Valleyview 7 March April 2016

L A F D

VALLEYView

Issue 7

Operations Valley Bureau

Mar/Apr 2016

OPERATIONS VALLEY BUREAU ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY BUILDING ON STRONG PARTNERSHIPS AND SUSTAINED PROGRESS

By Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott

BUREAU COMMANDER Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott ASSISTANT BUREAU COMMANDERS

The Operations Valley Bureau (OVB) has completed its first successful year! Thanks to support from our great Valley community, OVB has been able to achieve great inroads in creating a safer city by improving its newsletter with community-focused information as well as partnering with business leaders and residents.

Operations Valley Bureau encompasses nearly 270 square miles of the San Fernando Valley. Serving a population of 1.8 million residents and business commuters, OVB is directly accountable for the 38 fire stations that responded to 139,444 calls for service in 2015. There are five geographic Battalion offices each supervising between seven to nine fire stations. Additionally, there are five EMS Battalion offices splitting 24-hour platoon or 4/10 work schedules. Each station houses multiple apparatus, equipment, and 6 to 16 personnel each day. OVB is responsible for managing the operational and administrative needs of all assigned fire stations, including Air Operations located at Van Nuys Airport.

Assistant Chief Trevor Richmond Andrew Fox Emile Mack Gregory Reynar TRAINING OFFICER Captain II Richard Fields EMS OFFICER Captain I Danny Wu OFFICE 4960 Balboa Blvd.

Encino, CA 91316 818-728-9921 818-728-9931 Fax

Email:

lafd.valleybureau @lacity.org

(See OVB Anniversary continued on page 3)

• To help prevent others from getting sick, avoid mosquito bites during the first week of illness.

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.

• Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.

ROTECTING YOU • Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect AND YOUR FAMILY yourself from mosquito bites.

There have been multiple news articles and • Use Environmental Protection Agency-registered stories about the Zika virus. You should be aware insect repellents. of what we know and do not know about the virus, • Treat clothing and gear with permethrin or as well as knowing what you can do to protect purchase permethrin-treated items. yourself and your family.

If you have a baby or child: Why are we concerned about the virus?

• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger Infection during pregnancies may be linked to than 2 months of age. birth defects in babies. Zika can be spread from a • Dress your child in clothing that covers arms and mother to her fetus during pregnancy. legs, or How is the virus spread?

• Cover crib, stroller, and baby carrier with Zika is spread mostly by the bite of an infected mosquito netting.

Aedes species mosquito. These mosquitoes are • Do not apply insect repellent onto a child’s aggressive daytime biters. They can also bite at hands, eyes, mouth, and cut or irritated skin. night. The mosquitoes that can carry Zika are • Adults: Spray insect repellent onto your hands found in some areas of the US. and then apply to a child’s face.

P

Proudly serving: Arleta, Bell Canyon, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, City of San Fernando, Encino, Granada Hills, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, Noho Arts District, North Hills, North Hollywood, Northridge, Pacoima, Panorama City, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland/Tujunga, Sylmar, Tarzana, Toluca Lake, Tujunga, Universal City, Van Nuys, Warner Center, West Hills, Winnetka, Woodland Hills.

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Los Angeles Fire Department HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME FOR AN EARTHQUAKE HOMEOWNER SAFETY TIPS Is your home properly bolted to the foundation?

• Crawl underneath your house with a flashlight. The wood that rests directly on the foundation (called the mud sill) SHOULD be bolted to the foundation. Homes built before 1940 are often left unbolted to their foundations.

Does your cripple wall need plywood?

• If your cripple walls are covered with only stucco or wood siding, they need additional re-enforcement.

Are there faulty materials in the wood and concrete framing?

• Check for insect damage and dry rot.

• Unreinforced brick or stone masonry may need to be replaced, requiring an engineer or architect.

If my home needs strengthening, what steps can I take?

• There are Standard Plans available that will greatly reduce the time required for plan check and therefore permits can be issued much faster. A list of Standard Plans can be found here:http://netinfo.ladbs.org/stdplan2.nsf/ • The Anchor Bolting/Bracing Foundation Drawing Standard Plan can be found here http://ladbs.org/LADBSWeb/LADBS_Forms/Publications/anchor_bolting.pdf How do I find and an engineer, architect or contractor?

• Engineers: Call the Structural Engineers Association of Southern California at (562) 908-6131.

• Architects: Call the American Institute of Architects at (310) 785-1809.

• Contractors: You should visit the Department of Consumer Affairs Contractors State License Board’s website http://www.cslb.ca.gov/Consumers/Hire_A_Contractor/

• You can verify a contractor’s information, including complaint disclosure by going to https://www2.cslb.ca.gov/OnlineServices/CheckLicenseII/CheckLicense.aspx Earthquake Insurance • Earthquake insurance in California is typically not part of your homeowner’s insurance policy.

• You may purchase a California Earthquake Authority (CEA) policy only through CEA's participating insurers. A complete list is on the CEA web site: http://www.earthquakeauthority.com/insurancepolicies/Pages/participatinginsurers.aspx Additional information • City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety Offices at (213) 580-1133 to locate an office near you. Visit their website at http://ladbs.org/LADBSWeb/public-home.jsf for more resources.

• Structural Engineers Association for updates and industry news on structural safety http://www.seaosc.org/

• California Architects Board provides consumer information on hiring an architect http://www.cab.ca.gov/pdf/publications/consumers_guide.pdf

RENTERS AND MOBILE HOME SAFETY TIPS Before renting, check for these dangers: • Structures made of unreinforced brick or block walls which can collapse and cause great loss of “Tuck under” parking spaces (a bottom floor without walls giving the building the appearance of being on stilts over a parking lot) which can be dangerous if not retrofitted properly.

• Foundation and cripple wall failures which can cause expensive damage. Images and explanations of foundational issues and cripple walls can be found at http://www.cert-la.com/BAS-How-You-Can-StrengthenYour-Home.pdf • Objects attached to the sides of buildings, such as staircases, balconies, and decorations, which can break off in earthquakes.

• If the building has any major structural issues, consider renting elsewhere.

Ask your landlord these questions: • What retrofitting has been done on the building?

• Have the water heaters been strapped with California approved systems to the wall studs?

Mobile Home Residents

• Mobile homes need "engineered tie-down systems" or "earthquake-resistant bracing systems" • As a metal bracing device, an ERBS may have a vertical pole in the center supported by 4 or 6 diagonal poles that start away from the base and come together at the top like a pyramid. Look for the ERBS beneath your home. An ERBS should have a label on the bracing that states, "Complies with the California Administrative Code, Title 25, Chapter 2, Article 7.5.”

• A metal or wood "skirt" on the outside with concrete blocks or steel tripods or jacks supporting your home is NOT enough.

Insurance Policies • Earthquake insurance policies are available to renters, mobile home residents and condominium residents. Renters may want insurance to insure personal property, or cover emergency repairs. Keep copies of your insurance policies in a lockable, durable box to grab in an emergency.

Contact the City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety by calling 3-1-1 or visiting their site http://ladbs.org/LADBSWeb/public-home.jsf for the location nearest you. Here are some additional resources you can contact as well: www.californiarocks.com/renters-policies www.earthquakecountry.org/step4/mobilehomes.html www.sba.com

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Operations Valley Bureau If you or someone you love is in need of emergency assistance, you want help to get there right away.

Did you know that there’s one thing everyone can do to help the firefighters provide this emergency assistance as quickly as possible? It’s as simple as “Pull to the Right for Sirens & Lights!”

Many people panic or simply don’t adhere to the rules of the road for approaching emergency vehicles.

The law is very specific; drivers must yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle, and failure to do so can cause serious accidents or delays in ambulances, fire engines and fire trucks arriving at the scene of an emergency. Here are some simple rules to follow when you are on the road and encounter a responding emergency vehicle:

DO:

DON’T:

• Stay calm.

• Pull to the right and come to a complete stop.

• If you’re traveling on a high-speed road or if there is no room to

• Don’t panic.

• Don’t play your radio so loudly that you are unable to hear sirens.

• Don’t stop in the middle lane when there is room to pull to the

• If you are in the left lane, pull over into the right lane as traffic in

• Don’t pull to the left in the center lane or left turn lane.

• Don’t race ahead to make the green light or turn before the

stop, slow down as much as possible. the lane to your right moves over.

• If you cannot move to the right because of another vehicle or • • •

obstacle, just stop.

If you are stopped at an intersection, stay where you are unless you can pull to the right.

On a 4-lane highway or street without barriers, both sides of traffic should pull to the right.

Drivers should stay at least 500 feet behind emergency vehicles.

right.

emergency vehicle gets there.

• Don’t turn quickly to the left onto a street or driveway.

• Don’t drive through a red light or stop sign when an emergency vehicle approaches from behind.

• If the emergency vehicle is traveling on the opposite direction of a divided highway or street, you do not need to pull over.

• Don’t disregard the presence of the emergency vehicle by continuing to drive.

ALISO CANYON NATURAL GAS LEAK STOPPED! The leak in a natural gas well more than 8,000 feet underground has been stopped according to Jason Marshall of the California Department of Conservation. “We have good news,” Marshall said, “The leak in Aliso Canyon storage field is permanently sealed.” Five separate tests were completed to determine the integrity of the cement seal, and air quality regulators also confirmed that gas emissions were controlled, said Marshall, who is the department’s chief deputy director. SoCal Gas vowed to shut down the decadesold well after drilling a relief well to the source of the leak, which was discovered Oct. 23. That second well reached its destination on Feb. 11, when the Gas Co. announced a temporary halt to the leak, made by injecting mud from the relief well into the old well. Regulators in January ordered SoCal Gas to adopt new methods to detect leaks, and to study the potential health effects on residents.

Mayor Eric Garcetti added, “Stopping the leak is only the first stage of recovery. Thousands of lives were upended by this disaster — and the City of Los Angeles is here to help people return to their homes, start doing business again, and get back to normal as quickly as possible.” For current information please visit:

www.alisoupdates.com

OVB Anniversary continued from Page 1 In its short year of existence, Operations Valley Bureau (OVB) has quickly become part of the San Fernando Valley landscape woven into its unique communities from North Hollywood to Encino to Sylmar to Granada Hills and several others. OVB has become the communities’ “go to” or “one-stop shop” point of contact. In turn, OVB is proud to be serving you and business entity within the San Fernando Valley. Operations Valley Bureau is one of two offices having a 24-hour command and control response capability for managing complex, large scale emergency incidents or events.

Thank you for helping us become one of the best bureaus. We continue to look forward to your feedback and assistance in making this year better than the last. Please contact the Operations Valley Bureau by email at: lafd.valleybureau@lacity.org

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L A F D

VALLEY VALLEYView View

An Open Letter from a Canoga Park Resident

Dear Captain Kesterson and Chief Drake: I am grateful beyond words for the day yesterday. I am so happy for those Canoga Park Residents who got new and installed smoke detectors and CO detectors as well. Those visits symbolized the great care that our Fire Department has for us and demonstrated a tangible way to save our own lives. It could not have happened on a better day than Sunday!

Thank you also for arranging that I had a ride along with the stellar C Team of Captain Kesterson and the great hospitality. It was a great and high learning day. I could learn and see how our firefighters not only put their lives to save ours but also how they save the lives of others. It was very touching and absolutely heartwarming. Thank you to all of you who are serving this way. Yesterday was unforgettable for me and I feel so honored to be part of your efforts. Again, on behalf is the Canoga Park residents and community, Thank you!

Engine 91, MySafe:LA and LAPD after another successful Smoke Detector canvassing event in Sylmar.

Thank you for the delicious dinner and I hope that all the people we saw doing the runs are all going to be fine.

Grateful Heart Corinne

OPERATIONS VALLEY BUREAU 2015 STATISTICAL SUMMARY 1.8 MILLION RESIDENTS

139,444 RESPONSES

270 SQUARE MILES

38 FIRE STATIONS

5 BATTALIONS

TOP 10 EMS CALLS

TOP 10 FIRE RESOURCES

TOP 10 RESCUE AMBULANCES

(TOTAL INCIDENTS)

(INCIDENTS/DAY)

(INCIDENTS/DAY)

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Sick (No Specific Complaint) Fall Difficult Breathing Unconsciousness/Fainting (near) Traffic/Transport Accident Chest Pain Unknown Problems (Person Down) Overdose/Poisoning Convulsions/Seizures Assault/Taser/Pepper Spray

14,188 12,779 11,546 10,767 10,311 9942 8786 4285 4192 3743

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Engine 7 Engine 39 Engine 91 Engine 93 Engine 72 Engine 102 Engine 81 Engine 88 Engine 89 Engine 105

Panorama City Van Nuys Sylmar Tarzana Reseda Valley Glen Panorama City Sherman Oaks North Hollywood Woodland Hills

13.1 12.8 12.5 10.5 10.2 9.9 9.4 9.3 9.2 8.5

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

RA889 RA881 RA39 RA89 RA98 RA873 RA81 RA7 RA860 RA898

North Hollywood Panorama City Van Nuys North Hollywood Pacoima Reseda Panorama City Panorama City North Hollywood Pacoima

EVENTS Mar

6 Ciclavia—The Valley 12 LAFD/LAPD St. Baldrick’s Fundraiser Firefighter Recruitment Expo

Apr 14 Valley Public Safety Advisory Committee 28 Recruit Firefighter Graduation 30 Encino/Sherman Oaks Hospital Stroke Awareness Chili Cookoff

9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

Pacoima

7:30 AM 10:00 AM

Fire Station 89, North Hollywood Frank Hotchkins Memorial Training Center

6:00 PM 10:00 AM 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Air Operations, Fire Station 114, Van Nuys Drill Tower 81, Panorama City Fire Station 83, Encino

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT OPERATIONS VALLEY BUREAU AT (818) 728-9921 To request LAFD resources at public events (community fairs, school visits, etc.) , please send an email to LAFDrequest@lacity.org with the details of your event (date, time and duration, location, etc.).

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal access to its programs, services and activities.

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For more information or to download a newsletter:

12.9 12.8 12.6 11.6 11.3 11.3 10.9 10.6 10.6 10.6