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 LAFD INVITATIONAL
WOODLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB
Monday, October 16, 2023

GRAND PRIZE 2nd PRIZE 3rd PRIZE 4th PRIZE

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 VOL. XCVIV June 2023 NO. 10

• FEATURES •
39th Annual Lane Kemper Classic • .........................06

FF of the Year—Captain II Paul Egizi • ......................11

Attic Fires—Chief J. Flores LAFD • .......................12

• CONTENTS •
President’s Message • ...........................................................................05
Battalion News • .....................................................................................15
The Coasters
Social Media Influencers • ................................................................41
LAFD Fire Hogs 2022 Review • ..............................................................43
The Station Fridge • ...............................................................................45
Retirement Dinner Announcements • ....................................................46
Retired Guy
Things Not to Do • ..............................................................................47
LAFRA Mail • .........................................................................................48
Memorials • ...........................................................................................50
LAFD History
Drill Tower Part 3 • ..........................................................................52
Minutes of the Board of Trustees • ........................................................55
Classifieds • ...........................................................................................58
Tailboard
Old Fire Station 23 • ............................................................................61

Notice: Production of The Firemen’s Grapevine magazine is very expensive, and while your dues
serve to underwrite a portion of the magazine’s costs, the bulk of funding comes from advertisers.
Many businesses advertise in the Grapevine. This does not mean that LAFRA endorses these
advertisers. Use of a Grapevine advertiser is at the risk of the member. If you are interested in any
of the advertisements, we urge you to use any and all means at your disposal to investigate them.

COPYRIGHT © 2023
Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association.
No material may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

2 • June 2023
 On the cover: Firefighters battle a garage fire in 85’s first-in. Photo | Timothy Werle

Photo Inset: Firefighters battle a blaze in the Westlake area. Photo | Jason Stilwell

June 2023 • 3
 FIREMEN’S GRAPEVINE
owned and published by the
Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association
7470 N Figueroa Street, Los angeles CA 90041

EDITORIAL STAFF
John Hicks • Managing Editor............................................editor@lafra.org
Eric Santiago • Creative Editor...............................................eric@lafra.org
Display Advertising.................................................(323) 259-5200 ext. 231

PSO’s
Erik Scott, Nicholas Prange, Margaret Stewart

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Art Sorrentino, Deborah Lew, Mark Khitikian

PHOTOGRAPHERS
Gary Apodaca, David Blaire, Brandon Buckley, Chris Eckenrode, 564 Fire,
Greg Doyle, Harry Garvin, Yvonne Griffin, Justin Johnson, Gavin Kaufman, Mike
Meadows, Kyle Rausch, Jacob Salzman, Adam VanGerpen, Zak Holman

LOS ANGELES FIREMEN’S RELIEF ASSOCIATION

Chris Stine .............................................................President
Jim Duffy ........................................................Vice-President
Jim Dolan, Steve Ruda & Gene Bednarchik.......Community Affairs Liaisons

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Brian Wall JD Fox Mike Sailhamer
Cesar S. Garcia Jeff Halloran Milton Quintana
Craig White John Jacobsen Paul Duke
Danny Wu John Marasco Steve Berkery
Elber Navarro Juan Albarran Steve Tufts
Frank Aguirre Kenny Breskin Steven Jones
Henry Gasbarri Leon Dunn Tyler Tomich

CHAPLAINS
To contact a chaplain, please call Senior Chaplain, Tim Werle at
(213) 797-2404 or the MFC Floor Captain at (213) 576-8920

Kevin Smith..........................Chaplain Tim Werle............................Chaplain

Danny Leon..........................Chaplain Mark R. Wolf......................Chaplain
George A. Negrete..............Chaplain Jesus Pasos.........................Chaplain
Daniel Lee............................Chaplain Rick Godinez........................Chaplain

TELEPHONES
Fire-Relief ...............................................................(323) 259-5200
Relief Association Toll Free Number .........................(800) 244-3439
Relief Medical Plan ................................................. (866) 995-2372
Fax Number ................................................................(323) 259-5290

LAFRA MANAGEMENT
Todd Layfer • Executive Director.............................(323) 259-5243
Vivian Dang • Human Resources Director..................(323) 259-5247
Liberty Unciano • Controller/Treasurer..................(323) 259-5225
Bob Dillon • Operations Manager.............................(323) 259-5233
Marlene Casillas • Development & Marketing Director(323) 259-5217

HealthComp
Claims & Benefit Information...................................(866) 99-LAFRA
THE FIREMEN’S GRAPEVINE (USPS 191-060) is published monthly by the Los Angeles Firemen’s
Relief Association, 7470 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, Cal­i­for­nia 90041. Annual $48 Subscription
included with Association mem­ber­ship; Non-members: $60. Single issues $5 postpaid. Back issues $8
postpaid. Pe­ri­od­i­cals post­age paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing office. POST­MAS­TER: Send
ad­dress changes to: THE FIREMEN’S GRAPE­VINE Magazine, P.O. BOX 41903, Los An­ge­les, CA 90041.

Printed by Collective Color, Los Angeles CA. For Clas­si­fied and Display Ad­ver­tis­ing rates please call (323)
259-5200, ext. 231 or 253. All editorial matter must be received by the Editor eight weeks prior to the month of
pub­li­ca­tion. The opin­ions ex­pressed here­in are those of the writ­ers and do not nec­es­sar­i­ly reflect the official
views of the Los An­ge­les City Fire De­part­ment or the Los An­ge­les Firemen’s Relief Association.

4 • June 2023
 June was most likely named for the goddess Juno, the patron-
ess of marriage and childbirth. Another interpretation of the origins of
“June” says that the name came from the Latin juvenis, “young people,”
who were celebrated at this time. June is the month with the longest
daylight hours of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and conversely,
June has the shortest daylight hours of the year in the Southern Hemi-
sphere. Happy Father’s Day to all of you hardworking Firefighter Dads.
A special thanks to my father, who has always been a positive influence
on my life and career.
Did you know the Relief Association has an inventory of burial
plots that our members can purchase to lay their loved ones to rest?
Many members have used this benefit over the years, but we still have
several plots available throughout Southern California. What is the pro-
cess to secure a plot? Call the Relief Association to inquire what plots
are available. Once you have determined which plot you would like, the
Relief will confirm your discounted price of the plot. Yes, we have plots
that are significantly discounted for you and your family. The Relief As-
sociation also put an additional option in place for members and allowed
members to use their LAFRA death benefit to purchase a plot prior to
the death of the member. Please call LAFRA and ask to speak with one
our community affairs liaison’s about how much of your death benefit is
available to put towards the purchase of a burial plot.
On Saturday, June 10, 2023, the LAFD Fire Hogs M/C will host
their 2023 Fallen Heroes Memorial Ride and Auction. This will be the
25th year for this event, raising money for the Los Angeles Firemen’s
Relief Association, Widows, Orphans, & Disabled Firefighters Fund.
Over the years, the LAFD Fire Hogs have raised an impressive $650,000
for the fund with each of the last six years raising over $25,000 in this
one-day event. Last year, the Hogs had over 350 participants and raised
$35,000 for WODFF. Let’s make this another record year for the Fire
Hogs. This year, the event will start at the LAFD Museum, 1335 N.
Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood, Ca. Registration will begin at 8:00 A.M.,
and the ceremony will start at 9:30 A.M., with the ride starting at 10:30
A.M. If you are unable to make the ride you can join the fun at the
SAGEBRUSH CANTINA, located at 23527 Calabasas Rd, Calabasas,
CA 91302. The luncheon at the Sagebrush Cantina will start at 12:00
P.M. and will include door prizes, a raffle, live auction, and entertain-
ment.
LAFRA just completed Open Enrollment for our PPO medical
plan in April for coverage effective July 1, 2023. Last month, I addressed
the pre-Medicare subsidy increase of 6% by the pension department. If
you are active, please pay attention to your paystub in July if you are
on the LAFRA family plan. If you currently have the LAFRA PPO or
you are joining the LAFRA PPO July 1, 2023, you will be experienc-
ing a reduction in your out-of-pocket premium. Currently the family
out-of-pocket premium per paycheck is 46.16 and will be going down to
34.98 due to the upcoming negotiated MOU Health Insurance subsidy
increase of 5%. The LAFRA Board of Trustees would like to thank
UFLAC and the negotiating team for their hard work in maintaining
our health insurance subsidies to keep pace with increasing health care
costs. If you are a single or two party on the PPO medical, you will still
enjoy zero out-of-pocket cost per paycheck.
What is the No Surprise Act? As of January 1, 2022, consum-
ers have new billing protections when getting emergency care, non-
emergency care from out-of-network providers at in-network facilities,
and air ambulance services from out-of-network providers. Through
new rules aimed to protect consumers, excessive out-of-pocket costs are
restricted, and emergency services must continue to be covered without
any prior authorization and regardless of whether a provider or facility
is in-network. Previously, if consumers had health coverage and got care
from an out-of-network provider, their health plan usually wouldn’t cov-
er the entire out-of-network cost. This left many with higher costs than if
they’d been seen by an in-network provider. This is especially common
in an emergency, where consumers might not be able to choose the pro-
vider. Even if a consumer goes to an in-network hospital, they might get
care from out-of-network providers at that facility. In many cases, the
out-of-network provider could bill consumers for the difference between
the charges the provider billed, and the amount paid by the consumer’s
health plan. This is known as balance billing. An unexpected balance
bill is called a surprise bill.
What are the new protections?
• Ban surprise bills for emergency services, even if you get
them out-of-network and without approval beforehand (prior authoriza-
tion).
• Ban out-of-network cost-sharing (like coinsurance or copay-
ments) for all emergency and some non-emergency services. You can’t
be charged more than in-network cost-sharing for these services, and
any cost-sharing you pay counts towards your deductible and maximum
out-of-pocket limits for the policy year.
• Ban out-of-network charges and balance bills for supplemen-
tal care (like anesthesiology or radiology) by out-of-network providers
who work at certain in-network facilities (like a hospital or ambulatory
surgical center).
• Require that health care providers and facilities give you an
easy-to-understand notice explaining that getting care out-of-network
could be more expensive, and your options to avoid balance bills. You’re
not required to sign this notice or get care out-of-network.
Save the Dates:
• Hope For Firefighters 6/01
• Fire Hogs Memorial Ride- 6/10
• Scott Souter Charity Golf- 10/09
• LAFD Invitational Golf tournament- 10/16
• LAFRA Open House- 11/4
Christopher Stine
president@lafra.org
323.259.5202
June 2023 • 5
 Written | John Hicks
Photos | Deborah Lew

The Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief

Association’s Lane Kemper Classic is an
annual softball tournament that raises
funds to support Firefighters and their
families in times of need. The tournament
is named after Lane Kemper, a former Fire
Captain and avid softball player who dedi-
cated his life to serving his community.
This year’s tournament was held
once again at the Field of Dreams Com-
plex in Orange County and featured some
Lane Kemper & Family
of the best Firefighter softball teams from
around the City. The teams competed in
a round-robin format, with the top teams
advancing to the playoffs and the champi-
onship game.
The Lane Kemper Classic is more
than just a softball tournament, however.
It is a celebration of the brave men and
women who risk their lives every day to
keep our communities safe. It is also a re- Task Force 89 Fire Station 65
minder of the importance of supporting
our Firefighters and their families in times
of need.
The funds raised from the tourna-
ment go towards supporting the Los An-
geles Firemen’s Relief Association’s Wid-
ows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s
Fund. This fund provides assistance to
Firefighters and their families who have
been injured or killed in the line of duty, as
well as to Firefighters who are struggling
with illnesses or disabilities.
The tournament is also a great way
for Firefighters from different stations to
come together and bond over their shared
love of softball and their dedication to
serving their communities. The tourna-
ment is a testament to the strong sense of
camaraderie and brotherhood that exists
Fire Station 94 Fire Station 64
within the firefighting community.

6 • June 2023
Fire Station 98 Fire Station 33 Fire Station 9

Fire Station 46 Fire Station 3 Special Duty

June 2023 • 7
 Fire Station 92 Fire Station 38 Fire Station 10

Fire Station 35 Fire Station 66 Fire Station 58

Fire Station 29 - First Place

Fire Station 11

Fire Station 26 Fire Station 75

8 • June 2023
 2023 marked the end of an era for
the event as Keith Bandy, the man re-
sponsible for pulling this all together an-
nounced this would be his final year as
chairman. Keith has been instrumental
over the past years working with the Relief
Association and its staff in organizing the
event. His patience and talents working
Fire Station 21 Fire Station 15 to make sure things ran smoothy will be
sorely missed. Thank you, Keith. We will
not forget your dedication in making this
event such a success.
In addition to the many softball
games, there were various events and ac-
tivities throughout the tournament, includ-
ing a silent auction. We would like to give
a shout out to Valerie Lawrence and her
team for once again gathering a plethora
Fire Station 37 Fire Station 60 of goodies to auction off in support of the
Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s
Fund. The events also provided an oppor-
tunity for players, families, and fans to
come together and celebrate the sport of
softball and the brave men and women
who serve as Firefighters.
As in past years, the teams to watch
this year were from Fire Station 29 and
Fire Station 2. These LAFD teams have
a strong record in the tournament, plac-
ing high in the rankings in past events.
This year was no different with the two
powerhouses battling it out for the title
Fire Station 2 - Second Place of champion. With some strong play, Fire
Station 29 eventually claimed victory, tak-
ing home the title of Champion. Congratu-
lations to both teams, and to all the other
members and stations who participated
in the tournament. You have all made the
39th year of this annual play one of the
best.
Thank you to all the volunteers
and Relief staff members for your tire-
less dedication to this worth-while cause.
Special thanks once again to Keith Bandy
and his crew for their years of service. We
are looking forward to next season when
Judd Ream from Fire Station 21 and Chad
Corona of 2s take up the reigns and con-
tinue the support of our Firefighters and
their families while also celebrating the
sport of softball and the sense of commu-
nity and camaraderie that exists within the
firefighting community.

June 2023 • 9
Paid Advertisement

Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association Medical Plan may cover this examination.
10 • June 2023 Contact your plan provider to verify.
 On April 20th, 2023, the Los Angeles Firefighters Association
hosted the celebration of the 56th Annual Firefighter of The Year lun-
cheon. Held at a new venue, the Millennium Biltmore Hotel bustled with
excitement as friends, family, and well-wishers filled the spacious ball-
room to pay tribute to this year’s recipient. The Los Angeles Firefighters
Association (LAFFA) was formed in the first part of 1924 after the abol-
ishment of what was then the Fire Department Union. The main purpose
of the LAFFA has always been to be a liaison between the members and
management to better the working conditions of the members of the
Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). For decades, the Association
has also recognized the outstanding performance and contributions of
an individual Firefighter in the Los Angeles City Fire Department. The
Firefighter of the Year Award is given to a Firefighter who has demon-
strated exceptional bravery, commitment, and service to the community.
For 2022, the Association and its members recognizes and honors Cap-
tain II Paul Egizi.
Captain Egizi joined the Fire Department on February 8, 1987
and has held the ranks of Paramedic, Apparatus Operator, Captain I and
Captain II. He has also worked in special duty assignments at the train-
ing academy as the Drill Master and at Air Operations as the Assistant
Section Commander.
Wanting to contribute even more to the city and his community,
Paul served as an Explorer Advisor for several years. He is a member of
the LAFD’s Field Incident Management Team as Air Operations Branch
Director. He has also been involved in various projects and committees,
including the Elevator Rescue Kit, Air Operations, Operational Risk
Management, Brush Committee, Recruitment and has participated on
several Serious Incident Review Teams.
One of Captain Egizi’s greatest areas of influence is derived
from his passion for teaching, where his mantra is, “learning something
and teaching something every day.” Paul has been involved in Depart-
ment seminars, writing training bulletins and teaching classes for both
the Department and the State of California certification system. His
greatest joy comes from teaching and mentoring at the individual and
fire station level.
Off duty, Paul is a dedicated family man. He has been married
to his wife Debbie for 34 years. He is the proud father of four adult
daughters and “Papa” to his granddaughter Kira. His is also a beloved
neighbor and friend as he lends a helping hand when and wherever he
can. Captain Egizi is a member of the American Cancer Society and has
participated in several “Relays for Life” events.
Paul loves to fix things. He always has a project going, whether
it be welding, working on his classic truck or helping his girls with their
homes or car repairs. He loves music, cooking and a good game of ping
pong.
Those closest to him used words that included: friend, selfless,
kind, caring, humble, patient, encouraging, approachable, mentor, pro-
fessional and very deserving of this year’s Firefighter of the Year award.
Congratulations Paul for your long and dedicated service.
June 2023 • 11
 By Chief J. Flores, LAFD
We have all heard the radio calls:
“it’s all in the attic” or “we have an attic
fire.” Ok, so now what? In most cases it’s
business as usual but should it be? Should
we consider changing our tactics? The fol-
lowing article contains modified excerpts
from an Attic Fire Training Bulletin I
wrote in 2018. Since its writing, I have
received dozens of requests to share its
contents, more so lately after several close
calls, so I thought I would discuss some
of what I have experienced here. Although
not all inclusive, I will attempt to cover
some of the finer points and generalities
of attic firefighting. I realize it is, and has
been, a controversial subject for as long as
I can remember, but when all is said and
done, I have had great success utilizing
these principles for many, many years.
Attic firefighting requires a com-
pletely different mindset and a change in
strategy and the tactics used to extinguish
them when compared to a typical contents
structure fire. Past practice has been ver-
tical ventilation combined with a coordi-
nated interior attack.
Experience along with scientific
studies1 have shown that delaying or com-
pletely eliminating vertical ventilation
can be extremely beneficial and should be
considered when dealing with an attic fire.
This is because when a closed area such
as an attic is ventilated, the rush of oxygen
introduced into the concerned space will
accelerate the conditions -particularly in a
ventilation-starved attic. It will also drasti-
cally shorten the time-temperature curve
12 • June 2023
and require more water to extinguish due
to the increase in flames. Think of the last
time you witnessed or opened a roof with
dense smoke showing, only to have it erupt
with such intense heat it drove everyone
back and then consumed the roof (and its
supporting members) at an accelerated
rate. All it needed was some O2 and when
we opened it up, we gave it all it needed.
While impressive, it’s also counterproduc-
tive to the overall objective of extinguish-
ing the fire.
I liken it to an old stick shift rig
(yes, we used to have those) maxed out in
second gear, then Jake shifted into high
gear against the governor- two different
animals. Both are way easier to control
and stop if we keep them in second gear.
Although, not the norm, not as
much fun, and certainly not very popular
with Truckees, when practical, we need to
delay or omit vertical ventilation when at-
tacking a confined, ventilation-limited at-
tic fire. This is because opening a hole and
letting the attic flash can cause drastically
higher property loss and increase the dan-
ger to Firefighters on the roof as well as
in the interior of the structure. It can also
limit the ability of our folks to get hori-
zontal in the attic and apply water due to
the running saws and increased fire inten-
sity and heat. Although ventilating will, at
times, clear up the attic and free burn, it
will also take exponentially more water to
extinguish, equally increasing water dam-
age to the property and its contents.
My truck comrades won’t be happy
with this change, I know. Trust me, no one
enjoyed painting red lines as much as I
did, but we have to remember why we are
here and that this only applies to ventila-
tion-limited attic fires.
IDENTIFYING THE ATTIC FIRE
The classic attic fire is easy to iden-
tify as there may be little to no smoke in
the interior of the structure while roof ven-
tilators and attic vents show smoke or fire.
Look at attic vents, eaves, and ventilators
for signs that would help locate the area of
involvement. A thermal imaging camera
can be a valuable tool in identifying where
the fire is and its origin, especially in walls
or floor spaces.
Underwriter Laboratories (U L)
conducted a grant funded two-year study
of attic fires using mock and actual struc-
tures
There may be occasions where the
occupants are not aware of the fire above
them and carry on with their normal rou-
tine until Firefighters arrive on scene and
make them evacuate. We once responded
to an incident where a large family was
having dinner while their attic showed
heavy smoke, so remember to always clear
life hazards first.
Smoke produced from a working
attic fire can sometimes infiltrate and load
up the interior of a structure or be the re-
sult of the fire’s origin (located elsewhere).
This can make it incorrectly appear to be
an interior or contents fire causing us to
use standard structure fire strategies and
cause unnecessary damage. “Outside In”
fires- exposures, rubbish or fire commu-
nicating via balloon construction, pipe al-
leys, and chases leading from other areas
such as a basement, lower floors or a wall
fire that runs into the attic should be extin-
guished at their source and handled as a
separate fire. Once controlled, the attic fire
can be safely attacked. In most instances,
these strategies can be employed simulta-
neously.
As with all Fires, it is Critical that
a Proper 360 hot Lap be Completed. It
is Key in the Proper Identification of the
Fire’s Location, Nature, Extent and Ori-
gin. It is a Basic Firefighting Element
and Necessary in the Development of
Good Situational Awareness
TACTICAL PRIORITIES
When developing tactical priorities
at a working attic fire, careful attention
needs to be given to tactics and resource
deployment. Consider the following:
1. Size up and complete a thorough
360 hot lap. Identify building age, type,
construction, location, nature, extent and
origin of the fire. Verbalize all S/A and
any changes from initial size up. Assess
life safety, risk assessment and the devel-
opment of initial tactics with life safety as
a priority. Clearly state leaders’ intent
2. Once life safety is verified and
cleared, establish access for fire attack us-
ing attack from below, attic vent, or open
eaves tactics.
3. Begin inside truck work and sal-
vage PRIOR to application of water when
possible.
4. Reassess building for safety of
members and condition of fire.
5. Place ladder under the pulled
ceiling area or scuttle for fire attack and
apply finely atomized (30 degrees or great-
er) stream of water horizontally whenever
possible, limit water use to prevent over-
loading and dropping ceiling on person-
nel.
6. Continue with salvage operations
as needed with due consideration of irre-
placeable personal items, furniture, elec-
tronics, computers, records, files, products
and anything of value.
7. Continuously re-evaluate prog-
ress, building conditions, and safety of
members–paying specific attention to the
interior ceiling and potential construction
failure.
At known attic fires in days past,
the truck would run the typical structure
play, ladder the building, cut /dice up the
roof but wouldn’t pull the boards until
steam pushed out. Inevitably, some of the
roof would fall in or get pulled early only
to light it all off - i.e. Jake shift the attic
into high gear. Once we developed the dis-
cipline to stop cutting, our overall results
improved drastically.
In a ventilation-limited attic fire, the
truck company must have the discipline to
hold off on any type of ventilation (do not
cut) but continue to communicate condi-
tions to the interior, constantly monitoring
for changes, inevitable roof collapse, etc.
Additionally, there are instances when the
interior cannot access the attic by pulling
ceiling because of construction anomalies
such as converted attics, excessive storage,
etc., and may require the truck company to
open a hole as close to the involved area as
possible and introduce an atomized hose
stream from above. In this instance, it’s
imperative to have good communications
with the interior and have them clear the
structure prior to flowing water.
To recap, a proven strategy when
attacking a ventilation-limited attic fire is
to delay or eliminate vertical ventilation
until the fire is knocked down from below
(when possible) by utilizing a hole pulled
in the ceiling, attic vents, open eaves etc.
Salvage operations are a criti-
cal priority at a working attic fire, and
should take precedence. Time, resourc-
es, and clear instruction are necessary
to properly deploy salvage procedures to
protect the interior and contents of a struc-
ture.
Water application should be done
with a finely atomized stream when-
ever possible to utilize the ability of the
converted steam to extinguish the fire. A
30-degree or greater cone pattern applied
horizontally into a compartmentalized
area will always have the quickest effect
and most efficient knock down power.
A well-executed attic fire operation
will utilize coordinated inside truck work,
salvage, and attack-from-below tactics uti-
lizing attic vents, gable ends, or simply a
hole pulled in the ceiling without venti-
lating the roof. There are exceptions, but
when done correctly, the contents of the
structure can be kept undamaged and dry.
More importantly, correct attic fire strate-
gies help achieve our overall goal of sav-
ing lives, reducing property loss, and pro-
viding an increased safety margin for our
members, while shortening the recovery
efforts of business and homeowners alike.
Done correctly, the results are
impressive and a Hallmark
of Competent, Professional
Leadership........................
It’s just what I heard -JF
June 2023 • 13
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14 • June 2023

June is upon us, Battalion Juaners, and
you know what that means: the end of the fis-
cal year. Pretty sure the City spent the mon-
ey on settlements already, so stand by to get
equipment or repairs until July when we can
get supplies again. Chief Castillo’s Battalion
News publication comes out more often and
faster than this one does (and it’s also a must-
read during line-up) so you’ve probably heard
most of these stories already. He’s giving me
a run for my money but like I always say, “E-
blast news will never kill print media…” I’ll
try to throw my spin on things and compete
with his drier but more applicable writing
style. Let’s get started. Biennial inspection has
come and gone and it sounds like everyone (ex-
cept MFC) did quite well. I guess they forgot
that they had apparatus assigned to them that
never got cleaned. You’d think they would at
least drive them through a car wash after run-
ning their “errands in the harbor,” to wash the
glitter off. For more info on that story, just call
9-1-1. Definitely proud of all the work everyone
put in while running calls and making the bat-
talion shine. Rigs were cleaned, uniforms were
prepped, metal polish was put on anything
that shined, and empty bottles of “degreaser-
gunk type” have maxed out the landfills. The
chiefs came and went and we have more ques-
tions now than before they gave us “answers.”
No one sent me pics of their projects, only a
story, so here it is: Sounds like a member in the
battalion acquired a very large plastic security
guard badge and placed it on someone’s dress
uniform on his bed for inspection (as a thank
you for working SOD during biennial I pre-
sume) and the chiefs got a good laugh while the
rated member (and Captain who it happened to
the next day) were sweating for a hot second.
Thanks to the brass for not freaking out about
a “classic fire department turd.” Next, I’d like
to talk about a theme I keep noticing amongst
everyone in the Department. It really bothers
me that it’s happening. It bothers me even more
that I see a lot of our leadership doing this
which may be where it is getting normalized.
We always talk about “doing the right thing,”
but no one specifies for who. The answer is,
“not for you.” Doing the right thing for your-
self detracts from the crew and team mentality
and forces everyone else to start doing it. Let’s
do a scenario-based learning session (I’m all
about these after that Fraud, Waste, and Abuse
training… learned a ton). You’re a brand-new
Captain assigned to FS 4 and the engine is get-
ting shut down due to staffing on Easter Sun-
day (say what?!?!). You get detailed to FS 25
as a Firefighter and are told you’ll bump the
on-shift in-house rookie to 9s while you ride
Engine 25. Do you: A) take the detail to 25s
and send the rookie to 9s (it’s good for him).
Next time a reporter writes
that we make too much money,
we will ask him to climb to the
top of this ladder to rethink his
position on the matter.
Photo | James Anderson
B) volunteer to go to 9s and show the guys in
the battalion you have a strong work ethic and
some humility, or C) do a little dance, make a
little love, get down tonight. I’ll give you a hint:
it’s not letter “A.” Let’s lead by example and
not be afraid to get down in the trenches every
once in a while, (I’ve heard the trenches are
safer than standing up above them anyways).
That’s all I’ve got. Congrats to the MLB play-
ers at 29s for somehow winning the Kemper
Classic again. It’s always good to see every-
one out there having fun for a good cause and
supporting the Relief’s Widows and Orphans
Fund. Remember to have some pride, have
some fun, and have some humility.
Battalion Juan
If you have any suggestions on how to
better the department or a complaint about a
story, drop me an email.
June 2023 • 15
 SAVE THE DATE
MONDAY
October 9th
For members that don't know Scott Souter, he was involved in
Tijeras Creek
a serious mountain biking accident where he sustained life
threatening injuries. He now has severe physical and mental Golf Course
limitations, needing full-time care. Let's help out our fellow Golf Sign Ups
brother who has a long family history with LAFD. Available Aug 1st

SPONSORSHIP AND DONATION Our goal this year is to raise

OPPORTUNITIES
Visit www.birdease.com/ScottSouter
Questions? Call Les Hunt at
16 • June 2023 949.702.1375
$100,000 to renovate Scott and
Amy's master bed/bath to create a
functional space for Scott.
LET'S Take Care of Our Own!
 Artist Abigail Oshiro

AY
th
ek
se
ps
g 1st

Captain II Ken Willahan retired from the LAFD on March 31, 2023. On April 2, 2023 a party was held to celebrate
Ken’s retirement after 36 1/2 years of service. It was an outstanding event held at the Willahan residence. Over 160
people attended to pay their respects for Ken’s career. In the crowd was a Who’s Who of LAFD past and present including
some legendary figures like Terry Cooper, Dan Kemp, Bob Munoa, Mike Sauber and Kenny’s dad Denny Willahan just to
name a few. Ken was presented with his retirement badge by longtime friend, Jeff Cawdrey. His dad, Denny Willahan,
e retired LAFD presented Ken with a UFLAC axe plaque. He received his 35 year pin from his son Jason, LAFD firefighter
and the city proclamation of his retirement was read by Tim Wuerfel. Ken‘s wife Elizabeth gave a nice speech and Ken was
nd introduced to the crowd by his longtime Captain 1 and dear friend, Rob Scott. Ken closed out the party with a heartfelt
te a speech and the overarching message was to leave the LAFD better than you found it, as Ken certainly did. He was very
grateful for the many years of service at the LAFD and all of the things in life that this career has afforded him to do. He
was extremely humbled and honored to have so many people there to wish him well. The Willahan family would like to
thank all those who came to the party and the many phone calls and letters from those unable to attend.

wn! June 2023 • 17

18 • June 2023
Fire Station 80 finally has a flag pole! Fire Station 80 has never had a flag pole at the old station or the new
station completed in 2010. We had to get through a lot of red tape being on the airfield, but we finally have one!
Photo | Craig Yamashiro

After 38 years of service, congratulations to Firefighter Gil Toban, working his last
days at Fire Station 114. Gil, we wish you many wonderful years in retirement.

June 2023 • 19
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20 • June 2023
Members of Station 39 and 90 on the roof at a structure Fire Explorers from Post 81 help with security at a
fire on Kester in Van Nuys. Photo | Eddie G. recent retirement event—thanks for your service.

Firefighters battle a blaze in the Westlake area.

Photos | Jason Stilwell

A swift water rescue was performed on a homeless man who was washed close
to four miles down the rain-swollen Pacoima Wash. Photos | Mike Meadows

June 2023 • 21
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22 • June 2023
 With propane tanks exploding on scene, Firefighters battle a large motorhome
fully involved in fire, towing a boat. Photos | Ismael Miranda

ke
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Engine 66 knocks down a well-involved motorhome.

Photo | Justin Johnson

June 2023 • 23
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24 • June 2023
 Probationary FF Lapides gets rotary saw action on
an auto in 65’s first-in. Photo | James Anderson

LAFD at its best! Photo | Mike Meadows

LAFD Air Ops conduct a hoist operation followed by

Rubbish fire handled by E-60 at Lankershim and transport for a patient who sustained a leg injury.
Oxnard St. in NoHo. Photo | Mike Meadows Photo | Mike Meadows

June 2023 • 25
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26 • June 2023
On Saturday, April 22, 2023, friends, family and co-workers gathered to celebrate the career of Captain
I Joseph Flores who recently retired after 35+ years of service. Congratulations. May you and your wife,
Linda, enjoy all the spoils that you so rightfully earned. Adios y buena suerte mi amigo!

June 2023 • 27
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B15 and Truck 98 respond to a jumper incident in 18’s first in. They used
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It took 28 minutes to extinguish a single-family dwelling

in Fire Station 72’s first-in. Photos | Greg Doyle

June 2023 • 29
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30 • June 2023
 The crew at Station 94 keeping sharp on above
ground operations. Photos | TA’Ana Mitchell

Firefighters in Battalion 18 put the final touches of extinguishment on a

vacant structure with excessive storage conditions. Photos | TA’Ana Mitchell

Strong traditions at 61s: Recently, the members on Truck 61 were led by David Eugenio (61-B) and Ryan Eugenio at
96s working SOD, their first time working together AND their first fire together as Capt. II and AO. After, the crew
found in the freezer a little more than a cut gallon to mark the occasion for the Eugenio family. Photos | Viet Le

June 2023 • 31
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32 • June 2023
 The Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association would like to pass
on their sincere condolences to the family of Firefighter III
Brian G. Corntassel after his passing at home on April 4, 2023.

Congratulations to Alan Almaguer on his promotion to Engineer. Congratulations to Joseph Bannan on his promotion to Captain I.
Photo | Justin Clayton Photo | Justin Clayton

June 2023 • 33
 LAFD Central Deputy Chief Phillip Fligiel congratulates Daniel Congratulations to Ellery Beltran on his promotion to Engineer.
Barrera on his promotion to Captain I. Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Kyle Rausch

Congratulations to Roland Bonada on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Michael Campana on his promotion to Captain I.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Justin Clayton

34 • June 2023
Congratulations to Victor Chavez on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Michael Contreras on his promotion to Engineer.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Kyle Rausch

Congratulations to Justin Dettorre on his promotion to Engineer. Deputy Chief Richard Fields congratulates Christopher Elguea on his
Photo | Justin Clayton promotion to Engineer. Photo | Justin Clayton

June 2023 • 35
 Congratulations to Jacob Fryer on his promotion to Engineer. Congratulations to Ricardo Garcia on his promotion to Captain I.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Justin Clayton

Congratulations to Thomas Griffith on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Borys Gudiel on his promotion to Engineer.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Justin Clayton

36 • June 2023
Congratulations to Andrew Guzzard on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Cody Hass on his promotion to Engineer.
Photo | Justin Clayton Photo | Kyle Rausch

Congratulations to Matthew Kasparian on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Carlos Limon on his promotion to Captain I.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Kyle Rausch

June 2023 • 37
 Congratulations to Arturo Martinez on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Calvin Ngo on his promotion to Engineer.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Kyle Rausch

Congratulations to Michael Pellegrini on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Brant Pulliam on his promotion to Captain I.
Photo | Justin Clayton Photo | Kyle Rausch

38 • June 2023
Congratulations to Taylor Rappaport on his promotion to Engineer. Congratulations to Jeffrey Rodner on his promotion to Engineer.
Photo | Kyle Rausch Photo | Kyle Rausch

Congratulations to Ian Van Gerpen on his promotion to Captain I. Congratulations to Gregory Zaccaro on his promotion to Engineer.
Photo | Justin Clayton Photo | Kyle Rausch

June 2023 • 39
 Well, the County Guy finally pulled the plug. After 23 ½ years with the City,
and 21 ½ with the County, Larry Hoerner is calling it quits. Larry, pictured
here on the left with Jon Heller, his partner of 17 years on County Squad 73
who is also retiring, says his farewells. Larry has been of great assistance
to LAFRA and will surely be missed as he and his wife Ceci are packing their
bags and moving to greener pastures in the great state of Tennessee. Best of
luck to you two and God Speed.

We would like to congratulate Captain Gerald “JJ” Johnson (the nicest guy in
the Fire Dept.) on his retirement from the LAFD. After close to 35 years on the
job, Captain Johnson is going to be missed. A happy & healthy life to you and
your family. Thanks for the great memories! Photo | Elan Raber

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40 • June 2023
 I keep hearin’ the term “social
media influencer” but never bothered fin-
din’ out what bein’ an “influencer” was
all about, because frankly, I don’t give a
hoot. Who cares? Remember in the dark
ages when askin’ a friend or co-worker
if they knew of a good plumber, concrete
guy or electrician? Well, in today’s world
that friend or co-worker was really an
early “social influencer” because he rec-
ommended someone to you that provided
a service.
So, skip ahead a few decades and
we now have individuals that, because of
their knowledge or authority, can influence
people to buy products or services. Of
course, now-a-days the younger crowd is
influencin’ people to buy jewelry, clothin’
and perfume. Think of them as modern-
day bill boards that clutter our streets and
highways.
And there are many types of in-
fluencers. There are MEGA-influencers,
MACRO-influencers and NANO-influ-
encers. Unbelievable, ain’t it? But there’s duced and we would all live longer. Well,
more. There are also bloggers, YouTubers, there’s a new study out that reverses that
and podcasters. Celebrities were the origi- theory. Now these experts are sayin’ alco-
nal influencers but their roles have some- hol, even if it’s one glass of wine or beer,
what diminished. Younger celebrities may is now harmful to us and will shorten our
be highly influential when recommendin’ lives. Hang in there, this information will
a type of acne cream but have little chance change next week.
of influencin’ the buyin’ patterns of those Years ago, “the bad to eat and
lookin’ for a retirement village. drink” experts said that coffee was bad
The Kardashians are another exam- for us. Then, after a few years went by we
ple of what bein’ an influencer is all about. were told that coffee was good for us and
If any of them endorse a skin cream, body that it was actually an antioxidant. Stop
wash or form fittin’ clothin’ line, the par- the madness.
ticular maker of that product can expect I’m not a big fan of
big sales numbers. However, I wouldn’t coffee but I do enjoy my
recommend buyin’ any bikini swim wear extra hot steamin’ cup
or form fittin’ jeans that the Kardashians of soy latte frappuccino
endorse because your rear ends may be in the early afternoon. I
prone to a case of severe INFLATION. hope this don’t change
It wasn’t that long ago that the food your opinion of me.
and nutritional experts were tellin’ us
that a glass of red wine was good for us AC
and that studies showed that by drinkin’ KEEP SMILIN’!
wine our cholesterol levels would be re- choppedup@att.net

All About Your Fire Station Extinguisher Fund

My name is Ted Bailie and I am a retired Los An-
geles City Firefighter. The Extinguisher Program was
started back in 1996 by Larry Hoerner, the late Bruce
“Snake” Larson, and myself. I also have to give credit
to my wife, Diane, for suggesting this Extinguisher Pro-
gram to me while she was reading the Grapevine. I want
to thank all the fire stations that have an Extinguisher
Collection Box in their station and for their continued
support of this worthwhile cause.
The families of Firefighters that the Los Angeles
Firemen’s Relief Association help with the many dona-
tions that they receive are grateful to those that are able
to help in their cause. The Extinguisher Fund is just an-
other way to continue to support the many Firefighters
and their families.
For those new Firefighters and old alike, dona-
tions that get into the Extinguisher can come from any-
one, anywhere, and at any time. The loose change in
your pocket, the TV chairs, the left-over money not
spent on mess that day, or even from people who come
into the Fire Station that want to donate to the Widows,
Orphans, & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund.
When I Retired in 2008, all 104 LA City Fire Sta-
tions had an extinguisher in their Fire Station or facility.
If there is a Fire Station without an extinguisher, please
let a Relief Association Trustee know and we will see to
it that the station gets one.
If every Fire Station collected $30 each quarter,
the Relief Association would receive approximately
$12,000 or more per year.
Thank you to all that continue to support The Wid-
ows, Orphans, & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund through
their donations and though the Extinguisher Fund. My
Best Regards to All My Brother and Sister Firefighters.
Ted Bailie (Retired LAFD)

June 2023 • 41
 BENEFITING

AFTER CEREMONY RIDE

Mulholland Harley Davidson (for a POKER DRAW)

42 • June 2023
 The FIRE HOGS M/C takes great
pride in its efforts to support various charitable
organizations as well as other clubs and events.
They are all active and retired Firefighters who
support this non-profit organization, whose
goal it is to host and participate in multiple
events each year to raise funds to benefit those
in need. Their motto is “RIDE TO LIVE AND
LIVE TO GIVE.”
The LAFD Fire Hogs log thousands of
miles each year in tribute to their fallen Fire-
fighters and to help those in need. 2022 was no
different by raising over $35,000 for the Relief
Association’s Widows, Orphans, & Disabled
Firefighter’s Fund from their one-day event the
Fallen Heroes Memorial Ride.
Active and retired members of the
LAFD Fire Hogs are dedicated not only to
helping the Widows, Orphans, & Disabled
Firefighter’s Fund, but also ride with other Fire
Hogs Chapters and motorcycle groups around
the country to support all their brothers and
sisters.
We started the year 2022 off in March
with supporting the San Diego Chapter of the
Fire Hogs M/C in their First Annual National
Fire Hogs Rally. We rode in the San Diego St.
Patrick’s Day parade, passing out necklaces
and toys to children along the two-mile parade
route, and had 43 bikes that also attended the
SDFD Relief Association Charity Ride.
Later in the month saw the Fire Hogs
Supporting the Eighth Annual Heroes Ride
hosted by the Los Angeles County Profession-
al Peace Officers Association and the Star &
Shield Foundation, and at the end of April the
group traveled to Arizona Bike week in Scott-
sdale supporting the East Valley Firefighters
Charity Ride. They then came back to the Val-
ley supporting The Greatest Escape Motor-
cycle Ride supporting Pacific Mesothelioma
Center for cancer research.
May started off with the LACoFD
Chapter of the Fire Hogs’ Sixth Annual Me-
morial Ride which raised over $25,000 for
their Widows and Orphans Fund. Closing May,
the Fire Hogs joined over 300 bikes in sup-
porting the Sergeant Ron Helus Ride for the
Blue – honoring all first responders of Ventura
County.
Moving into June, our own 24th Annu-
al Fallen Heroes Memorial Ride with over 300
people and sponsors arrived on a very hot day
in the Valley. To support our ride we had Grand
Marshalls Frankie Loyal from the hit series
the Mayans, Frank Kramer from the number
one morning show in LA, Heidi and Frank on
KLOS, as well as numerous other sponsors. To
complete it, certificate of recognition awards
were presented to the LAFD Fire Hogs M/C
and their sponsors by California State Assem-
bly Member from the 45th District, Jesse Ga-
briel; Mayor Eric Garcetti; Council Member
Bob Blumenfield; and West Valley Chamber
of Commerce. These awards were in recogni-
tion of our 24 years of fundraising, and to date
we’ve raised over $600,000 for the Los Ange-
les Firemen’s Association’s Widows, Orphans
and Disabled Firefighters Fund.
On September 11, 2022, The Fire Hogs
joined the hundreds of motorcyclists from
across the country for “Ride to the Flags,” hon-
oring the 21st anniversary of 911 which started
at the Point Magu Naval Station and rode to
the Pepperdine University lawn which has a
national flag for everyone that was lost that day.
This annual ride supports the fallen men and
women of the military and first responders.
In October we joined the San Gabriel
Chapter of the Fire Hogs M/C in their Fourth
Annual Don Shawver Memorial Poker Run
and Pete Goff Biker games. This is where the
Fire Hogs not only got to raise money for char-
ity but also show off many of their biking skills
during the games.
Finally in December, we closed out the
year with two events. The Fire Hogs, including
family and friends, assisted with the laying of
Wreaths Across America at the National Cem-
etery and made an appearance at the Annual
Los Angeles Christmas parade where we hand-
ed out over 5000 stuffed animals to children
along the route.
In addition to these major rides and
supporting these major events, the Fire Hogs
M/C organize day rides throughout the year
that are just for fun. We have an amazing line
up of events for 2023, please come out to sup-
port these amazing events. Mark your calendar
for this year’s 25th Annual Fallen Heroes Me-
morial Ride on June 10, 2023.
Our rides and events are OPEN TO
ALL, and we encourage non-members to ride
with us. You do not have to be a Fire Hog to
participate! All are welcome to join the fes-
tivities. Come join us this year on the road
and see what we are all about -camaraderie,
giving back and most of all, FUN. Events are
posted on our website. Apply for an account to
be emailed notifications of upcoming rides and
events. If you wish to join or just have ques-
tions, you can contact any board member from
our website. As a national organization, we are
also accepting applications for new Fire Hog
Chapters from other fire agencies or members
who have moved out of state and are looking
to start a riding club in their area. Contact any
board member from our website for more in-
formation. Please view us at https://www.fire-
hogs.org, join us on Facebook @ Fire Hogs
M/C LAFD, and follow us on Instagram @
Fire.Hogs.MC.
June 2023 • 43
44 • June 2023
June 2023 • 45
 JOHN GARNICA, JR., Captain II, Fire Station 38-C TIM AGUAYO, Engineer, Fire Station 49
SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023 SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2023
The Grand
Fire Station 49
4101 E Willow St
400 Yacht St
Long Beach, CA
Wilmington, CA
Social Hour 6:00 PM - Dinner: 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Mexican Buffet : $60 pp includes tax, gratuity, & gift
Catered by Sweet Lou’s Rolling BBQ
Call Carol Garnica: (951) 907-2802 or
along with 70’s music
Email: carolgarnica@gmail.com - RSVP by May 19th
Celebrating 37 years of service
Celebrating 34 years of service

ARMANDO HOGAN, Chief Deputy JOE VIGIL, Engineer, Fire Station 80-A
SATURDAY, JULY 22, 2023 SATURDAY, AUGUST 5, 2023
City Club Los Angeles
Sunset Terrace Restaurant
555 Flower Street 51st Floor
235 N. Moorpark Rd, Ste G
Los Angeles, CA
Thousand Oaks, CA
Social Hour: 5:30 PM Dinner: 6:30 PM
Happy Hour: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
$65 per person
Call Diane Vigil: (310) 956-0191 for any questions
Call Levisa Wade: (213) 709-6817
Celebrating 36+ years of service
or Venmo: @Lauren-Hogan-52

MARK CHASE, Fire Inspector II, Fire Dev. Svs. SHANNON K. SAFFO, FF/ PM, Fire Station 112-B

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2023 SATURDAY, AUGUST 12, 2023

Doubletree Hotel San Pedro Elks Club

Thousand Cranes Ballroom 1748 Cumbre Dr
120 S. Los Angeles St San Pedro, CA

11:00 AM to 1 PM Social Hour - 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

Dinner - 6:30 PM - 11:00 PM
Chicken, Fish or Vegetarian - $50 pp
$75 per person
Contact: melanie.andujo@lacity.org
or Call (213) 653-9669 Call Wendy Saffo at (213)598-8462
RSVP by July 14th or Zelle Wendy Saffo

MIKE MORALES, Captain II, Fire Station 21

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2023

Noor Events
300 E. Colorado Blvd, Ste 200
Pasadena, CA

Social Hour - 5:00 PM Dinner - 6:00 PM

$80 per person

Text Rosie at (909)510-0323 or Venmo: @Rosie-Morales-4

or call Alex De La Torre or Josh Friemoth
@ FS21 (13)485-6221. RSVP by September 15th

46 • June 2023
 THINGS NOT TO DO
I had a partner years ago who told me,
“This is something you never want to do.”
That something is, whenever you have
a patient who is in police custody, transport
them. If they should die it is better that you
transported them than having to explain to a
lawyer why you didn’t.
The reason is simple: to reduce your li-
ability and headaches down the road. You no-
tice that I didn’t say eliminate them because
there are almost more attorneys and cameras
out there than there are stars in the sky. You
still have to do your part correctly. If you don’t
you can be held responsible.
Three cases in point: First, your RA
goes to an LAPD station for a seizure call. It’s
a young man who, when you get there, looks
okay so you leave him with the LAPD.
The officer transports the prisoner to
jail and when they arrive the prisoner is dead.
The second one is currently in the legal
system in Illinois. The news reports that I have
read calls them paramedics. They get a call
to transport a patient who has been in contact
with the police. They decide to transport him
but they transport him in a prone position.
When they arrive at the hospital the
man is dead. Both of the paramedics are in jail
now, facing multiple charges. Their sin was
transporting him in the prone position.
When you do your job, do it correctly,
because you could be placing yourself and
your partner in jeopardy.
More recently there was a young man
who was stopped by the police and struck mul-
tiple times, and died.
Three EMS responders were at the
scene and they were fired for not assisting the
patient.
This next incident is different. During
the shootout in North Hollywood in 1997, one
of the bank robbers was shot and the RA was
not allowed to treat the patient. If I remember
correctly, he was suspected of being wired
with explosives. One of my neighbors who was
an LAPD officer was shot during this bank
robbery.
Neither one of the robbers survived.
You can see the whole thing on You-
Tube if you do a search for the North Holly-
wood shootout.
INVOLUNTARY SOD DAYS
In the 1980s there was no RA52 so
RA10 would move to 52’s area in the evening
to help RA27 and RA35 with the load.
While RA10 was dealing with a pa-
tient who was at home, the phone rings and the
resident answers the phone. He tells one of the
Paramedics that the call is for him.
The Paramedic answers the phone. It
was the Division1 staff assistant informing
him that he had been assign, force, hired for
the next day.
That’s pretty low.
Paramedics would sometimes hide in
their lockers until their relief arrived in the
morning to reduce the chances of being assign,
force, hired.
There was also a Firefighter at FS88
who got a similar call, but he was at home.
This time it was the Division3 staff assistant
informing him that he had been assign, force,
hired for the remainder of the shift.
He told the staff assistant he had been
drinking that day and he was not fit for duty.
The staff assistant didn’t buy the story and told
him to come in.
When he arrived at the station he re-
ported to the office and it was obvious he had
been drinking and was not fit for duty.
Now they had a bigger problem. He
couldn’t stay at the station in his current condi-
tion and he couldn’t drive himself home and
they were still short a Firefighter.
The solution was to have a second Fire-
fighter drive him home in a plug buggy and a
third Firefighter would have to follow in the as-
sign hired Firefighter’s private vehicle in order
to get his car home.
Now they were down three Firefighters.
There was a lot of shuffling people around to
be able to respond to a call.
BUCKETING, REVISITED
In an earlier edition of The Old Retired
Guys there was a story about bucketing. Just to
refresh your memories, bucketing, in its sim-
plest form, was pouring water on an unsuspect-
ing person.
Usually this was done in the station,
with one bucket and one target.
On this particular day, sometime in the
1980s, Air Ops wanted to get in on the action.
A recruit class was being given a tour
of several LAFD facilities, one of which was
Air Ops. At the time this photo was taken, Air
Ops was located on the west side of the Van
Nuys Airport adjacent to Bull Creek. They
were given a tour of the hangar and a short
flight around the Valley.
One of the pilots asked if the class
would like to see a water drop. Of course, the
answer was yes, so they loaded some water in
the tank.
The class was told that the water would
be dropped in Bull Creek and if they wanted to
see it, they should all go to the fence for a good
view.
The trap was set. The helicopter drifted
just a little off the center of the creek. See the
photo for the result. The first guy, on the left,
was the only one that stayed dry.
There were quite a few people that you
can’t see in that waterfall. Fortunately, it was a
warm day.
How the times have changed.
BUCKETING, PART TWO
On this same day, EMS 3 Steve John-
son, came by to observe the class. He parked
his sedan about 100 yards from the landing
pad and he went along for the ride. When we
returned from the flight Steve noticed that one
of the spare water tanks had been turned over
and was leaning against his car.
I was automatically blamed for the tank
on the car trick, but I was innocent. I was on
the helicopter with him. Turns out the down-
wash from the helicopter lifted the tank up and
leaned it against his car.
After removing the tank his car
wouldn’t start. Naturally I was blamed for that
too.
That used to happen to me all the time.
I’m innocent of the allegations and I accuse the
alligator. That’s some legal mumbo jumbo.
A tow truck was called and the car went
to the Shops. Steve had to change over.
After looking the car over, very care-
fully, the Shops determined that there was a
sensor in the trunk to automatically shut off
the fuel in the event of an accident.
The impact of the tank against the car
tripped the sensor.
I told you I was innocent.
Art Sorrentino
Daoldwestsidekid@Yahoo.com
June 2023 • 47

DEAREST LAFRA,
My incredible brother, Auto Fire-
man Tom Schmitz (Cate), had a lovely
graveside service. Thank you for all your
time and effort helping our family deal
with our second devastating loss in the last
several months. Jim Dolan has been my
liaison in getting Tommy’s arrangements
taken care of. We are grateful for his as-
sistance, support, and for all the comfort
he has provided us. Gene Bednarchik did
a spectacular job representing LAFRA
at Tommy’s service. We appreciate him
speaking about Tommy’s career as a Fire-
man, acknowledging our family, shar-
ing stories about the connection between
Tommy’s biological father, BC Gene
Schmitz, and the dad who raised him, BC
Don Cate, along with his touching pre-
sentation of our flag. He made us laugh at
times as well as smile through our tears.
Our beautiful flag, which had been flown
over Fire Station 9, will be treasured for-
ever. That firehouse holds a special place
in our heart. We are also thankful for the
gorgeous flower stand you sent to Forest
Lawn. It added a great deal of beauty to
Tommy’s ceremony. My family and I are
filled with gratitude for the LAFD family.
We feel extremely honored and unbeliev-
ably lucky to be included as part of this
amazing group.
With sincere gratefulness and in
spirit of Tommy.
Donna and Family
IN MEMORY OF GILBERT B.
RAMELLI
I worked with Captain Ramelli for
several years at old Fire Station 4, on the
48 • June 2023
“B” Platoon. Gil was an easy-going guy
around the station who was a pleasure to
be around. The work always got done and
the crew was happy under his leadership.
He never asked more of his crew than he
was willing to do himself. At emergency
incidents, Captain Ramelli always re-
mained focused and calm. I look forward
to seeing him in eternity in the presence of
our Lord and Savior…Jesus Christ.
Mike McMaster
IN MEMORY OF DONALD W.
AINSWORTH—FIRE INSPECTOR II
Don was one of the mainstays in
the Hydrants & Access Unit when I trans-
ferred in back in ‘91. He seemed to be run-
ning late all the time. You’d be having a
conversation with him and in the middle of
it he’d get a sudden look of panic and say,
“I forgot I have a meeting” and bolt out
of the office, just like the white rabbit in
Alice in Wonderland. We would joke with
him that for some reason he was NEVER
late for an overtime opportunity. He was a
good-natured man and very giving of his
time (when he wasn’t running late). Rest in
Peace, Don.
Terrence O’Connell
IN MEMORY OF CHARLES I.
WALLIN--FIREMAN
I first met Chuck, I think it was in
1970, when we both were selected to rep-
resent the LAFD at the annual athletic
competitions against the San Francisco
firefighters. Rudy Concha, the then hand-
ball commissioner, teamed me up with
one of the older seasoned guys as I was
the youngest of the team members. We
became good friends. Chuck was a fun
person to be around, good hearted, and a
real character. Although, I never worked
with him, our paths would cross occasion-
ally and we would always embrace and
talk about our time together as old friends
usually do. May he rest in peace up in the
handball court in the sky, with the Heav-
enly Father rooting him on.
Jack Kirkorn
IN MEMORY OF TERRENCE M.
PALMER—FIRE INSPECTOR II
I served in the Construction Ser-
vices Unit of the LAFD FPB as Inspector
II’s with “T”. Terrence was a great mentor
and gave me the benefit of his experience
in the inspector’s position. Quiet and soft
spoken “T” would light up a room with his
“Cheshire Cat” smile.
“T” and “Marty” gone way Too
soon.
My Condolences to Jeff and the en-
tire Palmer Family.
Rest Well, In The Lord, Brother
“T”
Rick Erquiaga
IN MEMORY OF ALBERTO S.
DE LA PENA—CAPTAIN II
Al……aka as “Uncle Al” by Paul
Papp, Robby (FDNY), Ray (Miami/Dade)
and myself. I always called Al on my visits
to our Lake Havasu home. We always tried
to save the world….verbally, but never suc-
ceeded. Corey Rose and I spent Al’s last
hours with him. We had beers and talked
about the old days. Al was in good spirits
before he left us. I will always miss our
brother “Uncle Al.” FYI….we are having
a celebration of life for Al on April 19 at
11:00am. Elks Lodge; 3532 McCulloch
Blvd. North, Lake Havasu.
Scott Gould
EARL G. WATZ—CAPTAIN I

Earl and I met on February 20,

1960, when we reported to DT-89 as rook-
ies. Earl and I sat side by side during our
training. A year later Earl was the “best
man” at my wedding to my wife Arleen.
Over the years we kept contact together,
although we never worked together. Earl
enjoyed his promotion and assignment as
Captain I to a single engine, fire station.
Earl was one of those persons who you in-
stantly liked when you first met him.
God speed my friend.
Protect Those
Bob Mac Millan Batt. 14 Retired with Special Needs
Firefighter Justin Mendence set up a special needs trust to ensure his
IN MEMORY OF VARRICK L.
YOUNG—FIREMAN son and entire family is taken care of in the best manner possible.
“You want to think everybody’s going to take care of your kid because
Varrick, was the first firefighter I
worked with as a new rookie fresh out of everybody loves him, but unless you have a plan in place…you’re planning
the drill tower. We rode the tailboard to- to fail. Leaving it to chance is not in me and my wife’s vocabulary.”
gether at Engine 21. He was such a nice
and easy-going guy. He had a cool and
calmness about him. It was a pleasure A Special Needs Trust Helps You:
working with him.
• Set up long-term funding for living expenses & care
Bill Thost
• Determine who will be the primary caregiver
• Create an advisory group of experts to help caregivers make
IN MEMORY OF KENNETH D.
CASSIDY—CAPTAIN I sound decisions
• Ensure your child’s assets are protected & well-managed
So sorry to see the passing of Ken.
Blessings to his wonderful family. One • Ensure your child maintains eligibility for special services
of my favorite guys to work with, even
though our paths separated during our ca-
reer. I couldn’t help but share my memory “I sleep a little bit easier at night knowing that my son is
of him. This was an off-duty experience. set up for his entire life,” Justin said.
I was at dinner in his home that he had
just built in Hesperia. This was still when
we had phones that actually had a normal
ring. While we were eating that phone of
his rang so much that it began to take its
toll. I finally said, “Ken, I don’t mind if
you answer it while we are eating”. Well,
come to find out it was not his phone at Whether you care for a child or adult with special needs or not,
all but their pet African Gray bird who everyone should consider setting up an estate plan. Ask for a
wanted attention by making phone ringing “Getting Started Kit” today by emailing the Relief Association
sounds. Funniest thing, I’ll never forget. Development & Marketing Director at donations@lafra.org
or calling (323) 259-5217
Dale Bayless

June 2023 • 49
 MEMBERS
GORDON L. ISRAEL, JR., ENGINEER.
Appointed April 13, 1968.
Retired on a service pension April 30, 2007 from FS 23.
Passed away May 2, 2023.

GEOFFREY M. SCHROEDER, CAPTAIN.

Appointed April 20, 1963.
Retired on a disability pension September 19, 1991 from Arson Fire Investigation.
Passed away May 7, 2023.

LOUIS R. CONTRERAS, FIREMAN.

Appointed April 18, 1977.
Retired on a service pension May 13, 2011 from FS 101-A.
Passed away May 9, 2023.

MICHAEL A. PEREZ, BATTALION CHIEF.

Appointed June 10, 1961.
Retired on a disability pension October 13, 1998 from Battalion 12.
Passed away May 13, 2023.

GARY E. COOPER, FIREMAN.

Appointed August 29, 1964.
Retired on a disability pension August 29, 1989 from Arson Section.
Passed away May 14, 2023.

DAVID H. GEHMAN, CAPTAIN.

Appointed March 10, 1962.
Retired on a disability pension August 4, 1983 from FS 73.
Passed away May 15, 2023.

FAMILY
Carol J. Olson, spouse of Leland C. Olson, Passed away April 26, 2023.

50 • June 2023
 Ahh springtime… providing hope ployment data can obscure underlying nu- makes it even less likely that the federal
that bitter cold and snowstorms will soon ances in the labor market. Part-time work government will be able to run surpluses
be behind us. Evidence that progress has been on the rise, while full-time jobs anytime soon. It may also require austerity
is being made into a new season can be have stalled over the past year. This pivot measures in other spending areas.
identified by the occasional green leaf by employers illustrates their preference On the surface, news indicating a
protrusions peeking out from the frozen, for more flexible payrolls, which reveals growth trend in an economic area could
snow-covered earth. However, economic hesitancy and forward-looking concerns. be deduced as having a mostly positive
forecasting is much less indicative than 3. Federal Revenue Has Grown economic result. An investor or business
Mother Nature. “Green shoots” in eco- 21% – Since 2015, U.S. Federal Govern- owner might surmise that positive data
nomic parlance could mean that data is ment income has grown from $4.05 Tril- supports a sunny outlook. However, in a
showing signs of fresh grow and that over- lion in 2015 to $4.90 Trillion in 2022, a complex, globally interconnected econo-
all conditions are improving. But not all 21% increase. Increasing income to the my there’s little confidence that perceived
green may be good. government should be a good thing, espe- green shoots are perfectly indicative of
Here are a few economic “green cially since their spending has increased. good outcomes. Also, sticking with my
shoots” that could turn out to be weeds But as any fiscally prudent person knows, weeds versus daffodils analogy, not all
once fully grown but are being mistaken if expenses are growing at a faster rate than weeds are unwelcome. Purslane, dande-
for daffodils early on. income, then instead of running a surplus lion, and sumac come to mind as deli-
1. A 4% 10-Year U.S. Treasury (or savings) a deficit will be incurred. A cious, medicinal, and nutritious. In eco-
Yield – Every investor enjoys earning short-term deficit could be tolerated with- nomic terms, green shoots that turn out to
more money on their money than not. Led out much detriment. Lately, government be “good” weeds may offer instead a dose
by the Federal Reserve’s fed funds rate officials seem ever more tolerant of long- of fiscal and monetary medicine that the
hikes, debt instruments across all market term deficits, which are being financed world economy needs to seek an appropri-
segments have followed suit. U.S Treasury with borrowed money accompanied by ate amount of liability given asset values.
bonds are all paying much higher rates to significantly higher interest expenses. This The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial
their holders than a couple of years ago. advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice
Folks who have been invested in bonds concerning your specific situation. For more information, please
visit www.alignewealth.com or call (310) 795-0622 to speak with
through their portfolios are not too happy.
an investment advisor representative.
Bond yields and bond prices move in-
versely to one another. Meanwhile, types
of debt that U.S. households typically
maintain (e.g., mortgages and credit cards)
are now costing households significantly
more than before. This increase in cost is a
direct result of interest rate hikes and is an
inflationary force that may likely persist
for years to come.
2. Unemployment Rate Below
3.5% – Low unemployment sounds like
a good thing. Doesn’t it mean that folks
are able to find meaningful, full-time
employment with good benefits and time
off? Definitely not. As I wrote in the
April’s edition https://www.forbes.com/
sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2023/03/03/
the-dark-side-of-recent-jobs-
growth/?sh=77a14caa4b71, headline em-
June 2023 • 51
 Written | Frank Baker, LAFD retired

Drill Tower, Rookie life in the 50s,

and the two platoon system, Part 3

The platoon on duty was divided

into two groups. One group worked on en-
gine company evolutions, while the other
was learning truck company operations.
On the engine side, we learned
how to make standard hose lays. At that This tailboar
time, many engine companies didn’t yet lines on the
have rigs with transverse hose beds. The that Frank Ba
to, the standa
Siamese assembly was the lay used for
Siamese or a
inch-and-a-half. On the driver’s side of ½ inch doub
the hose bed, there was a narrow section was equippe
that contained two side by side inch-and-a- the practice c
half lines that were, as I recall, each one a
--Don Nash
hundred feet long. They were loaded with
the male ends out and on top of the load.
One had a straight tip and the other a mys-
tery spray tip. Below that, we left a loop of
maybe 18 inches sticking out of the load.
The hose man standing on the tailboard
would put the nozzles over his shoulder
and while pivoting 180 degrees, stick his
arm through the loop and step off the tail-
board. Removing the hose from the bed,
the female ends of the hoses were pre-
connected to the Siamese assembly that
rode on the tailboard. The assembly was
removed from the tailboard and connected
to a two-and-a-half supply line.
I said that the firemen removing
the hose from the rig in the Siamese lay
were standing on the tailboard. We rode
on the tailboard, which was lower than the
tailboards on today’s rigs. I don’t remem-
ber if any of the apparatus in service then
had space in the cab for firemen. The 1955
Crowns had jump seats facing the rear.
One behind the captain, and the other be-

52 • June 2023

This tailboard photo shows the two 1 ½ inch hand
lines on the small left hose trough. Note the loops
that Frank Baker described in the article. In this pho-
to, the standard Siamese is either replaced by a gated
Siamese or a 2 ½ inch to 1 ½ inch gated wye with a 2
½ inch double male attached. This particular engine
was equipped with transverse hose beds. However,
the practice continued for some time afterwards.
--Don Nash
Advancing the two 1 ½ inch hand lines.
Note the two nozzles slung on the back of
the recruit. The Siamese assembly is at the
rig waiting to be connected to a 2 ½ inch
supply line.
-- Don Nash
hind the auto fireman - today’s apparatus
operator. But they didn’t have enclosed
cabs. Usually two or three firemen rode
the tailboard. When taking the hydrant,
the auto fireman would slow the rig at the
hydrant and the number two man would
step off with the hose to lay the line.
On the truck side, we threw a lot of
ladders. From the Baby Bangor on up to
“The Fifty.” I’ve heard the 50 foot bangor
had been taken out of service. Our drill
tower class tried to accomplish that, but I
think we probably used a different meth-
od. One day on the B-Shift, they dropped
it while practicing and busted it up pretty
good. It took a couple of weeks in the car-
penter shop, which was right there at the
shops to repair it. The very next day when
it was returned, one of our guys on the A-
Shift ran over it with the rig while backing
up for a hose lay. In the field, the bangor
could be a real consumer of manpower. In
the tower, we learned to put it up with six
men and also with four. It was harder with
the four, but it was manageable. We were
told that it had been raised in the field with
three guys. Those must have been some
big strong dudes.
To Be Continued...
Volunteers Needed!
The LAFD Historical Society is looking
for volunteers. Active and retired. Our
staff has dwindled in recent years, and
we need some fresh blood. Any skill set,
or no skill set. We can find something
for you no matter how slight. Even if
you can only come in once a year, it will
greatly help us. If you, or someone you
know is interested, please feel free to call
the museum at (323) 464-2727.
June 2023 • 53
 BHP is proud to present
LAFD Wellness Days
BHP knows that YOU are the
department's most important asset.
Department Wellness Days are designed
to bolster wellness for each and every
LAFD member.
These events will provide access to
mental and physical health services,
challenges, resources and support -
FOR FREE!
This event is the first of its kind— a
unique and fun opportunity for
firefighters and fire personnel to
engage with wellness-related activities
on duty.
Mark Your Calendars!
5 Wellness Days for the whole
department- with more to come...
Enter in raffles to win wellness prizes:
Snode Rower, Peloton, Traeger Grill,
Theraguns & more!
Totally Free & Accessible to
firefighters/personnel on & off duty.
Enjoy the services you need, including
games, competitions, & time to have
lunch or see old colleagues!
JOIN US:
OVB June 14, 2023 at FS89
0900-1400

BHP has curated an array of interactive

services and vendors that you can choose
from based on your individual needs.

Physical Wellness Services such as physical

therapy, massage, acupuncture, cryotherapy, and
our own Injury Prevention Unit...

Nutrition and Exercise Services such as Los Angeles Fire Department

nutritional consultation, free snacks & lunch from Behavioral Health Program
healthy food trucks, body fat testing...
Krystle Madrid, Psy.D.
Medical Services such as dental consultations, Director of Behavioral Health Program
blood pressure testing, blood sugar screenings...
Julie Snyder, Psy.D.
Fire Psychologist
Social and Financial Services such as financial
consultations, pensions, behavioral health & Call: (323) 276-7169
continuing education... Email: lafd.bhp@lacity.org

54 • June 2023
 LOS ANGELES FIREMEN’S RELIEF ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
April 5, 2023
CALL TO ORDER discuss a 5% increase for our pension-
ers. There will be more to come after the
President Chris Stine called the Meet- meeting.
ing of the Board of Trustees of the Los 2) Credit Union Shift Calen-
Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association to dar: The credit union will no longer
order at 10:13 a.m. print the shift calendars. An initial
meeting has been set for Tuesday, April
ROLL CALL 11th to see if LAFRA and UFLAC can
take it over. This could be a good oppor-
MEMBERS PRESENT: tunity for both organizations to display
Chris Stine, President their upcoming events, fundraisers, etc.
Trustee Frank Aguirre Our Marketing & Development com-
Trustee Kenneth Breskin mittee is invited to attend. There will be
Trustee Paul Duke more to report after the initial meeting.
Trustee Leon Dunn 3) Hook & Ladder: Jim Duffy
Trustee J.D. Fox attended as did Marlene Casillas & our
Trustee Cesar S. Garcia videographer to shoot the event and in-
Trustee Henry Gasbarri terview attendees. Tim Wuerfel advised
Trustee Jeff Halloran the event was successful. There was a
Trustee John Jacobsen good turnout as well. The team of event
Trustee Steve Jones organizers did an excellent job. The
Trustee John Marasco hard costs and final dollars received are
Trustee Mike Sailhamer still being counted.
Trustee Tyler Tomich 4) Family Support Group: Di-
Trustee Brian Wall ane Vigil and Valerie Lawrence are now
Trustee Craig White reporting to Marlene Casillas in Devel-
Trustee Danny Wu opment & Marketing.
Trustee Juan Albarran – Pension 5) Retirement Badge Requests:
Trustee Steve Tufts – Pension Per Relief policy, every member is en-
Todd Layfer - Executive Director titled to a badge, provided by the Relief.
Liberty Unciano – Controller/Treasurer They are eligible to receive an addi-
tional, smaller badge, for their spouse, at
MEMBERS ABSENT: a cost to the member. There have been
Jim Duffy, Vice President some exceptions to who received the
Trustee Tim Freeman additional, smaller badge in instances
Trustee Milton Quintana where there was no spouse, the spouse
Trustee Steve Berkery - Pension had passed, etc. Recently, there have
been some requests for badges for mul-
GUESTS: None tiple family members, e.g., children, sib-
lings, etc.
INVOCATION & Flag Salute Liz Perez handles all the badge
order requests. She has a drop list of
Mike Sailhamer led the invocation. badges to order with names for the next
Kenny Breskin led the flag salute. few years. She is also ordering the badge
cases now as well.
RATIFICATION OF ACTION AND Trustees are advised to double
MINUTES check the accuracy of information on
the badges when they pick them up to be
Chris Stine entertained a motion to ap- sure they have the accurate service dates
prove the March 1, 2023 Board Meeting and name.
Minutes. John Marasco so moved. J.D. 6) Pechanga Reunion: Juan
Fox seconded. There was no discussion brought in the file for Loan. She is reach-
or objections. ing out to all those who are interested in
attending. There are 30 reservations on
Motion carried to approve the March file currently. The event is taking place
1, 2023 Board Meeting Minutes. May 22nd through May 26th. Trustees
interested in attending should let Chris
PRESIDENT’S REPORT know.
7) Roque LAFRA Plaque
1) Pension Update: Chris re- Presentation / Celebration of Life: This
ported that the final executed five-year took place out in the Redlands on March
contact was received yesterday. There 18th. The Department did have a team
was a lot of work on the contract nego- there with a task force and ribbons fire.
tiations this time. All parties are pleased All the presentations were very well
with the outcome. There will be a Pen- done and received. There was a huge
sions meeting tomorrow and they will turnout. Thank you to all who attended.
On March 25th, FS 97 did a
plaque presentation in honor of George
Roque and his service. An excellent
job was done on this presentation. The
presentation also had a big turnout of
people. Thank you to all involved and
who attended.
8) FF of the Year Luncheon,
Thursday, April 20th: LAFRA has pur-
chased one (1) table.
9) LARFPA Picnic, Wednes-
day, June 7th: The Relief has purchased
one (1) table. Chris would like to have
strong participation at this event as well.
Please let Chris know if you are inter-
ested in attending.
EXECUTIVE SESSION
Chris Stine entertained a motion to
move into an Executive Session for vot-
ing members of the board. Juan Albar-
ran so moved. Steve Tufts seconded.
The Board entered Executive Session at
10:30 a.m.
The Board adjourned from Executive
Session at 11:15 a.m.
Member updates, a personnel matter,
and a legal matter were discussed dur-
ing Executive Session.
VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
1) 2023 Conferences: In Jim’s
absence, Chris reported Brian Wall and
Kenny Breskin will attend the IFEBP
Health Care Management Conference
on Monday, April 24th through Tues-
day, April 25th in Miami.
All new trustees are to attend
the annual IFEBP Employee Ben-
efits Conference on Sunday, October
1st - Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 in
Boston. There will be another option
for new trustees to get their education/
training at the Self Insurance Institute of
America (SIIA) National Conference on
Sunday, October 8 – Monday, October
10, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ. This would
be for any new trustee who could not
attend the IFEBP Conference in Boston
the week prior.
2) Board Educational Offsite:
The offsite meetings are set for Sunday,
June 11th through Tuesday, June 13. All
trustees are encouraged to sign-up and
attend. The Board Educational Offsite is
for the Trustees to discuss Relief Asso-
ciation long-term goals, objectives, etc.
3) LAFD Wellness Fairs: The
first of five planned wellness fairs will
take place on Wednesday, May 10th
from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Frank
Hotchkin Memorial Training Center.
Chris will attend along with Diane and
Valerie of Family Support Group. All
trustees are encouraged to attend. This
is another great opportunity to get out
in front of and speak with our members.
John Marasco noted that the times may
change and that he would be present at
all the fairs except for the first one. The
remaining wellness fairs are set to take
place on Monday, May 15th, Wednes-
day, June 14th, Wednesday, June 21st
and Monday, July 10th.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
REPORT
1) Golf Tournament: The Golf
committee met last month. The In-N-
Out truck is coming back, in place of the
barbeque. We are going to try to move
forward adding more food & drink for
the opening hours of the tournament.
The firefighter discounted this year is
$220.
2) FRITS 3.0: Elevation Solu-
tions continues to build out the recruit-
ment section of the platform. Medical
will be the next build out area. Weekly
calls between them and our Operations
staff continue to take place. Todd, Chris,
and Jim are participating on monthly
calls with them. Everything is on track
and on budget.
3) New Employees: Todd
brought Patty Rubalcava into the meet-
ing at 10:18 a.m. to introduce her to the
board. She shared her background in-
formation. Patty will be working with
Ana and Maria in the Member Services
department. She is very excited to work
with the Relief and proud to support our
mission and members. Patty exited after
her introduction.
Vivian Dang, new Human Re-
sources/Payroll employee, started last
month. She is working well with the
team and trustees; and already process-
ing payroll.
4) Open Enrollment: April is
the open enrollment period. All materi-
als have been sent out. Numbers on all
who joined or departed will be available
at the end of the month.
5) Lane Kemper Softball Clas-
sic: The classic will take place on Mon-
day, April 17th at Chino Hills. There are
24 teams locked in. Valerie is working
hard on the event raffle and other items.
Raffle tickets are available for purchase
by trustees and staff members.
6) Hope for Firefighters –
Thursday, June 1st: The Hope com-
mittee are working on booth and event
sponsors. This is another event where all
trustees are strongly encouraged to at-
tend. This is an all-hands-on deck event.
June 2023 • 55
There will be more to come with addi-
tional meetings and discussions.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
REPORT
There is nothing to report.
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
There is nothing to report.
BUILDING COMMITTEE
REPORT
Juan Albarran reported on HVAC up-
dates and routine maintenance to the
building. The software for the cellular
booster has been updated. Staff and
Juan are working with the City to be en-
ergy compliant. Updates to the worksta-
tions are ongoing.
ADMINISTRATIVE
COMMITTEE REPORT
Tyler Tomich presented the following
motions.
The committee recommends and I so
move to pay the usual and customary
bills in the amount of
$1,404,178.55. There was no discussion
or objections.
Motion carried to pay the usual and
customary bills in the amount of
$1,404,178.55.
The committee recommends and I so
move to pay $100 for promotional cer-
emony.
Motion carried to pay $100 for promo-
tional ceremony.
The committee recommends and I so
move to purchase a table of ten (10) at
$400 for the Firefighter of the Year Lun-
cheon.
Motion carried to purchase a table of
ten (10) at $400 for the Firefighter of
the Year Luncheon.
The committee recommends and I so
move to pay up to $500 for refreshments
for the March 9th Drill Tower Gradua-
tion Ceremony.
Motion carried to pay up to $500 for
refreshments for the March 9th Drill
Tower Graduation Ceremony.
The committee recommends and I so
move to purchase a table of eight (8)
at $400 for the LAFRPA BBQ taking
place on Wednesday, June 7th.
Motion carried to purchase a table of
eight (8) at $400 for the LAFRPA BBQ
56 • June 2023
taking place on Wednesday, June 7th.
The committee recommends and I so
move to pay up to $1,000 for the notary
course and certification for Gene Bed-
narchik.
Motion carried to pay up to $1,000 for
the notary course and certification for
Gene Bednarchik.
The committee recommends and I so
move to purchase an additional Owl
camera at $1,421.32 for use by the Re-
lief. The cameras would be used for var-
ious meetings, conferences, and other
business needs. This would be in addi-
tion to the two already on hand which
were purchased by the Credit Union for
their board meetings, held at the Relief
offices, and will be given to the Relief
when they [the Credit Union] have fin-
ished all their meetings.
Motion carried to purchase an addi-
tional Owl camera at $1,421.32 for use
by the Relief.
The committee recommends and I so
move to accept the $1,000 donation to
Widows & Orphans from the Credit
Union.
Motion carried to accept the $1,000
donation to Widows & Orphans from
the Credit Union.
The committee recommends and I so
move to approve a $250 bronze level
sponsorship for the 51st Annual Califor-
nia Firefighters Summer Games. These
games will take place in San Jose on
Sunday, June 25th to Friday, June 30th.
Sponsorship is in support of the LAFD
athletes participating in the games.
Motion carried to approve a $250
bronze level sponsorship for the 51st
Annual California Firefighters Sum-
mer Games.
The committee recommends and I so
move to pay up to $150 for the upcom-
ing LAFD Promotional Badge Ceremo-
ny taking place on Friday, April 21st.
Motion carried to pay up to $150 for the
upcoming LAFD Promotional Badge
Ceremony taking place on Friday, April
21st.
MEDICAL COMMITTEE
REPORT
Frank Aguirre presented the following
motion(s).
The committee recommends and I so
move to approve the medical plan bills
totaling
$1,315,032.70. There was no discussion
or objections.
Motion carried to approve the Medical
Plan bills totaling $1,315,032.70.
Frank reminded the board that we are
currently in the Open Enrollment period
through April 30th. He encouraged the
trustees to get out to their stations and
speak about, the LAFRA medical plan
and answer any questions or direct them
members as appropriate to have their
questions answered.
RELIEF COMMITTEE REPORT
Juan Albarran presented the following
motion.
The committee recommends and I so
move to pay:
The Sick & Injury benefits for Active &
Retired in the amount of $13,586.53 The
Estate Planning benefit in the amount of
$11,920
The Life & Accident Withdrawals of $0
The Assistance Committee in the
amount of $27,881.88 The Emergency
Advancements in the amount of $0
The Widows & Orphans Disabled
Firefighter’s to accept donations in the
amount of $26,976.26 The Life and Ac-
cident Death Benefit in the amount of
$24,000
The Relief Death Benefits in the amount
of $65,000
Motion carried to pay the above Relief
benefits.
Juan Albarran read the names of mem-
bers who recently passed and asked for a
moment of silence from the Board.
MEMORIALS
Alton W. Johnston
Frank J. Bowman
Allan Mac Donald
Bruce A. Froude
William C. Bortels
Alfred E. Fisher
Robert L. Kilpatrick
Alfredo Vega
Myron H. Davis
Gilbert B. Ramelli
Ronald G. Mc Intyre
Brent L. Hogue
Terrence M. Palmer
The committee recommends and I so
move to reinstate a member. He owes
$1,482.54 to make the Relief whole.
Motion carried to reinstate a member
into the Relief Association, with the
appropriately executed promissory
note on file, as needed.
GRAPEVINE/WEB COMMITTEE
REPORT
John Hicks is working on items/ar-
ticles for the Lane Kemper Softball
Classic and the Firefighter of the Year
Luncheon. He is also involved in the
meetings for the upcoming LA Galaxy
fundraiser.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
There is nothing to report.
BY-LAW COMMITTEE REPORT
There is nothing to report.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
REPORT
1) Exam Dates: The exam date
will be Saturday, April 22nd. The proc-
tors are all set. There are 27 applicants
with 1 qualifying college student, un-
der the Relief policies, and one eligible
for the Dennis Mendenhall Memo-
rial scholarship. Any questions can be
directed to Mike Sailhamer and Jim
Duffy via the committee email at schol-
arship@lafra.org.
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE REPORT
The Development & Marketing
department staff is working several dif-
ferent items.
Captain Rico Gross and his
team “Disaster Slayers” did the Stair
Climb at the Coliseum and conducted a
Peer-to-peer fundraiser to raise money
for 3 charities including ours. They are
still collecting donations. There are
links and info on our websites and in-
formation was in the newsletters and on
social media.
New Videos: There are great
new videos on our websites, which were
also shared in the newsletters and on so-
cial media. These videos include Girl’s
Camp, LAFD Legacy: James Finn and
Drill Tower Graduations (class 2022-
2…plus another for 2022-3).
Marlene has formed a nice
partnership and relationship with
LAFD’s internal team that posts these
on the LAFD website and social media.
She and her team wrote (write) up the
text and copy for them and the LAFD
is posting and sharing our stuff on their
site and portals. This is a fantastic way
to reach new people!
California Pizza Kitchen
(CPK) Fundraiser: April is working
with our previous contact from the 2019
fundraiser to set up one in the Fall. Mar-
lene requested the fundraiser be a mul-
tiple CPK locations once again as those
are the only ones that generate enough
income to make it worthwhile.
Derek Vehling Donation: He
ushered in a $1,000 donation from a
corporation he has worked with closely
over the years.
 Brodie & Maggie Mae Veh-
ling and Chaminade School Fundraiser:
Derek Vehling’s son and daughter did a
fundraiser at their junior high. They are
the 3rd and 4th of his kids to do this for
us.
Golf: Marlene and Juan Carlos
are working on all the brochures and fly-
ers; and Marlene is working with Donor
Perfect on the online sign-up forms. She
is also working on other details to begin
soliciting and inviting people. Marlene
has already one new $10,000 sponsor
and the returning shirt sponsor.
Softball: Marlene and the vid-
eographer will be out there shooting
video footage.
Pechanga Reunion, Temecula:
April is working on all the giveaway
promotional items for the Pechanga Re-
union; the Wellness Fairs, the Retired
Fire and Police BBQ and more.
WODFF.org website upgrades:
Diane of CodeSpoke finished the up-
dates and launched the new version of
our charity website. It has a much nicer
design look and she and Juan Carlos
worked to transition all the content from
the old site to the new one. Diane is now
working on a style guide that will not
only be for the website, but will also
carry across our social media content as
well.
LA Galaxy Fundraiser: Kenny
Breskin set up a fundraiser on Saturday,
July 8th with the LA Galaxy. The De-
velopment & Marketing department as
well as the Family Support Group will
be working with Kenny and the LA Gal-
axy on a great number of items to ex-
ecute for it; such as, special videos with
the mascot to in-game opportunities for
our members and more. They have had
one initial meeting and have another
next week. Tickets are already on sale
and posted on both websites and shared
a little on social. An ad has been pro-
vided for the Grapevine. More details to
come.
At the end of this report, Kenny
Breskin shared more details about the
LA Galaxy fundraiser. He advised the
tickets would be $40 mid-line level
seats. A portion of the tickets sales will
come to Widows & Orphans as a do-
nation. He and the team involved with
this fundraiser are working on plans for
a proposed cocktail hour, event booth
and other details and logistics. Chris en-
couraged the trustees to spread the word
about this fundraiser to their stations
and areas and encourage people to buy
tickets.
NEW BUSINESS
1) Firefighter Yearbook: Dan-
ny advised he has been contacted about
any plans for the next Firefighter Year-
book. It is typically done every 10 years.
There was mention on including the
civilian working with the fire depart-
ment in the yearbook. It was noted this
project is a huge undertaking and takes
about a year to complete. The board
briefly discussed things like who would
receive the book, any collaborations that
would be involved, any price or payment
required to receive the book, whether ci-
vilian employees want to receive a book,
etc. The Relief Association will exhaust
every avenue in discussing this project
and if/how it should proceed.
OLD BUSINESS
1) Ken Willahan’s Retirement
Celebration took place on April 2nd.
Jeff Cawdrey presented the badge on
behalf of the Relief Association.
SETTING OF MEETING DATES
1) Lane Kemper Softball Classic will
take place on Monday, April 17th in
Chino Hills.
2) LAFD Wellness Fair #1 will take
place on Wednesday, May 10th at Frank
Hotchkin Memorial Training Center.
3) Pechanga Reunion will take place
on Monday, May 22nd through Friday,
May 26th.
4) Hope for Firefighters is scheduled for
Thursday, June 1st.
5) LA Galaxy Fundraiser benefiting
Widows, Orphans & Disabled Fire-
fighter’s Fund will take place on Satur-
day, July 8th at 7:30 p.m. for their game
versus the Philadelphia Union. The link
to purchase tickets for the game is avail-
able on the Relief and Widows & Or-
phans website. More details to come as
we get closer to the event.
6) St. Baldrick’s LAFD/LAPD Event:
This annual event has been scheduled
for Saturday, August 5 at The Vineyards
at Porter Ranch.
The next committee meetings
will take place on Wednesday, April
19th. The next board meeting will be on
Wednesday, May 3rd.
RETIREMENT DINNERS
1) Jose Fernandez Retirement Dinner
will take place on Saturday, April 15th
at Stevens Steak House in Commerce
from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
2) Percy E. Jones Retirement Dinner
Dance will take place on Saturday,
April 29th at OMNI Hotel, Bunker Hill
Ballroom in LA at 6:00 p.m.
ADJOURNMENT
Chris Stine entertained a mo-
tion to adjourn. Steve Tufts so moved.
Brian Wall seconded. There was no dis-
cussion and no objections.
Motion carried to adjourn. The Board
of Trustees meeting adjourned at
11:50 a.m.
Chris Stine, President

Donations to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund

FIREFIGHTERS FIRST CHARLES A. HALLMAN from the GARY T. SHELFORD from the
CREDIT UNION Kern County Breakfast Club Firehouse Cafe Breakfast Klatch

OLVERA ESPERANZA from PROGRESSIVE INSURANCE PATTY RUBACALVA from the

Tim Togneri’s Retirement Ride FOUNDATION Lane Kemper Classic Raffle

SUE FLYNN in honor of Michael Flynn FIRE STATION NO. 94 from RICHARD J. ERQUIAGA in memory
the Fire Extinguisher Fund of Brian Corntassel
VALERIE J. LAWRENCE from the
Lane Kemper Classic Raffle JOHN L. PECEL in memory of DAVID J. BREUER in memory of
Brian Corntassel Charlie Wallin
OVERLAND HOTEL from
Tim Togneri’s Retirement Ride RICHARD E. FOX in memory of THE BLACKBAUD GIVING FUND
Paul A. Shakstad
BRENDA M. TAYLOR in memory of ANONYMOUS in memory of
George F. Taylor STEVEN J. BERKERY from your Battalion Chief Don Cate & Auto
Corporate Secretary Payment Fireman Thomas Schmitz-Cate

June 2023 • 57
 CLASSIFIEDS
For advertising information, please contact:
Eric Santiago - (323) 259-5231 - eric@lafra.org
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SERVICES
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Tired of paying excessive fees for
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3Bed/2Bath in town of Speedway.
Walk or bike to Main St.
Short drive, 7 miles, to Lucas Oil
Stadium, Downtown Indy, River-
front, Museums, Etc. Available
most dates except May 20 to 27.
Call Tina or Craig at 805-377-0686
or 805-377-3640
JUNE LAKE CABIN. 2BR/2BA
cabin with Carson Peak View.
Sleeps 8. Within a mile of fishing
& skiing. Close to Mammoth and
Yosemite. Spacious living room,
kitchen, and wood deck. Smart TV
and Wifi. $150/night plus cleaning
fee of $125. Email for pictures.
Brian Smith LAFD (310)872-7311.
junecabin52@gmail.com
LAKE HAVASU AMAZING
LAKEVIEW POOL HOME. 1800
sq.ft. built 2018, 3 bed, 2 bath,
sleeps 8. (King, Queen, Full
2xTwin). Finished backyard with
pool and spa. Fully furnished w/
linens, WiFi, internet TV, laundry,
large kitchen, BBQ, 2 car garage.
Quiet neighborhood. 3 miles from
launch ramp. No pets / no smok-
ing. Call Karen (661) 965-0542.
LAKE HAVASU LANDING
RESORT. 3 bedroom, 2 bath,
waterfront house, boat, mooring
out front, fully furnished, laundry,
gas BBQ, launch ramp, gated com-
munity, grocery store, hardware
store. No pets, no smoking. Email
Kathy at scarkj@yahoo.com or
call (760) 858-4470
LAKE HAVASU BEAUTY FOR
RENT - 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1600 sq.ft.
Fully furnished with all ameni-
ties- Laundry & BBQ. 13,000 sq.ft.
lot. 3 car boat-deep garage. 3
miles from launch ramp. Close to
downtown shops & restaurants.
View of the lake. Quiet street in
good neighborhood. No pets. No
smoking. Snowbird rates. Call
Mike (661) 510-6246
LAKE HAVASU GETAWAY
3 bed, 2 bath, Kitchen, Boat Park-
ing, with a AMAZING VIEW of the
lake. located near restaurant’s,
and the option to use two different
boat launches both about 1 mile
from house. large fenced in back-
yard. Small PETS are welcome,
NON SMOKER Please. $180. nt.
Weekends $240. Fri-Sat EXCL
Holidays. 2 night min. Cleaning
Fee $125. pics avaialable. Email
rbrianson@hotmail.com call
Brian LAFD 714-376-2032
LAKE HAVASU LANDING.
TH1-29, Waterfront, 3 BD 3 BA,
Direct-TV, DVD, WiFi, BBQ,
Mooring, Casino, Market, Launch
Ramp, Marina, Off Road Trails,
Gated. No Smoking/Pets, $285
Weekday, $850 Weekend, $1995
Week, Maid $150, Resort TOT fee
25%, bring linen, (310) 418-1577,
daggertooth@aol.com
LAKE HAVASU LANDING RE-
SORT BEACHFRONT HOME with
boat mooring. Swim, ski or fish
from front yard. 4 bed/2 bath, fully
furnished. DirectTV/DVD/WiFi,
pool table, laundry, BBQ. Gated
community with casino, groceries,
marina, launch ramp and off-road
trails. No pets, no smoking. $350
Bowen/Garner email:
havasulanding27@gmail.com
LAKE HAVASU POOL HOME.
1900 sq. ft. remodeled 3 bdrm,
3 1/2 baths, sleeps 8. (1 King,
2 queens). Backyard with pool,
jacuzzi with underwater lights.
Fully furnished w/ linens, laundry,
WIFI, INTERNET, TVs, BBQ. $150
weekdays, $250 weekends, $125
cleaning fee. 2 night minimum.
No smoking. Call Gabe Moreno
or email
fightin25@yahoo.com
LARGE LAKE HAVASU HOME
FOR RENT – 5 bedroom, 3 bath,
2900 sqft home with amenities
& pool that easily sleeps 14+
people. Centrally located, 1 mile
from the lake, close to downtown
shops and restaurants. Check
out home at https://www.vrbo.
com/4648549ha
Call Julie 818-268-7906 for special
firefighter family rates.
LOG CABIN NEAR JACKSON
HOLE WY: Close to Snake River,
Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, World
Class Skiing. Call (818) 207-
0811 LAFD Retired. Visit: www.
aspenhill
cabin.com for all information.
MAMMOTH CONDO, La
Vista Blanc, Cozy 2 BD 2 BA,
Furnished, WiFi, Cable, Pool,
Spa, BBQ, Sleeps 4, Winter $150,
Summer $130, Maid $175, 14%
TOT(6092), No Smoking, (310)
540-4648, pvignery@aol.com,
(310) 418-1577, daggertooth@
aol.com
MAMMOTH CONDO AT MAM-
MOTH ESTATES. 4BR/3BA,
sleeps 10, fully furnished, 2
TVs, DVDs, WiFi, towels/linens,
fireplace. Full kitchen. Walk to
Gondola Village and shuttle. Com-
plex has pool, spa, sauna, laundry.
Winter $355/night, Summer $240/
night, plus cleaning. Includes city
bed tax. No pets, no smoking.
Dory Jones (310) 918-0631 or
Kelly Corcoran (310) 619-5355
MAMMOTH CONDO IN SNOW-
CREEK IV. Super nice 2 bedroom
/ 2 bathroom located in FAN-
TASTIC Snowcreek IV. *PETS
WELCOME! King, Double Queen
bunk, & trundle, Nicely furnished
with high-end appliances. Fully
stocked kitchen. Washer/Dryer in
the unit. Pricing varies by season
and demand. Exceptional condo!
Goldencreek637@gmail.com,
909-576-2025, Website: https://
goldencreek637.wixsite.com/
mysite
MAMMOTH CONDO. Updated
2 bedroom 1 bath old mammoth/
eagle lodge area. Sleeps 5. Fully
equipped kitchen, wifi, pool, spa,
laundry. Walk to restaurants, bars,
stores, park and trolly. Winter $175
summer $130 plus cleaning fee,
holiday rates vary, multiple night
discounts. No pets.Contact Will
Nevins 26”B” (714) 697-2587
MAMMOTH CONDO. Two
bedrooms, Large loft. Three full
bathrooms. Sleeps 8. Walk to
Canyon Lodge. DVD, Cable, Wifi,
Pool, Spa, Rec. Room, BBQ. town Nashville. Walking distance
Winter $175 Sun - Thurs $195 Fri to Broadway St, hockey and NFL
/Sat Holiday Periods. Summer stadium. Contact Wayne, LAFD
$150 Plus Cleaning. No Smoking @ (805) 796-7863 for availability
or Pets. Call Craig Yoder (909) and price.
948-3659.
PALM DESERT CONDO.Montery
MAMMOTH CONDO AT THE Sands, 3 BD 2 BA, Furnished,
WOODLANDS - Spacious & WiFi, Cable, Pool, Jacuzzi, Ten-
sunny. 2 bedroom, loft, & 2 baths. nis, Sleeps 4, $200 Night, $800
Sleeps 8. Cable HDTV, DVD, & Week, $3200 Month, Maid $150,
Wi-Fi. Pool, Jacuzzi, & sauna in 12% TOT(STR2019-0002). No
complex. On shuttle route. No Smoking, (310) 418-1577, dag-
smoking & no pets. $160/night gertooth@aol.com
winter, $125/night summer. Plus
cleaning and bed tax. Call Terry SHELL VACATION CLUB time-
Imlay (949)322-3473 or (949)458- share points for sale! Points allow
0768 for maximum travel flexibility. Stay
at any Shell Resort or use RCI to
MAMMOTH LAKES - One travel the globe with thousands
bedroom, extremely charming of options! 8700 annual points
wildflower condo. Full amenities, can be used for accommodations,
close to shuttle. Antiques, art, airfare, rental cars, or cash out.
satellite TV, fireplace. Sleeps 4. Take over deed for $10,000 obo!
Winter $110, Summer $85 plus Same point value costs $30k-40k
cleaning fees. Call Bill Clark (818) at resort. Maintenance fees are
371-6722 $235 monthly. Vince Nixon—LAFD
Email: shakesong@aol.com retired 805-585-8808
MAMMOTH SEASONS 4 SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Romantic
CONDO. Cozy 1 bedroom condo Chalet Family getaway. 3 bed/2
with full-size pullout couch and bo- bath plus loft. Sleeps 8–10. Cable
nus room with twin size bunkbed TV, washer/dryer, microwave,
that comfortably sleeps 4 adults woodburning stove. 7 minutes to
and 2 children. Conveniently casinos and Heavenly. Located in
located 15 min walk between the Tahoe Paradise. $115 per night
Village and Canyon Lodge at 244 plus cleaning. Call Shawn or Rose
Lakeview Blvd. Visit https://www. Agnew at (661) 250-9907 or (661)
seasons4.com/94269/ for pics, 476-6288.
amenities, and reviews. $125/
night; off-peak (May, June, Oct,
Nov): $100/night; cleaning: $100.
Bobby (310) 350-5552.
MAMMOTH SNOW CREEK IV.
Beautiful 2bd 2ba 1140sqft. Check
us out at Airbnb.com/h/ourdeer-
friendsretreat for availability. Email
us directly for fire family pricing.
OurDeerFriend
For
sretreat@gmail.com. Shane
Hirsch(LAFD) 714-803-9324
advertising,
MAUI, HAWAII VACATION
RENTAL. Kamaole Sands beach
front resort, spacious I bedroom,
email:
2 bath condo #7104 located in
Kihei beautiful beach and garden
eric@lafra.org
views with park like settings, with
pool, jacuzzi and bbq stations
just outside of relaxing lanai. For
pictures and rates contact:
or call:
mauirentalgroups@vtrips.com
complex #7104 sleeps up to 4
323-259-5231
adults with some exceptions for
children. Retired firefighter owned
with 10% discount given to all
LAFD firefighters and policemen.
NASHVILLE CONDO. Two bed-
room condo, sleeps 6, in Down-
June 2023 • 59
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60 • June 2023
 1915

Fire Station 23

1958

One shift, Firefighters Dean Lange and Donald Manning were on duty at Fire Station 23 when a city photographer pulled up in front of E23 and set up a large camera. He informed us he
had an old picture of E23 taken on Aug 15, 1915 with the horses ready for any alarm. His purpose was to show the comparison from May, 1915 to that date in 1958. Members as recalled
in 1958 are left to right. Fireman with R hand on pole unknown. Fireman standing in rear Fireman Don Bunker, Fireman sliding left pole is Don Manning. Fireman standing on R side
of rig is Don Griesinger. Standing in front R of Crown Rig with R arm pointing to light, unknown. Engineer at steering wheel is Eng. Chapman. Fireman close to him standing with left
arm out, unknown. Fireman sliding R pole is Dean Lange. Two men at the teletype, first one is unknown, second one is Captain Lowell Johnson. PHOTOS | Compliment of Dean Lange

June 2023 • 61
Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association
7470 N Figueroa Street
Los Angeles CA 90041-1725