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March 10, 2023

Here’s the latest news impacting Los Angeles Firefighters…


Feature

'Every second counts:' LAFD chief aims to tackle increased response times, staffing shortages

The Los Angeles Fire Department is busier than ever. There was the COVID-19 pandemic, then add to that the homeless crisis, the rise in fentanyl overdoses and an uptick in violent crime. Last year, the LAFD responded to nearly 500,000 incidents, 46,000 more incidents than the average between 2016 and 2019 prior to the pandemic - which is about 10% higher. "We are over worked," said LAFD paramedic Jonathan Valenzuela. As a result of the call volume, LAFD response times have increased citywide. EMS and non-EMS responders both took a minute longer in January 2023 compared to January 2016.

ABC7


Los Angeles County building burns in Historic South-Central; 2 firefighters injured

An office building that houses several Los Angeles County agencies in the Historic South-Central neighborhood of South L.A. burned early Wednesday morning, leaving two firefighters injured. The blaze at 2615 S. Grand Ave. was reported at about 4 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, they found “heavy fire” emanating from the six-story building’s top floor. Ultimately, 160 firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in less than an hour. “At this time, everything has been confined to (one) building,” said Capt. Jacob Raabe of the LAFD. “We made sure that the entire building was evacuated and just protected everyone and had them shelter in place in the surrounding buildings.” About 30 minutes after the report of a knockdown, fire officials confirmed that one LAFD Firefighter was being treated by paramedics for “smoke inhalation sustained during the fierce firefight.”

KTLA5


Three LAPD Officers Hospitalized in Lincoln Heights Shooting

Three Los Angeles Police Department officers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries Wednesday after they were shot during a confrontation outside an apartment in Lincoln Heights. A lengthy standoff followed the shooting in the community east of downtown Los Angeles, where officers at the scene told NBCLA the shooter has died. It was not immediately clear how the man died. Authorities encouraged residents to stay indoors and lock their doors near the apartment located at North Mission Road and North Broadway. The officers were believed to have been injured as they were searching for a person who got out of a vehicle after a traffic stop.

NBC4


Four People, Five Animals Rescued Near Sepulveda Basin

Three homeless men, one woman, four dogs and a cat were rescued by Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter personnel near a remote and heavily flooded area near the Sepulveda Flood Control Basin, authorities said Saturday. LAFD rescue workers were called at 11:12 p.m. Friday to the 15700 block of West Burbank Boulevard near Haskell Creek where the helicopter hovered over the area at water level to rescue the victims and the animals, LAFD spokesman Brian Humphrey said. The homeless victims and the pets were flown directly to the LAFD Air Operations facility at Van Nuys Airport, where they were evaluated by LAFD paramedics. Medical staff determined that two of the victims were suffering from hypothermia and were taken to a hospital for treatment, said Humphrey.

KFI


UFLAC Advocates for Firefighter Safety at IAFF Legislative Conference

The Executive Board was proud to represent our UFLAC members in Washington D.C. at the annual International Association of Fire Fighters Legislative Conference focusing on firefighter safety and other critical issues, including the removal of cancer causing PFAS chemicals that are a part of firefighter turnout gear in the Los Angeles Fire Department and throughout the country.

UFLAC


Fire Watch

Fire Destroys South Los Angeles Mattress & Box Spring Business

A massive fire ripped through a South Los Angeles mattress and box spring warehouse, destroying it early Thursday. The blaze was reported around 5:30 a.m. at the intersection of Maies and 76th Street. The fire was still smoldering hours later and firefighters remained on scene making sure all hotspots were fully extinguished.

KTLA5


Fire hits vacant North Hollywood building — and LAFD has been there before

Fighting in a defensive mode, firefighters contained and quickly put out a fire at a one-story commercial building early Friday morning in North Hollywood. And it wasn’t the first time the Los Angeles Fire Department has put out a fire at the location. Fire crews were called at 12:27 a.m. to 6669 Lankershim Blvd. and Archwood Street where they found flames coming from the vacant building, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman Nicholas Prange. It took 34 firefighters 24 minutes to extinguish the flames.

LA Daily News


Fire Damages Unit, Attic at Multi-Family Structure in Pico-Union Area

Fire damaged a unit and the attic of a multi-family residential structure in the Pico-Union community of Los Angeles Saturday. Firefighters dispatched at 8:05 a.m. Saturday to 1600 S. Orchard Ave. had the blaze out within 13 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA


Fire Damages Attic at Three-Story North Hollywood Apartment Building

Fire damaged an attic of a three-story apartment building in North Hollywood Sunday. Firefighters dispatched at 12:06 p.m. to 12650 W. Oxnard St. had the fire out within 15 minutes of their arrival, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. No injuries were reported.

MyNewsLA


Firefighters Knock Down Westlake Structure Fire

Los Angeles firefighters successfully extinguished a fire in a two-story structure in Westlake Thursday. The incident was reported around 3:50 p.m. at 220 South Hoover Street, where 67 firefighters took about 25 minutes to access and contain the flames, fire officials said. There were no reported injuries.

MyNewsLA


LAFD Battles Garage Fire with Tesla

LAFD responded to a Well Involved Garage Fire with a Tesla in the garage. It is unknown if the Tesla is the reason the fire started. The vehicle's battery flared multiple times after the bulk of the fire was knocked down.

TNLA


First Responder News

1 dead, 3 injured, including infant, after violent 2-car crash in North Hollywood

One person has died and three others, including an infant, were injured Sunday night after a violent two-car crash caused a vehicle to overturn, trapping two victims inside the wreckage. Crews with the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to the scene, located at 11482 West Magnolia Boulevard, just after 7 p.m. in North Hollywood. A preliminary investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department revealed that a female driver in a gray sedan traveling northbound on the 170 Freeway exited at Magnolia Boulevard and ran a red light, striking a dark colored Honda CRV carrying three people, including a 10-month-old infant.

KTLA5


Car crashes into flood control channel in Tujunga; 1 killed

A vehicle careened into a flood control channel in Tujunga Friday afternoon, killing one person and injuring two others. According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, a black Mercedes carrying three male occupants went down an embankment on La Tuna Canyon Road around 3:10 p.m. One of the men was fatally injured when he was ejected into the channel, and the other two passengers “self-evacuated” and were transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, LAFD said.

KTLA5


Man Rescued from Water in Pacoima Flood Control Channel

A 23-year-old was rescued from water in a flood control channel tunnel Tuesday in Pacoima. Several 911 callers reported the teenager in the wash, who was clinging to a concrete divider in a narrow section of the channel near Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The channel contains about 18 inches of storm water runoff running at about 8 to 10 mph, according to firefighters. The water wasn't deep, but firefighters said the bottom of the concrete channel is extremely slippery. "The deceiving thing is the main part of the channel is slippery with moss, so once you get in there you can't stand up even though you won't be submerged," said team member Tom Henzgen. "You can't get yourself out, and when you try and get yourself out you see this concrete over rock. It tears your skin up." The man was in a tunnel where the concrete wash crosses under streets and the 5 Freeway. Swift-water rescue team members staged in the 10700 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard. The man was pulled into a raft by rescuers and transported to a hospital.

NBC4


Hypothermia Victims Rushed to Hospital from Tujunga Wash

Two people and a cat who were camping inside a vehicle in a remote section of the Tujunga Wash were rescued by helicopter Sunday after the area filled with storm water. Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 9:25 a.m. Sunday to 11200 Oro Vista Ave., at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Authorities said the vehicle was parked on what was once dry land. "Though no imminent physical peril, the pair exhibited signs of hypothermia upon LAFD contact, and accepted an offer of medical care," said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

KFI


Firefighters Rescue Several People Underneath Laurel Canyon Bridge

Los Angeles City Fire Department crews rescued several people Thursday from a wash under the Laurel Canyon Bridge in Pacoima. The individuals were on dry land near the rushing water, according to Nicholas Prange with the LAFD. Firefighters set up a rope system for safety during the operation. Crews helped those people move to a safer location on higher ground, said Prange.

MyNewsLA


Pursuit crash: 6 injured after teens crash reported stolen vehicle in Central LA

Two 20-year-olds were rushed to the hospital in critical condition when a police pursuit came to an end in Los Angeles’ Harvard Heights neighborhood overnight. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department were in pursuit of four teens in a vehicle that was reported stolen when it slammed into two other vehicles around 12:40 a.m. near the intersection of Washington Boulevard and Western Avenue.

Fox11


Driver injured when vehicle crashes into Van Nuys apartment building

A 75-year-old man was hospitalized Saturday evening after crashing his car into a Van Nuys apartment building. The crash was reported at 7:36 p.m. at 6840 N. Kester Ave., according to the Los Angeles Fire Department's Brian Humphrey. The man was the sole occupant of the sedan that entered a first-floor unit of a two-story, 20-unit apartment building, Humphrey said. There was no fire and no additional injuries were reported, Humphrey said. The man suffered an arm injury and paramedics took him to a regional trauma center in fair condition, he said.

CBS


Motorist Escapes Injury as Vehicle Crashes into Detached Garage in Venice

A motorist escaped with no injuries when his vehicle crashed into a detached garage Saturday at a home in Venice, causing a partial collapse to the structure, authorities said. Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 9:38 a.m. Saturday to 446 S. Westminster Ave., where the driver was trapped inside the wreckage at one point, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported. “LAFD firefighters used their Urban Search and Rescue training to extricate the patient,” said Nicholas Prange of the LAFD. “The patient was evaluated by paramedics as a precaution, but thankfully, had no complaint of injury.”

MyNewsLA


Mud, debris flow damages home in Beverly Crest, closes Mulholland Drive

A mud and debris flow damaged a hillside home in the Beverly Crest neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday morning. Los Angeles Fire Department crews responded to the 13100 block of Mulholland Drive where the mud flow has also damaged at least one power pole, officials said. They were alerted of the issue around 8:30 a.m. Mud fell down the yard and hillside of one home in the area, bringing down trees and compromising a power pole, aerial video from Sky5 showed. Three homes on the hillside were affected, but only one was evacuated as a precaution, officials said.

KTLA5/LAFD


Human remains located in water near Port of Los Angeles

Firefighters are working with law enforcement officials to remove human remains that were discovered in the water Monday afternoon. According to a statement from Los Angeles Fire Department, crews were dispatched to the Angels Gate area near of the Port of Los Angeles after human remains were reportedly discovered in the water. Firefighters are working with Los Angeles Port Police officials and the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office to recover the remains. "Unknown age, gender, body condition, attire, port or vessel affiliation, or circumstances," said a statement from LAFD in regards to the body.

CBS


Image courtesy of OnScene.TV

Collision Shears Fire Hydrant near Downtown Los Angeles

Firefighters are at the scene of a traffic collision that sheared a fire hydrant near downtown Los Angeles. The collision was reported at around 1:30 a.m. and firefighters responded to 1508 S. Alameda St. south of the Santa Monica (10) Freeway where they found the hydrant with water impacting a nearby commercial building at 1601 Alameda Ave., causing significant structural damage, said Los Angeles Fire Department spokeswoman Margaret Stewart. Firefighters contacted the Department of Water and Power to assist with shutting off the water and the LAPD will remain at the scene until there arrival, Stewart said.

MyNewsLA


National News

President Biden Headlines IAFF Legislative Conference

President Joe Biden made history March 6 when he addressed hundreds of IAFF members at the 2023 Alfred K. Whitehead Legislative Conference. It was the first time in 25 years that a sitting president spoke at an IAFF conference. Biden, a longtime supporter of the fire service, expressed his profound appreciation for fire fighters and EMS professionals, remarking, “People don’t appreciate you until they need you. When that bell rings … you jump in the truck, no matter what.” Biden’s commitment to fire fighters has been evident throughout his career. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his American Rescue Plan helped cities hire fire fighters and avoid massive layoffs. “You all know, the only thing that protects you is more fire fighters,” he said to a round of thunderous applause and a standing ovation. Most recently, the president signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), providing federal fire fighters with presumptive benefits for cancer, heart, and lung disease.

IAFF


Above & Beyond

Cardiac Arrest Survivor Reunited with LAFD Rescuers

Los Angeles City Firefighters and Paramedics responded to a man with a heart dysrhythmia, who then went into cardiac arrest in front of rescuers on scene. Their quick actions saved his life, and he was reunited with them on Wednesday at Fire Station 62 to say thank you. On August 6, 2022, at 11:00 AM, your LAFD received a 9-1-1 call to the 12500 block of Venice Boulevard, in the Mar Vista community of Los Angeles. Answering that 9-1-1 phone call was Firefighter/Dispatcher, Armando Diaz. Without delay, he acquired the necessary information and dispatched Engine 62 and Paramedic Rescue Ambulance 62 to the address of the emergency.

LAFD


In Remembrance
Remembering Our Fallen Brothers & Sisters

Captain

Alberto S. De La Pena

Deceased: 3/7/2023

Appointed: 9/1/1962

Assignment: FS 47

Retired: 2/28/1992


Fire Inspector II

Terrence M. Palmer

Deceased: 2/24/2023

Appointed: 4/13/1986

Assignment: FPB

Retired: 6/30/2018


Fire Inspector II

Donald W. Ainsworth

Deceased: 2/21/2023

Appointed: 11/24/1962

Assignment: FPB

Retired: 7/18/1999


Captain II

Gilbert B. Ramelli

Deceased: 2/15/2023

Appointed: 4/20/1963

Assignment: FS 3

Retired: 7/8/1999


Captain

Ronald G. McIntyre

Deceased: 2/13/2023

Appointed: 12/19/1955

Assignment: FS 92

Retired: 11/2/1989


Fire Inspector

Norman J. Balcaen

Deceased: 2/8/2023

Appointed: 4/30/1966

Assignment: Fire Prevention Harbor

Retired: 4/30/1986


Engineer

Myron "Mick" H. Davis

Deceased: 2/3/2023

Appointed: 7/22/1973

Assignment: FS 36

Retired: 7/26/2008


Captain I

Robert L. Kilpatrick Sr.

Deceased: 1/20/2023

Appointed: 4/27/1975

Assignment: OCD

Retired: 6/28/2008


Engineer

Ted F. Norton

Deceased: 1/17/2023

Appointed: 11/2/1963

Assignment: FS 42

Retired: 4/19/1992


Fire Inspector II

George W. Overturf

Deceased: 1/15/2023

Appointed: 9/1/1962

Assignment: Fire Prevention Unit

Retired: 8/15/2004


Captain

Alfred E. Fisher

Deceased: 1/9/2023

Appointed: 9/23/1957

Assignment: FS 60

Retired: 6/28/1980


Firefighter II

Harry R. Hopewell Jr.

Deceased: 1/9/2023

Appointed: 1/16/1965

Assignment: Operations Control Dispatch

Retired: 8/1/1977


UFLAC’s 2021 LAFD Year In Review
UFLAC is proud to present the 2021 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 publication tells the story of our dedicated First Responders who continued to protect lives and property in Los Angeles while risking their own safety during another extraordinary year.
In 2021, our Firefighters and Paramedics responded to more than 475,000 emergency calls for service throughout Los Angeles - an average of 1,300 calls per day. As an all-risk fire and rescue agency serving more than four million people, the LAFD is one of the busiest and most understaffed big city fire departments in the entire country. UFLAC is honored to help showcase the dedication and commitment demonstrated by the men and women of the LAFD. Click HERE to view the publication.
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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