for years the agency put out data that made it appear that firefighters were arriving at the scene of emergencies faster than they actually were.
National guidelines call for first responders to arrive on scene in under five minutes 90% of the time. But a former department statistician instead used a six-minute cutoff, officials said, which improved the department's record. They say Beutner's numbers reflect only a change in how the numbers were calculated, not the LAFD's underlying performance.
A Los Angeles Fire Department engine
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
March 13, 2012
Council and controller press LAFD for data
Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine introduced a motion ordering the LAFD to prepare a report on how officials have calculated its emergency response times. City Controller Wendy Greuel, another mayoral candidate, said her office would investigate the response times and look at the effects of the cuts.
Zine's motion called for the LAFD to explain its methods.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
March 13, 2012
Chief admits mistakes
Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Brian Cummings acknowledged at a news conference that the department should have said sooner that it had changed the way it calculated emergency response times. But he said the department had been "consistent" because it never used old and new data together to draw comparisons.
"Potentially, we should have put down that we changed our method," Cummings said. "We should have done that."
Fire Chief Brian Cummings, right, with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
(Barbara Davidson / Los Angeles Times)
March 13, 2012
Villaraigosa slams firefighter union boss
At the same news conference, Pat McOsker, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, passed out a letter to reporters accusing the department and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa of knowingly using "false statistics" to justify budget cuts that resulted in the public "being put in peril."
As the mayor and chief took questions, a reporter began reading from McOsker's letter. Villaraigosa interrupted the reporter.
March 17, 2012
Times uncovers dispatch problems
Times investigations
Firefighters in the field say recurring problems have delayed responses to other emergencies in recent days, including a March 2 fire in South Los Angeles in which two people died.
Tania Wafer, right, had to wait nearly 45 minutes for paramedics after her hand was mangled at work. She lost a finger as a result.
Tania Wafer waited nearly 45 minutes because of technical problems.
(Luis Sinco, Los Angeles Times)
March 19, 2012
LAFD stops providing response data
In the past, the department routinely released basic information on emergency medical responses, with many responses highlighted in department email alerts and on Twitter.
In explaining the reasoning for stopping the information flow, Chief Brian Cummings cited newfound concerns about compliance with privacy restrictions under federal law.
A sampling of the Fire Department's Twitter feed
March 20, 2012
L.A. fire chief offers new explanation
Speaking to the Fire Commission, LAFD Chief Brian Cummings said the department used computerized projections of response times, instead of actual performance data, in reports about budget cuts given to the Fire Commission and to members of the City Council last year.
“I have not been clear in communicating the department’s use of data," Cummings told the commission, which had asked for a report on response times.
Fire Chief Brian Cummings speaking to the city Fire Commission.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
March 21, 2012
Mayor orders LAFD to release data
The mayor, in a letter to Chief Brian Cummings, said, "At a time when the Los Angeles Fire Department needs more transparency -- not less -- I am directing you to immediately resume releasing information that provides LAFD incident specifics without violating federal law."
The mayor's letter told the LAFD to keep releasing data.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
March 22, 2012
Mayor calls for changes
Impact
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa called on the City Council to dip into budget reserves to pay for six additional rescue ambulances and announced that he wants a former LAPD expert in statistics to oversee the Fire Department's accounting of its performance.
Jeffrey Godown, the former director of the LAPD's COMPSTAT Bureau, was brought in by the mayor.
(San Francisco Police Department)
March 23, 2012
Councilman: Restore LAFD funding
A Los Angeles city councilman called for full funding to be restored to the Fire Department, whose budget has been slashed by more than 15% over the last three years.
"We are not serving people in emergencies fast enough," Councilman Paul Koretz said.
Councilman Paul Koretz
(Betsy Annas)
April 6, 2012
Mayor's lawyer says city attorney gave bad advice
L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's top lawyer released a lengthy letter accusing the city attorney's office of improperly advising fire officials to keep some performance data secret. The city attorney's office dismissed the legal analysis offered by the mayor's staff as amateurish.
The mayor's lawyer called for the LAFD to answer a records request by The Times.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
April 16, 2012
Councilman: Plan to add ambulances not even a 'Band-Aid.'
Assistant Fire Chief David Yamahata told the City Council that the six restored ambulances called for by the mayor would begin operating in the next week. But the units would be in service only 12 hours a day and would not be staffed with paramedics, he said.
"This is not even a Band-Aid fix," Councilman Mitchell Englander said. "It's barely that, from what I've heard from firefighters."
Councilman Mitchell Englander
April 17, 2012
Yet another investigation launched
Mayoral campaign politics spilled in again as the City Council voted to launch an independent investigation into LAFD data.
Council members Eric Garcetti and Jan Perry, both mayoral hopefuls, said an independent review is necessary to restore faith in the beleaguered department. "Folks still don't trust the numbers," Garcetti said.
Meanwhile, City Controller Wendy Greuel pressed her own audit and a third investigation conducted by a statistician brought in by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa continued on.
Mayoral hopefuls Wendy Greuel, left, and Eric Garcetti, right, pursued dueling investigations of LAFD.
(Los Angeles Times)
April 20, 2012
Mayor's budget offers a little more
Impact
In an otherwise austere budget, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa renewed his call for six new ambulances. His budget also included money for hiring a new class of firefighters in the fall of 2013 and $12 million to replace equipment in LAFD's dispatching system.
Since 2009, the mayor and the council have cut more than 15% from the Fire Department's budget, resulting in a hiring freeze and a reduction in firetrucks and ambulances at more than a fifth of the city's 106 stations.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa unveils his budget plan at City Hall.
(Christina House, For The Times)
May 14, 2012
Back to the drawing board
A report by Jeffrey Godown, the expert assigned by the mayor to audit the Fire Department’s data analysis, said the revised emergency response times provided by fire officials cannot be trusted because of problems with the software used to prepare the numbers.
The report called on the department to stop using the software until the problem is fixed and recommended an overhaul of the unit that analyzes statistics for Fire Chief Brian Cummings.
Godown's preliminary report said the LAFD's statistics could not be trusted.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
May 17, 2012
Times analysis finds dispatching delays
Times investigations
The debate at City Hall had focused on how long it takes rescuers to arrive on a scene after they receive an alarm from the dispatch center.
But a Times analysis found another significant shortcoming in what experts say is an equally important performance indicator: The time it takes dispatchers to send firefighters to emergencies. LAFD dispatchers fall far short of national standards and average call processing time has increased in recent years, the analysis found.
The Times front page on May 18, 2012.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
May 18, 2012
Auditor details data difficulties
An audit by City Controller Wendy Greuel finds the LAFD's response has slowed down on medical calls since budget cuts and spells out problems in the system.
Greuel faulted fire officials for undercutting public confidence in the department by producing confusing reports on its performance. "It's unacceptable that the LAFD has not been able to accurately track its emergency response times," she said.
The controller's audit found that the LAFD's response times slowed after recent budget cuts.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
May 18, 2012
Mayor pledges to improve call time
Following The Times' analysis and Controller's audit, the mayor promises change.
"The LAFD ... will work quickly to improve call processing times," he said.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa delivering the state of the city address earlier in the year
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
May 21, 2012
Austere budget offers more to LAFD
Impact
The Los Angeles City Council passed a $7.2-billion budget, voting to cut 400 unfilled city staff positions.
LAFD was one of the only departments that saw its budget increase, with new money for the restoration of an engine company in the San Fernando Valley and the hiring of new emergency medical services captains.
Councilman Eric Garcetti, who is running for mayor when Villaraigosa is termed out next year, also introduced a motion that calls for a report on a five-year plan to restore services at the Fire Department
Los Angeles City Hall
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
June 18, 2012
Expert hired to fix LAFD data departs
Jeffrey Godown, a nationally recognized data expert brought in by the mayor to restore confidence in Fire Department response times left his post after less than three months on the job. He said he planned to continue working as a consultant.
A spokesman for the mayor's office said a replacement for Godown would be named soon and would probably be an existing Fire Department employee.
Jeffrey Godown, former LAPD crime data analysis director, in 2009.
(Brian Vander Brug/Los Angeles Times)
June 19, 2012
Data expert says LAFD's approach needs radical change
The next day, Godown testified to the fire commission that he was told that if response times were off by several seconds "it's really not that big a deal."
"There has to be a complete overhaul of the mentality of the command staff," Godown said. "Being partly right does not work in this business."
The commission then voted to create a panel to fix the department's data problems.
A Los Angeles fire communications floor captain conducts agency business in the 911 call center where calls are taken and from where emergency personnel are dispatched.
(Katie Falkenberg, For The Times)
July 17, 2012
New task force unveiled
Impact
LAFD formed a new task force to help address lingering questions about its emergency response time data.
The group will be headed by Pat Butler, an assistant fire chief who was a top candidate in last year’s search for a new chief. It also includes two data specialists from the Rand Corp., two engineering professors from USC and a police captain who helped implement the statistic-tracking COMPSTAT program.
Asst. Fire Chief Patrick Butler
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Sept. 13, 2012
Report says dispatchers waste time getting to CPR
Times investigations
An internal LAFD study obtained by The Times concludes that LAFD dispatchers waste valuable time getting 911 callers to start CPR on cardiac arrest victims, often beginning the life-saving procedure after the point at which brain death begins.
A sample 911 call included in the LAFD report.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
Sept. 14, 2012
Officials promise CPR improvement
Impact
Officials promised to investigate the findings of the internal LAFD report on delays starting CPR during 911 calls.
New guidelines aimed at permitting dispatchers to start CPR instructions sooner are under review and would take effect shortly, LAFD's medical director Dr. Marc Eckstein said.
Maps show fire station districts at the LAFD dispatch center.
(Katie Falkenberg/For The Times)
Oct. 6, 2012
Chief renews vow
Impact
LAFD Chief Brian Cummings vowed to improve the dispatch center's performance so it meets a higher bar and wins a long-sought national accreditation.
The department first pledged to secure an independent accreditation of the dispatch center in 2000 when at least three patients died in heart attack and cardiac arrest incidents after dispatchers strayed from the standardized questions.
The LAFD's old dispatch center shook by a different scandal in 2000.
(Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times)
Oct. 20, 2012
Boundaries hold up L.A. 911 response
Times investigations
A Times analysis found more than 70,000 calls for medical help near the city border where LAFD rescue crews were sent when county firehouses were closer.
In the case of Stephanie Hooks, three county stations were closer than the LAFD firehouses that sent help. Her family waited for 10 minutes and 30 seconds for LAFD paramedics to arrive after Stephanie suffered cardiac arrest. She later died.
Hooks' husband, Alvin Hooks, left, their daughter, Alnisha, 20, and mother-in-law Catherine Green, 72.
(Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Oct. 23, 2012
L.A. city, county officials order borders review
Impact
Los Angeles city and county lawmakers called for reviews of how the LAFD handles calls for help from residents who live near city borders.
"In this modern day of technology and being able to graphically map out not just where the city resources are but where the county resources are, it's shocking that those systems are not in place," Los Angeles City Councilman Mitchell Englander said.
L.A. City Councilman Mitchell Englander
(Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 14, 2012
Times analysis finds stark disparities
Times investigations
Waits for 911 medical aid vary dramatically across Los Angeles and many of the city's most exclusive neighborhoods have the longest response times, according to a Times data analysis that compared LAFD's performance in different parts of the city.
The Times investigation is the first independent, block-by-block analysis of how long it takes LAFD units to reach victims after the agency picks up a 911 call.
The Times' online map of LAFD response times allows Angelenos to see how fast the department was where they live.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 15, 2012
Councilman calls for more firehouses
City Councilman Bill Rosendahl said new firehouses should be built in Los Angeles' hillside neighborhoods, where a Times analysis found rescuers routinely take longer to reach victims in need.
"The long-term solution will require a combination of additional resources and the construction of new fire stations," he said. "There’s just no other way around this reality."
L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl at a past city hearing.
(Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 15, 2012
Task force says they found and fixed bad LAFD stats
Impact
The LAFD task force finds that past response times published by the agency used inaccurate data and "should not be relied upon until they are properly recalculated and validated."
The task force report, which partly blamed past errors on LAFD staff, said the department has corrected the computer system flaws that led to the inaccurate figures.
The LAFD data task report included members from LAFD, LAPD, Rand Corp. and USC.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 16, 2012
LAFD too slow to address issues, councilmen say
In a formal motion, council members Eric Garcetti and Mitch Englander demanded that fire officials appear before the full panel to explain why the department has not provided specific actions to improve response times by rescuers during life-and-death emergencies.
"The department's managers are either unwilling or unable to do their job to reduce response times and make L.A. safer," said Garcetti, who is running for mayor, in a statement.
City Councilman Eric Garcetti
(Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Nov. 20, 2012
As pressure builds, LAFD looks to speed up response
Impact
LAFD officials say they are considering two new strategies that could get rescuers to the scene of medical emergencies more quickly.
One program, known as "quick launch," reduced the time it took to get fire units moving by an average of 50 seconds — roughly in half — during a test period in 2006, according to LAFD documents obtained by The Times.
An LAFD analysis of the 'quick launch' trial.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles times)
Dec. 2, 2012
Harsh criticism for the chief
LAFD Chief Brian Cummings was harshly criticized by Fire Commissioner Alan Skobin, a long-time LAPD commissioner appointed to the fire department's oversight panel after the response time controversy broke.
"After working with problem-solvers, change agents and visionary leaders like [former LAPD chief] Bill Bratton and [current LAPD chief] Charlie Beck for a decade, it has been necessary to significantly lower my expectations when dealing with Chief Cummings and some on his senior administrative staff," Skobin said.
LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and LAFD Chief Brian Cummings at a press conference in October.
(Christina House / For The Times)
Dec. 4, 2012
Chief turns the tables
Fire Chief Brian Cummings turned the tables on the City Council at a contentious public hearing, blaming increased response times on budget cuts approved by lawmakers.
"You gave us a budget," Cummings said. "We're giving you the most effective Fire Department that we can within that budget."
After the economic downturn, the council and mayor cut the LAFD's annual budget by $88 million — from $561 million in 2008 to $473 million in 2011.
Los Angeles Fire Chief Brian Cummings at the nearly two-hour hearing.
(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times)
Dec. 10, 2012
Report says cuts will cause 'tragedy'
Times investigations
Assistant Chief Daniel McCarthy warned in an internal report obtained by The Times that a major cost-cutting change at the Fire Department's troubled 911 call handling center would lead to "tragedy."
The plan, backed by the mayor, the City Council and the chief, would switch dispatchers from 24-hour shifts to traditional eight-hour workdays, saving an estimated $3.2 million in overtime costs each year.
Dispatcher Tony Porrata
(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
Dec. 11, 2012
Concerns will be addressed, mayor says
Impact
The concerns about staffing changes at the 911 dispatch center raised by a top LAFD commander will need to be addressed before the change is approved, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said.
"Before we move ahead, we'll have to make sure we do so answering the questions that have been raised," Villaraigosa told The Times after a closed-door meeting with city officials to discuss the proposal.
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
(Irfan Kahn / Los Angeles Times)
Dec. 20, 2012
Chiefs discuss dispatch network
Impact
Fire chiefs from the county, LAFD and Glendale met recently to discuss creation of a regional network that would automatically deploy fire and rescue units based on their proximity to an emergency, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries, according to L.A. County Fire Chief Daryl Osby.
The move is in response to the Times investigation that found extended wait times for 911 medical rescuers along L.A. city's jagged borders.
The Los Angeles Fire Department dispatch center
(Bob Chamberlin)
Dec. 21, 2012
Flawed data stall California's 911 upgrades
Times investigations
A three-year effort by California to build a statewide database of response times has been stymied by problems at local fire departments across the state similar to those uncovered at the LAFD, a Times investigation found.
"There's been a lot of benign neglect in the fire service as far as collecting data," said Robert Upson, a Connecticut fire marshal who conducts data analysis on 911 service.
The Times front page on Dec. 22, 2012.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
Feb. 5, 2013
Candidate calls for more firefighters
Mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel laid out an expensive plan to expand the ranks of the city's police and fire departments by about 20% over seven years.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel at a debate Jan. 28.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
March 13, 2013
LAFD chief wants to link 911 systems
Impact
LAFD Chief Brian Cummings told The Times he would like to see a seamless network that connects dispatch systems across municipal borders. The LAFD is in the early stages of developing a computer system designed to work with neighboring dispatch centers, although other agencies will have to pay for similar upgrades to make the plan work.
When The Times first reported on long delays in LAFD response times near city borders, Cummings said he was unaware of the plans laid out by previous chiefs.
This draft map of LAFD District 57 found slow 911 response times near the city border.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
March 19, 2013
Overhaul measures delayed
Chief Brian Cummings told the city Fire Commission that he is pulling back an ambitious plan requested by the City Council that would boost the department's ranks and speed up lagging 911 response times.
In addition, one influential member of the panel announced that a push to overhaul the department's much-criticized data analysis has fallen behind schedule and will miss an April deadline for completion of reforms.
The withdrawn plan called the restoration of 336 positions trimmed during the economic downturn.
(Ben Welsh)
June 28, 2013
Grand jury calls for changes
Impact
Citing The Times' reporting in an independent study, the Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury called for a sweeping series of reforms to the LAFD.
The grand jury recommended the LAFD's funding be reinstated to 2008 levels, called for replacing the firefighters who answer 911 calls with lower-skilled civilians and suggested an overhaul of the department's computer systems.
(Ben Welsh / Los Angeles Times)
July 3, 2013
Councilman calls for LAFD tech upgrades
Impact
A new L.A. councilman called for a far-reaching plan to expand the ongoing overhaul of the LAFD's aging technology.
The proposed “master plan” would pull together existing upgrade efforts and consult with private-sector technology talent about creating new applications for firefighters to use on tablet computers, like Apple’s popular iPad.
L.A. City Councilman Mike Bonin
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
July 8, 2013
New mayor says LAFD a top priority
Impact
The city's newly elected mayor, Eric Garcetti, called on all city managers to reapply for their jobs, including Fire Chief Brian Cummings.
Garcetti said that he would look particularly hard at the LAFD. During the campaign, Garcetti was critical of Cummings' leadership and decision making.
The new mayor, Eric Garcetti, on his first day in office.
(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times)
July 9, 2013
Chief says he wants to keep the job
Fire Chief Brian Cummings told The Times he would like to be retained by the city's new mayor and continue to manage the 3,500 employee department until at least 2018.
“It’s a very delicate balance of competing priorities,” Cummings said of the task. “I’d like to be that person.”
Fire Chief Brian Cummings speaking at City Hall earlier in the year
(Christina House / For The Times)
July 23, 2013
Cummings first to interview with new mayor
After taking office, Eric Garcetti asked the top manager from each of the city’s 35 agencies to meet him and make the case to keep their job. The first up: Fire Chief Brian Cummings.
Los Angeles Eric Garcetti
(Los Angeles Times)
Aug. 6, 2013
New breakdowns reported at LAFD
Key parts of the decades-old system the LAFD relies on to log emergency calls and automatically dispatch rescuers failed five times in July, according to city officials.
The result was 12 hours of disruption in normal operations and forced dispatchers to use radios to dispatch rescuers and manually track the availability and location of fire units, sometimes using golf tees and pegboards.
Aug. 15, 2013
Mayor shakes up panel overseeing LAFD
Impact
Mayor Eric Garcetti continued his shake-up of city government, replacing four of the five members on the civilian board that oversees the Los Angeles Fire Department.
One commissioner, Alan Skobin, was shifted to a new role as special advisor to the mayor, an unpaid position charged with guiding the ongoing overhaul of the department's ailing dispatch network and computer systems.
Oct. 10, 2013
LAFD chief steps down
Impact
Chief Brian Cummings announced he will retire from his position as head of the city Fire Department.
Mayor Eric Garcetti said the two had come to a "mutual agreement" and called for a nationwide search to find a replacement to lead the acceleration of efforts to reboot the department's aging technology.
(Ben Welsh)
Feb. 9, 2014
Rewrite ordered for 911 call-taking scripts
Impact
LAFD officials say they will launch a sweeping overhaul of cumbersome 911 call handling procedures that officials say contribute to delays in getting rescuers to victims in life-threatening medical emergencies.
LAFD dispatcher Steve Bloch talks with a colleague about a call.
(Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times)
