MARCH 2012 Paid Advertisement Create your member login AND subscribe to the Members Newsletter at LAFRA.org and you will automatically be entered into the drawing. VISIT: www.lafra.org/user/register Winner selected April 30th. Winner will be contacted by e-mail 1. Use your smartphone & download QR Reader APP 2. Scan the QR Code to the right with your NEW QR Reader APP 3. Instantly “sign up” on LAFRA.ORG SCAN THIS CODE Lori Harris, who won an Xbox Kinect during our online signup drive. Her name was randomly drawn from those who created a login at LAFRA.org. 2 • March 2012 www.lafra.org Visit us on the web at VOL. LXXXVII MARCH 2012 NO. 08 • FEATURE • 15TH ANNUAL BUZZARD BAIT FAMILY FUN RIDE Mike Reitmayer’s and Doug Weber’s little family get-together has grown into a colossal weekend of fun in the desert and an enormous benefit for the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund. • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 06 TEXAS HOLD ‘EM POKER TOURNAMENT 06 Downtown’s prestigious Los Angeles Athletic Club turned out to be the perfect venue for a Poker Tournament where LAFD and LACC members went all-in for charity. • . . . . . . . . . 08 AIR CREWS HUMBLED IN NORTH PACIFIC SURF Members from LAFD Air Operations attended the prestigious United States Coast Guard Advanced Helicopter Rescue School in Astoria, Oregon. • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 • CONTENTS • President’s Message • ................................................................................05 Battalion News • ..........................................................................................11 Retired Guys • ...........................................................................................23 Department in Action • ................................................................................29 The Station Fridge • ....................................................................................33 Mailbox • .....................................................................................................36 Memorials • .................................................................................................38 Chaplain’s Corner God is so good... • ..................................................................................39 Search and Rescue Part 15 - Equipment • ..............................................................................41 Retirement Dinner Announcements • ...........................................................43 Words of Consideration By Chris Kawai • ......................................................................................45 LAFD Hockey Firemen skaters vs Kings alumni • ..........................................................46 LAFD Handball 92’s Wins Top Station Challenge • ...........................................................49 LAFD-HS History The Early Days of Flight • .......................................................................52 Minutes of the Board of Trustees • ..............................................................55 Classifieds • ................................................................................................58 29 Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association. No material may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. 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 © 2012 On the cover: Hardware Store Fire, South LA photo submitted by Chris Conkle March 2012 • 3 Paid Advertisements: FIREMEN’S GRAPEVINE Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association official publication of the OWNER AND PUBLISHER Retirement isn’t an end. It’s just the beginning. A long and successful career should be followed by a long and happy retirement. Make it happen for you, by investing properly and following a solid investment plan both now and through your retirement years. EDITORIAL STAFF Dave Wagner • Editor..........................................................editor@lafra.org Juan-Carlos Sánchez • Project
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Los Angeles, CA 90013. 213-627-7620. (Outside L.A. area 1-800-5-BRIDAL) Below retail price. DAVID NED SMITH • EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR............................(323) 259-5201 MARLENE CASILLAS • DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING DIRECTOR(323) 259-5217 BECKY VALVERDE • HUMAN RESOURCESADMINISTRATOR.......(323) 259-5247 TODD LAYFER • CONTROLLER/TREASURER.........................(323) 259-5243 BOB DILLON • OPERATIONS MANAGER................................(323) 259-5233 ANA SALAZAR • MEMBER SERVICES COORDINATOR...............(323) 259-5223 HealthSCOPE Benefits WAYNE SHERMAN • MEDICAL CLAIMS MANAGER...................(323) 259-5211 THE FIREMEN’S GRAPEVINE (USPS 191-060) is published monthly by the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association, 815 Colorado Blvd. 4th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90041. Annual $24 Subscription included with Association membership; Non-members: $36. Single issues $3 postpaid. Back issues $6 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, 232 or 260. 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 • March 2012 I By John Jacobsen if they don’t.” When asked how this all played out without incident or any family.” find it interesting that life catches you by surprise most often when no, I am not trying to woo you with some philosophical rhetoric, but you are least expecting it. Yes, I know the definition of surprise, and casualties, the most common response was, “I didn’t want to let down my This is the time of year that the Pension Board decides what level this is the simple truth. We all have experienced it, both good and bad, but isn’t this what keeps us going? The old cliché “Plan for the worst and our personal lives. hope for the best” is what a lot of us have done both on the job and in Recently, I was fortunate enough to catch some remarks that of Medical Subsidy increase will be approved for the Non-Medicare retir- ees (those without Medicare). The Board has the authority to approve up to trending, which is currently measured at 9% by The Segal Company (LAF- a 7% increase to ensure that our benefits keep up with the cost of medical PP’s Consultant). This potential increase will take effect in July of this year were put forth by a retired United States Marine Commander. He was the one who led the assault on the pirated Motor Vessel Magellan Star. This apprehended and 11 hostages were rescued. He recalled the tireless train- incident took place in the Gulf of Aden where nine Somali pirates were ing and preparation that our military goes through to exact a mission of and that all seemed focused on the situation at hand. But as the decision to move forward with the mission spiraled away in the everlasting maze and should not be confused with the Medicare Retirees subsidy that was changed in January. For all intents and purposes this should be a no-brainer, with the exception of - Can our pension plan afford this and is this the right thing to do? I would encourage everyone to actively involve yourself in fol- this nature. He expounded on the dedication that each member put forth lowing the how’s and why’s as to the decision ultimately rendered. Medical costs are continuing to rise and keeping pace from year to year is a constant challenge that we will continue to face. of bureaucracy, human nature and stupidity reared its ugly head. A couple were arrested and would be eventually separated from United States Milia couple members of the “team.” of key members of this highly trained, dedicated and sophisticated outfit tary Service. So the entire mission at hand was now in jeopardy because of It is on this point that I heard something surprising. The com- you looking to come on board to our LAFRA PPO Medical Plan. During Open Enrollment you can enroll for coverage or make changes to your coverage, such as adding or deleting dependents. Keep an eye out for the post- Open Enrollment will be during the month of April for those of card reminder heading your way in the mail. I want to acknowledge Doug mander gathered the platoons together and delivered the news that from this point on, no one was to use the word “team or teamwork.” From this point on they would only be known as “family.” It is apparent that being on teammates down is an entirely different thing than letting down your famor a part of a team means different things to different people. Letting your ily. I believe each of us would go to the ends of the earth for our families Weber, Mike Reitmayer and all those involved in putting together the 15th annual Buzzard Bait Event. A great time was had by all that attended and the participation from our members and friends led to another great success. If you missed this one and you want another try, check out the Hook and Ladder Enduro on March 24th. Come on out and join the Fire Department family for a weekend of fun and camaraderie, all while benefiting the Wid ows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund. Respectfully, . . . and that is routinely demonstrated by our membership. The old adage that you get to pick your friends, but not your family still holds true. While you aren’t always pleased with them, you don’t really have a choice in the matter. I apologize for the long recap that seems to go nowhere. The point is, sometimes the mere change of perspective is all that is needed to refocus simple measurement. Not a shot was fired, all of the hostages were rescued like minds. The assault was deemed highly successful by more than one safely and the criminals were apprehended without incident. The standing John E. Jacobsen (323) 259-5200 order for the assault was to “shoot them if someone needs to be shot, don’t
[email protected] March 2012 • 5 T he 15th Annual Buzzard Bait Family Fun Ride was held on Saturday, January 14, this year in the usual location at the Ocotillo Wells OHVA. We had a great turnout this year, with many returning families and friends along with some newcomers. This event started with Mike and Sonja Reitmayer, and Doug and Rene Weber inviting a few friends to come to the desert for a little family get-together. The first year six families showed up, and it has grown over the years to more than 100 families and friends coming together for a weekend of fun and camaraderie. This is all for the benefit of LAFD members and fami lies in need. This year more than $7,000 was donated to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Fireman’s Fund (WODFF), all from contributions by those of you who showed up and gave some of your hard earned dollars. Thanks to all those that contributed to the raffle to make it a success. The memory foam mattresses and beanbag type chairs were especially hits! SALTON SEA GOLD! – should be the name of the next reality TV show but instead it was the theme of this year’s event. Apparently years ago, before SOD, brush jackets, PSD, etc., a bunch of LAFD miners found gold in the alluvial fan leading from the mountains to the Salton Sea. They mined this area extensively and abandoned the mines when the gold ran out and SOD was invented. Now with the price of gold at almost two thousand dollars an ounce, a new generation of LAFD prospectors was seen mining for gold. As we know mining is one of the most dangerous professions and these young miners came prepared. At one site you can see these new age miners in all their protective equipment panning for gold. Each site had a western/mining theme and there was even a boot hill cemetery. One site was aptly named Wild Horse Gulch. Years ago it was filled with water and quicksand. When the wild horses would come down to drink they would get mired in the quicksand and couldn’t get out - sort of like the La Brea Tar Pits. Today all that is left is their horseshoes. These young prospectors can be seen sifting through the sand looking for that lucky horseshoe worth $100! 6 • March 2012 PROPS – As most of you know Doug Weber builds all the props for the event each year. This last September he was riding his motorcycle in Utah and fell off and sustaining a questionable knee injury. Using this as his out, he contacted a professional movie prop house to build this year’s mine props. And boy what a great job they did as all in attendance made comment about how they liked all the props! One ADULT was even overheard to ask “When did they actually shut down these mines?” As it turns out Doug needed two surgeries and six months off work to fix his knee and will return to work soon, much to Rene’s relief! MUTUAL AID – How many firefight ers with trucks and shovels does it take to pull out one motorhome? Well if you are Henry Tazwell Waller III, it takes a village. You might see the picture of his HIGH dollar, LOW clearance coach stuck in the sand. You also may recognize the location as the exact same place he got stuck LAST YEAR! So mutual aid was called in and Orange Co. Fire, LA County Fire, LA City Fire, and even the paper shredder guy, got in their Ford Tough diesels and Dodge Ram diesels to pull out HTW III in his Chevy Duramax diesel. It was great to see everyone come out and enjoy the fine tradition of firefighters com ing together to help one another and have a great time doing it. Hope to see you next year. March 2012 • 7 I t ain’t Tombstone’s Oriental Saloon, but downtown’s prestigious Los Angeles Athletic Club turned out to be the perfect venue for a Texas Hold ‘Em Poker Tournament. The only ones asked to check their weapons at the door were recently retired medic Charlie Magdaleno and his sons, but the evening ended up peaceful enough anyhow. After all the cards were shuffled and all of the chips were stacked, the big winner was no surprise – the real money went to LAFRA’s Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund. Mostly a mix of LAFD and LAAC members, the group of 60 gamblers started the evening with a dinner buffet and social hour in one of the club’s lavish banquet rooms. Then promptly at 1900 hours, the group was called into the poker room and ushered to their assigned seats. After a few brief introductions (of which our beloved ESB commander was introduced simply as “Mario” – at least three times) the play began. Most players started with the 1,500 chips included in the entry and tacked on another 1,000 with a pre-tournament add-on. With an opening big blind of just 50 chips, play was casual and friendly in the first few rounds. A few gamblers were able to build castles of multi-colored chips in front of them, but poor luck forced others, like 26’s Sal Castillon, into early re-buys. Sal did win a few new friends though – buying drinks for his tablemates. Thanks buddy! The tables were still teaming after an hour of play, but following a short break, things started to get serious. One additional add-on was allowed but that didn’t last long for many as the blinds and the tension began to build. Harold Kim, a firefighter at 26-C and one of LAFRA’s newest volunteers, said this was about the time the cards turned his way. “I pulled pocket Aces, then was dealt a pair of Jacks. I couldn’t believe it when I flopped a straight next. Suddenly I was on a streak.” This streak carried Kim into the finals and he walked away with the 3rd place prize of an overnight stay in one of the Athletic Club’s newly remodeled suites. Branden Silverman, the A-Unit’s rookie investigator, was down to his last chips when the tide changed for him. “I was all-in, with not even enough to make the blind, and I flopped a straight. It was more luck than skill that got me a seat at the final table.” Finishing in 8th place, Silverman took home a gift basket from Firemen’s Brew. “It was my first time trying their stuff,” he said when tracked down a couple of days after the event. “It’s pretty good beer. I’ve finished most of them already. For me, this was a much better prize than the ‘dinner at a firehouse.’” 8 • March 2012 small stack, big loser silver - 3r kim e lac dp 8th pla man - ce hester - 5th place Ralph Hester from 90-A was another LAFD member who found himself at the final table. “I didn’t have my eye on any prizes,” he said, “it just felt good playing with the guys and for the Widows and Orphans.” Playing next to Ralph most of the evening was a young fella who was really excited about the fire axe prize donated by Jason Knight’s Fire Axe Inc. “This kid and I both made it to the final table,” recalls Hester, “and he was really pumped up about that axe. I ended up taking 5th place when my King high lost to a pair pulled on the River. My prize was the axe . . . and I just handed it over to the kid. You shoulda seen his eyes light up!” That the evening went off without a hitch is due largely to the logistical genius of LAFRA Event Coordinator Juliet Brandolino. She handled the entire incident without an EIT, S/A, or even command post company support. She was backed up by her loyal gang of volunteers: Stina Del Giudice - LAFD mother, Jennifer Corona - LAFD civilian employee, and businesswoman Nayanika Barker. Some of the donors not mentioned previously included Sam Brown of Sam Brown Shields, 5 Star Casino Rentals, and the LA Car Guy (who donated the Grand Prize iPAD). March 2012 • 9 10 • March 2012 The views expressed by the Battalion News writers do NOT necessarily reflect those of the Firemen’s Relief Association from the National Board of Fire Underwriters, undated, unreferenced document for which no authored by Chief Engineer George W. Booth author is willing to take credit, that two SOD chiefs were told by PSD to personally deliver to in 1943. An excerpt from this “Conduct of Officers” reads: “The best attributes in character a SOD captain with no accompanying explanaand personality of all the great leaders include tion. No word as to its purpose, no clue to any simplicity, earnestness, self-control, commoncorrections that should be made, no reason sense, perseverance, tact, courage, faith, loyalty, why he was the sole winner of the unsolicited truthfulness and honor.” correspondence. Now since the lucky captain is The anonymous author of the official/ a regular protector of the rights of others when they are called in for one form of discipline or unofficial “Code of Conduct” lacks many, if not another, one can’t help but make some connecall of these qualities. tion, although the high ranking couriers assured all in attendance LAFD CODE OF CONDUCT WHILE ON DUTY that this was not the case. Maybe it had As an officer on the Los Angeles Fire Desomething to do with partment, you are responsible for the his being awarded the enforcement of discipline and it is your duty Medal of Valor last to set especially good examples to measure up to year, but I personally the high standards of department requirements. doubt it. While on duty, you are not to indulge in an This ofaltercation or conduct which might cause adverse ficial/unofficial docupublic reaction or injury to any person. ment does elude to being part of the Rules and Regulations. Best Captains on the Los Angeles Fire I can figure it’s got Department are expected to be just, firm and some pieces from Secdignified and to see that good order and discition 6a and 6p (section pline is maintained. Proper respect and courtesy 6 goes to ‘t’), Section must be shown towards members and there is an 10h (it goes to ‘r’), expectation that members conduct themselves in Section 12g (it goes to ‘j’) and section 13d ( it a manner, which will not tend to impair the good goes to ‘g’). I couldn’t order and discipline of the Department. actually find this Failure to adhere to the LAFD Code of Conduct, “LAFD Code of Conduct While on Duty” found in the Department’s Rules and Regulations, actually referred to in could result in disciplinary action. the Rules and Regs, or anywhere in the department library Send your version of the truth, or a list of my for that matter. Looks violations of the official/unofficial “Code of like someone just went picking and choosConduct” to
[email protected]. ing - which brings me to an actual document Fire Fightin’ 16’s “Yuuuuuuup!” never be bid on in makes short Greetings once again from the sinners and the saints of the Second Battalion... that oF an errant bullet. Fire For a living. little scratch is courtesY You thought it was saFe to Fight Just when Sports fans out there are familiar with term “March Madness,” which will be the theme of this month’s news. First is the shootout in Elysian Park, where FF Johnathan Theodore went from zero to sixty to zero . . . to sixty the other way. While making great haste to investigate a structure fire our hero was met by a gun wielding constituent who was more than willing to take aim at anyone who would undo his handiwork. As a call for help goes out, an L.A. County Sheriff stumbles upon the scene. Now it turns out that pointing your weapon at an officer who has just told you to drop it is a bad idea, as a swift and permanent solution to the problem is employed. For you born leaders out there, if you have to choose between turning around and heading back to battalion or continuing on to the scene to see why a “help” call was made in the first place . . . And the madness continues thanks to PSD. For those of you on the outside looking in, that stands for “Professional Standards Division,” created on January 1, 2008 to “allow the coordinated management of the disciplinary system, risk management, litigation management, equal opportunity employment and intervention training. The PSD will also implement the new disciplinary action guidelines and a new complaint recording and tracking system . . .” In a nutshell, the beatings will continue until morale improves. They’re kinda like the vice principal in high school, and not in a good way. Think of Mr. Rooney in “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” Anyway, early one Saturday morning, Battalion Two and South Division come to visit the Second Oldest Fire Station in the City to hand deliver the official/unofficial “LAFD Code of Conduct While on Duty” to the on-duty captain. I’ve enclosed a copy of the no letterhead, work oF a storage unit that will storage wars. March 2012 • 11 12 • March 2012 laFd airport rescue FireFighters use the laX state-oF-the-art training FacilitY to hone their skills at a live Fire training session on JanuarY 6, 2012. photos bY laura lichter preciouspiXphoto.com March 2012 • 13 14 • March 2012 Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association Medical Plan may cover this examination. Contact your plan provider to verify. This story technically comes out of Battalion 4 but directly involves a member from Battalion 9. RA-62 comes back to quarters to find E-37 moved up. After a couple of hel los and head nods, a member from RA-62 proceeds upstairs to the crew’s dorm to find what looks like something in his bed - at 11:30 am!?! Suddenly, “Goldilocks” (firefighter from E-37) springs out of the member’s bedding saying, “Oh, Duuude, I didn’t know it was yours, sorrrry brooo!!” Goldilocks had been fast asleep, under the covers, in full uniform, and drooling on the other member’s pillow!! Hopefully it was that one lucky day of the week when “Goldilocks” showers between those 50-80 mile runs. I think I need to wash all my bedding now. Who knows who’s been in my bed when I’m not around.? There is a new reality show coming out of 71’s. The C shift is starring in “Biggest Hoarders!” Apparently food that was dropped off over the holidays by the community for the STATION, was secretly stashed away by C shift members. “C”ertain members were caught red handed wrapping roasts, hams, and cookies, and stashing them in their personal vehicles. By the looks of some of the C shifters there, they most likely ate the majority of the delicious treats before they ever made it to their cars. Everyone really appreciates when the captains cook. So when the captain at 37-B was up last month, the fellas were looking forward to Wolfgang Rudd-bone Chicken. After the meal Cap decides he’s gonna crank up the heat and cook the (one year old) grill clean. A few hours later the (one year old) grill is not only clean, it’s so hot the control valves melted and there were 10 foot flames coming from the one year old grill! Most of us in this case would say “I broke it, I’ll fix it.” But not in this case. It seemed as though he would’ve let the incident go by without a peep until the open ended (and very direct) question of “What happened to the one year old grill?” was asked. Wolfgang Rudd-bone would have just let the whole incident go away with the smoke and the grease. His response . . . “Yeah, I wonder what happened to the grill?” Maybe he lost track off the burn off because he was sooo focused on the “development” of his pool A/O, SOPs, and stuff. Looks like you’re on your own fixing this one. I am sure you’ll make the right choice and set the correct example. Finally, I would like to say good bye to Captain Joe Teijeira who retired last month. Joe T is the model of what every captain should strive to be. Vast fireground knowledge, takes This last battalion bi-monthly inspection really was the last inspection for Allen Bart at FS 109-C. He pulled the plug after 35 years last month and now spends his time hanging off the side of frozen mountain peaks. But this last inspection wasn’t too different than the first one when he promoted to engineer 29 years ago. Al methodically went over the rig, and had it spit shined and polished care of his crew, and (most importantly) the backbone to stand up and say when something is wrong. Sometimes taking care of your crew and doing the right thing means not following the party line, but the pay back is immeasurable, the loyalty of a solid crew that would do anything for each other is irreplaceable. Captains and chiefs take note, we need more Joe T’s on the LAFD. You’re gonna be missed Cap. Enjoy Colorado! It’s not personal. It’s just business. Ministry of Misinformation
[email protected] by inspection day, all with the same care and enthusiasm that he has shown for the last three decades. Thanks and congrats Al! This last bi-monthly inspection was actually the first for B/C Pat Hayden since his promotion. Following LAFD tradition, he promised “cream” for the battalion, but the guys were getting a little impatient after a week or so. I guess they were wondering if they would be getting B&R or the new Battalion 10 tradition of Skinny Cows?!? The chief finally did deliver though, much to the satisfaction of all (most?). Thanks and congrats chief! last and First inspection took 45 minutes to eXtricate the driver oF this car at sherman waY and woodman in 39’s First-in on 12/31/2011. it photo bY mike meadows, epn March 2012 • 15 Recently Engine 11 was pre-deployed to Fire Station 91 in beautiful Sylmar, probably for some “Wind Event.” I don’t know. Anyway the fellas from the Big Task Force were grillin’ the Valley guys from the little single engine on 2-piece engine operations . . . along with brush fire ops, structure fire tactics, high-rise, MetroRail, etc, etc, etc . . . you get the picture. They sounded like the grizzled veterans they were (or claimed to be) and the guys from 91’s might have been a little intimidated (maybe not). Anyway as fate would have it a “structure” run came in and the two engines roared down the street, Engine 91 leading the way. The convoy turned up the street and saw smoke coming from a single-family dwelling. Well all their drilling and pre-planning came in handy as Engine 11 spotted to the hydrant and Engine 91 laid a supply line off of them just like they rehearsed! Now here is the good part . . . it was a fire on the exterior of the house and Engine 91 radioed to Engine 11 “NOT” to load the supply line. Well, as you guessed, Engine 11 should have included a radio drill in their morning shootout. The engineer from 91’s wasn’t fast enough on his hose clamp to stop the inevitable. The residents of Sylmar were shaking their heads at the spaghetti all over the street. That’s OK, it gave the guys from 11’s a chance to show 91’s their “Inspection Load.” No more stories were sent in from any of my snitches so I will tell one of my own … When I was a young firefighter, we had an attic fire in a long residential type structure. Flames shot up from the roof with thick smoke everywhere. The ventilation teams threw multiple ladders and put strip ventilation holes ahead of (both sides) the fire, the fire attack guys brought in “baby bangors” during the initial operation, they got multiple hoselines horizontally up into the attic and stopped the spread of the fire, plus the salvage teams covered and bagged all the rooms under the cascading water. A happy ending for the owners and occupants: The fire went out in minimal time with minimal damage! The LAFD was truly Class-1. But that was a long time ago!
[email protected] First-in battalion 12 e.i.t. discovers a bee hive when he tries to eXtinguish a small duFF Fire. photo bY doc demulle’ the Foothills paper a vehicle rear-ended a tractor-trailer and went through the guard rail on the 210 near la tuna road. photo bY dYan mcmanus 16 • March 2012 Greetings from the Battalion that never sleeps! We are already a few months into the New Year and hopefully everybody is still going strong with their New Year’s resolutions . . . but probably not. Eating better, working out, and finishing FPOS inspections always seem to be the big ones at the firehouse, but we all know how that ends up. Dessert on January 1, 2, 3, etc., the summer body that never was, and “FPI ok” on June 30th (Just kidding, that never happens). The good news is that it’s a Leap Year. Not sure why that’s good news, but I’m trying to stay positive. Luckily, hydrant testing is over. I know I’ve had a great time running from hydrant to hydrant on these cool January mornings ensuring the size, make, model, main size, discharge sizes, whether it’s moved, etc. for the dept’s new On-line Hydrant Tracking System. Is anything still done on regular paper anymore? F-902 = ePCR, F-1104 = C.T.S., and now the good old Hydrant Book has moved over for the on-line hydrant system. What’s next, instead of table drills using department F-1 paper towel rolls, we’ll get an iPad. And I don’t even want to ask about what’s going to happen with toilet paper? . . . Anyway, moving on. Recently during the Christmas tree firestorm season, E-33 was dispatched to one of those glorious fireballs expecting to see a charred stick on a stand in the middle of the street. To their utter surprise, when they arrived they had a large commercial building well involved. The engine captain ordered the appropriate resources and the crews went to work quickly extinguishing the fire and saving the exposures from certain damage. Now we all know what a great opportunity it can be to go back and take a look at the fire and find out “who was where” and “who did what?” Task Force 21 took advantage of that opportunity the next day and asked E-33 if they could cover their district while they went over. E-33 obliged and as they got to 21’s quarters, they did what every good move-up company does; checked the TV chairs for level of comfort, the TV for proper clarity and disbursement of picture quality, and the fridge and freezer for goodies. Amazingly enough, they came across some gold-laden super special ice-cream and helped themselves to a mug or two. Well when Papa-Bear returned home, someone had apparently eaten his porridge, and that made him angry. They then called 33’s and demanded a replacement of the gold-laden super special ice-cream. Being the G.G’s they are, 33’s once again obliged and delivered a replacement. So, the moral to the story is that when you help out another company so they can leave their district and come observe your fire, don’t eat their ice-cream. Just what I heard. With all the policies surrounding EMS calls, gurney handling, and patient care, it’s important that everybody get “hands-on” experience now to make sure things are being done correctly. Not long ago, LF-64 was dispatched to a “EMS” run with two ALS rescues. When they arrived on-scene, they saw that they had multiple patients needing ALS type assistance. The Paramedic/FF assigned to the LF went immediately into communications, while the rest of the crew assessed and started treating the patients. The 1st ALS rescue arrived and took a driver and one more FF in the back and off they went. The 2nd rescue arrived and took a driver and off they went. Now you can imagine the surprised look on some faces as, after they arrived at the hospital, they noticed that the driver of the 2nd rescue was actually the Captain II, and he was wheeling the gurney out of the back of the 2nd rescue and into the E.R. Shortly thereafter, a pig with wings was seen flying past the rear doors of the rescue and there was a man in the waiting room dressed in a red cape holding a pitchfork complaining about it snowing at his home. Even crazier, was when the truck came to pick the members up at the hospital, there was a FF driving and a Paramedic/FF tillering. Who would’ve thunk? Just like the rest of the City, this battalion is full of “nicknames” for guys. “P-dog” and “Moon-doggie” at 33’s, some guy named “Jack” at 64’s, and “The Zombie” and “Gonz” at 57’s. The one that was sent to me rivals all of these. Apparently one of the newer members at 33’s was jealous and wanted his own “nickname” or “handle” also, so now there’s . . . wait for it . . . “Villata-time.” No, no, no - not like “Hammer-time,” but more in the vein of “I’ve got “Villata-time” on the job,” or “in order to get my experience, you’ve gotta have “Villatatime.” Use it wisely, use it often, and let’s see if it can stick. A “want ad” was seen in the local newspapers up in 20’s district originating from an intersection around Slauson and Western. It read, “Do you want out? Because we do! Seeking a mutual with two FF/PM’s looking for long drives down Slauson, a 50/50 rotation, and some great experiences with an excellent crew. If interested, please don’t call the station because we haven’t told them yet either. We’d like to see the surprised look on their faces when the transfer list comes out and they have no idea of who they’re getting and why we’re leaving. Contact me at “get-us-out-a.s.a.p.-on-the-d.l.@byebye. com” P.S. You’ll love it here, just not sure why we didn’t. .Just what I heard. Finally, I’d like to pose some questions with no apparent answers. Why is 46’s going to be the 2nd command post company in the Battalion? They couldn’t find a busier triple? OK, so let me get this straight, E-64 and E-46 are the Command Post Companies in Battalion 13? Hmmmmm? Why does it seem like anytime you go into 65’s district, whatever resource you are filling for goes AVI, RAD, and QTR within a minute? Hmmmm. Why do we shut down a light force for members so they can attend the last day of EMT, only to have one of the members decide that he wants to go on-duty to a rope class and therefore re-schedule his last day of EMT so that we can once again shut down another light force on another day? Hmmmmm! Well that’s all I’ve got. Remember to stay safe and keep taking care of one another! . . . and remember, 2+2 makes sense, play nice, stay marginal, and know your audience. Keep sending in your stories to
[email protected]. Watts Fire Send all your news and photos to:
[email protected] March 2012 • 17 a greater alarm structure Fire occurred on JanuarY 6, 2012 at 5040 matillJa ave in 78’s district. a large twostorY house had Fire on both Floors due to a christmas tree Fire that eXtended From the First Floor. photos bY mike meadows, epn engine 102, with a little help From 39’s, handles a phYsical rescue at woodman and oXnard on JanuarY 26, 2012. 18 • March 2012 photos bY mike meadows, epn Getting back in the swing of things, I have been inspired by more emails of Battalion News. I have also been contacted by a member who retired out of 96’s in 1979, and have been asked to give a “LAFD for Dummies” for those long removed from the LAFD ways. Some definitions for those “Old Timers” • CTS-Complaint Tacking System - (Instead of telling someone that there is a problem, you can anonymously enter a complaint on a computer and start a two year investigation). • ePCR-electronic Patient Care Report - (Another technology marvel in which all patient reporting is done by computer rather than by paper, prone to “crashing”). Retirees, email me with further “what the heck is that?” questions. Where to begin? For starters, the whole world of the LAFD you once knew is turned upside down. Neither merit nor displays of leadership dictate who is promoted. Instead of maintaining high standards of physical and mental strength, we now do not require certain skills in order to accommodate those who are weak in order get them to pass. Okay (deep breath). To better answer your query. There are no fire station closures. This is important to note because no one wants to be responsible. Instead we achieve our degradation in service by closing task forces. During the last change, we lost 15 fire companies from task force stations. These stations are left with either just an engine, or just a light force. However, according to the Fire Chief, this is okay because he added paramedics and made more resources ALS. This means a fire company is now best used as an EMS tool, and showing up on a medical call 30 seconds before a paramedic rescue will statistically justify their existence. More next month about the pools. And how about our Prima Donnas? Apparently in Batt 15 (70’s, cough), instead of swapping spots with an “out-of-house” medic, some would rather leave their own station and pack up their gear to work out of house. In-house SOD is too tough. It must be nice as a medic to pick and choose like this. Another problem is when you get called for a 12 hr, but refuse it because you are looking for a 24. Worse yet, saying yes to work the 12 hr, then complaining about it when you get there. I wonder if the sign-ups in Batt 12 are different and you cannot restrict your sign-ups to 24 hr minimum. Just saying, that’s what I heard. One last bit of news that was sent my way. Has anyone seen a recently retired captain from 87’s? Was there a final good-bye by OCD? A dinner perhaps? Maybe some B&R? All that was found was an empty locker, empty drawer, and 351’s scheduled days off until his farewell. Sounds more like a squatter than either an owner or even a renter. Unless I hear otherwise, Batt 15 Hack
[email protected] Four people were inJured - three criticallY - in a threevehicle t/a on FebruarY 4, 2012 near warner center. photo bY Juan guerra, epn Juanguerra.smugmug.com March 2012 • 19 20 • March 2012 Been gone a couple of months so let’s get back to the stories at hand. The first story is out of 68’s. During line up, the “Adopt-a- Senior” flyer comes across the table and, oh boy, the jokes were flying. Things like “Hey Capt Alexander - how old are you.” “Hey Capt, can we adopt you?” “Hey Capt, can we take you to the old folks home?” OK . . . Capt Alexander is a little older than his crew, but if you know Capt., he’s not going down easy. He had some “choice words” for the jokesters. Long story short, Capt had to remind them he could or should have fired each and every one of them because he had them at DT-40. Just one stroke of the red pen. Also there is that 800 therapy he can use. OUCH . . . Another one, from 68’s. We’ve all seen them, the “protein drink.” You hear the blender going at 20,000 rpm, you’ve seen the jars of protein powder, and the guy with all muscles, 5% body fat, runs on the treadmill for an hour, and lifts all the weights. Most stations have them. Well at 68’s, they have Marteese Smith. The only thing he has in common with the guy with all the muscles, is the blender. The story out of 68’s was that when FF Smith prepared “his” protein drink, a witness said he had some things that were, well, let’s just say a little different. Let’s go over the ingredients of FF Smith’s protein drink: Ok, protein powder - check, water or juice - check, a little pasta (whole wheat) and sausage (turkey). WHAT?? He said he’s losing weight but I don’t know how. He should have gone to Rosco’s Chicken and Waffles and got a #9 “country boy.” Tradition is a thing that seems to be disappearing on this job. It’s one of the foundations that this department has built its rich history on. Well it seems there’s a certain member at 61’s who doesn’t know the meaning of tradition and hasn’t given a 10 year dinner yet. He knows who he is . . . he’s on the “A” shift. The same member who still owes a wheel to 68’s for saving his you know what, at a fire. Come on man, do the right thing . . . for once! At least get the guys at 68’s a wheel for saving your life. I’m just saying . . . There are times when you come to work and it’s just one member working on his or her own shift, nothing but SOD or out of house members. So as an off shifter or out of house member, a couple of things go through your head - like where am going to ride today, and who’s cooking? Well if you work at 68’s on the “B” and the Captain is working, you’ll be eating two meals out. That’s right, he’s not cooking, and proud of it. But you can only eat where he likes and prepare certain foods that he likes. WEAK SAUCE . . . The guys at 68’s wanted to go throw ladders with 61’s or 94’s one weekend but with training, move-ups and hydrants, it’s hard to make it work. Well on the “C” they’re not going to let the lack of a truck stop them from throwing ladders. They use the 20 ext for a 35 ext and the 12 ft roof for a 24 straight. Buffoonery at its best. Seems that everyone needed a little refresher, some more than others, but still it made for some laughs and camaraderie. Hey everyone, please keep the stories and pictures coming. Be safe . . .
[email protected] comings and goings - congratulations go out to brYan geiger From 58’s and his wiFe Jannette For their First child a babY girl named makena rose geiger. she was born october 4, 2011, 18 1/2” and 6lbs. 10oz. thank god she looks like her mother. congratulations also go to rYan curtis at 68’s. his wiFe carolYn gave birth to their new addition, a babY boY named merrick evan curtis. 6lbs. 14oz. and born on october 23, 2011. March 2012 • 21 Paid Advertisements: Thank you for protecting our homes & our communities. We welcome all Fire Department employees and their families to enjoy special VIP pricing on all Hamer Toyota models. Contact Julio Rodriguez 877 Merrill Lynch is proud to salute The Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association The Wetmore Group (213) 236-2254 350 South Grand Avenue, 27th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90071 http://fa.ml.com/wetmoregroup Merrill Lynch Wealth Management makes available products and services offered by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a registered broker-dealer and member SIPC, and other subsidiaries of Bank of America Corporation. © 2012 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved. 248607 AR81O3V6-08-11 27 4-0650 ext 370 1 1041 Sepulveda Bl. Mission Hills
[email protected] Code 446200PM-0112 A portion of fire-related jewelry profits donated to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund. visit: www.LAFRA.org mail: P.O. Box 41903 Los Angeles CA 90041 phone: (800) 244-3439 22 • March 2012 The only fault with a Harley engine is the 45 degree slant of the cylinders. OK, there might be a few others, but let’s stay positive. Anyway, this engine configuration causes vibration and makes some potential customers swear to never sit on one. Such was the case with Jeff Moir, retired LAFD helicopter pilot. Near the beginnin’ of 2011, Dave Lowe and Randy Laur, both avid Harley riders, began plannin’ a motorcycle trip across the United States. Jeff Moir was invited on the trip but positively declared, “I’ll ride a Harley when pigs fly and hell freezes over!” Well, on August 26, 2011, after Jeff and his wife threw a leg over their newly purchased “Ultra Glide” Harley, Dave’s group of adventurers headed off for Portland, Oregon. Naturally, the ride became known as, “Pigs Fly and Hell Froze Over.” This group of riders included: Dave and Jan Lowe, Randy and Kristy Laur, Butch and Sue Marcione, Jeff and Lisa Moir and Jan’s brother and sister-in-law, Paul and Rain Burch. Paul is a retired Redondo Beach police officer. By the way, rumor has it that Jeff and Lisa Moir wished they had bought a Harley sooner! After arrivin’ in Portland Oregon it was time to give them Harleys some TLC. The “Big Moose” Harley dealer there really went out of their way, by servicin’ all five Harleys in two hours. Now that’s customer care at its best! So after a few cups of coffee and some deep knee bends, the group headed off to Portland Maine. The group rode through, around or over every mountain range in the country, includin’ the Adirondacks, Catskills, Blue Ridge, Smokey, Rockies and Sierra Mountains. After ridin’ the Blue Ridge Parkway to North Carolina, the group turned right and headed home. This was a 42 day, 42 motel motorcycle trip with only about four hours of bad weather . . . maybe. That’s incredible! Dave said it was a great trip, but maybe just a bit too long for them ol’ bones. However, he said he wouldn’t trade the experience or the memories for anythin’. Of course the best part of their trip was the fact that everyone’s still best of friends, and that says a lot. COWBOY HUMOR A woman goes into a Bass Pro Shop to buy a rod and reel for her grandson’s birthday. She doesn’t know which one to get so she just grabs one and goes over to the checkout counter. A sales associate is standin’ there wearin’ dark shades. She says, “Excuse me sir, can you tell me anything about this rod and reel?” He says, “Ma’am, I’m completely blind, but if you’ll drop it on the counter, I can tell you everything from the sound it makes.” She doesn’t believe him but drops it on the counter anyway. He says, “That’s a six-foot Shakespeare graphite rod with a Zebco 404 reel and 10 lb. test line. It’s a good all around combination and it’s on sale this week for only $20.00.” She says, “It’s amazin’ that you can tell all that just by the sound of it droppin’ on the counter. I’ll take it!” Then, as she opens her purse, her credit card drops on the floor. “Oh, that sounds like a MasterCard,” he says. She bends down to pick it up and accidentally passes some gas. At first she is really embarrassed, but then realizes there is no way the blind clerk could tell it was she who tooted. Bein’ blind, he wouldn’t know that she was the only person around. The man rings up the sale and says, “That’ll be $34.50 please.” The woman is totally confused by this and asks, “Didn’t you tell me the rod and reel were on sale for $20.00? How did you get $34.50?” He replied, “Yes Ma’am. The rod and reel is $20.00, but the Duck Call is $11.00 and the Bear Repellent is $3.50.” KEEP SMILIN’! AC
[email protected] March 2012 • 23 los angeles fire dePartment cash grants uP to $20,000 Who is Eligible? An applicant must be a dependent child or step-child of an active or fallen LAFD sworn employee and currently a high school senior or college freshman who will be enrolled next fall as a full-time student in an accredited college or university. The scholarships will be awarded on the basis of merit. The single most important factor is academic achievement, but the all-civilian Selection Committee will also consider other relevant criteria, including personal character and extracurricular accomplishments. For more information on this year’s awards, go to the departmental website www.lafd.org/scholarship or contact June Andrade at the LAFD Scholarship Fund by phone at (213) 840-0469 or by email at
[email protected]. The application deadline is March 30, 2012 Get an application today! ($5,000 per year each year in College) 24 • March 2012 March 2012 • 25 I n January of this year, five Aircrew members from LAFD Air Operations attended the prestigious United States Coast Guard Advanced Helicopter Rescue School in Astoria, Oregon. This is the first time “civilian” agencies were allowed to participate in this rigorous training. Where the mouth of the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean is a treacherous place. Twenty-five foot waves, rip currents, cold water and erratic winds are considered a good day for helicopter hoist training! After some initial classroom training, LAFD personnel suited up for the open water swim. At the beach they were greeted with four to six foot breakers, strong currents, rips, and hail blowing sideways! The Coasties divided the crews up between their Rescue Swimmers, and off they went swimming out through the breakers. Our first humbling experience! On the last day of training, the students, including Santa Barbara County Fire Aircrew and Canadian Helicopter SAR Technicians, assembled on “Waikiki Beach” near Cape Disappointment for the cave swim. Our second humbling experience! Blue skies greeted everyone - along with 33 degree weather. The objective was to swim what appeared to be a short distance to a rock outcropping, let a wave toss you up on the rock, and then swim into the cave. A few of our crew members found certain aspects of the cave swim a bit challenging. Special thanks to B/C Ernst for his support in making this incredible training happen. Other LAFD members who attended were: Command Pilot Scot Davison, and Firefighter Flight Paramedics Dan Ramirez, Randy Dyer, and Greg Sanderson. 26 • March 2012 March 2012 • 27 28 • March 2012 TRAFFIC ACCIDENT DOWNTOWN Photos by Yvonne Griffin, EPN an lapd patrol car was involved in an accident at 228 w. olYmpic on JanuarY 9, 2012 March 2012 • 29 HARDWARE STORE FIRE SOUTH LOS ANGELES Photos by Chris Conkle west Florence avenue at 9:24 pm, the Flames had spread to threaten a one-storY row oF businesses at 155 west Florence avenue as the First crews arrived. hour-plus eFFort bY FireFighters spared an outside Fire involving Flammable construction materials spread inside a hardware business on 95% oF the Firm’s inside inventorY From damage. reported as a rubbish Fire to the rear oF 205 JanuarY 7, 2012, but an and multiple tYpes oF construction - that led a portion oF the building to collapse. FireFighters held the Flames to the attic and outside propertY, sparing valuable inventorY. it took the combined eFFort oF decades oF remodeling hampered the battle, as FireFighters encountered highlY compartmentalized spaces, a double rooF 107 laFd personnel Just 75 minutes to eXtinguish the Fire. 30 • March 2012 engine 57, task Forces 33 with three rescues eXtricated, treated and transported three patients From this and 66, along PHYSICAL RESCUE SOUTH LOS ANGELES March 2012 • 31 Photos by Jeff Zimmerman, EPN zimmermanmedia.com Florence near gage on FebruarY 4, 2012. t/a at Paid Advertisements: 32 • March 2012 March 2012 • 33 Paid Advertisements: $34.75 per Shield $8.27 UPS LIVING TRUSTS 34 • March 2012 PROTECT YOUR FAMILY! Paid Advertisement: Pick estate planning attorney Make an appointment Protect loved ones & hard earned assets Avoid taxes and court battles Create a legacy Marlene Casillas, Development & Marketing Director, at Ask for your “Getting Started Kit” today by calling (323) 259-5217 or email at
[email protected] • 35 March 2012 LAFD Relief Assn. Please accept this for the Widows and Orphans in the name of Howard Mason. Besides being a good friend, he was the president of the Chosin Few Branch #1. They are the survivors of the marines that fought their way out of the Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War. Thanks, Malen Jacobs Nevada City, CA Dear John – Dave, Thanks to you and the entire staff on the great job you guys do on the GRAPEVINE, each and every month. Can’t be easy trying to make so many groups happy - Active, Retired, Administration, etc. Keep up the good work, “Ya done good Pard!” Best, Larry A. Ford, LAFD retired Goshen, Indiana Dear LAFRA, The family of Wayne H. Jepsen wish to sincerely thank the Relief Association and the LAFD for the exceptional presentation they made at my husband’s memorial services. We are a three generation LAFD family and it really meant a lot to us to have a fire department presence. We also wish to thank you for the continued support you have given. Please accept this donation to the Widows and Orphans Fund in memory of Engineer Wayne H. Jepsen, retired January 5, 1986. Sincerely, Rhoda Jepsen Thousand Oaks, CA To LAFRA WODFF Donated in memory of Leon Eggers with heartfelt condolences to Monnie and the rest of the family. Lee was a member of what we’ve come to regard as “The Greatest Generation.” As an Army Air Corps pilot, he flew 35 missions over Germany. Our friendship began at FS 36 in 1957 and continued to the present. We both went to 40’s along with Dave Bayless as our Skipper when the Department went to three platoons. Over the years, we water skied in many locations, the best being Marine Stadium in Long Beach because that meant a stop at Joe Jost’s on the way home. Lee always did professional work, both on the job as an engineer, and off when he was doing block, brick, tile and cement projects at members’ homes. He will be missed by all who knew him. John and Margitta McKinney Prescott, AZ Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund The enclosed check is to honor retired Assistant Chief Tony Ennis who passed away in November, 2011. Tony was my best friend, but Tony made everyone feel like they were his best friend. Tony was the type of man everyone could depend on. Tony was the type of father that every child deserves. Tony was the type of husband every woman hopes for. Tony was the firefighter we all aspire to be. Tony knew a little about everything and a lot about most things. Tony was the type of fireman and chief officer that would allow the Los Angeles Fire Department to remove the “1” from their apparatus decal to read LAFD “Class” Fire Department! We miss him. Jimmie L. Ryland, LACoFD, retired Camarillo, CA I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Everett Courter. I worked with him several years at the Mt. Patrol as a Fireman/Inspector. He was great to work with and fun to be around. Please put this towards the Widows and Orphans Fund. Sincerely, Albert Abel Northridge, CA Dear Sirs: Please accept this donation in memory of Barbara Gillett, loving wife of Don Gillett, and mother of three great kids: Pam, Bruce and Steve. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing this great family for many years and worked at 50’s with retired engineer Don. We all skied together many times at Sierra Summit. Sincerely, Hank Huizinga Reedley, CA Dear Mr. Dolan, Thank you for your assistance and kind words expressed in our phone conversation this afternoon. As I Mentioned, I had a couple of great pictures of my dad [Harold Boener, bottom right corner of Send your letters & comments to the editor at:
[email protected] to: ers r at le dito org . nd E Se FRA lafra LA tor@ i ed 36 • March 2012 photo] that I am hoping can find their way into the Grapevine magazine. My dad served at Fire Station 27 for many years and rode the rescue part of that time. I have very fond memories visiting him at 27’s as well as other stations where he worked. I recall his fighting fires during the Watts Riots as well as the many stories he told about fighting brush fires, and the actors and actresses he met while making inspections. I was very proud my dad served the community as a fireman! Thank you again for your assistance, Susan M. Hansen Woodinville, WA Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Assn Please accept the enclosed gift to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund in memory of Jack Malone. My true mentor, along with Paul Mittendorf, during my first assignment at old FS 17. After my basic training in 1953, both Jack and Paul helped me through the first month in the field and were truly gentlemen in their relations with a “rookie.” I know that both of them showed their belief in our loving God and I expect to see both of them when the “Rapture” occurs at a time in the future. May God be with Jack’s family at this difficult time and may He continue to bless each member of the family along with my other mentor, Paul, and his family. James F. Person Camarillo, CA The entire DeMott family would like to express our appreciation for the support the LAFD showed them during the difficult time since the tragic death of Dakota DeMott, son of Firefighter Mark DeMott. Special thanks to Chief Cummings for allowing Engine 97 to attend the services, to Danny Leon for guidance, spiritual support and liaison at the service, to Juan Albaron and the Relief Association for their support with the funeral, and last but not least, special thanks to the many LAFD members, especially members from Batt14, that showed an impressive presence of support at the funeral. The LAFD truly is an extended family which eases the pain of these times. the demott FamilY March 2012 • 37 MEMBERS bernard subkoski, FireFighter. Appointed February 01, 1955. Retired on a service pension February 10, 1980 from FS 23-A. Passed away December 31, 2011. gerald r. Foust, apparatus operator. Appointed September 01, 1962. Retired on a disability pension July 02, 1984 from FS 38. Passed away January 06, 2012. howard r. mason, FireFighter. Appointed June 16, 1952. Retired on a service pension June 30, 1980 from FS 49. Passed away January 09, 2012. lloYd s. adams, engineer. Appointed December 02, 1947. Retired on a service pension July 01, 1973 from FS 18-A. Passed away January 14, 2012. harold w. boener, Fireman. Appointed December 02, 1947. Retired on a service pension July 01, 1973 from FS 96. Passed away January 15, 2012. george w. allen, Jr., FireFighter. Appointed November 07, 1959. Retired on a service pension July 03, 1988 from FS 49-B. Passed away January 20, 2012. John e. sQuire, battalion chieF. Appointed July 24, 1965. Retired on a service pension January 27, 2002 from Batt 15-C. Passed away January 21, 2012. ben h. shepherd, engineer. Appointed November 24, 1962. Retired on a disability pension May 14, 1992 from FS 42. Passed away January 22, 2012. russell d. evans, captain. Appointed May 01, 1950. Retired on a service pension June 01, 1978 from FS 38-B. Passed away January 24, 2012. clarence e. neighbors, engineer. Appointed September 23, 1946. Retired on a service pension January 01, 1973 from FS 101-A. Passed away January 25, 2012. robert v, daines, FireFighter ii. Appointed November 07, 1959. Retired on a service pension July 06, 1986 from FS 79-A. Passed away January 28, 2012. FAMILY rubY sargent, surviving sPouse of alBert l. sargent, Passed away novemBer 23, 2011. 104 YEARS OLD. Joan buckleY, sPouse of william j. Buckley, Passed away decemBer 17, 2011. evelYn l. morrissette, surviving sPouse of william l. morrissette, Passed away decemBer 29, 2011. barbara J. gillett, sPouse of don l. gillett, Passed away january 07, 2012. grace martin, surviving sPouse of harry w. martin, Passed away january 13, 2012. carolYn spencer-storeY, sPouse of roBert c. storey, Passed away january 14, 2012. billie m. roth, sPouse of herman h. roth, Passed away january 21, 2012. Judith r. Ferguson, sPouse of jeffrey g. ferguson, Passed away january 28, 2012. mae a. crockatt, sPouse of thomas g. crockatt, Passed away january 29, 2012. 38 • March 2012 C an you say that? In the midst of good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, is God still good? Of course He is. He never changes. It’s just that some times in the heat of trouble we can become double minded and lose sight of the reality of who God is and what that means to us. In the midst of a recent bible study I was reminded of the proper way to face difficul ties. Too often when things happen around us that are less than pleasant we can begin to panic. In the midst of trouble our focus becomes fixed on our circumstances, to the point that the problem becomes our only reality, destiny and even eternity. It’s an exaggeration, no doubt, but in the midst of being overwhelmed we can live as if God didn’t exist. Even without faith in God history should tell us – “if we would listen, that this too shall pass.” Unfortunately we allow ourselves to get caught up in our own little world and forget to remember the bigger picture. For the child of God, the heavenly perspective says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and that His peace is always available. While one’s faith in God doesn’t eliminate the possibility of trouble, it does secure a strength in the midst of all trials. Beyond the strength to persevere, there’s also the promise of supernatural peace that surpasses all human understanding. This particular promise from God is most encouraging. Since each new day brings aches, pains, heartbreak and trials, isn’t it nice knowing that along with that there is a greater reality that God gives peace? The biblical reference to peace is not dependent on or subject to our circumstances. Biblical peace is not defined by the absence of conflict, but rather it is the presence of a good, righteous, compassionate, gracious, merciful, powerful, unchanging, wise . . . and sovereign God in the midst of any and all our circumstances. By faith I can know that even in the midst of any and every circumstance, God’s peace can be with me. I don’t have to get my way, wait for the weather to change, the diagnosis to be reversed, the economy to rebound, my promotion to arrive, my child to respect me . . . in the midst of whatever is happening and in spite of all the “bad,” I can still know God’s peace. There are many verses in the bible to choose from that speak about the peace of God. For the moment I will just share two and make a suggestion of application. Especially in the midst of a problem, rather than starting with the problem, why not fix your thoughts first on God? Rather than allow ing the earthly or temporal to overtake you, go to the heavenly or eternal first, allow the bible to inform your thinking and direct your action. Instead of getting tunnel vision, why not look up and be reminded of the heavenly perspective? As a child of God, if you take the time to remember, believe and apply God’s truth to your life and allow it to frame your situation, God’s promise is that He will keep you in perfect peace. for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock. Isaiah 26:3-4 New Living Translation Once you’ve been reminded of God’s promise of peace, practice praying. Rather than worrying about everything, instead stop and start praying about everything. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 New Living Translation As we begin the New Year, may the good Lord help us to not forget Him and in the process forfeit His promises and miss our blessings. Shalom! 6 3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! 4 Trust in the LORD always, March 2012 • 39 1. Register online at www.ralphs.com. (A) Sign in or follow the steps to create for a free account 2. Click “My Account” (You’ll need a Ralphs Rewards card — if you don’t have one, you can also register for a card once logged in) 3. Click “Edit Community Contribution Program Information” (B) 4. In the “Find Your Organization” 5. Click “Save” eld, enter 84853 and select “Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund” from the list (C) 6. Buy groceries and use your Ralphs Rewards card at checkout 7. Ralphs Donates 8. We Thank You! Important Information About Your Sign-Ups!! If you have trouble signing up, contact Angelica Patino at (323) 259-5235 for a copy of the form that you can take to the store. Check your account occasionally — you may be required to re-enter your Community Rewards information once a year. And remember to re-register every September. 40 • March 2012 A n integral part of any search operation is the utilization of the proper equipment (as required by the incident). Full PPE is always worn in the IDLH. When access to 30-minute, 45-minute, or 60-minute bottles is available, it may be advantageous to use a 45-minute or 60-minute bottle to provide additional time and flexibility (the size of occupancy is a consideration, par ticularly McMansions and commercial structures). TOOLS The availability of appropriate tools for search operations and ensuring safety can be enhanced by the following considerations: • Forcible entry and probing. An emphasis should be placed on carrying a tool to enable a search team or person to expand the area being searched (if necessary) for victims and/or forcible entry-exit problems that may be encountered. There are many opinions on the proper tool to carry, with most recommendations going to a Halligan, a 6-foot pike pole, and a pick-head axe. Remember that a 6-foot pike pole can suddenly become much longer in narrow hallways and small bedrooms, and a Halligan can require a significant amount of energy to use for expanding an area of search (sweeping the center of a room, etc) for extended periods of time. In most cases, a pick-head axe that is worn in a scabbard can allow a firefighter to have both hands free (if necessary) yet can be easily used as a tool to expand a search and/or a forcible entry-exit tool (most LAFD truck company personnel wear pick-head axes in a scabbard when exiting their apparatus. If you are not assigned to a truck company and are assigned a search operation, what tool would you carry?). However, the most important tool is the one that you are most comfortable carrying, which takes some practice on your part, instead of grabbing the most available tool on an apparatus to start a search in a hazardous environment when time is a major consideration. • Thermal Imaging Camera (TIC). TIC’s have the ability (TIC). to enhance a search but the use of a TIC is totally dependent on the ability of the user to use it to its utmost capability. Obviously this takes practice (remember that practice does not make perfect - perfect practice makes perfect). Several limitations that should be considered are that a TIC can be very useful while it works (so always carry a spare battery), test your TIC before use, be able to read the image, and TIC’s do not see through objects (i.e., beds, etc). • Tag/search line. A simple line can be used to ensure contact between two (or more) firefighters while searching. Multiple lines can be attached together or branched off a primary line to search multiple areas, or used to attach to the exterior of a structure by search personnel to provide a continuous line from interior search personnel back to the exterior of a structure. The availability of a line can be enhanced with a bag that contains anywhere between 150 to 300-feet of 5/16-inch line with a snap or carabineer at each end. Remember that the more line that is carried, the larger the bag will be and there is a point that ease of use will be minimized. Therefore, 150-feet is normally suffi cient for homes, whereas longer lengths may be necessary for districts with commercial structures. For this reason, it may be advantageous to have two search line bags. Bags can be attached with a snap to the rear portion of a breathing apparatus, or carried by a strap that travels over a shoulder. When necessary, the bag can be quickly removed from the SCBA bottle and attached to the front of a turnout coat to enhance flexibility and ease of use, or just let the line pay out from the rear or from a bag that is supported by a shoulder. Remember that tag/search lines are not primarily used to find victims but are used to provide ac countability for search team members, systematically search an area, and/or a method to enhance the ability to quickly exit a structure. To improve this operation, many departments are marking the line at specific distances to assist personnel in determining how far they are into a building and which way to follow a line to exit a building. This is easily accomplished by positioning a knot every 50feet (or any other appropriate distance). As an example, assume a knot is tied every 50-feet. Starting with the first knot at 50- feet, two knots are tied approximately 10-inches from the single knot as in Figure 1A. This process is repeated at every single knot for the entire length of a search line. This knot sequence can also assist disoriented or lost firefighters in determining which way to follow the line to exit a build ing as follows: one knot - two knots are into a building, and two knots - one knot are out of a building. Some departments take this method one step further by attaching a ring at every single knot which allows the ability to tether another line to the main line and search an area away from the main line but still retain contact with the main line as in Figure 1B. However, it is recommended that this operation is reserved for search lines that are primarily used for large/commercial areas. Remember to keep operations as simple as possible (remember the KISS principle?). The important emphasis in this discussion is “how do you use your tag line?” March 2012 • 41 Firefighter of the Year A/O Doak S. Smith Wednesday, March 21, 2012, 12 Noon at the Come and honor the 2011 120 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles Please RSVP to (213) 386-3316 by March 19, 2012 Kyoto Grand Hotel Tickets are available for $36.00 per person. Tables of ten are available for $350.00 NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR, ONLY PICKED-UP LIMITED SEATING PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECK OUT AND MAIL TO THE: LOS ANGELES CITY FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION (or LAFFA) 34764 Avenue E Yucaipa, CA 92399 ATTN: DAVID FRELINGER Paid Advertisements: -Thank you for all your services! Lets us show our appreciation by offering all Firefighter, Family, and Friends a flat rate of $100 for tax preparation (NO HIDDEN FEES)! -Mobile services available. 655 N. Central Ave Suite 1730, Glendale CA 91203 Office (818) 649-7521 Cell (310) 482-0803 Email
[email protected] 42 • March 2012 KENNETH CASSIDY, Captain I, FS 56-A NEAL JONES, PAUL STEFFEN & TOM KEPHART SUNDAY, MARCH 4, 2012 Bridgeport Valencia Community Center 27002 Edgewater Lane - Valencia, CA 91355 Social Hour/Dinner: 2:00 PM-6:00 PM Menu: Buffet $25, all beer, wine & sodas are provided. If you have a favorite liquor, BYOB. Call FS 87 - (818) 756-8687 or Tom Kephart - (661) 816-4476 or Neal Jones - (661) 252-3272 SUNDAY MARCH 11, 2012 Edendale “Old Fire Station 56” 2838 Rowena Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90039 323-666-2000 http://www.theedendale.com 2pm – 7pm Menu: TBD $50, includes tax, tip & gift Call FS 56 213-485-6256 LOUIS P. ORIGEL, Fire Inspector I FPB-Public Assemblage Unit FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2012 Kyoto Grand Hotel 120 S Los Angeles St Los Angeles, CA 90012 Social Hour: 6:00 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM Menu: Chicken Piccata or Boneless Beef Short Ribs $45, includes tax, tip & gift Call Katey or Jennifer (213) 978-3650 @ the Public Assemblage Unit HERMAN R. QUAINTANCE SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2012 Ports O’Call Restaurant 1199 Nagoya Way, Berth 76, San Pedro CA Social Hour: 6:00 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM Menu: Baked Chicken or Blackened Salmon $45, includes tax, tip & gift Call Katie Rosas (213) 482-6535 ROBERT S. “BOB” HOLLOWAY, Captain I THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012 Kyoto Grand Hotel 120 S Los Angeles St Los Angeles, CA 90012 Social Hour: 5:00 PM Dinner: 6:00 PM Menu: TBD $65, includes tax, tip & gift Call Robert Franz (805) 795-9636 or Tanzi Cole (213) 978-3570 LON ROBERTS, Captain II FS 90-A SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012 LAFD Air Operations 16617 Arminta Ave Van Nuys, CA 91406 Luncheon: 12:00 PM Menu: Taco Bar $25, includes tax, tip & gift Call Fire Station 90 Grapevine (818) 787-6380 FRED A. LOPEZ, Captain II SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2012 Sportsmen’s Lodge 12833 Ventura Blvd. Studio City, CA 91604 Social Hour: 11:00 AM Lunch: 12:00 PM Menu: Chicken Breast in lemon herb caper sauce or grilled salmon $40, includes tax, tip & gift Call FS 28 by April 27th - (818) 368-3568 RICHARD “RESCUE RICK” MCCLURE, OCD, C-Platoon WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2012 Castaway 1250 East Harvard Road Burbank, CA 91501 Social Hour: 6:00 PM Dinner: 7:00 PM Menu: Chicken Marsala, Prime Rib or Portobello Mushroom $65, includes tax, tip & gift Call Natalie Goshi @ OCD (213) 485-6009 RSVP by May 18, 2012 ALL ARE WELCOME! March 2012 • 43 44 • March 2012 A s you near retirement, you reflect on life and your significance. The following passage was printed in the memorial program of one of the greatest fire ground commanders that I was mentored by, Deputy Chief Donald F. Anthony: WHAT WILL MATTER by Michael Josephson Josephson Institute of Ethics (josephsoninstitute.org) Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant. So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters. My choice has been to live my life as a professional firefighter using the following guides: Priority number 1 is emergency operations, everything I do both on and off duty is somehow related to emergency operations. Be a student of the art and science. Drill like you fight fire and fight fire like you drill. You must stay inquisitive and make it a point to learn something new every day. Make every run your first and last run, do your best every time, make a positive impact on those you come in contact with. Stay humble; you are a split second away from a number of life changing nightmares that come with the job. It is about the team; never ask anyone to do something that you will not personally do or are not willing to do. Firefighters walk on water; anything you can do to help them, do it. Be prepared, your buddy is banking their life on you. Strive to live life with the highest of positive human characteristics. Humbly, I hope my actions have mattered. It has been an honor to work alongside the best of the best. -C.S. Kawai March 2012 • 45 L By Brett Willis, A/O, FS 105-B of presenting the colors at center ice. An auction booth sold autographed Kings’ items, including an LAFD helmet, and custom leather helmet shields with the Kings’ player names and numbers. Thank you everyone who supported this great event! Then on January 12, 2012, LAFD Hockey was challenged by the USMC Patriots Hockey club to a charity game benefitting the Wounded Warrior Project. News of the game went national, with FOX News reported on the entire event. Although this was the Patriots’ first official game together, they showed some great skill and tremendous teamwork. AFD Hockey hit the Staples Center ice on December 10, 2011, with LA Kings Alumni players in a benefit game for the Los Angeles Fire Foundation. The former Kings’ players included legendary skaters like Luc Robitaille, Ian Turnbull, J.F. Jomphe, and Daryl Evans. It was quite an experience mixing it up with the “old guys” they proved that “they still got it.” LAFD fielded two teams against the former pros and even added a few “LAFD supporters” to the rosters. Jon Cappon, 2011 LAFD Medal of Valor recipient, was honored as “Hero of the Game.” And the LAFD Color Guard had the honor 46 • March 2012 Patriots Hockey Club includes active and retired military personnel, many of who are awaiting re-deployment to Afghanistan. LAFD won the game on the scoreboard, but Patriots Hockey were the real winners, not just with their work for the Wounded Warrior Project, but for answering the call to duty every day. LAFD Hockey was truly honored to be a part of this event. To the members of the Patriot Hockey Club, military members of the LAFD, and military personnel everywhere . . . THANK YOU for your Service! March 2012 • 47 WANT TO GET IN THE KNOW? Go to www.facebook.com/firemensgrapevine Guarantee results in one office visit or your visit is FREE! ERECTILE DYSFUNCTION OR PREMATURE ISSUES? Or just want to improve your performance? LOS ANGELES MALE MEDICAL CLINIC Either way they will help you today! Doctors at Los Angeles Male Medical Clinics are offering a free sample of a revolutionary prescription medication that is safer, works faster, and is better than any pill in the market today. 48 • March 2012 TESTOSTERONE THERAPY From ONLY $249.00 OFFICE VISIT $99 T he Top Station Challenge between Fire Stations 92 and 69 has finally conclud ed, with Fire Station 92 keeping the title. Team 92 was lead by “The Giant” who is quickly becoming a force in Southern California Handball. After being defeated by Eddie Marez in the Fall Singles Handball Tournament, Chris Yokoyama has rarely lost a match. He most recently moved into the #2 position on the LAFD Ladder, by defeating #6 Frank Lima and #2 Ryan Carlos. The accomplishments of LAFD handball players have not been limited to playing in Department events. We made a strong showing at the Los Angeles Athletic Club Invitational January 13-15, lead by Eddie Marez who won the “A” Singles Division, Joe Castro and Rex Villaubi who won the “50” Doubles, Tati Silveyra and (civilian) Greg Tomasyan who took 2nd in the “35” Doubles, Rick Martinez who took 2nd in the “C” Singles, and Roy Harvey with (civilian) Mickey Cabrera took 2nd in the “50-B” Division. The last event of January was the Texas Hold’em Poker and Handball Shootout at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, on January 28th. Gamma Labs sponsored the event, which served as a fundraiser for the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund. Russell Rueda and Mario Rueda teamed up to win the “Full House” Division, and Trevor Insley with Casey Glynn won the “Flush” Division in a tournament featuring talent from as far away as San Francisco. Chris “The Giant” Yokoyama and Branden Silverman had the upset of the day, defeating Pro Qualifier Carlos Chavez and Larry Barunda. They later lost to former Collegiate Champion Victor Perez and Greg Tomasyan in the final of the “Royal Flush” Division. Start training for the upcoming “Spring Doubles” Tournament in April. The level of play within the Department is rising. LAFD players are also making a big impact in the Southern California Handball community, “Keep it going.” I encourage all LAFD players to sign on to “Facebook” (USHA – Southern California Region), click “Like” and you can monitor all current events related to Southern California Handball. LAFD Handball will post all photos and events on this page. Fire Station 2, lead by the Marez brothers has challenged Fire Station 92 for the Top Station trophy - stay tuned for details! ladder update JanuarY 30, 2012: 1. John libbY 2. chris YokoYama 3. tati silveYra 4. eddie marez 5. Joe castro 6. rYan carlos 7. Frank lima 8. bernie ventura 9. paul croghan 10. JeFF ambarian 11. garY maga 12. chris hart 13. pete Xenios 14. mario rueda 15. JerrY puga 17. eric mattson 18. Juan marez 19. Jared cooper 20. craig nielsen (3-b) (92-b) (69-c) (2-c) (batt. 5-c) (92-a) uFlac (9-c) (49-a) (87-c) (69-c) (26-c) (49-b) bes (26-a) (3-b) (2-c) (92-c) (92-c) 16. Johnathan stevens (66-c) March 2012 • 49 Deal direct with authorized Factory Dealers Offering members of the Los Angeles Fire Department Courteous, Ethical, and Special Consideration in the purchase of your new car. GALPIN FORD MARK CHRISTOPHER AUTO CENTER Chevrolet / GMC / Commercial Trucks / Cadillac #1 Chevrolet Truck Dealer “No Hassle Environment” 2131 Convention Center Way, Ontario CA 91764 Michelle Cicconi—Fleet Manager Please Call for Appointment l 909-975-3985 ----------------------------WEST COVINA TOYOTA SCION “There is simply no limits to satisfying our customers” 1800 E. Garvey Ave, West Covina, Ca 91791 www.westcovinatoyota.com Huge used car selection Please Call Our Fleet Department for Appointment Ruby Fox—Fleet Director (626) 859-7400 x151 l
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[email protected] 50 • March 2012 W by Mike Mastro, President/CEO Los Angeles Firemen’s Credit Union ture. I invite you to learn more about our newest convenience service at www. lafirecu.org/mobilebanking. In addition, we are happy to announce that we have successfully improved our ”on-hold” time for our Call Center. Ninety percent of those calls are now answered within 30 seconds. For 2012, we intend to drive member satisfaction to newer, higher levels than before. After transacting with us, you may receive a survey, perhaps more than once. Why? Because we want to know how we can improve. So, we need your help. As we continue in our pursuit to deliver “Legendary Service” to our members, we will also look to expand our reach outside of the Credit Union. We will do this by providing assistance to firefighters, their fire departments, and fire victims through our Fire Family Foundation. Our plans to enlarge the Foundation will allow us a greater opportunity to help families rebuild, both physically and emotionally, in their times of need. We value this opportunity to give back to those who truly represent the spirit of courage and heroism in the face of adversity. Please visit us at www.firefamilyfoundation.org for more informa tion. Immediate and planned giving is very much needed. I wish you all a very happy and successful 2012! We are looking forward to a year filled with opportunity and achievement for our all within our Fire Family. e closed 2011 on a positive note, and are moving into 2012 with improved financial strength and optimism that I am hopeful will bring continued growth and prosperity for the year ahead. After a few years of internal belt-tightening due to the weakened economy, our Board of Directors rang in the New Year with the announcement of an Extraordinary Dividend Bonus and Interest Refund. Over $1 million was returned to members in appreciation of your loyalty and support. As a financial institution operating under a model of cooperation, the more business we do together, the greater the financial reward will be for all of us. As we continue to meet, and exceed, our financial goals, we look to further affirm our commitment to providing the best convenience and service possible for our membership. Although we have just one branch to serve our Fire Family – 30,000 members strong, and growing – we are working to make it easier than ever for you to access your money. In February, we were excited to launch our latest convenience tool – LAFIRECU Mobile Banking. Taking advantage of today’s mobile technology, you can keep track of your finances at the firehouse, at the checkout counter, or wherever it’s convenient for you. With your web-enabled phone, you can check balances, transfer funds, pay bills, and more. And, if you have an iPhone or Android, you’ll be able to deposit checks by snapping a pic- Paid Advertisement: March 2012 • 51 LAFD Historical Society Submitted by Frank Borden • Director of Operations, LAFDHS I LAFD – The eArLy DAys oF FLighT has developed a restoration plan and he has been working on the aircraft for some time. He said the copter is in the disassembly phase, getting ready to sandblast and paint the frame. He is also looking for a new “bubble” for it. the Bell 47 in the lafd air oPerations hanger Before disassemBly. n the early 1940’s the LAFD began air operations for the first time. The idea originated with Captain George Brown and Fireman Emile “Frenchie” Plamondon of the Mountain Patrol. With the manpower shortages created on the department by members joining or being drafted into the military, it was impossible to effectively patrol the expansive tinder-dry brush lands which offered prime targets for enemy planes seeding the hills with incendiary bombs. With Chief Engineer Alderson’s enthusiastic approval, Plamondon entered into a lease agreement with the city for the use of his 1941 Taylorcraft BC-12, a 65 horsepower fixed wing aircraft. Plamondon flew the small plane in fire lookout missions over the Santa Monica Mountains and Griffith Park. Later, he purchased a replacement aircraft, an Aeronica L-3. Captain Robert Schneck assigned to the Mountain Patrol, was an accomplished artist and painted a gremlin with a backfiring torch on the side of the plane. Photo of a 1940’s vintage taylorcraft Bc-12 like fireman Plamondon flew for the lafd. The plane originally operated out of Vail field in East Los Angeles, but more often from Burbank and Simi Valley Airports. On occasion Plamondon would land in the Santa Monica Mountains on three interconnected building pad terraces between Coldwater and Beverly Glen. It was said that landings were easy but the takeoffs were hazardous. The LAFD has a great history of helicopters and the pilots and crews who worked on them. One of our active pilots has been restoring our old (1963) Bell 47G-3B helicopter for the LAFD Historical Society. Pilot IV Jeff Moir, Air Ops-C, who’s’ background is in aircraft mechanics came up with the idea. The project is funded through donations of money or materials. Jeff Retired LAFD Helicopter Pilot Pat Quinn provided much of the following information for this story as he remembered it: After a rash of large brush fires fought by the LAFD in the late 1950’s, the Administration approached the Forest Service and asked if one of their pilots could come and brief them on airborne firefighting. This was before any fire service was using helicopters in a direct attack mode. The Forest Service answered with a question: Why are you contacting us when one of our best pilots works for you? That person was Theodore “Bud” Nelson. Bud was a WWII and Korean War combat pilot who worked as a firefighter for the LAFD and moonlighted as an air attack airplane pilot flying war surplus borate bombers. Moonlighting was frowned upon in those days, so the Administration had no clue of Bud’s activities. Bud was detailed to make a presentation to the LAFD staff but much to their amazement, he recommended they purchase a helicopter. During his flying with the Forest Service, Bud had watched the construction of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway with the use of the then newly developed turbo-supercharged Bell 47 G3 helicopters. Believing that they could be adapted to a metropolitan fire service much better than a fixed-wing aircraft, Bud was able to convince the staff that it would be a wise purchase. The LAFD put its first helicopter in service, April 22, 1962. The Bell model 47-G3B was a three- seater with a 260-horsepower Lycoming six-cylinder engine equipped with a turbocharger. The helicopter was 43-feet long and could remain airborne for nearly three hours. Built in Fort Worth Texas, the ship was equipped by the LAFD with a 105 gallon tank for dropping water or fire retardant chemicals. This first helicopter was flown to Los Angeles by two of the department’s first three helicopter pilots, Firefighters Theodore “Bud” Nelson and Clarence Ritchey. The third of the LAFD’s initial roster of helicopter pilots was Auto-Fireman Beverly Beckley. All had extensive flight experience in military and civilian rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. The LAFD helicopter’s first brush fire call came May 18, 1962, to La Tuna Canyon. A second helicopter, a Bell 47 J-2A, was purchased and used as an aerial command post. The then mayor, Sam Yorty, saw the value of this helicopter as an executive transport and used it extensively. As the Administration saw the value of the direct attack helicopter, another firefighting helicopter, a Bell 47 G3B-1, was purchased. On a sad note, one of the Bell 47 helicopters was destroyed during a training flight on June 23, 1974. Firefighter Pilot Edward L. Hill, 39, and trainee Harold Radcliffe, 37, were killed when the helicopter struck power lines in Big Tujunga Canyon and crashed. graPevine cover, march 1962. Pilot Bud nelson PrePares to take chief engineer william miller for Bell helicoPter. a ride in the new 52 • March 2012 The department started its helitak program in 1963 and trained firefighters to jump from hovering helicopters over otherwise inaccessible areas. As the program grew, helitak firefighters became invaluable in quickly bringing emergency aid to victims of falls and other incidents in terrain difficult to reach by conventional methods. Firefighters can be lowered into these areas by hovering or touchdown or by the use of mechanical hoist systems. There was a time during the 1980’s that LAFD firefighters were trained to rappel out of the copters with ropes where landings were too hazardous. This technique was mainly used to get a large number of firefighters onto building roofs or into difficult areas. It is no longer an approved method by the LAFD. lafd helitak firefighter in jumPing from a Bell 47 coPter. full gear It wasn’t long before the new helicopters were involved in a major rescue operation. On the afternoon of December 14th, 1963, improbable tragedy struck the Baldwin Hills. Lost homes, ruined property and even death flooded downward on a broad river of rushing water from the broken dam at the head of Cloverdale Road. In the rushing disaster unwary residents were trapped. On roofs, in second floor rooms, on small insecure islands of debris, they signaled desperately for help. And help was swift to come. Distinguished among the rescuers were Fire Department members who reported to the scene. Unique in the rescue effort was the work of the three helicopter pilots dispatched to the scene, Fireman Theodore M. “Bud” Nelson, Crash 90C, Fireman Ross H. Reynolds, Crash 90-B and Fireman Howard L. Payne, Crash 90-C. The story is best introduced by excerpts from the official report of Battalion Chief Lynn W. Nelson: “Eighteen persons were rescued and flown out to a safe location . . . at least six of these, and quite possibly more, could not have been rescued in any other way and would have been lost except for the fire department helicopter.” Don Sides, KTLA-TV helicopter pilot and broadcaster, was flying over the flood area during almost all of the rescue operations. He personally saw and reported on much of the activity of the fire dept helicopter. He stated that he saw the fire dept helicopter go into places and make rescues under conditions that required not only a very high degree of skill and flying efficiency, but a great deal of courage to even attempt. He felt that no other pilot present, and certainly not himself, had the training and the ability to make the rescues performed by our pilots.” Chief Nelson continued: “May I call to your attention,” he says, “that these rescues involved not only the flying hazards but, in many cases, the problem of rescuing the victims from the water before getting them to the helicopter. Our men, with ropes tied to them, actually allowed themselves to be swept out by the swift current to a position for rescue of victims. It is my opinion that these men - Reynolds, Nelson, and Payne - not only proved beyond doubt the value and efficiency of our helicopter program, but that they displayed a dedication to their profession and a courage that was beyond the normal call of duty. They each placed their lives on the line time and time again, without regard to their own safety to save the lives of citizens of this city, and were successful in so doing.” LAFD Helicopter Pilots Bud Nelson, Ross Reynolds and Howard Payne earned Medals of Valor for their heroic rescue of 18 flood victims. By the time the LAFD celebrated its 100 year anniversary in 1986, its helicopter fleet had grown to seven, the largest operated by any department in the world. The LAFD helicopter fleet that started with the Bell 47 copters went to the Bell Jet Rangers and Bell Hueys from the Vietnam War era in the 1970’s. More from Retired LAFD Pilot Pat Quinn’s memories – The Helicopter Unit, as it was then called, was able to support a vigorous ground attack on a brush fire and soon proved its worth as a rescue vehicle on a wide variety of missions. The first turbine powered helicopter, a Bell 206A Jet Ranger was acquired in 1967. It was vastly superior in every regard when compared to the pistonpowered helicopters. In the last half of the 1960s, Chief Engineer Ray Hill devised a scheme to retire the Bell 47 J2-A and to purchase two additional 400 horsepower Jet Rangers and eliminate Mountain Patrol with the forty or so firefighters utilized there. They had been the department’s early warning system and experts on wild land firefighting. Using a Jet Ranger to patrol on high hazard days, fires could be spotted easily and the fire could be quickly evaluated. During the 1970s, the commercial version of the military Bell Huey helicopter became available. Two Bell 205 A-1 helicopters were put into service and with it came another huge leap in capability. The 1400 horsepower Hueys were equipped with a large 360 gallon water tank and one was equipped with an internal rescue hoist. With its cavernous cabin, it could be truly used as a practical air ambulance. With the winding down of the Viet Nam War, the federal government released large quantities of surplus military helicopters to other agencies. The LAFD was able to purchase four ex-Air Force Bell UH-1F helicopters with 1325 horsepower General Electric engines. Two of the four were used for parts and the other two were stripped of all excess military hardware, equipped with radios and water tanks and painted in the red and white LAFD colors. Total investment in each ship was about $60,000. This was less than 5% of its replacement cost. At the very first brush fire the first “F model” served in Mandeville Canyon and saved millions of dollars of homes. A deal was struck with George Air Force Base near Victorville to exchange parts as they had the exact same type of Huey helicopters. After several years, George Air Force Base was deactivated and the parts source dried up. Replacements were needed immediately. In 1986, Bell Helicopter Co made available a special Bell 412 SP with a light airframe and enlarged Pratt and Whitney twin turbine engines. The fire department staff was able to arrange for its purchase. Utilizing the basic Huey airframe, Bell had developed a four bladed semi-rigid rotor system. The Bell 412 was much faster, quieter, smoother and safer than all previous models. Seeing the increase in utilization, the lafd fleet of 3 jet rangers with at the airPort water tanks and two Bell 47 helicoPters March 2012 • 53 the department acquired another Bell 412 soon thereafter. Two additional Bell 412s were eventually added to the LAFD fleet. With four medium lift helicopters, fire fighting tactics began to change. During the early days, the Bell 47s dropped 85-100 gallons with a projected turnaround of 10 to 12 minutes. During the Jet Ranger days, the projected turnaround was 6 to 7 minutes with 100-120 gallons. With the mixed fleet of 205 A-1 Hueys and 412s, the turnaround expectation was 6 minutes and 350360 gallons of water. If caught early, a quickly growing brush fire could be extinguished before it became a campaign conflagration. -Pat Quinn, Pilot, LAFD retired. A note about Pat: He received the LAFD’s Medal of Valor for a helicopter rescue he made with Firefighter Frank Vidovich on the cliffs of Point Fermin in San Pedro on December 31, 1979. He authored a manual for firefighting and rescues utilizing helicopters. It was adopted by the industry and was used worldwide for more than twenty years. When he retired in 1995, Bell Helicopter Company sent he and his wife around the world lecturing on firefighting and rescue with helicopters. Pat said “That was a very special thank you!” retired engineer tim griffin receives a lafdhs certificate of aPPreciation for his work on restoring old engine 92 a 19558 seagrave. in the Photo left to right: leo demPsey, “hoPPy” hoPkins, frank Borden, tim griffin and harold maXwell harbor museum pancake breakFast and car show Come out for the Harbor Museum Pancake Breakfast & Car show put on by the members of Fire Station 112, headed up by Captain Wayne Havron. The event will raise funds for the rehabilitation of Old Fireboat #2, the “Ralph J. Scott.” It will be held on Saturday, March 24th at the Harbor Museum at old Fire Station 36 in San Pedro. This is the second annual event run by Wayne and the crew and he promises that it will be even bigger. He even bought a vintage car for the show. Please contact Captain Havron at FS 112-B if you want to participate. mark howell giving a tour to sight imPaired veterans and their theraPist liZ greco. some of the vintage cars arriving at harBor museum for last year’s event. the CALENDAR for March & April 2012 March 2012 LAFDHS Museum & Memorial 1355 No. Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028 Paid Advertisement: April 2012 Jerry Robles Inc. Call me for all your home purchase and loan needs – including FHA LAFD 25 YEARS RE BROKER SERving LAFD FOR 15 YEARS DRE BROKER LiCEnSE# 01211219 Lowest Broker Fee 100% Transparent Loan Process 949.533.5470
[email protected] 54 • March 2012 JerryRoblesInc.indd 1 7/25/11 7:27:05 PM LOS ANGELES FIREMEN’S RELIEF ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES December 1, 2011 CALL TO ORDER President John Jacobsen called the meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association to order at 10:06 a.m. ROLL CALL MEMBERS PRESENT: John Jacobsen, President Juan Albarran, Vice President Andrew Kuljis, Secretary Trustee Jeff Cawdrey – Batt. 1 Trustee Gene Bednarchik – Batt. 2 Trustee Mike Overholser - Batt. 3 Trustee James Coburn – Batt. 4 Trustee Chris Stine – Batt. 6 Trustee Doak Smith – Batt. 9 Trustee Frank Hernandez – Batt. 10 Trustee Chris Hart – Batt. 11 Trustee Bob Steinbacher – Batt. 14 Trustee Steve Domanski – Batt. 15 Trustee Steve Tufts – Batt. 18 Trustee David Ortiz – HQ 1 Trustee Kurt Stabel – HQ 2 Trustee David Lowe – Pension 1 Trustee Barry Hedberg – Pension 2 Trustee Tim Larson – Pension 3 David Ned Smith - Exec. Director Controller – Todd Layfer MEMBERS ABSENT: Trustee Rick Godinez – Batt. 7 (Excused) Trustee David Peters – Batt. 17 (Excused) Trustee Gary Matsubara – Batt. 5 (Excused) Trustee Craig White – Batt. 12 (Excused) Trustee Mark Akahoshi –Batt. 13 (Excused) GUESTS: Bob Olsen, Retired Fire & Police Dennis Mendenhall, Retired INVOCATION & Flag Salute Andy Kuljis led the invocation. Chris Hart led the flag salute. RATIFICATION OF MINUTES John Jacobsen entertained a motion to ratify and dispense with the reading of the minutes of the Board of Trustees meeting held November 3, 2011. Gene Bednarchik so moved. Michael Overholser seconded the motion. There was no further discussion or objections. Motion carried to ratify and dispense with the reading of the minutes of the Board of Trustees meeting held November 3, 2011. PRESIDENT’S REPORT 1) Jacobsen mentioned that he received word that one of the LAFRA Trustees has been chosen as Firefighter of the Year for 2012. He congratulated Doak Smith for being chosen. Jacobsen also mentioned that Vice President Juan Albarran was also nominated for the award. 2) Jacobsen referred to the Pension Department and stated that they are continuing to work on the audit. He mentioned that Pensions has not yet come back to them for any additional information which was a good sign. 3) Jacobsen mentioned that last month they had received a transfer of funds for the ERRP filing, which is one of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act; however we are required to resubmit all the documentation again. He indicated that we may or may not have to give back a portion of these funds. He stated that once everything settles, they will utilize these funds towards benefit enhancements and premium reductions for medical plan participants. He indicated that we will send notice in the Grapevine magazine to inform the membership explaining the ERRP status. 4) Jacobsen informed the Board that the master calendars of 2012 Board and Committee meetings have been scheduled. He stated that they tried to schedule around other organization meetings and events. 5) Jacobsen informed the Board that the By-laws passed by 95% of voters and mentioned that in January, the Board will need to establish the Trustee groups as defined by the By-law changes into the three groups. 6) Jacobsen referred to the payroll conversion for actives and mentioned that they continue to work with the Controller’s Office on the new payroll system. He also indicated that Liz Denison worked on the programming. VICE PRESIDENT REPORT Juan Albarran mentioned the Grass Valley event for 2012 and asked those Trustees who are interested in attending to reserve their spots. He indicated that the dates are from May 16th through May 19th. INVESTMENT COMMITTEE REPORT Robert Steinbacher reported that they have terminated contracts with Riversource¸ Knightsbridge and Columbia Management. Steinbacher also reported on his and Jacobsen’s trip visiting possible investment managers. As a result of successful meetings with St. James, London and Symons they have moved the funds from terminated managers over to the new managers as approved by the Investment Committee.,. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT 1) David Smith mentioned that the Loughran Estate funds have been placed in the LAFRA custodian account at Union Bank. He stated that when they receive the October 31st statements, they will then reallocate the percent of ownership between the funds showing the increase in WODFF. 2) Todd Layfer presented the 2011 3rd Quarter Expenditures vs. Budget. He reported on the main sources of revenue and indicated that they are all in line with what was expected. He mentioned that the benefits paid to members were slightly down for what was budgeted for the year. He mentioned that the WODFF payroll deductions continued to pace ahead from what was budgeted. He reported that the operating expenses were running slightly below the budget for 2011 due to not having the Dalmatian store. He also mentioned that the operating expenses for the Grapevine magazine are pacing lower than what was expected. That is mainly due to an increase in ad revenue and lower printing costs. He reported that the professional fees were running on target with the budget. Over all LAFRA is in excellent financial heath and operating within the budget. ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT Robert Steinbacher presented the following motions. March 2012 • 55 The committee recommends and I so move to pay the usual and customary bills in the amount of $921,792.62. There was no discussion or objections. Motion carried to pay the usual and customary bills in the amount of $921,792.62. The committee recommends and I so move to pay the professional fees in the amount of $97,617.97. There was no discussion or objections. Motion carried to pay the professional fees in the amount of $97,617.97. David Smith reported on the website status and indicated that they have had a better response from Trellon. Also, LAFRA inhouse staff has developed a rough draft of what the revised member website will look like. He stated that they are progressing in moving in the direction of the two separate websites for WODFF and members. MEDICAL COMMITTEE REPORT Robert Steinbacher presented the following motions. The committee recommends and I so move to accept the applications to the Medical Plan. There was no discussion and no objections. Motion carried to accept all applications to the Medical Plan. Jacobsen informed the Board that the Medical Committee is looking into reorganizing the operation flow of DME. He indicated that they are trying to make the process easier to follow and track. RELIEF COMMITTEE REPORT James Coburn presented the following motion. The committee recommends and I so move to pay: The Sick & Injury benefits in the amount of $15,401.74 The Estate Planning benefit in the amount of $6,425, The Life & Accident Withdrawals in the amount of $5,651 The Relief Death Benefits in the amount of $22,500 There was no discussion or objections. Motion carried to pay the above Relief benefits. MEMORIALS Charles W. Dailey Felix V. Piere Raymond D. Roberge Thomas A. Ennis James W. Short James Coburn read the names of members who recently passed and asked for a moment of silence from the Board. ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE James Coburn presented the following motions. The committee recommends and I so move to accept the donations in the amount of $8,834.78 to the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund. There was no discussion or objections. Motion carried to accept the donations in the amount of $8,834.78 to the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund. EMERGENCY ADVANCEMENTS James Coburn presented the following motion. The committee recommends and I so move to approve the emergency advancement applications for active and retired members. There was no discussion or objections. Motion carried to approve the emergency advancement applications for active and retired members. GRAPEVINE/WEBSITE COMMITTEE REPORT Chris Hart reported that they should have an improved and easier to use website for 2012. SECRETARY REPORT Andy Kuljis reported on the certification of the election for 2011. He stated the By-law revisions passed with 95 percent of the votes. He also mentioned that they will hold a ceremony on Boat 2 for Loughran sometime after Christmas. He also mentioned that Lee Kebler was acknowledged and presented with a medal for outstanding service from the Pension Commissioner presentation. SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT Doak Smith again mentioned that Rick Godinez has volunteered to help with next year’s LAFRA Scholarship Program. He mentioned that he is working with Juan Carlos about setting up information on the Grapevine and website to reduce confusion between the LAFRA and the LAFD scholarships. SETTING OF DATES 1) LAFRA Trustee/Staff Holiday Dinner – December 8th 2) Buzzard Bait Ride – January 13th – 15th 3) L.A. Athletic Club Poker Tournament – January 28th 4) Hook & Ladder Enduro – March 24th 5) Corbin Bowl – May 6th 6) Lane Kemper Softball Tournament – May 9th 7) Grass Valley – May 16th – 20th 8) Hope for Firefighters – June 7th 9) Over the Line Tournament – September 13th 10) LAFD Invitational Golf Tournament – September 24th 11) IFEBP Annual Employee Benefits Conf. – November 11th – 14th 12) LAFRA Open House – December 1st RETIREMENT DINNERS 1) John Buck – December 5th Ports O’Call Restaurant (Kuljis) 2) Marvin Williams – January 20th The Odyssey (Cawdrey) 3) Ed Banda – January 26th L.A. Police Academy (Lowe) 4) John Martinez – March 1st San Antonio Winery (Larson) 5) Chris Kawai – February 17th Brookside Country Club (Ortiz) ADJOURNMENT John Jacobsen entertained a motion to adjourn. David Lowe so moved. Doak Smith seconded. There was no discussion and no objections. Motion carried to adjourn. The Board of Trustees meeting adjourned at 10:54am. John Jacobsen, President 56 • March 2012 Donations to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund November 2011 DANIEL HATTON IN MEMORY OF CLARENCE PARSONS SHIRLEY C. ROOK IN MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND RALPH ROOK FRANK S. GORMAN IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE HELEN AND GOOD FRIEND GILLIE ROBBINS CATHERINE DEVINE LEON EGGERS LEW TAUB AT&T UNITED WAY JANICE WAGNER IN MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND DONALD T. WAGNER MR & MRS. JAMES FALLS IN CELEBRATION OF YOUR WEDDING NOVEMBER 5, 2011 ANNE MATHEUS LOS ANGELES CITY FIRE DEPT CHIEF OFFICERS ASSOCIATION JAMES P. LANGSFELD PHILIP J. MC KAY IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN CHARLES W. DAILEY JACK D. CHELL IN MEMORY OF CHIEKO TESTERMAN AND FERRIS MURDY HELEN L. SCHULZ JULIANA J PATRON HENRY O. HUIZINGA JR IN MEMORY OF FERRIS MURDY JOHN J. ADAMS IN MEMORY OF “TONY” ENNIS KAY MULLER IN MEMORY OF OUR HUSBAND & FATHER CHARLES MULLER DOROTHY B BUSSONE MICHAEL F IDOL CHARLES BAKOVIC WILLIAM J BAILEY HELEN L. SCHULZ BETTY V. LARSON SANDRA L CARPENTER IN MEMORY OF OUR PARENTS STEWART & RUTH VAUGHAN FIRE STATION NO. 14 FROM THE EXTINGUISHER FUND MARJORIE WILLIAMSON RALPH N. NELMAN MARILYN OSTBY DANA R. LAINE IN MEMORY OF TONY ENNIS JOYCE L RUPP IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH J. RUPP WIDOW OF KENNETH RUPP DOROTHY RUPP IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH J. RUPP WIDOW OF KENNETH RUPP MICHAEL C. HAYES IN HONOR OF CHAPLAIN JESSE PASOS JOHN A. WILMES IN MEMORY OF MY WIFE OF 64 YEARS RUTH CLAUDE KORMANN BARBARA J NEIGHBOURS IN MEMORY OF JIM & LOIS DANSKIN DENNIS RUPP IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH JUNE RUPP HAZEL M. FARRIS IN MEMORY OF JOHN CASS HELEN MEGORDAN DEE ANN MADSEN IN MEMORY OF MY HUSBAND CAPTAIN PETER MADSEN JUST GIVE HOWARD B HILBORN RAY BARTNICK IN HONOR OF THE WORK OF OUR ORGANIZATION JOHN LAY March 2012 • 57 CLASSIFIEDS REAL ESTATE FOR RENT FOR RENT OR LEASE. Townhouse in Valencia. 2 BDRM & 2 BTHRM with garage and carport in gated complex with pool & spa. Located next to city park and YMCA. $1750 with all appliances. Available in Jan 2012. Call Jesse (310) 350-8481. HORSE PROPERTY, LAKE VIEW TERRACE - Near FS24. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, newly remodeled kitchen with granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. Formal living room, plus family room. 3 pipe corrals, arena, 2 barns, trail access. Motor home and horse trailer parking. Gardener included. Available October. $2800/month. Eng. Ames (818) 257-4549. LOVELY 110 YR. OLD HISTORIC HOUSE to share in San Pedro’s historic waterfront dist. Private bedroom with private full bathroom, kitchen, laundry, air conditioning, spacious back yard, sorry, no private parking, $700 month. “Cindy” 310 831-0926. THIS CHARMING SPACIOUS 2 BEDROOM HOME is centrally located in the heart of Encino. Features hardwood flooring throughout with a large master suite, bath, cathedral ceilings and walk-in closets. The upstairs can be separate with its own entrance. Downstairs is a bedroom, full bath and powder room. Big backyard, garage and additional parking for RV. $2500 for the above, or rent just the master suite, $1000, downstairs for $1500 a month. Call Tracy (818) 704-9592. REAL ESTATE FOR SALE 3 BEDROOM, 2 BATH RIVERFRONT HOME. Fully furnished on Colorado River near Parker, AZ on the California side. Purchase complete or be 1/2 owner and split expenses. Call Mike Proffitt at (714) 968-4656 or (714) 655-1367 cell. 40 X 13 STORAGE WITH ROLL UP DOOR. Boat or RV. Gated complex with security, RV dump, restrooms, all concrete. Located near boat ramps in Lake Havasu. (562) 301-4557. $30,000 or OBO. Steve Dickinson, 12-A. BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME on beautiful San Juan Island in Washington State. 10 acres with views of water, neighboring islands and Mt. Baker. $550,000. Retired Capt II LAFD (360) 378-2190. Ask for Wendy. CUSTOM LOG HOME- Kings Canyon Sequoia Area. 4200 sq ft, 2 story, 3 bedroom/2.5 baths. Master bed has walk in closet w/French doors and deck. Large game room w/bar and wood burning stove. Huge gourmet kitchen w/six burner professional Garland range, Sub-Zero freezer and refrigerator. Hard rock maple counters and maple cabinets. Large loft with library and office overlooking great room with vaulted ceilings and riverrock fireplace. Pella windows and doors. Hardwood floors throughout, tile in kitchen, laundry and baths. Central vac. Deck on three sides. 15 acres fenced. Tennis court, pool, 2 car garages, 40X60 metal bldg. Septic and 40 gpm well. $650,000. Contact Ray Oster (559) 338-2220 or email
[email protected] for more info and photos. FOR SALE. 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo fully furnished in Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico. Short walk to small fishing village, beach, restaurants, etc. LAFD retired. (909) 392-8941. HELP! MAKE OFFER! NORTHERN ARIZONA elevation 6500 ft. Cool summers 4 1/2 acres fenced. Fruit, shade, native cedar, & pine trees. Very nice home, near fishing, elk hunting & ski resorts. Price reduced - $55,000. Call (620) 234-6165 home or (620) 960-4002 cell. Pictures availabe upon request. LOVELY 2800 SQ FT 3 bedroom, 2 bath home on Marrowstone Island near Port Townsend, Washington. Sits on 4 plus partical wooded acres with Puget Sound. 230 foot waterfront view. Has barn for RV storage. City water, oil heat in floor. Past home of LAFD get together. Call Vonnie Rogers (360) 385-7544. RIVER PARCELS. Three 20 acre Klammath River frontage parcels in beautiful Northern California- 30 miles from Oregon. Electricity and telephone available. Rarely used County-maintained road runs through. Very private. 6 miles from Happy Camp. Each parcel has more than 700 front feet of river. $195,000 - $295,000. Contact Troy Bonar, LAFD retired. PO Box 466, Happy Camp, CA 96039 or call (530) 4932453 or fax (530) 493-2589 or email:
[email protected] SKI THE SUMMIT! BIG BEAR, 4+2, 5 minutes from snow summit, downtown and the lake. Located in the desirable Fox Farm area. 2 story-upstairs 2+1, downstairs 2+1 turn key condition, ready to enjoy. Fully furnished. Investment Vacation or Retirement. $359,000 Call Therese (818) 216-4628 or theresewyman@ msn.com TEN MINUTES TO LAKE NACIMIENTO- Beautiful 2400 sq ft, 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home. Spacious open floor plan, remodeled kitchen, solid surface countertops, 4 car garage, covered porch is great for enjoying the breathtaking views on 11 acres, new roof, raingutter, exterior paint, will sell furnished. Jill Johns (805) 490-8196. SERVICES AA FREE CONSULTATION at the Law Offices of EDWARD R. DANOFF - Located in Santa Ana’s original FIRE STATION NO. ONE. We provide services for SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS including auto, boat, motorcycle accidents, dog bites, and wrong death cases. DIVORCES, including custody, support, modifications and restraining orders. REAL ESTATE - BANKRUPTCY - CRIMINAL - DUI - TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT HOURLY DISCOUNT RATE TO FIREFIGHTERS. Thirty years experience. Former volunteer fireman. Orange and Los Angeles Counties call (714) 972-8355 - Inland Empire and Palm Springs/ Desert Area call (800) 794-5297. ABATEMENT OF WEEDS, TREE TRIMMING - LandscapING, Grading, horse arenas/rock removal, concrete & asphalt demo, post holes drilled. Clean-Ups etc. Tractor & dumptruck at reasonable rates. Larry D. Brown (818) 489-5126. ALTERNATIVE TERMITE Treatments: ECOLA Services, Since 1983. Fumigation/ tenting is NOT your only option. Direct heat, environmentally caring, no poison gas, no need to vacate for days. Electro-Gun/ Microwave/ Tim-Bor. 2 year written warranty on all work performed. Lifetime renewal option available. Satisfaction guaranteed. Call Susan Fries (800) 332-BUGS (2847). Fireman’s wife. BOAT & PWC STORAGE Firemen’s discount. 10% off first month’s rent & no deposit required. Winter rates available. Located on the Colorado River, close to launch ramps. All Seasons Storage 800 North K St., Needles, CA 92363. (760) 326-2001. BUILDING PLANS. Residential: patios, decks, additions/remodeling, repairs, new construction, design. Commercial: tennant improvement, ADA compliances and more. George Lavallee (805) 532-1905 office.
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[email protected] wife of LAFD Mechanic, sister of LAFD Captain. CRAIG SANFORD HEATING & AIR - Free estimates, residential, commercial. Great rates for LAFD and LAPD. Toll free (877) 891-1414, (661) 298-3070, FAX (661) 2983069. State License No. 527114 CRANE SERVICE All kinds of lifts - A/C Units, Spas, Construction, Beams, Poles, Appliances, Man Baskets available. Insured and bonded. Leonard Campbell – Owner/Operator (818) 340-8907 DRYWALL SERVICE, new construction, remodel, repair, acoustic ceilings removed. All types of textures. Licensed, bonded and insured. Gregg Avery, F.S. 66 “A” residence (805) 494-9037. FIREFIGHTERS TAXES - Are you getting the most from your tax returns? I am a wife of a firefighter and specialize in their returns, with 60% of my clients being firefighter families. Taxes done at you convenience; my office or by phone. Available year-round. TaxPro, Barbara Ravitz, 661-257-7606. FIREFIGHTER DISCOUNTS. At Farmers Insurance Group, I can assist you in deciding what options best meet your insurance needs. Free competitive quotes available for homeowners, auto, life, RV’s, boats motorcycles and more. As a former LAFD and LAPD Commissioner, and coming from a family of firefighters (3 brothers and 1 nephew), I understand your need for an agent that can make your life a little easier. For a free quote, please call the Corina Alarcon Insurance Agency at (818) 263-1723. 58 • March 2012 FLOWERS FOR ALL OCCASIONS. La Petite Florist offers only the finest floral arrangements, plants and gifts delivered in Orange County and nationwide through Teleflora. Family owned and operated since 1976. Browse our website for hundreds of ideas at www.lapetiteflorist. com or call (800) 682-3327. Gina Cawdrey, LAFD wife. HAI TECH LASERS INC. - For all your engraving needs. X-mas gifts, Retirement etc. Friend of the LAFD. Hai Tech Lasers Inc., 25026 Anza Dr., Santa Clarita CA 91355. (661) 775-0210 INDOOR BOAT STORAGE in Simi Valley. Secure facility with state-of-the-art video and alarm system. Spaces from 15ft. to 40 ft. Protect your investment and prevent weather damage. Limited spots available. FREE SERVICE WITH 6 MONTH LEASE. Sorry no RV’s. IT’S TAX TIME AGAIN. Specializing in Firefighter and Paramedic Returns, Electronic Filing available, year round bookkeeping and accounting, business and partnership returns, payroll. All computerized processing with over 25 years experience. Call early for an appointment around your schedule. Robert Sanchez LAFD-OCD retired (818) 367-7017, cell (818) 216-1040. REAL ESTATE FINANCING. Interest rates are at All-Time-Lows. Refinance & Purchase Loans, Investment/Second Home Loans/ Equity Lines/2nd Trust Deeds, No Points/No Fees Loans, VA, FHA, Conventional Loans, Lending in many other states. Mortgage lending with exceptional customer service, integrity, strength and experience. For your Free Mortgage Analysis, call (714) 469-8900. Jay Trementozzi, Mortgage Banker. DRE# 01113819, NMLS# 241591. REAL ESTATE SERVICES - Start a new life in the gorgeous communities of Temecula and Murrieta. Top rated schools, world renowned wineries, numerous golf courses, lakes, shopping and a great family atmosphere. Located 78 miles from HQ between Los Angeles and San Diego. Call Mike Utley at (951) 775-8491 (LAFD Retired). REBECCA MARTIN LANDSCAPE. Architectural landscape design and installation. A full service design/build landscape firm that creates unique custom exterior environments that will increase the value of your home and bring you years of outdoor enjoyment. Rebecca Martin, LAFD wife. (818) 216-3637. Lic# 936577. rebeccamartinlandscape@ gmail.com TAX ALERT FOR FIREFIGHTERS Don’t lose thousands of dollars during your professional career to the IRS! Let HEWITT FINANCIAL GROUP, the specialists in firefighter tax services, prepare your tax return and review your prior years’ tax returns. We specialize in tax planning and preparation for firefighters. We also offer FREE REVIEW of your last four years of tax returns. Call us today at (800) 573-4829 or visit our website at www.alhewitt.com WHETSEL TAX SERVICES - Specializing in law enforcement and firefighter tax preparation. Call or fax Mari Whetsel at (661) 360-8707 or visit at 27726 Briarcliff Place, Valencia CA 91354. WINDOWS & PATIO DOORS - vinyl replacement windows & Patio doors. I also carry aluminum, wood and entry door systems. Rick Brandelli, Capt. LACoFD, FS 8-C (800) 667-6676. www.GeeWindows.com VACATION RENTALS 4 BEDROOMS, 4 BATHS, Game Room, 3000 sq. ft. upscale Big Bear Lake cabin. Pool table, foosball, darts, ping-pong, gas BBQ. Private road close to lake, Village. Walk to Snow Summit, great for summer. Accommodates 13. Until November: Midweek-$250; Weekends: $295. For summer specials or holiday/ winter rates call (949) 683-3028. steps2summit.com BEACH FRONT SUNSET BEACH OAHU, HAWAII - North Shore at Sunset Beach. Two separate homes 2+ den, 2ba, sleeps 8. $225 per day and 2br + 1ba, sleeps 6. $200 per day! Both share large tropical yard. View 7 surf breaks from backyards to pipeline. Contact Betty at (808) 372-7558 or Barker LAFD retired (805) 985-4001. BIG BEAR CABIN - All season, restful views from decks. Two story, sleeps 6, half mile to lake, two plus miles to slopes. Fireplace/Wood, cable TV/DVD/VCR. Full kitchen, completely furnished except linens. Pets ok. $95/$105 (two day minimum). $550/$600 a week, Beep or Donna Schaffer 1+(760) 723-1475. www.schaffercabin.com BIG BEAR LAKE’S FINEST- Deluxe lakeside townhouse, 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 cable TVs, HBO, DVD, WiFi, 2 wood burning fireplaces, laundry room, tennis court, indoor pool, sauna, spa, boat dock. Fully equipped, including all linens. Sleeps 6. 310-541-8311 or email
[email protected] BIG BEAR VINTAGE CABIN. 2 minute walk to village. 5 minute drive to both slopes. Lake view. 2 bed, 1 bath, sleeps 6. Contact: bigbearescapes.com/pikes-place Owned by LAFD member. CATALINA BEACH COTTAGE - 3 bedrooms, 1 bath, one block to beach, view, fully equipped housekeeping unit. Marci (818) 347-6783 or Clarence (310) 510-2721. DELUXE LAKESIDE TOWN HOME. 2 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 fireplaces, washer, dryer, gas barbeque. Indoor pool, sauna, Jacuzzi, locker room with shower. Tennis court, boat dock, cable TV, HBO. Fully furnished including linens. 3 miles from Snow Summit. Sleeps 6 max. (310) 541-8311 DESERT CONDO Rancho Mirage (near Palm Springs), 2 bedrooms, 2 bath, fully furnished condo & WiFi Internet. Also 2 bedroom and den, 2 bath, TV and VCR, pools, spas, tennis courts, gated community. From $110 per night. No pets or smoking. Barbara (626) 798-2484. FORMER L.A. FIREFIGHTER and Family offering gorgeous Baja Mexico Property for rent. Coast-side Gated Community with pool/spa, surfing, and loads of fun. 4 Bedrooms, 4 Bathrooms. Fully Equipped Kitchen. Call Kathy at 510-468-5003 for more information. Go to: lasgaviotas.com/Hse_toscana.htm for pictures, availability calendar, and information on the area. GOLFERS-BOATERS -OTHERS! SAVE $$$ ON HOTEL RATES!! Luxury condo rental - Direct from Owner. One bedroom two bath luxury condo located in Mexican resort area of Nuevo Vallarta, just 15 minutes north of Puerto Vallarta Int’l Airport. Unit is part of Grand Marina Villas, part of the Paradise Village Hotel complex, and includes use of 18 hole El Tigre Golf Course. Weekly or monthly rates. For info: Web site: homepage.mac.com/edynichols e-mails:
[email protected] or (310) 395-7804. HAVASU LANDING - Waterfront on Lake Havasu. 3 bedroom, 3 bath. Boat mooring out front. Fully furnished. Direct TV, WiFi, BBQ, Casino, new grocery/meat market. No pets/smoking (310) 418-1577. JUNE LAKE CABIN - Scenic 2br/2ba cozy, cabin with views. 5 minutes from Fishing and Skiing. Fully furnished. Wood Deck, Sleeps 8, wood burning stove, full kitchen, cable Tv/Dvd, stereo, phone. Detached garage/room for boat. Call for summer/winter rates. Cleaning fee applies. Jeff Easton 105-A, (805)217-5602 -
[email protected] KAPALUA, MAUI. Luxurious ocean view Kapalua Ridge 1 and 2 bedroom villas from $145/$250, 7th night FREE. Fully equipped with washer/dryer, Hi speed internet, Wi-Fi, cable TV, free resort shuttle, minutes from ocean. Features 3 white sand beaches including “BEST BEACH” in the world, Kapalua Bay Beach, 100 miles of hiking trails, 2 golf courses with great discounts, 10 tennis courts, zip lines, 2 spas, golf academy, horseback riding, snorkeling, swimming, surfing, kayaking, shops, restaurants. Contact Terry or Diane @ 800-326-MAUI (6284). www.kapaluavacations.com/the_ ridge.asp or email
[email protected] LAKE ARROWHEAD Blue Jay cabin charming two-story with creek, large deck, two baths, complete kitchen, TV,VCR/DVD, fireplace, washer and dryer, walk to Blue Jay Village. Sleeps 6. $90/night. NO PETS! Bruce or Sue Froude, (805) 498-8542. LAKE HAVASU – BEACH FRONT. Located at HAVASU LANDING RESORT a gated community on the California side of Lake Havasu. Swim, Ski or fish from the front yard. Buoys in front of home for overnight boat(s) tie-ups. No need to launch boat each day. Walking distance to a CASINO, restaurants and grocery store. Adjacent to miles of off-road desert trails, great for ATV’s, 4 wheelers and Motorcycles. Beautiful landscaping with a lawn from the home to the lake. Covered patio with furniture and a gas BBQ. Four bedrooms with beds for 10.Two full bathrooms. Check Craigslist for pic. $350. Per night 10% discount for a week. For Reservations call Bud @ 818 352-4422 LAKE HAVASU BEAUTY FOR RENT - 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1600 sq.ft. Fully furnished with all amenities- Laundry & BBQ. 13,000 sq.ft. lot. 3 March 2012 • 59 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 HOME for rent. Built in 2004. 1800 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths. Newly/fully furnished w/all amenities of home. Large garage 20x32 with tall doors. Large area for guest parking. Located less than a mile from lake on a quiet cul-de-sac! RV hookups. Ask for FF discount. Call Ryan Penrod (310) 804-1801 or Nicole (909) 263-8177. LAKE HAVASU HOME - Beautiful 3 bed, 2 bath home that sleeps 8. Lake view, RV access, boat parking, everything is new. Quiet street in great neighborhood, just minutes from London Bridge. Call John for pricing at (323) 449-4473. Snowbird rates and firemen discount available. LAKE HAVASU Landing California. 3 bedroom, 2 bath, wifi, DirecTV, BBQ, full laundry, slip-in marina included, just steps away. 180 degree view of lake and your boat in slip. Huge covered patio. No pets. No smoking. Larry Mc Andress ret 112A (714) 963-9344 or (714) 393-1464. LAKE HAVASU VACATION HOMES for rent. Each fully furnished with all amenities of home. Every home has a lake view, pool, RV access, boat parking, ample guest parking and sleep up to 8 people. Check out our website @ werenthavasu.com or call (928) 855-5848 or (661) 212-3191. LAKE TAHOE GETAWAY 3 bedroom, 2 bath home with all of the amenities complete kitchen, washer/ dryer, TV/ VCR. Quiet neighborhood near the lake, casinos and ski slopes. $600.00 per week. Call Cal or Linda @ (805) 584-2718. LAKE POWELL HOUSEBOAT. 68’ Sumerset. 2 staterooms, 2 cuddy cabins, 2 baths. Will sleep 10 to 12. 2 ref. fully equipped kitchen, BBQ, TV, DVD, Twin A/C. Party top, flybridge, V8 drives, 12 KW ge., 100 gal. aux. fuel tank with pump. Dan Coyle (805) 494-8854. LA QUINTA - Gated community, fully furnished deluxe home, three bedrooms, three baths on the 10th fairway of the Dunes Golf Course in La Quinta Country Club. Two car garage, large patio with barbecue. No pets, no smoking. $200/night - 2 week minimum, plus refundable security deposit. Call (323) 254-3874 LEONA VALLEY. 4BR 3BA 2100 sq ft ranch style home on 3 acres. $555,000 (add’l acreage available) zone AZ. Jennifer Gil (Keller WMS Realty Acton) cell (661) 733-2054 or office (661) 449-8900. MAMMOTH CONDO Cozy 2 bedrooms, 2 bath. Fully furnished, WIFI, 3 TV’s, pool, spa, tennis, walk to shuttle, Old Mammoth area. Winter $115, Summer $90, plus maid $126. Includes linens. No pets, no smoking. Call (310) 540-4648. MAMMOTH CONDO - Fully furnished, 1 bdrm, loft, 1 1/2 baths, sleeps 4. On shuttle route. All amenities: Sauna, Pool, laundry on premises. Fall/Winter prices. $100/ night. Spring/Summer $85/night. One time $70 cleaning fee. No smoking, no pets, contact: Julian Edwards (909) 573-3815 MAMMOTH - 1 bedroom Summit condo, sleeps 6. Convenient underground garage parking, jacuzzis, gym (pool, tennis in summertime), shuttle right outside! Across from chair 15. Winter $110 per night, Summer $80 per night plus $65 cleaning fee per stay. All linens included. Drew or Nancy Oliphant (661) 513-2000. MAMMOTH CONDO/GONDOLA VILLAGE - Fully furnished three bedroom, two bath with linens/ maid service. Pool, jacuzzi, all amenities. Walk to the new gondola, shops, restaurants. Park at front door. Winter $225/night, Summer $150/ night, Holidays $275/night. Call Mike Whitehouse, FS 69A (805) 987-6122 or email: btkwhitey@ yahoo.com or Bruce Galien, FS Ret. (661) 645-7448 or email: luvbaja2@ aol.com. MAMMOTH CONDO - MAMMOTH ESTATES, 4BR/3BA, fully furnished, linens, full kitchen, TV/ DVD, stereo, fireplace, pool , jacuzzi, sauna. 2 blocks from gondola village. 1 block to ski shuttle. Winter $315/night, Summer $200/night, plus cleaning. Includes city bed tax. No pets, no smoking, sleeps 8. Dory Jones (310) 918-0631 or Kelly Corcoran (310) 619-5355. MAMMOTH CONDO - Mammoth Estates. 4br/3ba. Fully furnished. All amenities: Sauna, Jacuzzi, Pool & Recroom. Walking distance to Gondola & Village. On free shuttle route. Multiple night discounts. Price includes cleaning + linens. Sleeps 10. No smoking, no pets. Mike Jacalone (805) 529-2052. MAMMOTH CONDO - 2 bdrm, 2 bath, 2 TV’s, phone, garage, pool, jacuzzi, fully furnished - exept linens. Near shuttle/chair 15. Winter $125/ night. Weekends and Holidays $110 midweek. Summer $95/night. $495/ week. No smoking. No pets. Jim Johnson (818) 992-7564, FS 80C. MAMMOTH CONDO - Clean 1 bedroom, 2 bath. Sleeps 6. Walk to Village and Gondola. Shuttle out front. Close to Canyon Lodge. Fully furnished, spa, ski locker, underground parking and wireless. Midweek special. No pets. No smoking. $120 winter, $90 summer. $65 cleaning fee, includes linens. Jeff or Tonya Clemens (805) 499-8160. MAMMOTH CONDO Mammoth Estates newly remodeled 4BR/3BA, sleeps 11, fully furnished, 1 block from new gondola village. Jacuzzi, pool & sauna, recreation room. Call Glen Mackie @ (760) 930-0544 for firefighter pricing. For more information go to mammothgondolavillage. com MAMMOTH CONDO - Sierra Manors Sleeps 7. 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath. Fully furnished except linens. 2 TVs/VCR/DVD, stereo/CD. Dishwasher, microwave, sauna, jacuzzi, pool. No smoking/No Pets. Shuttle at door. Winter $140/night, Summer $90/night, Plus $80 cleaning fee and City Bed Tax. Brian & Karen Salvage LAFD Retired (805) 499-7752. MAMMOTH LAKES - One bedroom, extremely charming wildflower condo. Full amenities, close to shuttle. Antiques, art, satellite TV, fireplace. Sleeps 4. Winter $110, Summer $85. Call (818) 371-6722 Email:
[email protected] MAMMOTH RENTAL BY OWNER - Studios 1, 2, 3 & 4 bedroom rentals, budget to luxury rates, fully furnished, stocked kitchens, bedding, towels, all locations, some pet friendly, complimetary WiFi. Mammoth Rental by Owner affiliated with Mammoth Lodging Association, high standard cleaning, maintenance, 24/7 emergency contact. Visit www. MammothRentalByOwner.com photos and descriptions. Contact us info@mammothrentalbyowner. com or call (818) 883-2488 or (888) 472-5777. MAMMOTH SKI & RACQUET: Southwestern decor. Sleeps 4. King bed. Full Kitchen, TV, VCR, DVD. Garage parking. 5 min walk to Canyon Lodge. Winter $155/nite, $175 Fri, Sat, & Holidays; Summer $100/ nite. 2 nite min. addl nites less. Jeff & Lisa Moir. LAFD Air Ops (661) 254-5788 MAMMOTH CONDO Wildflower, 1 bedroom sleeps 4, king bed and queen sofa bed. Fully furnished, fireplace, dishwasher, stereo, TV/ DVD, phone, spa, sauna, pool and tennis court. Linens and cleaning fee. On shuttle route. Winter rate $100/ night, summer rate $70/night. Mike Greenup (805) 583-8239 or cell (805) 338-9955. MAMMOTH SKI & RACQUET: Walk to Canyon Lodge. Studio loft sleeps 4. Queen beds, full kitchen, 2 baths, garage parking, TV, VCR, DVD. Winter Sun-Thurs $100.nite; Fri & Sat $115/nite plus cleaning fee $100. Non smoking complex. Joel Parker, LAFD retired. email:
[email protected] or (213) 399-6534. MAMMOTH. SKI IN - SKI OUT at lift 15, 2 bedroom including master suite, 2 bath condo. TV/DVD in living room. Good sound system. Gym, spa, fireplace, very roomy, underground parking, tennis courts, pools, and outside BBQ area. (310) 476-4784. Email: barbarawinters@ yahoo.com or visit website: www.mammothrental.com MAUI BEACH FRONT CONDO ON NAPILI BAY - 50’ from water. Studios and 1 bdrm. Luxury furnishings + full kitchen. All the amenities! Maui’s best snorkeling/beach. All island activities & Kapalua Airport within 4 minutes. 5-day minimum, from $125.00 night (regularly $310 night). Call Sandra or Bill for info/ reservations (818) 886-3000 or (800) 889-8641 toll-free or pmimaui@aol. com Please visit: www.napilibaymaui.com MAUI Kapalua Wailea condominiums. Enjoy sunny beaches, pools and great golf and tennis discounts. Luxury oceanview 1 and 2 bedroom condos. Call owner (808) 572-4895 or email:
[email protected] or www. maui.net/~glen. MAUI CONDO 1 and 2 bedrooms. Centrally located on beautiful Maalaea Bay. Excellent swimming and snorkeling; white sandy beach. Minutes from golf, tennis, fishing, shopping, airport and resort areas. Marsha Smith or Jeanne McJannet. Toll free (800) 367-6084. www. maalaeabay.com 60 • March 2012 MAUI CONDO - NAPILI BAY Tired of samll hotel rooms? Fully equipped, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, 2 car garage condo. Sleeps 8. Just 200’ from secluded Napili Bay. Large lanai with bbq and seating. Great for families. Excellent snorkeling & swimming. Minutes from resorts, shopping, golf and island activities. Call owner at (714) 968-1907 or log on to westmauivacationrentals.com MAUI’S MOST BEAUTIFUL BEACH - Napili Bay. Beautiful furnished condo with kitchen and daily maid service. 15% discount off already lowest prices in the area. Don Sprenger (949) 548-5659 or (800) 336-2185. NICARAGUA SURF CONDO - Enjoy UNREAL surf in a FRIENDLY SAFE COUNTRY. Golf a new course and hang out by the pool. Walking distance to beach. 3 bedroom 2 bath. See for yourself at: nicasurfnturf.com. Contact Chris Hart (714) 742-3325 or email:
[email protected] OAHU, HAWAII NORTH SHORE at Sunset Beach. Two ocean front houses on large tropical yard. 2 bedroom and den, two baths and 2 bedroom, 1 bath. Each looking at the sunset break. Completely furnished. Contact Betty Suratt regarding Barker Houses (805) 985-4001 or (808) 372-7558. OXNARD CA - SILVER STRAND BEACH - Beach house vacation rental. 3 story, fully furnished 3br/2ba main house+1br/1ba guest house, sleeps 8-12. Linens included, wireless internet, cable tv/dvd, washer/ dryer, bbq, ping-pong, bikes, boogie boards, beach chairs, large decks, and views. 1 small block to beach. (805) 241-7221 www.BeachHouseOxnard.com www. VRBO.com/111325 PALM DESERT. 3 bedroom, 2 bath. Fully furnished. All new. Direct TV and WiFi all bedrooms. Private patio with BBQ. Private 60 unit complex with 2 pools, 2 jaccuzzis, 2 tennis courts. Near College of the Desert. One level. (310) 418-1577. PALM DESERT SINGLE-LEVEL. 2 master suites. Turnkey located in “Ironwood” a gated community near “The Living Desert” and just 2 miles from the “El Paseo.” 6 swimming pools/spas, mountain views, 4 patios, courtyard, fruit trees, 2-car garage, 2 nights Mon. stay. 25% off for LAFD. Bob (714) 504-1763. PARK CITY CONDO. Fully furnished, 2 bedroom & loft; 2 bath, well appointed kitchen, sleeps 8, with 4 queen size beds. Just minutes from Canyons, Deer Valley, and Park City skiing. About 40-60 minutes to Alta, Snowbird, Brighton, etc. Common area amenities include: large, year-round heated swimming pool, jacuzzis, saunas, exercise room and a huge recreation room with full kitchen, pool table, and big screen TV. Rates vary from $90.00 to $225.00 per night depending on time frame desired. Olympic dates available at higher rates. Call for quotes: (8.00) 645-9762 or e-mail: knhack@ peoplepc.com PGA WEST (LA QUINTA) TPC STADIUM GOLF COURSE CONDO. Luxurious 3+2 lake front condo on the 11th green of the world famous Stadium Course. Gated, community pool & spa, 4 TV’s/cable/dvd, washer/dryer, BBQ, garage, no smoking or pets please. $150/night w/6 night min. + cleaning. Seasonal/extended stay discounts. Buzz - LAFD (949) 322-7979 PGAWestVacation.com POIPU-KAUAI 3 BEDROOM 2 BATH OCEAN AND GOLF HOME W/ SPA. Ocean and Mountain views, a few walking or biking minutes from the beaches of Poipu, Robert Trent Jones Golf and the finest dining on Kauai. New to rental market (June 05). Rates $1600-2100 weekly. 10% Discount to Firefighters, contact Rick @ (908) 327-2167 or
[email protected] RANCHO MIRAGE 2-2, gated complex, double garage, tennis, pools, spa, bikes, cable tv/vcr, microwave, bbq, washer/dryer, decorator furnished. Close to golf, restaurants, and shops. $90/night. Margo Idol (805) 498-1513 or Ruth (805) 4984616. RED LODGE, MONTANA SWIFTWATER - This is a new luxury town home located at “Island at Rock Creek” in Red Lodge, Montana. 3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bathrooms, sleeps 6-8 people with all the amenities you could want. The Master bedroom and second bedroom have a balcony overlooking rock creek with a majestic view of the Beartooth Mountains. Beverly (800) 967-1986 or email
[email protected] (2-3 night min.) RED LODGE, MONTANA COWBOY CONDO - 2 bedroom, 2 bath town home located at Red Lodge Mountain golf course as seen on the “Amazing Race.” Sleeps 6-8 with full kitchen, fire place, TV & hot tub. Close to Yellowstone, Skiing, Golfing, fishing, hiking and all outdoor adventures. Located in Beautiful Red Lodge, Montana. (2-3 night min.) Beverly at (800) 967-1986 or email
[email protected] ROSARITO BEACH Cottage. Charming 2 br./2 ba beach cottage (not a condo) located in the Quinta Del Mar project approximately 25 miles south of San Diego. 24-hour security, lg. patio w/ocean view, bbq, fireplace, cable TV, microwave, 3 pools, jacuzzi, tennis, horses, 2 rest. (music and dancing), ride the waves, off-track betting, golf nearby. 2-day min, $95 day. Midweek/weekly rates available. Photos and info @ Lockhart (619) 429-4060. choice1.com/ rosaritobeachcottage.htm SAN CLEMENTE BEACH HOUSE - Two bedroom fully furnished private home. Sleeps 6 laundry, wireless internet, tv/dvd, movie channels. Enough off street parking for 4 SUV’s, large enclosed backyard, 3 minute walk to pier. 5 minute walk to downtown, pet friendly. David Laub, LACOFD (949) 306-5532 or
[email protected] or vrbo.com/93330 SAN CLEMENTE BEACH. This stylish 1 bedroom/1bath rental is only 200 yards from the beach and a 10-minute walk to the pier or downtown. The unit is beautifully decorated and has all the comforts of home. Includes large plasma in living room and smaller TV in bedroom. See more info and photos @ VRBO. com/344173. Rates: Oct - Apr $150/ night (2 night min.) weekly $850. May - Sept $200/night (2 night min.) weekly $1150. Non refundable cleaning fee $100. Call Ron or Kathy (949) 831-7693 or email klm318@ cox.net SKI-IN/OUT 2 bEDROOM, 2 bath across from Eagle express chairlift (CHAIR 15). Has TV in Living room and Bedroom, very spacious unit, fireplace, dining area, Gym, spa includes jacuzzi & sauna. Exterior of complex totally refurbished. Underground parking. www.mammothrental.com. (310) 476-4784. SKI “THE GREATEST SNOW ON EARTH” In Park City, Utah and avoid the 5 hour grueling drive to Mammoth. 2 bedroom/2 bath. Tri-level townhome. Located a short drive to three world-class ski resorts. (Deer Valley, PC Mountain Resort, The Canyons) $1100/week - $1600/ Holiday. Call Ron (310) 415-6788 SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Romantic Chalet Family getaway. 3 bed/2 bath plus loft. Sleeps 8–10. Cable TV, washer/dryer, microwave, woodburning stove. 7 minutes to casinos and Heavenly. Located in Tahoe Paradise. Call Shawn or Rose Agnew at (661) 250-9907 or (661) 476-6288. VACATION RENTAL - So Lake Tahoe, 3 Bd 2 Ba home with all amenities. Close to Lake, Casino’s and Ski Slopes $650 wk or $130 nt $100 Cleaning. www.SLTgetaway.com. Call Cal or Linda @ 805 584-2718 or email LSchlotzhauer@ gmail.com VACATION VEHICLES 2006 MOTORHOME FOR RENT. Very clean 31’ Fleetwood Jamboree Class C. 2 slide-outs, sleeps 6, 2 TVs/ DVD/VCR, tow hitch, awning. Winter -$150/night, Summer -$200/ night. 3 night minimum. No pets. No extra fees. Dale (951) 768-3809. AMERICA TRAVELER RV RENTALS - We rent motor homes and travel trailers. Special discount for Fire and Police. Check out our sales department. (661) 273-7479. MOTOR HOMES FOR RENT: Several 2006 Class A 32’ Foot Motor Homes, with Double Slide Outs, Fully Loaded, Free Housekeeping Kit, Camping Kit, Discount Prices Starting at $150.00 to $180.00 per night. Serving family & friends of LAPD , LASD, IPD, OXPD, OX Fire, LA CO., LA City, Ski Clubs ask for our 25% off weekly rental rates. Visit us at www.so-calrv.com or call 661-714-7689 or 661-297-2398. ALSO AVAILABLE BIG BEAR CABINS, 3 bedroom 2 bath with pool tables & spas. PLEASE CALL FOR MORE DETAILS. ADVERTISE WITH US! email Your ad to
[email protected] or FaX Your ad to 323.259.5291 March 2012 • 61