nfd2004

LA City Lite Force

17 posts in this topic

On another web site (NYCFIRE) the discussion came up about the LA City Task Force and Lite Force. Is the second piece Engine (200 series) a fully equipped Engine Co ? Also the manning for that one engine is a driver only, correct ? And it will respond with the Ladder Co as "Lite Force #..

 

 Would someone please advise us sitting on the side of that other big pond, just how things are set up.

 

 So if you can help us out, we appreciate it.

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A light force is a truck with 5 on it and the 200 engine is with the engineer and a firefighter 

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Yes the 200 series is fully equip. If the Truck co goes out of servies than they  switch man power to the 200 and run as an engine co. Unless you are station 9 Downtown Skid row. Truck 9 is fully manned and runs alone with no 200 series. E 9 runs fully staffed as well.

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Thanks for that info too.

 

And it seems that the area of Engine 9 hasn't changed much since I visited that area many years ago. It was "Skid Row" then also.

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A light force is a truck with 5 on it and the 200 engine is with the engineer and a firefighter

Unless something has changed, the light force runs with 6 members. The A/O, Captain II, 2 firefighters and the tiller man. The 200 series engine usually runs with just the Engineer. Sometimes the 200 series engine runs with a Engineer and a FF, the extra FF is there to help secure the water supply.

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So as I understand it, the 200 series engine may NOT always run with two firefighters. Sometimes, only the one driver.

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hp1530 has it right. A light force consist of 6 members total. 4 on the truck (captain 2, a/o, top member or top man, and the tillerman) on the pump "200 series engine" you have ( the engineer and inside member). If there is a task force run the inside member rides on the truck. The pump is identical to the engine (equipment wise) which give the light force the option to act as a truck company or a engine company. When responding as a task force the light force is always a truck company.

 

light fore = truck 1 and engine 201 (can act as a truck or engine company)

 

task force = truck 1 engine 1 engine 201 (light force acts as a truck company only) 

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EMT_FS46 just about summed up how LAFD staffs their task forces and light forces.

Also when the LF responds out of the station the truck leads with the pump following. If the TF responds the truck leads, followed by the engine which is followed by the pump.

I thought E209 was taken out of service and replaced with an ALS rescue a while ago with the new deployment plan? When it was still staffed it was the only pump in the department staffed with an engineer, captain and 2 FFs due to the call volume at the station.

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EMT_FS46 just about summed up how LAFD staffs their task forces and light forces.

Also when the LF responds out of the station the truck leads with the pump following. If the TF responds the truck leads, followed by the engine which is followed by the pump.

I thought E209 was taken out of service and replaced with an ALS rescue a while ago with the new deployment plan? When it was still staffed it was the only pump in the department staffed with an engineer, captain and 2 FFs due to the call volume at the station.

 

 

 

Thank you for the response pattern of the Truck leading. I didn't know that. Interesting but in the FDNY when they set up what they call "Fire Control Teams" (FCTs) during times of riots or unrest, their plan goes with a response of Engine first, then the Truck, then an Engine, then a NYPD unit. I'm not sure but I believe a Battalion Chief may respond actually first in front of that first Engine. However, this is only used when situtations are required during these times.

 

  And normally, in the FDNY and most other cities here in the northeast, the Truck usually responds behind the Engine when both pieces respond. I will say this however, I know there are times in places like Boston and even from the small Ct dept I was from, if a run came in for a very narrow street, sometimes the Truck would go First, and the Engine would follow.

fdny1075thebox likes this

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I think LAFD's reason for the truck to lead is so it can get the best position at a structure fire to deploy its ladder if the need arises.

The information in my posts all come from memory of things I've read and from personal observations so if anything is wrong someone please correct me.

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I have seen the Engine out front with the Light force following. Out of station responses. I think the rule of the truck leading is'nt as strong as it once was. Like parking in the app bay. First in the pump (200) than the engine. Now if the light force is out the engine will park all the way in the rear. Pump when it returns will park up front. And the rotation continues. Of course this is in older stations with out drive through bays.

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from what i have listened to , the truck is the leed piece of equipment on say a structure fire . and the captian is the ranking officer up until the bc arrives . most of the time when in the city i have scene the the truck has been in the leed !  the LAFD has an interesting structure to it .  like captian 1's and 2 .  when i would see these lite forces i just figured that the pump was there to be used in a ladder pipe operation because the truck had no water . as time has gone by i have learned more .

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The Captain II is the truck captain and they are the officer in charge of the TF. The captain I is the engine captain and is a lower rank than the Truck captain. Not sure if EMS captains are I or II but I want to say I.

I believe the Squads are assigned a captain I as well.

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