June 12, 2020
Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…
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Presenting UFLAC's 2019 LAFD Year In Review
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 2019 Los Angeles Fire Department Year in Review. 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 book helps to tell the story of our dedicated First Responders who protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety.
In 2019, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to approximately 462,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,265 calls per-day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than 4 million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest fire departments in the country and 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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IAFF Podcast: LAFD – The Boyd Street Incident
Click on the photo above or
here
to listen to a powerful discussion about the May 16th explosion in a downtown Los Angeles pot shop that injured 12 LAFD/Local 112 members. Captain Scott Barkley and Fire Apparatus Operator Ian Soriano walk us through the incident, the injuries they sustained and their road to eventual recovery. IAFF 10th District Vice President Frank Lima and UFLAC Local 112 President Freddy Escobar also speak on their response as IAFF leaders to support their injured members and families in their time of need.
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Video courtesy of OnScene.TV
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Brush fire erupts off 405 Freeway in Sepulveda Pass, burns 50 acres; two firefighters minorly injured
Los Angeles firefighters appeared to have flames from a brush fire that erupted off the 405 Freeway in Bel Air under control Wednesday morning after the blaze scorched at least 50 acres. The blaze, dubbed the Sepulveda Fire, was burning amid hot and dry conditions with winds up to 9 mph, officials said. Officials said containment was at 25% as of 8:30 a.m. By about 2:45 a.m., forward progress of the fire was stopped as about 200 LAFD firefighters worked to extinguish flames. L.A. County Fire crews and helicopters assisted in the firefight by ground and air.
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Fire Chief Terrazas Talks About LAFD
Responses During COVID-19/Protests
Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas joined Mayor Eric Garcetti and other city leaders in a press conference on June 1 where he discussed LAFD operations during the continuing COVID-19 environment and recent protests.
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Commercial Fire Destroys Building In Los Angeles
A commercial building was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. Authorities responded to reports of a commercial structure fire burning in the 19500 block of South Staunton Avenue around 12:01 AM. Crews arriving on scene located a 100-foot-by-250-foot commercial building with heavy showing. Nearly 160 firefighters worked for just over an hour before achieving knockdown on the fire.
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Brush Fire Threatens Apartment Building In Van Nuys
A brush fire threatened an apartment building but was quickly contained, Tuesday night. Authorities responded to reports of a tree fire burning behind an apartment building located in the 15600 block of Vanowen Street in the Van Nuys area around 9:00 PM. Units arriving on scene located a tree fire that had spread to brush and was threatening a nearby apartment building prompting citizens to try and attack the flames with garden hoses. Firefighters worked to quickly extinguish the fire but were delayed by arcing caused by a downed power line.
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Firefighters battle blaze at downtown L.A. produce market as propane tanks explode outside: LAFD
Firefighters battled a blaze that erupted and spread into a produce market in downtown Los Angeles Monday, the L.A. Fire Department said. Propane tanks were seen exploding outside of the one-story building at 815 Kohler St., fire officials said after the blaze was reported around 3:20 p.m. The fire was dubbed a major emergency incident about 20 minutes after it ignited and 112 firefighters responded to the scene, going into defensive mode. Parts of the roof collapsed and a wall buckled as crews continued to battle the flames, extinguishing the fire nearly two hours after responding. Fire officials said high winds made extinguishing the flames more difficult.
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Pair of Pre-Dawn Wildfires During L.A. Heat Wave
It was a busy overnight for the men and women of your Los Angeles Fire Department prior to an anticipated heat wave, as they responded to 404 emergencies citywide between dusk and dawn, including a pair of quickly controlled wildfires early June 9, 2020 in El Sereno and the Hollywood Hills, that were stopped before causing injury or property damage.
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LAFD Fire Chief Speaks During Structure Fire
Los Angeles City Fire Department Chief Ralph Terrazas spoke at length to NBC LA on Saturday evening, May 30, 2020, regarding LAFD operations during protests and later civil disturbance that took place in Los Angeles following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020. During the Chief’s interview, resources were engaged in containing a structure fire.
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Downtown Los Angeles Church Fire Under Investigation
Arson investigators were on the scene of a church fire in downtown Los Angeles Tuesday night. According to the L.A. Fire Department, it took 36 firefighters roughly 38 minutes to extinguish the fire that spread through the walls, floor and attic spaces of the near the Saint Turibius Roman Catholic Church in the 1500 block of South Essex Street, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. There were no reported injuries and the cause of the fire was still under investigation. LAFD said arson investigators were called to the scene because it was a place of worship.
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Firefighters Rescue Dog From Fully Engulfed Home In Vermont Square
A dog was rescued from a home that was engulfed in flames, early Wednesday morning. Authorities responded to reports of a structure fire burning at a home located in the 4200 block of South Western Avenue in the Vermont Square area around 3:18 AM. Crews arriving on scene located a single-story home with heavy fire showing and initiated an aggressive fire attack. Firefighters were able to prevent the flames from spreading and entered the burning home to rescue a dog that was still inside.
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Firefighters Douse Flames Inside Van Nuys Strip Mall
Around 8:00 p.m. the Los Angeles Fire Department “found” a fire at a strip mall that had been looted in the 15700 block of Vanowen Street. There had been a report of a shooting at the scene, but the Fire Department did not find any patients or suspects. The blaze damaged at least three units before crews managed to extinguish the flames, according to LAFD. Some 71 firefighters worked to put out the fire. No injuries were reported.
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Fire Erupts Near Dodger Stadium
A small brush first broke out near Dodger Stadium Saturday.
The fire was approximately 2 acres, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the California Highway Patrol temporarily closed the northbound lanes of the 110 Freeway from the 101 Freeway interchange. The California Highway Patrol issued a SigAlert, shutting down the
Stadium Way on-ramp and off-ramp, along with the Hill Street on-ramp.
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Crews gain control of small brush fire that erupted near Franklin Canyon in Beverly Crest; no structures threatened
Firefighters have gained control of a small brush fire that erupted near Franklin Canyon in Beverly Crest Sunday morning. Flames ignited around 9 a.m. in the area of 1300 North Lake Drive and scorched about 3 acre of medium to heavy brush, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. They did not threaten any structures or neighborhoods. While wind is not a factor, crews on the ground had difficulty accessing the blaze as it slowly burned uphill, the Fire Department said. Aerial units dropped water as ground crews made their way to the lay hose lines, according to authorities.
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Crews Quickly Bring Eagle Rock Brush Fire Under Control
Crews quickly got control of a brush fire which broke out in Eagle Rock in the early Monday morning hours amid hot, dry conditions blasting fierce winds across the region. The blaze erupted in the 4700 block of North Townsend Avenue before 2:40 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The blaze grew to about four acres amid thick brush. Using a ground and air attack, crews were able to extinguish the fire within about one hour.
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Carport Fire Destroys Five Cars, Damages Apartment In Panorama City
Five cars were destroyed and an apartment was damaged when a fire broke out in an attached carport, early Saturday morning. Crews arriving on scene located multiple vehicles engulfed in flames that were quickly spreading to a carport attached to an apartment. Additional resources responded and firefighters worked to quickly extinguish the flames.
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Wind-Fueled Brush Fire Burns Four Acres In Lake Balboa
A wind-fueled brush fire burned about four acres, early Monday morning. Crews arriving on scene located the fire burning in heavy vegetation and attacked the blaze from the air and ground. By about 5:00 AM the bulk of the blaze had been extinguished after burning approximately four acres of brush.
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Protestors block 101 Freeway, smash patrol car window in downtown L.A. during protest over George Floyd’s death
Hundreds of protestors took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles Wednesday for a demonstration in the name of George Floyd, a black man who died after being pinned beneath a Minneapolis police officer’s knee. A large group broke away and got onto the 101 Freeway around 6 p.m., blocking traffic on both sides of the freeway during rush hour as Los Angeles Police Department officers and Los Angeles Fire Department units responded. Firefighters were later seen treating the person, who was lying on the ground in the midst of the crowd, before transporting him in an ambulance. Officials did not provide information on the person’s condition.
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2 Talked Down From Hollywood Overpass, Downtown LA High-Rise
Firefighters and LAPD officers worked to talk two people off a freeway overpass and a Downtown LA high-rise, respectively, over the past three days. Just after midnight Tuesday, firefighters were called to the Renaissance Tower, 501 W. Olympic Blvd., “to mitigate the psychological crisis of a woman” on the roof of the 17-story building. The Los Angeles Fire Department said a rescue air cushion on the 9th floor, eight floors below the roof. The woman was safely taken into custody just after 2 a.m. On Sunday, the Los Angeles Fire Department said another patient threatened to jump off the Hollywood Boulevard overpass onto the 101 Freeway in Hollywood at about 1:30 p.m. Both directions of the freeway were ultimately closed while firefighters and police officers worked to talk the person down.
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Person holding ‘sword-type weapon’ fatally shot by police in North Hollywood
A person armed with what officials called a “sword-type weapon” was fatally shot by police in North Hollywood Wednesday afternoon. Upon arrival, they encountered a male holding the weapon and “an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Ramirez said without elaborating. The person was struck and fell to the ground before being taken into custody. Los Angeles Fire Department officials declared him dead at the scene and he has not been identified, Ramirez said.
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Traffic Collision with Entrapment in South L.A. involving LAPD
The Los Angeles Fire Department responded when eight people were injured, including two critically, in an multi-vehicle traffic collision involving a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car, at the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Main Street on June 3, 2020.
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LAFD Rescues Hiker After Fall In Studio City
A woman in her 50s was rescued by helicopter in Studio City off Coldwater Canyon and Mulholland on Sunday night after a hiking injury, the Los Angeles Fire Department said. She was hoisted into an LAFD helicopter at about 8:20 p.m. to be taken to UCLA Medical Center in the Westwood area.
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Firefighters Free Man Trapped In Car After Crash In Exposition Park
Firefighters freed a man who became trapped in his vehicle after crashing, early Friday morning. Authorities responded to reports of a traffic collision with a person trapped at the intersection of South Budlong Avenue and West Jefferson Boulevard in the Exposition Park area. Crews arriving on scene located a two-vehicle traffic collision involving an SUV and a white sedan that had collided with a traffic signal pole before coming to rest against a building. The male driver inside the vehicle was trapped as a result of the crash and was free using the Jaws of Life and other power tools.
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Double Shooting Investigation Underway In San Fernando
A double shooting that injured two was under investigation, Thursday evening. One of the patients was driven to a nearby hospital prior to the arrival of authorities but later returned to the scene. The second victim, a female, was treated on scene by firefighter paramedics before being transported to Holy Cross Medical Center.
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Civilians Injured During Pursuit Of Looters In Tarzana
A pursuit of two suspected looters ended with a crash that injured two civilian motorists, Monday night. The driver of the minivan failed to yield to officers and fled before crashing into a white Toyota Prius in Tarzana. Both suspects were quickly apprehended but the crash left two occupants from the Toyota injured. Firefighter paramedics treated and transported both civilians to an area hospital for treatment.
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Woman Seriously Injured By Hit & Run Driver In Northridge
A woman was seriously injured after being struck by a hit-and-run driver, early Thursday morning. Units arriving on scene located a female down in the roadway after being struck by a driver who fled the scene. Firefighter paramedics treated the female on scene before transporting her to Northridge Hospital in serious condition.
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Woman Found Stabbed At Chevron Gas Station In Van Nuys
A woman was found stabbed at a Chevron gas station, late Wednesday night. Units arriving on scene located an approximately 20-30 year-old woman suffering from multiple stab wounds at a Chevron gas station. Firefighter paramedics treated the woman on scene before transporting her to Holy Cross Medical Center in unknown condition.
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Los Angeles opens its largest coronavirus testing site at Dodger Stadium
The city of Los Angeles opened its largest coronavirus testing site Tuesday at Dodger Stadium, where up to 6,000 people can be tested daily. “This builds on our work we’ve been doing [over the] past weeks and months,” Mayor Eric Garcetti said during a news conference, shortly after being one of the first people tested at the new site. “We want testing to be easy, accessible and free for everybody here in Los Angeles.” The city is partnering with the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Community Organized Relief Effort, a nonprofit co-founded by Sean Penn, which will oversee operations and have 60 staffers helping.
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Photo by Lance Cpl. Andrew Cortez / U.S. Marine Corps
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What’s that smell of fire? It is likely training at Camp Pendleton
If you’re smelling smoke, likely it’s coming from an annual fire training school at Camp Pendleton.
Fire agencies from across Southern California are setting and putting out live wildland fires. The training not only helps firefighters refine their skills, but benefits the Marines by clearing flammable vegetation from the areas where they train on Camp Pendleton’s vast ranges. The training began on Monday, June 1, and is expected to run through Friday. Participating departments include the Orange County Fire Authority, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, Los Angeles Fire Department, Glendale Fire Department along with eight other departments.
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Photo courtesy of the LAFD
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Hollywood Bowl’s Special Message
It was a busy night for Los Angeles Fire Department crews in Hollywood, who rose before dawn June 9, 2020 to extinguish some fast moving flames from a wildfire before they could damage the landmark Hollywood Bowl. Those same LAFD responders were deeply humbled by the kindness of Hollywood Bowl staff who publicly shared their appreciation with a special marquee message as crews departed the scene.
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Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters
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Firefighter II
Homer J. Erickson (Ret.)
Deceased: 06/02/2020
Appointment: 01/28/1957
Assignment: FS 80
Retired: 02/17/1983
Fire Inspector I
Richard L. Mendenhall (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/27/2020
Appointment: 01/15/1979
Assignment: FS 18
Retired: 09/03/2005
Engineer
Monroe R. Stewart Jr (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/27/2020
Appointment: 05/28/1951
Assignment: FS 72-C
Retired: 06/01/1970
Fireman
Ferdinand Tichenor (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/25/2020
Appointment: 07/22/1946
Assignment: FS 93
Retired: 06/01/1974
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Captain I
James L. Maza (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/25/2020
Appointment: 02/03/1958
Assignment: FS 24-B
Retired: 05/01/2002
Engineer
Michael W. Henry (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/13/2020
Appointment: 04/13/1968
Assignment: FS 95
Retired: 01/23/1999
Captain
Lawrence J. Mc Polin (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/14/2020
Appointment: 07/02/1956
Assignment: FS1-A
Retired: 01/22/1981
Engineer
Ralph L. Brownell Sr (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/07/2020
Appointment: 11/02/1963
Assignment: FS 101
Retired: 12/17/1989
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Engineer
Brian B. Zeiner (Ret.)
Deceased: 05/05/2020
Appointment: 04/30/1966
Assignment: FS 93-B
Retired: 070/07/1996
Captain I
Ray E. Van Blarcom
Deceased: 05/01/2020
Appointment: 04/13/1986
Assignment: FS 69-A
Captain
James H. Wheeler II (Ret.)
Deceased: 03/13/2020
Appointment: 03/10/1962
Assignment: FS 73-C
Retired: 07/15/1991
Battalion Chief
Donald B. Grant (Ret.)
Deceased: 04/12/2020
Appointment: 11/24/1962
Assignment: Battalion 17-B
Retired: 12/27/1988
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2019 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 2019, 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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