Consolidated Fire Protection District of Los Angeles County

Measure FD Parcel Tax - 2/3 Approval Required

Today, we face historically unprecedented wildfire danger, with larger fires and a longer fire season threatening homes and businesses, while assistance from other fire departments across the state during large fires is less reliable than ever.

At the same time, 9-1-1 medical emergencies have sharply increased – up over 50% in the last decade – while we've only been able to add 5% more paramedic squads due to funding limitations.

As 9-1-1 call volumes continue to climb, and wildfires become more severe and more frequent, additional funds for emergency services are urgently needed.
The brave men and women who charge into danger to rescue residents from fires, floods and earthquakes are the same people who respond to more than 1,000 9-1-1 calls every day, providing medical assistance to victims of heart attacks, strokes, car accidents and other emergencies.

LA County Fire's 30-year-old communication systems – essential to coordinate emergency response and communicate directly with hospitals when transporting patients – are incompatible with today's wireless networks. 

The increasing demand for emergency services is placing enormous physical and emotional strain on emergency responders.

Vote YES on Measure FD to provide your local fire department with critically needed, locally-controlled funding the State cannot touch.

Measure FD will:

-  Hire/train more firefighter/paramedics, and replace aging firefighter safety gear to keep them safe

-  Improve 9-1-1 response times and evacuations by updating emergency communication systems

-  Replace 20-year-old fire engines and rescue vehicles – frequently out of service and expensive to repair – to ensure local firefighter/paramedics can respond quickly, and effectively fight house fires and wildland fires

-  Provide rescue equipment, like Jaws of Life, and thermal imaging cameras ensuring emergency responders can locate and rescue children and elderly and disabled persons who cannot escape on their own

Help your local fire department better serve you.

Vote YES on MEASURE FD.

DAVE GILLOTTE
Fire Captain/President, Los Angeles County Firefighters

RICK MARTINEZ
Fire Chief Emeritus/Director, California Fire Foundation Wildfire Relief Program

MARIANNE GAUSCHE-HILL, M.D.
Pediatric Emergency Room Doctor/CA Emergency Medical Services Director of the Year

AARON AUMANN
Director of Fire Science and Paramedic Training, University of Antelope Valley

DARYL L. OSBY
Fire Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department

Vote NO on Measure FD

Given California's history with devastating wildfires, we all want to support the good work of our firefighters. But this tax is about the politicians, who have misused the money we are already paying in property taxes. Instead of funding critical, high-priority needs including the Fire Department, the politicians are spending property tax revenue on everything else, endangering our firefighters.

We have had enough of this. Property taxes are intended to fund property-related services, such as fire and police protection. We are tired of politicians diverting money away from these important priorities, causing a crisis, and then demanding tax increases.

Measure FD is a FOREVER TAX that the Los Angeles Times called "sneaky." It starts at $60 per 1,000 square feet of your home or business, then goes up every year by as much as 2%.

Increases the Cost of Living

This tax would increase the cost of housing and lead to higher prices as businesses passed the cost down to consumers. Supermarket prices will go even higher.

Many Seniors and Renters Will Pay this Tax

This tax DOES NOT exempt all seniors. Politicians have attempted to increase your property taxes over and over. Enough.

This tax DOES NOT exempt all renters. L.A. County's rent control law allows some landlords to pass this cost through to tenants.

The politicians have let us down by failing to plan for replacement of Fire Department equipment, even as rising property values have brought in record-high property tax revenue. The money has been misspent, and there are no guarantees in this measure that your tax dollars will be used effectively and efficiently.

This is a shameless attempt to erode Proposition 13 and increase your property taxes.

Vote NO on Measure FD.

JON COUPAL
President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH
Los Angeles County Supervisor (RET)

Where was this list of priorities when the county was preparing the current budget, the prior year budget, or the budget for the year before that?

There's more money than ever coming into the county from property taxes. According to the L.A. County Chief Executive Officer, locally generated property taxes totaled $5.032 billion in 2016-17, $5.332 billion in 2017-18, $5.677 billion in 2018-19 and $6.044 billion in 2019-20!

There is no need for another new tax. Property owners are already paying a special tax to fund the fire department. It started at $48 per single-family home in 1997 and now is over $70. The county supervisors could and should spend property tax revenue from the General Fund to pay for firefighters, paramedics, vehicles and equipment.

The politicians have put pet projects and bureaucracy ahead of public safety.

Here are some of the budget items that the county supervisors thought were a higher priority than fire protection and emergency medical services: "Refinements" at the Music Center Plaza, a "mobile-friendly design" for the website of the Department of Public Social Services, a newly created Department of Arts and Culture, and "consultant studies" of office space needs.

Why was there enough money for everything except the fire department?

Is it because the county supervisors know that if they asked you to vote for a tax increase to pay for websites, bureaucrats and consultants, you'd say no?

Say no to this budget scam. Say no to tax increases. Vote NO on Measure FD.

JON COUPAL
President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

MICHAEL D. ANTONOVICH
Los Angeles County Supervisor (RET)

FACT: Measure FD funds are dedicated to hiring and training local firefighter/paramedics, and replacing outdated firefighter safety gear, communication tools and lifesaving rescue equipment needed in medical emergencies, house fires and wildfires.

Read Measure FD in your voter pamphlet or at www.WeAreLACountyFire.org. By law, funds cannot be touched by the State or diverted to any other purpose. 

FACT: Citizen oversight ensures transparency.

FACT: Low income senior citizens are exempt.

FACT: This measure will not affect supermarket prices. It will ensure rapid response to heart attacks, strokes, car accidents, structure fires and wildfires.

FACT: LA County Fire has not asked voters for new funding since 1997. Since then, medical emergencies have doubled in frequency, extreme wildfires have become normal, and outside help from other fire departments is no longer reliable.

FACT: LA County Fire's budget is completely separate from Los Angeles County's. There is no other source of funding to meet these needs.

FACT: Firefighters and paramedics plead for your YES vote on Measure FD because rising numbers of 911 calls, medical emergencies and stronger wildfires are straining our local firefighter/paramedics to the breaking point. In the words of one first responder: "Measure FD is our 911 call."

When wildfires threaten our homes and businesses, firefighter/paramedics rush to protect us. When a loved one suffers an accident or medical injury, they're first to the scene. Now, they're asking for our help.

That's why neighbors, homeowners, businesses, Republicans, Democrats and thousands of others are standing with the men and women of our Fire Department.

Please join us.

Vote YES on Measure FD.

MARIA S. SALINAS
President and CEO
Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

DON KNABE
L.A. County Supervisor, Retired

CAMERON SMYTH
Mayor, City of Santa Clarita and Former State Assemblyman

GIL HURTADO
Cardiac Arrest Survivor/South Gate Resident

SHALYN LITZ
Tick Wildfire Survivor