Long Beach restores Rescue 2, peak‑load Rescue 13 and Engine 11 paramedic unit to service

Captain Dennis Garrett, public information officer for the Long Beach Fire Department, announced on Dec. 1, 2025, that three emergency medical response units — Rescue 2, peak‑load Rescue 13 and a paramedic assessment unit at Engine 11 — have been restored to service.

The restoration "strengthens response times, operational readiness, and public safety citywide," Garrett said, noting the activation reflects coordination among the fire department, city leadership and labor partners.

Why it matters: City leaders said the units increase coverage during high call volumes and improve access to advanced prehospital care, particularly in neighborhoods with a concentration of skilled nursing and assisted‑living facilities. Councilwoman Cindy Allen said Long Beach operates nine paramedic rescue ambulances for nearly a half‑million residents and credited council advocacy for the restorations. "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," Allen said.

Operational details: Fire Chief Dennis Buchanan said all three units were activated on Dec. 1, 2025. He said the three units responded to a combined roughly 750 emergencies between Jan. 1 and Jan. 20 (as reported at the press conference) and that average response times for emergency medical calls improved from "7 minutes, 36 seconds" to "7 minutes, 6 seconds," a reduction he described as about 30 seconds. Buchanan also characterized changes in the frequency of "out of rescues" events compared with prior periods; the transcript records different comparative counts (see clarifying details). Chief Buchanan said the department converted Engine 11 to a paramedic assessment unit in North Long Beach, reassigned a basic life support unit to Bixby Knolls (out of Station 16) and expects BLS coverage to be reassigned to the new Station 9.

Labor agreement: Firefighters Association president Lamont Gwynn said association members voted to ratify an agreement that, he said, "for the first time, a labor agreement didn't just address compensation" but also added staffing and modernized resources that will contribute to faster and more reliable service citywide.

What the record shows: The press conference transcript attributes the activation date (Dec. 1, 2025), the units involved and the claims about improved response times and reduced periods of being unavailable to the Long Beach Fire Department and union representatives. The transcript includes some inconsistent numeric references (see clarifying details below); the article reports those figures as stated by speakers at the event and does not independently verify them.

Next steps: Officials said the department will continue the paramedic relief program and implement staffing and deployment adjustments to maintain system reliability during the expansion. The press conference closed with an offer to take questions; no substantive Q&A is recorded in the transcript.