By Christina Merino
Press-Telegram
LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Long Beach Fire Department has reduced its response times citywide with the restoration and expansion of critical fire department emergency response resources, city leaders announced on Monday, Jan. 26.
With the addition of a full-time paramedic rescue unit, and key adjustments to staffing and deployment in a contract with the Long Beach Firefighters Association , the fire department has increased rescue availability and improved response times by 30 seconds, said Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan during a press conference on Monday at Fire Station 2.
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Since Dec. 1 , Long Beach has restored and enhanced resources for its fire department, officials said. This includes the deployment of Rescue 2 as a full-time, 24-hour rescue unit; continuing operation of Peak Load Rescue 13; and adding Engine 11 as a paramedic assessment unit, as well as relocating a basic life support transportation unit to the future Fire Station 9.
“These resources play a vital role in our ability to respond to medical emergencies, especially during periods of high call volume,” said Fire Captain Dennis Garrett . “Their restoration strengthens response times, operational readiness, and public safety citywide.”
The City Council, in its adopted fiscal year 2026 budget, allocated funds to make sure that Rescue 2 remained operational. In November, they also approved a labor agreement with the Long Beach Firefighters Association, which added resources to better respond to increased calls for service from the city’s constituents and to improve response times.
Long Beach’s emergency medical services capability includes nine fully funded paramedic advanced life support ambulance units that operate on a round-the-clock schedule. Over the last year, there have been moments when units were unavailable, creating real challenges for residents who need immediate medical care, officials said.
To help prevent that, Rescue 2 Peak Load unit – an advanced life support ambulance unit that aimed to enhance emergency medical service capacity for the fully funded ambulances within Long Beach – is now a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week unit in the downtown area.
“Returning Rescue 2 to full service is about making sure that when someone calls in Long Beach for help, there is a rescue that is ready to respond,” Second District Councilmember Cindy Allen said. “It’s about ensuring that our residents, businesses, and visitors have support when every single moment matters and counts.”
The city has allocated resources citywide to make improvements to public safety, such as the paramedic assessment unit at Engine 11 in North Long Beach and Peak Load Rescue 13 relocating to the west side and operating on a 12-hour, seven-day-a-week basis.
“I’m very proud that in the Seventh District, where Rescue 13 is located, it’s going to be the station for special responses to other parts of the city, because Station 13 is somewhat centralized,” Vice Mayor Roberto Uranga said. “It expands the radius of the services that are available to the city.”
Long Beach also continues to invest in the fire department’s infrastructure, with the new Station 9 anticipated to open this summer, officials said. The new station will be home to the reassigned basic life support unit in the Bixby Knolls area.
“It’s about keeping our residents safe and giving our firefighters the tools and staffing they need to be successful,” said Fifth District Councilmember Megan Kerr. “In our ever-growing city that continues to evolve, the needs of residents, especially in times of crisis or emergency, remain a top priority and continue to change as well.”
These additional resources have already made an impact, Buchanan said. From Jan. 1 to Jan. 20 in 2025, the fire department was out of rescues 52 times in those 20 days last year. At the same time this month, the department was out of recues twice. Last year, from Jan. 1 to Jan. 20 , response time was at seven minutes and 36 seconds, and this year, it’s seven minutes and six seconds, the fire chief said.
“We’re moving all these additional resources throughout the city to provide the best coverage for our residents, our visitors and our workers in the city of Long Beach,” Buchanan said. “These adjustments are strategically designed to support increasing call volume, but also to enhance our services, and the impact it has on firefighters in the city of Long Beach , a heavy workload, and that is one of the main reasons why we put these rescues into service.”
The Long Beach Fire Department said it will continue to ensure there is consistent paramedic coverage as new positions are activated, as well as maintain system reliability during the expansion.
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