For the past decade, the city's elected officials have debated what to do about the aging downtown Fire Station 15 and how to improve response times citywide. The council decided to build a third station on Algonquin Road in 2014 but reversed course the next year, deciding to remain with two stations but in new locations.

Fire Chief Scott Franzgrote has endorsed the plan to relocate both stations. He cited data Tuesday that showed the area with the greatest fire risk is on the south side, with its preponderance of multistory apartment buildings that don't have fire sprinklers. And the highest call volume is from the east side.

"Our fire stations are in the wrong location to meet the risk profile and service demands of our community," he said. "We've known this for some time."

A Los Angeles City Council committee voted Tuesday to allow the department to start seeking Federal Aviation Administration authorization to use “unmanned aerial systems,” despite objections from groups concerned about privacy rights. That decision now heads to the entire council for approval.

“I think there’s a tremendous opportunity to save lives,” said Councilman Mitch Englander, who has championed the idea.

Fire officials say no drones will be launched, however, until the Board of Fire Commissioners and the City Council approve a policy outlining how they can be used. The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California has already raised concerns about draft guidelines, saying they do not go far enough to address “serious privacy concerns.”