[The following final update was written by the organization and then sent to us for further sharing.]

The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation is grateful to LA2050 for supporting the expansion and modernization of the LAFD Advanced Provider Response Unit (APRU) program. Thanks to this $75,000 grant, the LAFD Foundation was able to strengthen one of the city's most innovative mobile healthcare initiatives. The APRU brings nurse practitioners or physician assistants alongside experienced paramedics to 911 medical emergencies. These teams deliver hospital level diagnostics and treatments directly to patients in the field. With LA2050 support, the Foundation ensured that these units had the essential equipment, medications and resources needed to safely manage patients on scene, reduce unnecessary emergency department transports and improve outcomes across Los Angeles.

This report outlines how grant funds were used, the major activities enabled through this support, and the impact on patients, providers and the wider emergency medical system. The demand for this program continues to grow, with APRU units now deployed to approximately 750 incidents per month, a number the Department aims to increase in 2026 as the need for advanced mobile healthcare expands across Los Angeles. The LAFD Foundation's focus throughout this grant has been to maximize donor dollars for the greatest community benefit while elevating the LAFD ability to respond more effectively and compassionately to the needs of Angelenos.

LA2050 funding directly supported core equipment and resources that elevated the APRU program and increased what care could be safely provided in the field.

LUCAS Mechanical CPR Device and Accessories

The LUCAS device is a critical life-saving tool that delivers consistent, high quality chest compressions during cardiac arrest. Manual CPR is physically demanding and often inconsistent. With this investment, the APRU can now provide uninterrupted compressions which increase the likelihood of survival. The device also frees up advanced providers to focus on airway management, medications and critical decision making. This enhancement immediately strengthened the LAFD ability to treat time sensitive emergencies in a more controlled and effective way.

In several cardiac arrest cases, the LUCAS has directly enabled providers to continue advanced interventions without interruption which can raise survival and preserve team energy.

Medications and Medical Equipment

This funding allowed the Foundation to equip APRU teams with advanced tools and medications that are typically available only in urgent care centers or emergency departments, that the City’s budget doesn’t provide for. Your funds enabled the purchase of diagnostic tools uncommon in field EMS, such as portable ultrasound and point-of-care testing devices. These have been critical in incidents like:

• Differentiating between minor chest trauma versus a collapsed lung.
• Potential in identifying intra-abdominal bleeding in trauma cases.
• Assist in vascular access if necessary.
• Supporting higher-level decision-making for “treat and release” protocols.

Funds were also used to purchase suturing supplies for wound closure, airway equipment, and an expanded formulary of specialized medications for pain management, behavioral health stabilization, nausea control and other acute conditions. These resources empower APRU clinicians to safely treat and release appropriate patients on scene, avoid unnecessary transports and support higher quality care during critical incidents. This portion of the grant had an immediate and widespread effect on the level of care that the APRUs are now able to provide citywide.

Taxi Vouchers for Patients

A small but important portion of the grant was devoted to taxi vouchers that allow APRU teams to support patients who do not require ambulance transport or a costly trip to the emergency department. These vouchers help individuals get safely to urgent care clinics, follow up medical appointments or back home when needed. This resource aligns with the APRU commitment to provide the right level of care at the right time while reducing unnecessary strain on the emergency medical system. It also addresses an often overlooked barrier in healthcare access, especially for vulnerable populations.

LA2050 funding strengthened the APRU program in several ways, each with a meaningful impact on the people of Los Angeles.

The grant allowed APRU providers to close wounds, administer advanced pain control, perform point of care diagnostics and deliver targeted medications for conditions such as migraines, nosebleeds, nausea, minor trauma and psychiatric emergencies. This resulted in more patients receiving full treatment on scene with no need for transport. Patients avoided long hospital wait times, gained faster relief and were able to recover in a more comfortable and familiar setting.

Behavioral health calls continue to rise across Los Angeles. With the expanded medication funded by LA2050, APRU teams could stabilize patients in crisis more safely and compassionately. The ability to use evidence-based medications significantly reduced the need for physical restraint, decreased risk for both patients and responders and preserved dignity during moments of high vulnerability.

Diagnostic tools purchased with LA2050 support empowered APRU clinicians to evaluate chest trauma, abdominal pain, possible bleeding, vascular access and other high risk conditions using hospital grade approaches. These capabilities helped determine whether patients should be treated on scene, taken to a specific type of hospital or require no transport at all. As a result, both patient safety and system efficiency improved.

The LUCAS device immediately improved the quality and consistency of CPR during cardiac arrests. It allowed responders to perform advanced interventions without interruption and reduced provider fatigue. It also proves to be very helpful while providing compressions while a vehicle is in motion. This directly improved the care delivered to some of the city's sickest and most vulnerable patients.

Taxi vouchers funded by LA2050 allowed providers to assist patients who were medically stable and did not require emergency transport but still needed a safe way to reach follow-up care. This resource supported patient autonomy and continuity of care while avoiding unnecessary ambulance use.

Impact on Patients, Providers and the System

Patients experienced faster, more complete care on scene, greater comfort, more personalized treatment and fewer unnecessary trips to the emergency department. Vulnerable individuals experiencing behavioral health crises received safer and more humane support. Patients with minor conditions received advanced care at home instead of waiting in crowded emergency rooms.

APRU clinicians were empowered with tools that matched their advanced training and allowed them to practice at the top of their license. Providers reported improved safety, more efficient workflows and stronger clinical confidence.

LA2050 support helped reduce emergency department congestion, preserved ambulance availability for life threatening calls and demonstrated the value of modernizing prehospital care. The program also served as a model for innovation and fiscal responsibility within the city emergency medical response structure.

Rising behavioral health call volume, equipment maintenance needs and supply shortages remain ongoing challenges. However, the LA2050 grant helped the Foundation and the LAFD address these gaps in meaningful ways and demonstrated the importance of flexibility, rapid resource allocation and continued investment in modern EMS practices.

The LAFD Foundation is deeply grateful to LA2050 for the opportunity to strengthen one of the most impactful and forward-looking EMS programs in Los Angeles. The $75,000 grant allowed the LAFD Foundation to equip Advanced Provider Response Units with resources that directly improved patient safety, clinical capability and operational efficiency.

Thanks to LA2050, more Angelenos received the right care at the right time, more firefighters could work safely and effectively and the LAFD was able to advance a model of mobile healthcare that reflects the future of emergency response. The Foundation is proud to share this report and looks forward to continued partnership in building a safer and healthier Los Angeles.