The first LAFD firefighters received the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine on Monday. (photo courtesy of Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office)

Los Angeles firefighters and paramedics became the city’s first frontline workers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 28, receiving some of the 3,200 Moderna doses to be administered in the initial phase of vaccinations. 

The vaccinations were administered at Fire Station 4 in downtown Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire Department personnel were joined by Mayor Eric Garcetti and LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas.

“We can never do enough to express our gratitude for the courage, sacrifice, service and selflessness of our firefighters, paramedics and first responders, the extraordinary Angelenos who put it all on the line to administer COVID-19 tests, protect public health and save lives,” Garcetti said. “The brave members of our LAFD have earned their place at the front of the line for this vaccine, and even as we stay vigilant in the face of surging cases, [this] gives us hope for an end in sight to this deadly pandemic.” 

“[This] marks an important step in our battle against COVID-19 as we roll out the vaccination program to our firefighters,” Terrazas added. “Our first responders have been on the front line of the pandemic since the beginning and the vaccine is a crucial tool we can use to protect ourselves and others as the virus continues to surge here in California.”

Two more first responder vaccination sites were expected to be established at fire stations in Watts and the San Fernando Valley. The mayor’s office is working with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to leverage existing infrastructure for testing and flu shot distribution to strengthen countywide vaccine efforts. Under the collaboration, the LAFD will deploy mobile vaccination units to skilled nursing facilities and offer COVID-19 vaccinations for emergency health care practitioners.  

To prepare, the LAFD obtained medical-grade freezers and refrigerators for storage and started training paramedics to administer the COVID-19 vaccine, in partnership with the University of Southern California School of Pharmacology.

For information, visit coronavirus.lacity.org/testing.