10 TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

As we reflect on the last 10 years of this publication, we have documented the ever-increasing demands on our rank-and-file members and the professional fire service as a whole. We have witnessed significant challenges in our society, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic and the destruction left in its wake as well as renewed calls for social justice after times of civil unrest. During these unprecedented and difficult times, our dedicated emergency responders have continued to be the reliable backbone of our communities, consistently stepping up when called upon even when it means putting themselves and their own families at risk.

And closer to home, we have endured some trials, but also celebrated progress and incredible successes.

In May of 2020, an explosion caused a massive fireball at a Downtown commercial building located on Boyd Street during fire suppression operations, resulting in a MAYDAY call being broadcast and 12 injured Firefighters who required various levels of treatment and hospitalization. Thanks to the critical thinking and skill of the crews on scene, all of the injured Firefighters survived, and this incident is now a unique training tool for lessons learned.

Events like the Boyd Street Fire are a reminder of just how dangerous and perilous this job can be, and especially over the last decade the fire service has come to realize not only the physical, but also the mental toll this profession can take on our Firefighters and Paramedics. There have been significant strides in addressing mental health issues associated with being an emergency responder and UFLAC, in partnership with the LAFD, was proud to announce the Grand Opening of the Center for Health and Wellness. Annually, more Firefighters die nationwide due to suicide than from Line of Duty Deaths and the robust Behavioral Health Program at this facility incorporates mental health professionals, offering a wide variety of behavioral health resources to ensure the wellbeing of our LAFD Firefighters and their families.

UFLAC also celebrated the creation of our own Fire Foundation to provide financial support to Firefighters and their immediate families who suffer economic hardship as a result of illness, injury or death, as well as educational assistance to children of fallen Firefighters. The Foundation has already awarded several scholarships to support our Firefighters and their loved ones in pursuing their academic and professional goals.

There were also other extraordinary points of pride for UFLAC and the LAFD over the last decade, including UFLAC’s own Past President, Frank Lima, being elected to serve as the General Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Fire Fighters representing more than 334,000 professional Firefighters and Paramedics across the United States and Canada. As well as the historical appointment of Kristin Crowley, the first female and the first openly gay Fire Chief to lead the LAFD. And she took the reigns from Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas, LA’s first Latino Chief, who served with the Department for nearly 40 years.

UFLAC continues to thrive as a unified labor organization more committed than ever to its mission to lead the way to protect and advocate for the health, safety, working conditions, wages and benefits of our members and their families.

January 2 ATTIC FIRE

WEST HILLS - At 8:49AM, the LAFD responded to a reported structure fire in the 7400 block of Atherton Lane. 34 Firefighters located and extinguished an attic fire in 29 minutes with no injuries reported. Crews prevented the blaze from extending into the second floor and conducted salvage operations to provide protection for the contents of the rooms.

January 7 GREATER ALARM FIRE IN VACANT BUILDING

NORTH HOLLYWOOD - It took 79 members of the LAFD less than 45 minutes of defensive operations to extinguish a heavy fire in a vacant and boarded commercial building in the 6200 block of Laurel Canyon Boulevard.

January 7

Driver Killed When Suv Collides With Home

SAN PEDRO - Despite the swift arrival of Firefighters, the driver of a compact sport utility vehicle died after their vehicle collided with an unoccupied parked car and then forcefully struck and entered a home at the intersection of 26th Street and Kerckhoff Avenue. Thankfully, the occupants of the home were not injured.

January 8

Fire Damages Vehicles

HYDE PARK - Firefighters quickly extinguished flames that damaged a pair of parked vehicles, but thankfully caused no injury, in the 7000 block of South 4th Avenue.

January 9 DOWNED PLANE STRUCK BY TRAIN

PACOIMA - A small single-engine airplane with only the pilot aboard crashed shortly after leaving Whiteman Airport, coming to rest near railroad tracks at the intersection of Osborne Street and San Fernando Road. Los Angeles Police Officers from the nearby Foothill Community Police Station quickly came to the pilot’s aid, pulling the man to safety from the damaged aircraft moments before a commuter train struck the plane. Firefighters contained the spilled fuel and rushed the patient to a regional trauma center.

January 9

Fire Destroys Home

SUN VALLEY - At 8:38PM, Firefighters responded to the 13300 block of Arminta Street for a reported structure fire. The first arriving fire company found a singlefamily dwelling with heavy fire showing. 46 Firefighters extinguished the flames within 30 minutes. All four occupants exited the structure safely prior to LAFD arrival and no injuries were reported.

January 12 STRIP MALL DESTROYED

SHERMAN OAKS - At 10:48PM, Firefighters responded to a small strip mall with heavy smoke showing in the 15000 block of Ventura Boulevard. After an initial offensive attack, the incident transitioned to defensive, and 75 Firefighters extinguished the blaze in one hour and twenty minutes.

January 18 STRIP MALL FIRE

VENICE - At 11:29PM, the LAFD responded to a structure fire in the 2800 block of Abbot Kinney Boulevard. It took 34 Firefighters 20 minutes to access, confine, and fully extinguish the blaze in one unit of the strip mall.

January 23 BLAZE DAMAGES CARS AND ATTIC

PANORAMA CITY - 34 Firefighters fully extinguished stubborn flames involving multiple automobiles that extended into the attic of a one-story home in the 14600 block of Gledhill Street in approximately 30 minutes. One LAPD officer was taken to an area hospital by Paramedics in fair condition for treatment of smoke inhalation.

January 30 PHYSICAL RESCUE

PACOIMA - At 10:29PM, the LAFD responded to a reported traffic accident in the 13000 block of Van Nuys Boulevard. Firefighters found a two-car collision with one patient entrapped and requiring extrication. A total of five patients were transported -two in critical condition and three with minor injuries.

February 3 FIRE CONSUMES UNIFORM SUPPLY STORE

DOWNTOWN - It took the well-coordinated teamwork of more than 80 Firefighters a little over an hour to fully extinguish stubborn flames from an outside fire that consumed a uniform supply business located in a two-story strip mall in the Fashion District.

February 3 ENCAMPMENT FIRE

Quickly Snuffed

DOWNTOWN - Crews made quick work of extinguishing a rubbish fire at a homeless encampment within the parking structure of a vacant commercial building located at 940 South Hill Street.

February 5 TRENCH RESCUE

SUN VALLEY - An emergency call at 10:13AM brought rescuers to 9031 El Dorado Avenue, including Firefighters uniquely trained to handle specialized Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) tasks. Two men working on a trenching project alongside a one-story home were trapped when portions of a concrete walkway suddenly gave way. One of the two individuals was able to free himself so First Responders worked methodically with specialty tools for nearly 80 minutes to skillfully free the man who was taken to a regional trauma center in serious but stable condition. Care and ambulance transportation to a local hospital was also provided to the other workers who suffered injuries.

February 5 HOUSE OF WORSHIP FIRE

WATTS - At 11:20AM, Firefighters responded to the 1700 block of South Santa Ana Boulevard to find an outside vegetation fire extending into a two-story house of worship. It took 76 Firefighters just 49 minutes to access, confine, and fully extinguish the flames.

February 6

Fire Damages Three Units

WEST LA - At 5:05PM, LAFD personnel responded to a two-story building with fire in one unit that spread to the attic in the 10600 block of Santa Monica Boulevard. Crews on the roof provided vertical ventilation allowing smoke and heated gases to escape. It took 30 Firefighters 26 minutes to extinguish the flames and the fire ultimately affected at least three units.

February 12 ONE DEAD, TWO CRITICALLY INJURED IN COLLISION

WOODLAND HILLS - Firefighters worked swiftly and skillfully to extricate two women trapped inside a vehicle and assist a third woman discovered outside the sedan that collided forcefully with a large tree on the corner of Dumetz Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard. One of the women sadly proved beyond medical help and was determined dead at the scene, while the other two were taken by Paramedics to a regional trauma center in critical condition.

February 14

Fire Sweeps Through Office Building

WINNETKA - It took 33 Firefighters just 28 minutes in offensive operations to access, contain, and fully extinguish stubborn flames in a two-story office building that had fire showing from both floors upon arrival. The fire was confined within one firstfloor unit and four conjoined units on the second floor where clear evidence was noted of a marijuana grow operation.

February 21

Auto Fire

ARLETA - At 12:01AM, the LAFD responded to a reported traffic collision on the 5 Freeway at the 170 Freeway. Firefighters found a single car collision with the auto fully involved in fire. The driver self-extricated and was transported with non-lifethreatening injuries.

February 18

Crews Save

Commercial Building

DOWNTOWN - At 6:41AM, Fire Companies responded to a reported structure fire at 630 San Pedro Street to find heavy smoke showing from a two-story commercial building. Truck Companies headed to the roof for ventilation efforts while Firefighters conducted forcible entry and deployed an interior fire attack. Over 100 Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 43 minutes, holding the fire to the building of origin and defending the adjoining business from damage.

February 19

Cliffside Body Recovery

SAN PEDRO - At 10:55AM, Firefighters responded to a cliff rescue at Point Fermin. Crews located an approximately 20-year-old female about 100 feet down the cliff and determined she was deceased on scene. They assisted law enforcement with a body recovery operation using a litter basket off the aerial ladder. One Firefighter was injured while descending the cliff to reach the patient and was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

February 25 CREWS EXTINGUISH RV FIRE

SYLMAR - At 8:30PM, Crews responded to the 15000 block of West Oswald Street to find a parked RV engulfed in flames. Firefighters quickly deployed hose lines and extinguished the fire.

February 22 FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE MAJOR EMERGENCY FIRE

DOWNTOWN - More than 170 Firefighters fiercely battled stubborn flames for more than an hour when a Major Emergency structure fire consumed the rear portion of a two-story commercial building located at 1120 South Main Street.

February 27 SHEARED HYDRANT

SYLMAR - At 3:34PM, Firefighters responded to the 13000 block of Bradley Avenue for a reported traffic collision involving a fire hydrant. Crews arrived and ensured there were no injuries to the car occupant and shut off the hydrant.

February 27

Structure Fire

PANORAMA CITY - At 5:35PM, Fire personnel responded to the 9400 block of Cedros Avenue for a reported structure fire to find a single-family dwelling with heavy fire showing. 29 Firefighters fully extinguished the fire, which was primarily in the attic, in 31 minutes with no injuries reported.

February 27

Garage Fire

SOUTH LA - At 8:06PM, Firefighters responded to a reported structure fire in the 6700 block of 7th Avenue. Crews arrived to find fire showing from a detached garage with one additional building exposed. 28 Firefighters extinguished the blaze in 11 minutes with no injuries reported.