This website is best viewed in Internet Explorer 6 or higher.

On February 17, 2011, Daryl L. Osby was sworn in by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors as the ninth Fire Chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He has served as a member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) for almost 27 years, including 15 as an accomplished chief officer. Just prior to his appointment as Fire Chief, Osby served as Chief Deputy of Business Operations, a role in which he successfully managed the Department’s Administration, Prevention, and Special Services Bureaus; Risk Management Division; Employee Relations Division and Professional Performance Section. He has steadily risen up within the organization, and has held every rank, including Fire Fighter, Paramedic, Fire Fighter Specialist, Fire Prevention Inspector, Fire Captain, Battalion Chief, Assistant Chief, Deputy Chief, and Chief Deputy.

Now as Fire Chief, Osby heads one of the largest emergency services agencies in the world, providing traditional fire and life safety services to more than 4.1 million residents and commercial business customers in 58 cities served by the Department, and all the unincorporated areas of the County within its 2,200-square-mile service delivery area. The Department’s 171 fire stations, nearly 3,000 emergency responders and more than 1,000 business professionals operate on an annual budget of over $900 million. In addition, the County of Los Angeles Fire Department provides lifeguard, health hazardous materials, and forestry services throughout the County.

Osby has served as a board member of Learning for Life’s Fire Explorer program and also the Stentorians of Los Angeles County. He is affiliated with many fire service organizations, including the National Fire Protection Association, Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness, Human Services Association, California State Board of Fire Services, and is a former member and chair of the Emergency Preparedness Commission.

He is an advocate for continuing education, and currently holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University. He is also a graduate of Harvard University’s prestigious Senior Executives in State and Local Government and National Preparedness Leadership Programs, and completed Clark Atlanta University’s Executive Development Program. He is a California State Certified Incident Commander and Chief Officer.

Osby knows his organization well, and has chaired many LACoFD committees and programs, including the Disaster Preparedness Program, the Chaplain Program, and the Region I Emergency Coordination Center Program, among others. He has always been a strong advocate and personal mentor for local youth by serving in leadership positions for many organizations, including the Los Angeles Junior Fire Fighters Foundation, the Youth for Excellence Foundation, and the L.A. County Fire Department Fire Explorer Program.

He has received much recognition from the fire service for his contributions. A short list includes the Community Service Stentorian Fire Fighter-of-the-Year Commendation, the Overachievers Award from the Los Angeles County Firefighters Association, and the Gwen Bolden Foundation’s Badge of Honor. Osby has been recognized by the Department with the Distinguished Community Service Commendation, Community Service Commendation, and Community Service Award.

Some of his more high-profile incident command assignments for LACoFD include the 2003 Commerce train derailment; major wildland-urban interface fires, including the 2005 Topanga Fire, and the Buckweed and Catalina Fires in 2007. He also served as the leader of an Incident Management Team deployed to Louisiana in 2005, following Hurricane Katrina, to ensure continuity of government operations for the City of New Orleans. His many years of fire service experience and his diverse background ensures his success as LACoFD’s new leader.