Travis Hill - Apparatus Operator

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Apparatus Operator (AO) Travis Hill’s father was a 36-year LAFD firefighter and engineer. AO Hill was no stranger to station life growing up and often got to experience what it was like to be a firefighter at a young age.

But one pivotal moment fueled his decision to take a career in firefighting seriously.

It was Christmastime at his father’s station, and Hill was among the family members who were visiting with their loved ones. A call for a structure fire came through, and before he knew it, Hill’s father had slid him a set of turnouts to put on.

He can still feel the wind on his face and hear the horn honking as they flew down the road to the incident. “It was so special because it was just me and him on the pump,” he reflected. “I remember it vividly. It felt like I was living every kid’s dream.”

Throughout school, Hill enjoyed the teamwork and camaraderie that came with playing basketball and baseball. But it wasn’t until high school that he knew for certain he wanted to pursue the fire service. After graduation, he went to El Camino Fire Academy and took fire science and behavior classes to sharpen his skills.  

After the Academy, Hill got into paramedic school and simultaneously started testing for the LAFD. His hard work and dedication paid off three months after paramedic school when he got the call to join the Department at 20 years old.

“There were a lot of guys in my class who had more life experience, and had worked for other departments,” Hill shared, reflecting on his time in the drill tower. “They were bringing a lot more to the table than I was.”

He was both intimidated and inspired by this notion and channeled each emotion into studying and practicing, building his expertise and knowledge base. Before he knew it, he had graduated from the drill tower and landed at his first station as a probationary firefighter, LAFD Fire Station 11 in Downtown Los Angeles.

“The people I met there had the same mindset – they wanted to learn and better themselves,” he said of the crew at Fire Station 11. The station was always busy, with calls ranging from elevator malfunctions to multi-story structure fires and everything in between. But what stuck with Hill were the crew members-turned-mentors that helped develop him as a person and a firefighter.

After probation, he landed back at Fire Station 11 and remained there for five years, learning from his colleagues and leaping at every opportunity to learn something new about the job.

“When you’re vulnerable and open to learn and take advantage of opportunities to grow, it makes you a better firefighter,” Hill emphasized. One such opportunity came when a group of friends were studying to become Apparatus Operators. Hill jokes that he was like the “little brother,” wanting to follow in their footsteps and do something new.

Sure enough, he took the next available test and promoted to AO. After a brief stint at Fire Station 47, Hill once again returned to Fire Station 11 to begin his journey as the driver of the ladder truck.

“When you’re doing anything new, you want to prove yourself and not let the people down who have supported you. So yes, there were some nerves in that regard,” AO Hill said of his first time driving to a call. But with practice came progress, and AO Hill quickly became a trusted asset that would ensure his crew got to and from incidents safely and effectively.

After eight years total at Fire Station 11, AO Hill took an opportunity at Fire Station 48 in San Pedro where he has remained for the past seven years. While the call volume might have shifted slightly, the types of calls he and his crew respond to are dynamic. AO Hill went from high rises and commercial buildings to cliff jumpers, boat fires, and the occasional sinking vessel.

Like his crew at Fire Station 11, AO Hill attributes his success at Fire Station 48 to the crew and Captains that support him day in and day out. That camaraderie is what keeps him coming back to work every day.

AO Hill also emphasizes the support that his family provides him, believing in the work that he does even when it keeps him away from them.

“My wife is amazing,” he said. “She does an incredible job with all four of our kids. I can’t thank her enough.”

To firefighter hopefuls, he says, “Don’t let a lack of experience hold you back.”

“You might not have firefighting experience, but you might have some experience and expertise that turns out to be invaluable,” he said.

“Don’t underestimate the skills that you already have.”