March 20, 2020
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…
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Los Angeles Fire Department Provides COVID-19 Response Update
On Monday, March 16, 2020 UFLAC President, Captain II Freddy Escobar joined Fire Chief Terrazas and Assistant Chief Jamie Moore as they provided an update to the public regarding the LAFD’s response to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
Learn About Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's "Safer At Home" Emergency Order:
CLICK HERE
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Nury Martinez Addresses 800 Firefighters at IALL Leg. Conference - Washington D.C.
UFLAC was honored to have LA City Council President and friend of the Fire Service Nury Martinez speak at this year's International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Legislative Conference on March 9, 2020 in Washington D.C. Councilwoman Martinez gave one of the most inspirational speeches of the day and called for all elected officials to not just thank Firefighters for their life-saving work, but to do everything possible to back them with the resources they need. We invite you to watch her entire speech by clicking on the photo above or on the link below.
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Donning proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is a part of the protocols in place by your LAFD to protect members against and reduce the likelihood of the transmission of COVID-19 (coronavirus).
Photo Courtesy of the LAFD
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A New 911 Emergency
As the coronavirus outbreak ravaged a nursing home in Kirkland, Wash., it also hit the local fire department hard. No firefighters tested positive for the virus. But nearly a third of the 95-member department had to go into quarantine after coming to the aid of coronavirus patients. Faced with an escalating number of infected people, police and fire departments can quickly become overwhelmed as more first responders are taken out of commission, creating staffing nightmares. Masks and other protective equipment are in short supply worldwide and could potentially run out as first responders care for patients and then need a new set. At L.A. Fire Department headquarters last week, officials exchanged elbow bumps and opened doors with their forearms to avoid touching the handles. A spokesman, Capt. Erik Scott, demonstrated the equipment the department’s 3,400 firefighters and paramedics in the field already have on hand for fires and biohazards, including P-100 masks and surgical gowns. On three occasions, LAFD firefighters have taken coronavirus patients to the hospital but did not have to be quarantined because they were wearing masks and gowns.
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Photo Courtesy of Key News Network
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North Hills Head-On DUI Crash, 2 Adults 3 Children in Critical Condition
Two SUV's were involved in a head-on collision on the 15200 block of W Nordhoff Street. LAPD officers reportedly witnessed the accident and were first to arrive on scene. LAPD officers immediately requested LAFD resources to respond to the collision for a multi-victim collision at 11:54 p.m. Officers did not wait for LAFD to respond and instead transported two infants to the hospital by police vehicle. A second LAPD vehicle was used to transport a third child. 4-6 month old twins were transported in critical condition by LAPD. One of the twins was later flown by LAFD to UCLA in critical condition. Firefighters were able to extricate the trapped female victim after roughly ten minutes. The male Uber driver, and female mother were transported to Holy Cross by LAFD.
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Fire engulfs hillside home in East L.A.
Firefighters were called to a hillside home that was engulfed in flames Wednesday morning in East Los Angeles. The fire was reported about 12:45 a.m. in the 1200 block of Dodds Circle. Video from the scene showed the home’s roof had partially collapsed under the flames. The home also may be in danger of sliding down the hill, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. The flames did not appear to spread to any other homes in the neighborhood but a gas line appeared to still be burning near the home at 4:30 a.m.
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Fire Burns Sun Valley Home
A fire that started inside a home in Sun Valley spread to the attic before firefighters were able to extinguish the flames early Tuesday morning. Crews responded to the 8700 block of Bradley Avenue, between Penrose and Tuxford streets, about 11:55 p.m. Monday and found heavy flames that had extended into the home’s attic, according to Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department. A total of 31 firefighters needed 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze and no other structures were damaged, she said.
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Ferrari Found Engulfed In Flames In Chatsworth
A black Ferrari sports-car was found engulfed in flames on the side of the road, late Wednesday night. Authorities to reports of a vehicle fire on the eastbound SR-118 Freeway near Desoto Avenue in the Chatsworth area around 11:12 PM. Units arriving on scene found a black Ferrari sports car with fire showing from the engine compartment. Firefighters responded to the scene and quickly extinguished the blaze but the flames had already spread to the majority of the vehicle. No injuries were reported and the occupants from the vehicle did not appear to remain on scene.
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Fire Rips Through Large Hillside Studio City Home
A fire partially collapsed a hillside Studio City home early Friday morning, but no one was seriously hurt.
The blaze broke out before 3:40 a.m. in the 3700 block of North Eureka Drive. Los Angeles Fire Department crews arrived on scene to find the 2,282-square-foot home engulfed in flames. The two people in the home safely evacuated. The fire was actively burning in the center of the home, forcing crews to take a more defensive position. Firefighters had to ask the L.A. Department of Water and Power to increase water pressure in order to better battle the flames. The number of hose lines available to firefighters was impacted because of the poor pressure, LAFD said.
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Big Rig Fire on 210 Freeway
At 4:02AM on March 5, 2020 the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported tractor fire on the eastbound 210 Freeway near the 118 Freeway. Firefighters found heavy fire from the tractor (only) of a big rig. The fire was extinguished with no injuries.
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Fire Prevented from Damaging Building in DTLA
At 12:49PM on March 8, 2020 the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported rubbish fire in the 14800 block of S Mateo in Downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters found a large, outside fire and fully extinguished it with no injuries reported.
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Homeless Encampment Fire Spreads To Building In Van Nuys
An outdoor fire that started at a homeless encampment spread to a nearby commercial building, early Thursday morning. Authorities responded to reports of an outdoor fire burning in the 15500 block of West Cabrito road in the Van Nuys area around 1:14 AM. Units arriving on scene located a large homeless encampment on fire with flames spreading to a nearby commercial building. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze before it could spread any further into the building. The bulk of the fire was extinguished in under 30 minutes but the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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Photo by LAFD Fire Station 83
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Eucalyptus Tree Fire
It was just after 3AM, with a full moon hanging in the sky and a light rain falling, as members from Fire Station 83 arrived on the scene of a large eucalyptus tree fire. It wouldn’t take long, however, for these same members to knock down the fire and squelch the flames.
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5 people injured in Van Nuys multi-car crash
Emergency crews responded to a multi-vehicle crash in Van Nuys Friday evening that left one person in critical condition. The crash happened in the 6400 block of N. Van Nuys Boulevard just after 6:30 p.m. resulting in five people being injured, according to Margaret Stewart with the Los Angeles Fire Department. Four of the five crash victims suffered minor injuries and another was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, according to the L.A. Fire Department. That person's age and gender is unknown at this time.
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Video Courtesy of Greg Doyle
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Rider Rescued After Falling Off Horse In Granada Hills
A woman was seriously injured after falling off a horse in Granada Hills.
First responders were dispatched at around 8:30 a.m. to a trail on the 18000 block of West Rinaldi Street, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Officials did not release details about the extent of her injuries. The horse did not suffer any injuries and was secured in its stall.
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12-year-old boy suffers cardiac arrest, dies after being struck by vehicle in South LA
A boy suffered cardiac arrest and died after being struck by a vehicle Tuesday morning at an intersection in South Los Angeles, officials said. The collision occurred shortly before 7:30 a.m. in the 100 block of East King Boulevard, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene. "Despite bystander CPR and quick LAFD Firefighter/Paramedic action, the child was beyond medical help," the statement said.
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Auto Roll Over LAFD 81's Panorama City
LAFD Firefighters and Paramedics arrived on scene of a pickup truck that had rolled over on its side, with the driver requiring medical assistance and transportation to a local hospital.
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South L.A. stolen vehicle pursuit ends with crash; 2 people extricated
A pursuit of a stolen vehicle ended with a crash on the 110 Freeway in South Los Angeles Tuesday, officials said. At least two people was safely extricated from the car after the vehicle crashed into a barrier along the 110 Freeway Slauson Avenue off-ramp around 8:05 p.m., the Los Angeles Fire Department said. A man and a woman who were inside the vehicle were transported to a hospital in critical condition, the department said. Footage from the scene showed the vehicle perched up on its side, blocking two of its doors. The stolen vehicle was being pursued by the Los Angeles Police Department in the South Park neighborhood at the time of the crash, officials said.
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Photo Courtesy of Key News Network
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Woman Killed, Man Wounded in Double Shooting in Woodland Hills
Woodland Hills, CA: At 1:07 a.m. Thursday morning, LAPD Topanga Division along with Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a call of gunshots in the 23000 block of Gainford Street. Upon arrival, a woman was found deceased from a gunshot wound reportedly to the head, along with a male in his 50's suffering from a gunshot wound in critical condition. LAFD transported the male victim to a local hospital. This is an ongoing investigation.
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2 Die When Small Plane Crashes in Sylmar
Two people were killed Friday when a single-propeller airplane crashed in Sylmar. The crash near the Golden State (5) Freeway was reported at 2:52 p.m., said county fire department spokesman Marvin Lin. "It's actually in the hills above the Sunshine Canyon Landfill, near the intersection of Sunshine Canyon and San Fernando Road," said county fire department spokesman Sean Ferguson. Los Angeles city firefighters and sheriff's deputies from the Santa Clarita station also aided in the search. The search for the wreckage was hampered by difficult terrain and poor visibility. Crews did not reach the crash site until after 5 p.m., officials said.
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Suspected DUI Driver Crashes Dodge Challenger Into Home In Rancho Park
A suspected DUI driver was in custody after crashing into a home, early Thursday morning. Authorities responded to reports of a traffic collision in the 2900 block of Veteran Avenue in the Rancho Park area around 1:18 AM. Units arriving on scene located a dark-colored Dodge Challenger that had crashed into the front of a single-story home. No injuries were reported to the driver of residents inside the home but crews remained on scene to evaluate the structural integrity of the home. Officers administered field sobriety tests on the driver before placing him under arrest on suspicion of DUI.
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Photo by Instagram User onceadaykeepsdahexaway
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LAFD Assists Echo Park Lake Swimmer
On March 4, local LAFD Fire Crews arrived at the edges of Echo Park Lake following 911 caller reports of “something, possibly somebody” in the water. While those reports did end up being true that someone was in the water, they were thankfully not in distress. It merely turned out to be a man who didn’t realize that you weren’t supposed to swim here. Firefighters assisted the man in exiting the water.
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Preparations for the rain in California wildfire burn areas
The hillsides in Brentwood may be like other fire zones with burnt homes still dotting the neighborhood on Sky Lane, but Captain Erik Scott with LA City Fire says a lot of rich-looking green grass from previous rains has sprouted along the fire-ravaged landscape. Scott likes to call this rain 'beneficial rain' and says, "As we look down we see all of this green grass that's really helping to absorb some of the rains that have already happened and will continue to do so." While some of the hillsides do have a carpet of rich-looking green grass, other areas are still grass-deprived. Twigs and branches from bushes and trees are still parched, and while homeowners like Barry Reed remember how concerned he was about the intensity of the damaging flames he says of the oncoming rain, "I wouldn't be too concerned about it at this point."
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Video Courtesy of the LAFD
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6 LAFD Firefighters Under Precautionary Quarantine After Treating Woman With Coronavirus
Six Los Angeles Fire Department firefighters are under a self-quarantine after coming in contact with an individual who has since been diagnosed with coronavirus, according to the department. The action was taken following a March 2 incident at Union Station involving a woman complaining of difficulty breathing. The female patient didn’t meet risk criteria at the time for coronavirus and declined transportation by the fire department to the local hospital. On March 13, the department learned that the woman subsequently tested positive for coronavirus. “Six of our firefighters have been recommended by L.A. County Department of Public Health to self-quarantine for the next three days, which will meet the 14-day quarantine requirement,” Scott said. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fever, cough and shortness of breath may appear within two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. Scott said none of the firefighters are showing symptoms at this time.
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Photo by Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda
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Firefighters Adopt New Routines for Coronavirus Pandemic
As the World Health Organization declared the international outbreak of the coronavirus to be a global epidemic this week, the health crisis ground everyday activities to a halt in the United States. From the outset, fire departments and EMS agencies around the country have been on the front lines of the outbreak, bringing with it a unique set of risks as first responders come in contact with infected patients. In Kirkland, WA—a suburb of Seattle—more than 25 firefighters
have been quarantined
after dealing with cases of the virus at a local care center. This week, an
FDNY EMT
and firefighters in
Alameda, CA
and
San Jose, CA
both tested positive for the virus.
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Photo Courtesy of UnifiedLA
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LA Marathon officials moved swiftly to add anti-coronavirus safeguards
With amped-up anti-coronavirus safeguards in place, more than 20,000 runners hit the streets of Los Angeles — loping from Dodger Stadium, down Hollywood Boulevard, the Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive and all the way to the Santa Monica Pier — for the 35th Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 8. One serious medical condition was reported among the participants. A 30-year-old male runner was discovered on the ground near Main and Fourth Street, just after Mile Marker 3, suffering from an “altered level of consciousness,” Capt. Erik Scott, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department, told City News Service. Scott said the man was found by an LADOT worker, treated at the scene by paramedics and taken to local hospital in serious condition. No further information was available.
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LAFD Speaks To Importance of “Close Before You Doze”
We join LAFD Captain Branden Silverman as he talks about why it is important to close your home’s doors before you head to sleep at night. Words sometimes don’t carry the gravity of the situation, and to emphasize this subject further, Captain Silverman walks viewers through a home that recently suffered a fire at night and had both open and closed doors inside.
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Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters
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Captain
Elmer E. Olson (Ret.)
Deceased: 03/16/2020
Appointment: 04/08/1961
Assignment: FS 88-B
Retired: 09/07/1981
Fireman
William M. Dunsmore (Ret.)
Deceased: 03/06/2020
Appointment: 08/01/1990
Retired: 03/01/1976
Fireman
Kenneth W. Pedler Jr (Ret.)
Deceased: 02/22/2020
Appointment: 02/01/1955
Assignment: FS 104
Retired: 02/01/1975
Firefighter II
Francis “Gene” Hill (Ret.)
Deceased: 12/02/2019
Appointment: 06/27/1959
Assignment: FS 112-A
Retired: 08/05/1979
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Firefighter II
Reginald D. Duffin (Ret.)
Deceased: 02/16/2020
Appointment: 02/01/1955
Assignment: Tractor Company
Retired: 06/01/1980
Firefighter III
Harold A. Dils (Ret.)
Deceased: 02/03/2020
Appointment: 08/23/1969
Assignment: FS 110-A
Retired: 03/01/2001
Engineer
Don L. Gillet (Ret.)
Deceased: 1/30/2020
Appointment: 06/16/1953
Assignment: FS 50-B
Retired: 06/01/1980
Battalion Chief
Thomas M. Burau (Ret.)
Deceased: 01/25/2020
Appointment: 02/20/1971
Assignment: Disaster Preparedness Section
Retired: 01/08/2005
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Fireman
John W. Potter (Ret.)
Deceased: 01/25/2020
Appointment: 04/18/1959
Assignment: FS 16-C
Retired: 08/21/1986
Captain II
John M. Wigfield (Ret.)
Deceased: 01/19/2020
Appointment: 02/09/1963
Assignment: FS 80-C
Retired: 03/05/1997
Firefighter II
Robert D. Bonk (Ret.)
Deceased: 01/15/2020
Appointment: 09/23/1957
Assignment: FS 51-C
Retired: 06/10/1986
Deputy Chief
Albert L. Schultz (Ret.)
Deceased: 01/12/2020
Appointment: 01/29/1959
Assignment: Bureau of Support Services
Retired: 03/01/1984
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2018 LAFD Year In Review Photo Book
On behalf of the more than 3,400 Firefighters, Paramedics, Dispatchers, Pilots, and Inspectors of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City IAFF Local 112 (UFLAC), we are proud to present the 2018 Los Angeles Fire Department Year in Review photo book. UFLAC’s mission is to lead the way to protect and advocate for the health, safety, working conditions, wages and benefits of our members and their families. This publication helps to tell the story of our dedicated members who protect lives and property in Los Angeles 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
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In 2018, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 453,000 emergency calls for service throughout the City of Los Angeles - an average of 1,200 emergency calls per day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, we are ready to answer any call that may come our way. UFLAC is honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD. Click
HERE
to view this publication.
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About UFLAC:
Since 1918, UFLAC has been the labor organization of the proud men and women that serve as firefighters and emergency medical responders protecting the City of Los Angeles. The members of the Los Angeles Fire Department rely on UFLAC to focus on the wellbeing and safety of those that protect the lives of others. For more information, visit
www.uflac.org
.
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