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32

On the cover: Livestock Extrication - 210 Fwy

LAFD Photo by: Captain Danny Woo

Inset photo: Major Emergency, Westlake District by Yvonne Griffin

Notice: Production of The Firemens Grapevine magazine is very expensive, and while your dues
serve to underwrite a portion of the magazines 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.

2 June 2015

VOL. XCI

JUNE 2015

NO. 10

FEATURES
Sixth Annual Hook and Ladder

More than 500 firefighter and family entrants made their

way to the high desert for the annual off-road extravaganza
benefitting the WODFF ..................................................06

2014 Firefighter of the Year

Capt II Jack Fry was honored by the LA City Firefighters

Association for his outstanding character, dedication and
loyalty to the Department and the Fire Service. ......................35

LAFRA Volunteer Recognition

Your Relief Association acknowledged their outstanding

cadre of volunteers at a luncheon last month at the
downtown eatery Engine Co. No. 28. ...................................29

CONTENTS

Follow us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/firemensgrapevine

Presidents Message .........................................................................05

Editors Desk
More on ER vs Urgent Care .................................................09
Battalion News .................................................................................10
The Retired Guys
A Salute to Bob Patterson ....................................................26
Station Fridge ..................................................................................28
LAFD Handball
Get ready for the Summer Olympics .............................................31
Department in Action .........................................................................32
The Training Report
Drill Tower 40 is back ............................................................37
Chaplains Corner
Til death do us part ................................................................39
Kitchen Table Wisdom
Senior firefighters address operational conflicts ...................40
LAFD Golf
Memorial club championship .....................................................43
Retirement Dinner Announcements ...............................................44
Retirement Dinners
Darrayle Prosser .....................................................................45
Greg Newland ..........................................................................46
Mailbox .............................................................................................48
Memorials ........................................................................................50
LAFD History
The 1905 LAFD Gorter Water Tower .........................................52
Minutes of the Board of Trustees .......................................................55
Classifieds ........................................................................................59
COPYRIGHT 2015

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association.

No material may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

June 2015 3

FIREMENS GRAPEVINE
owned and published by the

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association

815 Colorado Blvd, 4th Floor, Los angeles CA 90041

EDITORIAL STAFF
Dave Wagner Editor..........................................................editor@lafra.org
Eric Santiago Creative Editor.....................................esantiago@lafra.org
Juan-Carlos Snchez Project Coordinator................jcsanchez@lafra.org
DisplayAdvertising....................................(323) 259-5200 ext. 231, 232, 260

PSOs

Katherine Main, Brian Humphrey, Erik Scott

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Mike Mastro, Frank Borden, Jody Houser,

Michael Stefano, Monte Egherman, Steve Ruda

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ryan Babroff, David Blaire, Doc DeMulle, Greg Doyle, Harry Garvin,
Steve Gentry, Juan Guerra, Brian Haimer, Gavin Kaufman, Ryan Ling, Rick McClure,
Mike Meadows, Lloyd Payne, Jeff Zimmerman, Yvonne Griffin, Laura Lichter.

LOS ANGELES FIREMENS RELIEF ASSOCIATION

Juan Albarran........................................................President
Robert Steinbacher .......................................Vice-President
Andrew Kuljis ........................................................Secretary
Barry Hedberg
Chris Hart
Chris Stine
Craig White
David Lowe
David Ortiz
David Peters

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Doak Smith
Frank Hernandez
Frank Aguirre
Gene Bednarchik
James E. Coburn
Jeff Cawdrey
Joe Vigil

Mark Akahoshi
Rick Godinez
Steve Berkery
Steve Ruda
Steven Domanski
Tim Larson
Tyler Tomich

CHAPLAINS

To contact a chaplain,
Please call Senior Chaplain Rick Godinez at (213) 797-2404
or the MFC Floor Captain at (213) 576-8920
Greg W. Gibson...................Chaplain
Danny Leon..........................Chaplain
George A. Negrete...............Chaplain
Aquil F. Basheer..................Chaplain
Tim Werle............................Chaplain

Hershy Z. Ten.......................Chaplain
Roger Fowble.....................Chaplain
Mark R. Woolf.....................Chaplain
Jesus Pasos.........................Chaplain
Craig Poulson.....................Chaplain

TELEPHONES
Fire-Relief ...............................................................(323) 259-5200
Relief Association Toll Free Number .........................(800) 244-3439
Relief Medical Plan ................................................. (866) 995-2372
Fax Number ..............................................................(323) 259-5290
LAFRA MANAGEMENT
Todd Layfer Executive Director..............................(323) 259-5243
Becky Valverde Human Resources Administrator.....(323) 259-5247
Liberty Unciano Controller/Treasurer...................(323) 259-5225
Bob Dillon Operations Manager..............................(323) 259-5233
Marlene Casillas Development & Marketing Director(323) 259-5217
Ana Salazar Member Services Coordinator.............(323) 259-5223
HealthSCOPE Benefits

Claims & Benefit Information...................................(866) 99-LAFRA

THE FIREMENS GRAPEVINE (USPS 191-060) is published monthly by the Los Angeles Firemens
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 FIREMENS 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 Firemens Relief Association.

4 June 2015

Hello again
As this June issue of the Grapevine is reaching you,
LAFRA should be all moved into our new location. The address
of our new headquarters is 7470 N. Figueroa Street, between the
134 Freeway and Colorado Blvd. This new location is just a few
blocks from the site of our former offices on the fourth floor at
815 Colorado Blvd. (the Credit Union building) The move did
not happen without the diligent help of your LAFRA staff. Everyone did their share of work . . . and then some. There is one person
who was entrusted with the large and small details of this move.
This person is Kevin Thome, our Facilities/Operations Supervisor. Kevin and his staff were instrumental in coordinating the
prepacking, packing and eventually the move to our new home.
Thanks to all involved (you too, Bob Dillon).

At our last Board meeting the Harrington Group presented
the results of their annual audit. The audit confirmed that LAFRA
is on track with the accounting principles generally accepted in
United States of America. We did have a couple of housekeeping items regarding vacation and time off for LAFRA employees.
We have since implemented better tracking tools for the recommended audit items.

As I move closer to turning age 65, I have to remind myself of more and more things. One of the things I will need to
remember is to sign up for Medicare part B before my 65th
birthday. This will allow me to maintain supplemental coverage
under the LAFRA PPO plan. I will not be charged the higher
premium rate and the Pension Department will not suspend my
medical subsidy. I know it is very confusing with a Medicare
Part A,B, and D, but a good place to start is by calling our
member services for clarification and additional information. Just
remember to do this three months before you turn 65.

Late in 2014, LAFRA staff attended an orientation for 43
LAFD recruits at our Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center.
We were able to secure medical coverage for many of the newly
appointed recruits. This 8th of May we returned to Drill Tower 81
to offer the recruits full LAFRA membership. The class gradu-

ated on the 14th of May and is now working in the field at various
stations.

On April 25, 2015, I had the pleasure of attending the
Volunteer Recognition luncheon. Our volunteers were treated to
a great lunch and the comedy stylings of Bob Steinbacher. Our
volunteer of the year was Lydia Andrews. Lydia works on many
projects for us, but from what I have seen around the office, she is
most involved with our golf tournament. Our volunteers are one
of the keys to our success as an organization. Thanks volunteers,
and a special thank you to Lydia.

And finally, a reminder - look for a small Relief dues
increase effective July 1, 2015.

Juan Albarran
president@lafra.org
323.259.5200

Captain Doug Collins is recognized for his services to the WODFF

by Juan Albarran and Bob Steinbacher.

June 2015 5

he sixth annual Hook

and Ladder Enduro
went off without a
hitch this year. The weather cooperated, the rain had
come and gone and the grass
was green. With more than
500 entrants we had our best
year ever in terms of donating to the Widows, Orphans
& Disabled Firemans Fund.
The number of participants
was up and we sold almost
eight thousand raffle tickets.
Everyone also opened their
wallets and gave generously
at the silent auction.

As usual we had tons of help from
our volunteers. We want to thank everyone
that volunteered their time, donated gifts and
helped in the many ways that make this a successful event. We cannot name everyone individually, but each year I try to recognize one of
the groups that helped. Last year we recognized
Teters Trailer (who cooked 700 hot dogs this
year!) and this year I would like to recognize
the registration crew. First and foremost a big
thank you to my wife Debbie, the Incident
Commander, who made it all work. Roy Prince
is the head honcho at the sign in table, and he
was assisted by Bob Saurman, Steve Saurman
and Sonja Reitmayer. T-shirt sales are handled
by Joannie Prince, Krissy Raden, and Kathy
Runyon. Joanne Grossman and Pam Abbott
took your money lots of it! Thank you. They
are there all day Friday and most of Saturday.
That does not include set up and tear down. It
gets a little hectic, particularly early on Saturday morning when everyone is trying to make it
to their class start time. That being said, please
try to come by registration on Friday afternoon
next year and avoid the rush.

6 June 2015


I heard of a trendy new cocktail being
served at Hook and Ladder this year. Its called
the Wrecked RZR. You need one of those
high powered two stroke motorized blenders
to make this concoction. You start with a 1000
cc motor, add four rubber tires, some plastic, a
couple of seats, and metal to taste. Throw that
in the blender with a ton of alcohol and there
you have the makings of a Wrecked RZR.
For the exact recipe you can talk to the guy

2015 HOOK AND LADDER WINNERS

CLASS 1 A - Time: 42:00 min.

1. #24X Austin Brisson - 41:59
2. #53x Roger Vilaubi - 41:43
3. #40x Kyle Bliss - 42:18

CLASS 1 B - Time: 52:00 min

1. #215 Luke Stafford - 51:49
2. #225 Roger Ziemer - 51:40
3. #251 Brian Dameron - 51:36

CLASS 1 C - Time: 53:05

1. #413 John Elgin - 53:37
2. #415 James Martin - 54:00
3. #433 Tim Jolls - 51:55

DADS AND KIDS - Time: 35:00

1. #539 Stephanie Callahan - 33:45
2. #525 Dave Crutchfield - 33:42
3. #533 Ravitz group - 36:24

POWDER PUFF - Time: 30:00

1. #611 Kate Munoz - 31:02
2. #635 Alyssa Garcia - 31:21
3. #626 Mona Romas - 32:00

PICNIC CLASS
1. #743 Reitmayer family
2. #755 Maga family
3. #793 Tohill family

YOUNGEST RIDER - 4 years old Name

unknown see picture

VINTAGE - Age of the rider + age of the

bike/car = total years
# 146 Lyle Taylor Age(74) + 1965
Triumph Desert sled (50)= 124 yrs.

whos initials are an acronym for an infectious

lung disease. You can try this at home but do
not bring it to the next Hook and Ladder Enduro as this cocktail has been banned at any
future events.

Thank you all for coming this year.
Your participation made it one of the best ever.
Lets do it next year and keep the camaraderie
alive.

2015 HOOK AND LADDER

Sponsor List
Adam Ciancerillo
Arciero Racing
Banzai Bros Racing
Bob and Cheri Turner
Brad Cameron, Renthal
Brian Hishinuma, UFLAC
C&D Motosports
Chief Officers Association
Crossfit Second Nature
Don and Daran Paone
EVS
Dr. Jeff Nardella
Farmer John
Fickewirth Benefit Consultants
Firehouse Subs
Gold Lee, L.M.W.S.& Lee
Greg and Suzi Stone
Hewitt Financial Group
Huston Herman
Jason Knight, Fire Axe Inc.
Jason Torrey-Paine, Firehouse Financial
John and Karen Nowell
Kim Harris, Kawasaki
Leatt
Matt Lundgren, Rivalry Clothing
Matrix
Miller, Kaplan, Erase
Pit Pro
PJ1
Randy Hill, Kings Fish House
Rocky Mountain ATV/MX
Sims Sanitation
SUP ATX
The Outdoor Recreation Group
TRE The Racers Edge
Travis Lamm Von Zipper
Worx Industrial Solutions Corp.
June 2015 7

LAFRA has moved!

New Address, Starting June 1, 2015
7470 N. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90041
New office is only 1/2 mile from our current location!
Please note our office will be closed
starting noon on May 29th, we will
re-open for business on June 1st at
7:30 AM

Our telephone numbers will

remain the same.

LAFRA
7470 N. Figueroa Street

Toll Free: (800) 244-3439

Direct: (323) 259-5200
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WHY URGENT CARE AND NOT ER

FACILITIES?

Hopefully, you saw the ER vs Urgent Care pull-out in last months issue of the
Grapevine - maybe its stuck on your refrigerator door right now or maybe you are wondering
what this is all about and if LAFRA is just trying to save a few bucks?

The answer - we are trying to educate
the membership to save you from additional,
unnecessary out of pocket expense.

Urgent care centers are walk-in medical
facilities that provide care on a no-appointment
basis and are often open for extended hours,
including nights and weekends. These centers
are a cost-effective alternative to emergency
rooms for the treatment of non-life-threatening
medical situations such as cuts, sprains, simple
bone fractures, flus and fevers, insect bites, infections, etc. Some centers provide basic laboratory and X-ray services, and most can run
diagnostic tests and dispense prescriptions. If
you pre-plan your primary care needs and use
an urgent care center that is a PPO facility, normally you will only pay your $15 co-pay for
care at these facilities. This is a Win-Win situation for you and your member-owned medical
plan.

Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care
Survey estimates that one-third to one-half of
all ER visits are for non-urgent care. In fact,
the top three reasons for ER visits were for superficial injuries and contusions, sprains and
strains, and upper respiratory infections. The
CDC defines non-urgent as needing care in 2
to 24 hours.

It is estimated that more than $18 billion
could be saved annually if those patients whose
medical problems are considered avoidable
or non-urgent were to take advantage of primary or preventive health care and not rely on
ERs for their non-emergency medical needs.
ER costs correspond to the severity of a patients illness or injury, the number of diagnostic tests and/or treatments performed, physicians fees (typically about 20-25 percent of the
total charges), radiology or specialist services,
and any pharmacy or other hospital expenses
all of which can add up quickly.

It is also important to know that even if
the hospital ER is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), the physician and other service
providers may not be.

If you do have a true medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room.
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME!

Have you seen the billboards along the
freeway that read: Text ER to 23456 for Average Wait Times? This is very misleading. The
problem (besides texting while driving) is that
the ER will provide you with an average wait
time NOT how long you are going to wait at
that moment. And more importantly, it will cost
you more money to use an Emergency Room.

ER wait times tend to be noticeably
longand getting longer. In 2009, average
wait times reached 58 minutes, up from 47
minutes in 2003, according to a CDC report. In
addition, patients are triaged at arrival and are
then seen by a qualified medical professional in
priority order based on their presenting complaint and reason for visit.

The Urgent Care Association of Americas 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Report
surveyed nearly 1,700 urgent care centers and
found that about 65% of patients wait less than
20 minutes to see a provider. Overall, the report
noted a decrease in wait times and that wait
times shift throughout the daywith shorter
wait times during the mid-day hours, and longer wait times in the morning and evening
hours.

LAFRA MEDICAL PLAN MEMBERS:

A list of Anthem PPO contracted Urgent Care
facilities can be found by following these steps:
1. Log on to www.anthem.com/ca
2. Click on Find Urgent Care on the right side
of the screen
3. Enter the state in which live
4. Under Select a plan/network, choose Blue
Cross PPO (Prudent Buyer) Large Group if
you live in California or National Blue Card
(PPO) if you live outside of California
5. Click on Select and Continue
6. Enter your specific search criteria and click
on Search
WHATS THE WAIT AT YOUR HOSPITAL?

For each hospital in California, ProPublica charts the time, on average, that patients wait in ERs rooms before one of four
outcomes: they see a doctor, they get sent
home, theyre given pain medications for a
broken bone, or they are admitted to the hospital. Find your local hospital at https://projects.
propublica.org/emergency/state/CA

The following estimated costs are for nine of the most common
ailments treated at emergency rooms and urgent care centers:

June 2015 9

TF 3 after fighting a fire at

1201 Huntley Dr on 4/26/15.
Photo by Yvonne Griffin

TF 2 overhauls a SFD at 708

N Concord St. on 4/6/15.
Photo by Yvonne Griffin
10 June 2015


Alright men and women serving the
LAFD, looks like we have quite a few things
going on in the Battalion this past month.
From challenging structure fires, to physical
rescues, to grass fires, Battalion Inspection and
last but not least, the Shenanigans!

There has been a few challenging
structures fires on the East Side with all the
hills, long-narrow roads, and twists & turns in
the roads. But no worries, all was saved and
nobody was injured.

Lets start with the big house in the
battalion, Fire Station 12. On a hot afternoon,
after saving their favorite eatery My Taco
from burning to a crisp, a mutual aid dispatch
comes over the P.A. The boys at 12s are out
of the barn heading down the street to South
Pasadena. Upon arrival, there are SPFD
firefighters on scene donning their breathers
and smoke billowing out of a structure about
1/4 mile up about six acres of land. Truck 12
sets the maxis below, grabs ladders and tools,
while Engine 12 goes to the narrow street
above and attacks it from there. After the
engine company puts first water on the fire
and the truck takes a brisk hike up, then chop,
chop smoke, fire is out and overhaul is left for
the SPFD. Good job men.

Next we have another little challenging
fire in El Sereno. Lets just say dont underestimate the Brush Patrols, they put out structure
fires too! Old Los Angeles roads werent made

for the apparatus of today, so the FFs on BP

47 took it on with help from Truck 1 to the
roof. Remember, when we get lemons, we
make lemon juice!

Speaking of 47s, later on that hot day
(same as the Brush Patrol fire), the commander of E 47 uses the Transitional Attack
over the air for incoming companies. Truck 12
arrives on scene, assumes command, and two
minutes later there is a knockdown. Alright
guys, cmon, Transitional Attack shouldnt
be misused or as a cop-out. Do business as
usual and Get Some.

Theres not that much more to talk
about on incidents besides 44s hydrant member falling asleep on the way to a structure
and then loading the hose bed, so lets move
on to some other news. Congratulations FF/
PM Tony Arnado. Word on the street is shopping in the womens section of the designer
jeans department finally paid off and youre
tying the knot. Best wishes to the both of you.
And Engine Co 55-C has a new commander,
Captain Best. Well see if hes the best, or just
named that. No news from 42s or 16s.

Battalion Inspection was upon us and
with all the move ups and taking away the
inside member, fire stations still made things
work. It looks like everyone is chipping in
and lending a helping hand, especially at
the Throwback theme at FS 12, where the
whole fleet is all from 1996. And we can all
take notes from A/O De La Torre who, a few
days before inspection, has to do a change
over and still manages to get his rig above and
beyond the call of duty. Its a tale of rags to
riches with that 96 Simon Duplex.Thanks for

keeping the tradition alive and standards high!

In conclusion, I have only received a
handful of emails from concerned members.
Please send me all your stories and great
photos. I am not here to put anyone in the spot
light but here to spread the truth. So be mindful and remember, someone is always watching! Carlos Danger signing off once again. Be
safe out there and keep the stories coming.
CarlosDangerBatt2@gmail.com

Getting Truck 12 ready for inspection

On 4/18/15, firefighters extricated the driver of a vehicle that

struck a tree on the 110 Fwy.
Photos by Rick McClure, EPN
June 2015 11

12 June 2015

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association Medical Plan may

cover this examination. Contact your plan provider to verify.
Paid Advertisement:


Since last months issue of fantastic
stories it seems that people in Battalion 6 are
becoming hungry for more. Luckily, people
are starting to send them in.

Lately we have seen some interesting
and dynamic incidents, and all went considerably well. The rest of the Battalion and I
appreciate the hard work.

That being said, our first story comes
from good ole 48s. This story was written
so well that I am not even going to put it in
my own words. Once upon a time . . . Here
at the Task Force 48 we are either drilling on
Haz Mat stuff or getting ready for another big
Wharf Fire - LOL. That being said, we try to
keep our bodies in tip-top shape. So on the
C shift there are a lot of racket ball games
going on. Some of the main players are FF/
PM Shannon Saffo, FF Ruben Gonzalez, and
FF Robert Espinoza Jr.

One day, out on the engine, Captain
Frank Morales praised Saffo and Espinoza for
their commitment to lose weight and perfect
there FAT bodies into Spartan-like creatures.
He goes on to say he would give anything to
regain his youth and compete against those
young guys. Engineer Mike Monroy is listening to this conversation and makes the statement, Hey Cap, you were a great player back
in the day. I bet you could show these rubes a
trick or two. Why dont you challenge these
knuckle heads?

Now the bait is out. FF Saffo makes
a bet to old green eyes Gladiator Proximo
Captain Morales. Hey Cap, suit up anytime
you like.

Captain Morales is staying cool and
collected, sizing up this situation, using tools
of the trade he learned in the LAFD Leadership Class. Well here it comes, the proposition: I tell you guys I will suit up and play
you guys, but on several conditions.
1.
I will play both of you guys by myself.
2.
I get to serve first and if I ACE the first
serve I win the game.
3.
Losers will have to cook my rotation
for the month of April and May.

Agree? Yes! How could we lose? He
is in the DROP, and has bad ankles. Youre on
Cap! So they return to the fire station and the
two racket ball experts suit up and are calling
Cap out to suit up. Captain Morales walks
into the court, uniform on, not even bothering
to change over. Okay boys, are you ready?
Yea Cap. Are you ready to take a beating?
Cap asks if he can take some warm up serves.
Go right ahead Cap, just dont hurt yourself.
So Captain Morales makes an attempt to
practice his serves, and with every ounce of

his abilities his serves are wild and long. The

guys are looking at each other with We Got
This Man.

Ok guys, Im ready for that old
fashion # % * whipping. I will serve. You guys
ready? No backing out of this bet. OK.

Ok, let it rip Cap, you serve. So Cap
stands in the servers box, eye-balling his
competition. He assumes his Gladiator stance
and proceeds to serve a masterpiece serve like
no other. The ball goes in Saffos direction
and he reacts like he is try to swat a swarm of
killer bees. He misses the serve and you hear
the crowd cheer Proximo!! Proximo!!
Captain Morales aces the first serve. Game
over. He is the winner. Losers cook my
meals for two months. The two losers are
dumbfounded! What just happened? We
got scammed! We want a rematch! Caps
response, NO MAS.

The next happenings come from Fire
Station 112. Apparently there has been some
dish game card shenanigans going on. 112s
own Dave P. denied using hidden cards during this evening ritual. So Dan Z. decided to
deal out some cards without any face cards
within them so they could find the culprit. So

who was fond to be cheating? You guessed it

Mr.Face Card, Dave P, himself . . . to the suds
he goes. Not sure if this little loom up happened as a result of the cards . . . but you can
draw your own conclusions.

In happier news, two retired members
were missing there regular game of cards so
they came in for dinner and a game. Paul Ciamataro and George Desee. Glad to see youre
enjoying retirement.

Recently some movement occurred at
our own 79th. FF/PM Hans Enyedi left 79s
for 36s where he now works with REAL
FIREMEN. Just ask him! FF Dwight Sankey
begins a long commute north to ride the truck
out at 105s. Wed like to welcome their
replacements, FF/PM Kory Jackson from 51s
and FF Tony Nyugen from 100s. Welcome to
Battalion 6.

Well those are the stories I have for
this month. Everyone appreciates the hard
work out there. And even more appreciated
then the hard work are the fun stories that help
build camaraderie in our own harbor battalion.
Keep up the great work, until next month.
harborrats6@yahoo.com

48s loads the big stuff after a

fire at 741 Oliver St on 4/17/15.
Photo by Yvonne Griffin

loom up at 112s

crews in the harbor make a rescue

Ciamataro and Desee return to 112s for a card game

June 2015 13

MONDAY

SEPTEMBER 21, 2015

SPECIAL FIREFIGHTER RATE $125

LIMITED SPOTS!
FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED

DOWNLOAD SIGN UP FORM AT

www.lafra.org/golf

Mail form with payment to:

L.A. FIREMENS RELIEF ASSOCIATION

Development & Marketing / Attn: M. Casillas
PO Box 41903 - Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 259-5217

OTHER WAYS TO PLAY:

mcasillas@lafra.org

Benefiting Your

:: Have A Company Sponsor YOU for $500

Bring In One of These Sponsors:

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REGISTRATION/PUTTING CONTEST - 11AM SHOTGUN START - RECEPTION & AWARDS DINNER FOLLOWING GOLF
June 2015

OLF

On 3/28/15, friends came from far and wide to visit

with Captain Jeff Easton on his last day of 30 years of
LAFD service. Photos by David Blaire

The guys (and their wives) at Fire Station 20 have had their hands full lately. Two
of the firefighters from 20-A had babies just
hours apart at the same hospital, St. Josephs
in Orange. Looking exhausted from the ordeal
are Jordan Purrington with Ruby Grace (6 lbs
14 oz. and 19 inches) delivered at 5:41pm on
4/12/2015, and Chad Miller with Aiden James
(7lbs. 6oz. and 20.5 long), popped out at
6:00pm on 4/11/2015.

Due to the staffing shortages caused by
the A/O written exam, Truck 11 was staffed
with an A/O, two Capt IIs and a Capt I. The
aggregate seniority on Truck 11 that shift was
126 years (Greg Malais with 34.5 years, Mark
Carcamo with 32, Carlos Caceres with 25, and
Dan Rodriquez with 34.5 years)

Carcamo, Rodriquez, Malais and Caceres

June 2015 15

Paid Advertisement:

16 June 2015

The Purringtons and the Millers

Firefighters overhaul a garage at 3025 S Dalton

fire on 4/16/15. Photo by Yvonne Griffin

Companies overhaul a structure at 927 S Berendo

on 4/12/15. Photo by Yvonne Griffin

On 2/15/15, Engine & Rescue 29 handled a T/A at

3rd St and Western. Photo by Martin Nate Rawner

On 4/4/15, E 75 extinguished a tree fire on

Sharp Ave. Photo by Matt Lyneis, Cadet Post 98
June 2015 17

Berlin/Los Angeles Firefighter Family Exchange Program

s part of the Next Generation Project, the Berlin Fire

Department is inviting ten
teens from LAFD families to visit
Germany in July, 2015. The LAFD
teens will be hosted by and staying
with Berlin Fire Department firefighter families.

The teens will depart for
Berlin on July 13th and arrive back
home on July 29th.

Ten Teens Wanted

The search is on for ten teenage boys and girls who would like
to travel to Berlin. Host families
in Germany will provide accommodations and food in their homes
for the participants. Transportation,
spending money and other expenses will be paid by the American
participants own families.

To qualify, teens must have
one parent on active LAFD duty.

Schedule of Events

The group will spend time
at such sites as the Berlin Gate,
Potsdamer Platz, Kurfurstendamm
Street (world class shopping) the
Berlin Tower at Alexander Platz,
the American Embassy, and other
cultural and historical spots worthy
of a visit by American teens. Host
families are encouraged to plan
their own unique activities for the
visitors as well.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Lisa Schechter or Isaac Burks (LAFD retired) in the office of
Councilman LaBonge for the application. They will be happy to answer any further questions you might have. The
applications deadline is June 12, 2015.

Lisa Schechter: lisa.schechter@lacity.org

18 June 2015

Isaac Burks: isaac.burks@lacity.org

Both can be reached at 213.485.3337

24s and 74s handled a grass fire at the 9900 block Foothill
Blvd on 5/2/15. Photos by Jeff Zimmerman, EPN

Eng 77 handles an auto on 4/4/15.

Photo by Rick McClure, EPN

Two cows were extricated from an overturned

trailer on the 210 Fwy on 4/29/15.

June 2015 19

Paid Advertisement

20 June 2015

E46 handled an auto at Vernon and Fig

on 4/13/15. Photo by Tod Sudmeier, EPN

TF 21 shuts down a sheared hydrant on So Compton

Ave on 4/12/15. Photo by Rick McClure, EPN

66s transport from a T/A at 54th and Crenshaw

on 4/7/15. Photo by Yvonne Griffin

Companies overhaul a garage at 258 W 57th

Street on 3/5/15. Photo by Yvonne Griffin
June 2015 21

MOUNTAINGATE COUNTRY CLUB

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2015
Benefitting

Entries must be received by Wednesday, September14th, 2015.

Winner Need Not be Present to Win

Participants will receive ticket stubs by mail prior to event

PAYMENT INFORMATION

First Name:

TOTAL AMOUNT:

Last Name:

Card Holders Address: Home

Work
Card Holders Phone:
Visa

MC

City:

Home
Cell
Work

AMEX

State:

Zip:

Email:
Discover Credit Card No:

Exp. Date:

*CVV2 No:
(*Required)

Check Enclosed (Payable to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund)

22 June 2015

Signature:

MAIL TO: Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund

ATTN: Juliet Brandolino - PO Box 41903 - Los Angeles CA 90041
( 3 2 3 ) 2 5 9 -5 2 1 5

Flanked by the Fire Chief, his father and his brothers,

Trevor Cooper (102-A) is presented his captains badge

On 4/7/15, 89s caught a rubbish fire that turned into

a carport with four cars. Photo by Mike Meadows

TF 60 and RA 89 responded to a two vehicle accident

with rollover on 4/11/15. Photo by Rick McClure, EPN
June 2015 23

A fast moving grass/brush fire swept through about 50 acres in Granada Hills on 4/25/15.
Photos by Rick McClure, EPN, Mike Meadows and Adam VanGerpen

24 June 2015


Greetings from the Battalion that used
to sleep! Hope everyones summer is going
well so far! Im sure your family plans havent
been postponed or cancelled because of those
AH days. But dont worry, everyone department wide is feeling your pain!

Congrats to all those members who
took the A/O exam and passed. I heard it was
another appropriately written job specific
exam, which really spoke to the essence of the
duties and responsibilities of the A/Os job. To
all the A/Os out there, be on the lookout for
awnings with openings under drop ladders that
are larger or smaller than . . . well, you know
the appropriate size. No need for me to tell
you!

This was written by one of our Battalion members. It was written so well I couldnt
change a thing.

Rumor has it that two of our rescue
heroes won the lottery and got assign hired
to the battalion that fights fire. Contrary to
popular belief, not everyone bangs in if they
are assign hired to RA 33. So our heroes
packed up their bags and a half a tank of gas
later they were greeted with overwhelming
hospitality.

Being a drill day, and never missing
the opportunity to objectively critique their
sister station in Battalion 11, the TF headed
out to 33s favorite above ground hose lay drill
site. A location amazingly found outside their
first-in. When they arrived, they were treated
to a sermon by the TFC on LAFD Religion
or what stations with more than single story
bungalows call a drop bag operation. The
drill was cut short when a supply line to an
improvised stand pipe ruptured. Luckily it
only tore bumpers off three parked cars. To
our heroes fortune, the drill did not end too
soon. As they learned that there is only one
way to drop bag from a six story parking
structure.

After filling their tool bag with the
Preferred Method to solving all above
ground challenges, our heroes got to witness the fruits of some real public education
efforts. Upon return from an EMS call, a wellinformed citizen welcomed our heroes back
to quarters. The citizen congratulated them on
the opportunity to work in Fire City. The
Valley Guys could finally see how The City
Guys fight a fire. Unfortunately our heroes
never gained that valuable experience. Even
though the engine and truck combined for
29 calls that day, none resulted in any orange
flame, light, medium or heavy smoke.

All that drilling and providing EMS
must have really wore the A/O out because
he chose to not cook a single meal in. Who

said that the LAFD is stuck in antiquated and

tired tradition? Here is proof that anyone can
change. Instead the A/O was gracious enough
to drive the truck to a restaurant and pick up
dinner for everyone working at the station except our heroes on the RA.

Thanks to everyone in the Battalion
who contributed! Also, it appears that Colonel Two-a-Day at 104s took it upon himself

to get his work out in with a move up crew

from 105s in quarters running all his calls.
But thats not all 104s has got going on, it
also seems Mr. NOIGMR changed his plate.
What does it say now? Until next time . . .

Remember, dont shoot the messenger.
Batt17writer@gmail.com

A couple of guys at 93s were caught doing

some work, and now they owe CREAM! At
least the one actually working does!!

Companies extinguished a fatal structure fire in an apartment

at 21650 Burbank Bl on 4/25/15. Photo by Rick McClure, EPN

A big congrats to FF Brendan Cavanaugh

and his new bride Fallon.
June 2015 25

A Salute to Bob Patterson

There were several Pattersons on the
job, but only Bob Patterson drew cartoons and
wrote in the Firemens Grapevine. A book was
put together that chronicled Bobs history and
how his talent for writin and drawin developed while in the Navy and on the Department.
The book was entitled Cause for Alarm,
which showcased his cartoons and his time on
the LAFD.

Bob Patterson was born in 1919 and
raised in Los Angeles. He was appointed to the
LAFD in January 1941. Bob retired from the
Department in 1971 and passed away on March
7, 2015.

Shortly after being appointed to the
LAFD, Bob was called into the U.S. Navy. This
was the beginnin of a real appreciation of his
talents. Bobs tour of duty in the Navy and his
assignment to the Navy Base publication, The
Hoist, is where he honed his skills as an artist.

After gettin out of the Navy and returnin to the Fire Department, he found his
abilities as a writer and cartoonist were in high
demand. Whether it was writin in the Grapevine or doin drawins to publicize forthcomin events for the Wives of Firemen Club,
or the Rod and Gun Club, Bob was never too
busy to help anyone.

Bob also worked several tours of duty
in the Departments PR office, also known
as Photo and Publicity. It was durin this time
that Bob became involved with the writin of
the scripts for LAFDs film programs, such as
Design for Disaster about the Bel Aire fire in
the early 60s.

What interested me most about Bobs
book was his insight about bein a cartoonist and writer for the Grapevine. Bob said he
never intended to irritate anyone, but he did.
He also never intended to become a cartoonist,
but he did. Bob found out early on that short,
skinny rookies made for an odd-ball on the
Department and that firemen loved to bounce
odd-balls around.

Retaliation to severe hazin by old-timers was a secret desire shared by most probationary members. Bob harbored these desires
as well but wasnt sure what to do. Fortunately,
Bob met a young fireman named Ben Brewer,
who was happy, likeable and seemingly impervious to harassment from senior members. Bob
asked Ben how he always managed to stay a
step ahead of an adversary. Ben told him, The

26 June 2015

first thing youve got to do is find the other

mans weak spot. So, Bob adopted this logic
as his form of attack, and so began his undercover cartoonin.

Crude pencil sketches began to appear
around quarters highlightin weak spots of
selected members. Foul-ups, both in quarters
and at fires also received full coverage. These
drawins were necessarily unsigned and secretly posted in the dead of night. Sometimes the
victims laughed, but not very often.

Bob recalled his personal plight when
he first joined the Fire Department. He was
underweight, gawky and immature. In this
vulnerable condition he was thrown in with a
bunch of tough, seasoned heroes, brave warriors performin one of the worlds most dangerous jobs. Bob had to measure up.

He fantasized how all big muscles
someday turn to fat, that fireman do not always
remain the handsome dawgs they are and that
noses keep growin with age.

Bob thought someday, maybe, he could
be their equal. Bob had the unique opportunity
to make it all come true in the pages of the
Grapevine.

I have world famous Battalion 3 COASTER
t-shirts available. Battalion 3 no longer exists,
but dont despair, you can still relive those fond
memories. T-shirts are $12, long sleeves are
$15. What better way to spend your money. All
monies collected go to the WODFF. Contact
me on my e-mail below and Ill ship your order.
No charge for shippin.

COWBOY HUMOR

A married
couple rushed to the
hospital because the
woman was in labor.
The doctor asked the
couple, I have invented a new machine
that you might want to try. It takes some of
the labor pains away from the mother and
gives it to the father.

So the married couple decided that
they would try it. The doctor hooked up the
machine and put it on 10% of pain switched
from the mother to the father. The husband
said, I feel okay, so go ahead and turn it up
more.

The doctor turned it up to 50% and
the husband said, I dont feel a thing, go
ahead and turn it all the way up.

The doctor warned them, This
much pain could kill you if youre not prepared.

The husband replied, Im ready.

So the doctor turned the machine up
to 100% but the husband felt nothing. So
the young couple went home happy with a
pain free labor.

When they got home the mailman
was dead on the front porch.
KEEP SMILIN!
AC
choppedup@att.net

You can get your copy of Bob Pattersons

Cause For Alarm! A cartoon
History of 30 Years on the Fire
Lines with the Los Angeles City
Fire Department at the Hollywood
Museum (Old FS 27) and the Harbor Museum
(Old FS 36) for just $10 plus tax.

June 2015 27

28 June 2015

uilt in 1912, Engine Co. No. 28 was the

most expensive firehouse of its time.
When the Figueroa Street stations active service ended, it became the home of the
Los Angeles Firemens Credit Union. In 1983,
a preservation effort transformed the building
into what is now the home of a popular restaurant, Engine Co. No. 28.

On April 25, 2015, Engine Co. No. 28
served as an apropos location for the recognition of the Los Angeles Firemens Relief Associations cadre of volunteers. Recipients who
were present to receive the 2014 Outstanding
Volunteer awards were: Monica Regal, Emily
Pizinger, Douglas Collins, and the Volunteer of
the Year - Lydia Andrews. Other recipients who
were not present include: Melissa Romas, Judy
van Puyvelde, Irma Delgado and Firefighter
Paul Reyes.

LAFRA volunteers (our Boot Brigade)
are dedicated to helping raise money for the
Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund.
These amazing people help make all of our
events possible. They help out in the office with
mail-outs or basket decorating, and you can see

them at events, with their sleeves rolled-up,

making sure everything is running smoothly.

To break the ice guests played Boot
Brigade Bingo. Everyone received a bingo card
which had squares that had be signed by someone present who fit a description. For example:
Find someone at the luncheon who collects
firefighter memorabilia (answer: Juan Albarran). Find someone who surfs: (Captain Doug
Collins). Find someone who has had their photo in the newspaper and why (volunteer Sheri
Jones for her paintings), etc. Volunteer Maria
Riley filled in the most squares first and won
the game.

Engine Co. No. 28, the restaurant, is
known for their bold innovations of firehouse
comfort food. They served up a choice of
grilled rosemary salmon, southern style pan
fried chicken and grilled vegetables rigatoni,
topped off with a chocolate layer-cake for dessert. After lunch LAFRA President Juan Albarran and V.P. Bob Steinbacher thanked all the
volunteers for their hard work and handed out
the awards.

Your Relief Association is always looking for a few good men and women to join the
Boot Brigade. For more info or to sign up to
volunteer, go to www.wodff.org/volunteer/

June 2015 29

Paid Advertisement:

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markets posted large gains in Q1, primarily due to

dramatically since the financial crisis. Some may

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remember the 1980s when mortgage rates in the US

Interest rates in the developed world have declined

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were approaching 20%, now they are under 4% for

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borrowers with good credit. The Fed and other central

2014. So, the first quarter of 2015 could be held out

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chapter of history.

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30 June 2015

AFD Handball has taken a short

break during Exam Season
while members used their competitive edge on the recent promotional
exams. Congratulations to Anthony
Trejo, Band One on the Inspectors
Exam and Matthew Nunez, Band One
on the Engineers Exam, both up and coming players. The Apparatus Operators Exam process
is currently underway, and it is a safe bet that a handball
player will be somewhere near the top of the list.

The California Firefighters Summer Olympics is in
Los Angeles this year, and as the host agency we included

handball. The venue for handball will be at Los Caballeros Sports Village in Fountain Valley. The dates are July 13th and 14th, for both Singles and Doubles. The Divisions are Open, Contenders (B & C), Masters
(40-49) and Golden Masters (50+). Contact lafdhandball@yahoo.com or
www.firefighterolympics.org for information and registration.

Current LAFD singles champion Christopher Yokoyama, and
doubles champs Ryan Carlos and Joseph Steiner have been training hard
in anticipation of collecting Olympic Medals. San Francisco and San
Diego Fire Departments are rumored to have strong contenders in all
divisions. LAFD players who have not played in a two-day tournament
format should start to increase their cardio and flexibility, fatigue leads
to poor footwork and bad shot selection.

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June 2015 31

MAJOR STRUCTURE EMERGENCY FIRE

Westlake District

Info by Erik Scott, PSO

Photos by Yvonne Griffin and Craig Durling

On April 7, 2015, firefighters rescued two trapped from a structure fire in a

multi-story commercial building at 1543 W. Olympic Bl. at 7:45pm. Upon
arrival, units reported fire showing from the 5th floor of the building,
extending through the roof. LAFD aerial ladders were positioned to aid
in the placement of firefighters on the roof and to affect a rescue of two
civilians trapped on the fire floor. 170 firefighters was able to knock down
the fire in one hour and 20 minutes.

32 June 2015

COMMERCIAL STRUCTURE FIRE

Westlake District

Photos by Martin Nate Rawner

On April 26, 2015, companies first on scene in the 1200 block of Huntley Drive reported a one story vacant commercial building with smoke and fire
showing. The building was actually three stories, one story street level and two stories below ground on a hillside. The building on fire was located over
a homeless encampment. Shrubbery around the structure was also on fire. Firefighters initially attacked the fire with handlines, but as flames engulfed
the structure and the stability of the building was in question, they were ordered out. Firefighters then hit the flames with at least two ladder pipes and
lobbed water with hand-lines on the L shaped structure from outside. The main bulk of fire was knocked down in 40 minutes.

June 2015 33

LAFD
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34 June 2015

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n April 1, 2015, at a reception and luncheon at the Downtown DoubleTree

Hotel, Capt II Jack Fry was recognized
as the recipient of the LAFDs 2014 Firefighter
of the Year honor. Awarded by the Los Angeles City Firefighters Association, this honor
of distinction is given to a member who, not
by any single act, has distinguished himself as
one of outstanding character, dedication and
loyalty to the Department, the Fire Service and
the community.

Jack Frys ongoing and continued efforts are worthy of the 2014 Firefighter of the
Year award. He has a positive image that has
been acknowledged throughout California
for his innovative teaching style, outstanding
performance, and grasp of the educational environment. His attention to detail, mentoring
ability, and teaching expertise put him in an
elite class of professionalism.

Jack has distinguished himself in the
area of training and education because he is
excited and passionate about safety. He has
completed numerous State Fire Marshal, Hazardous Materials, and Terrorism courses to enhance his skills in organizational leadership.
He is currently and has been teaching hazardous materials and EMS courses for the past 17
years.

Several years ago, Jack was recognized
as the Hazardous Materials Instructor of the
Year for his continued efforts training fire
service, military, and private sector personnel. Each year the hazardous materials community recognizes a fire instructor whose acts
and deeds as an instructor serve as an example
to the profession, their department, their community and their peers alike. The instructor
of the year demonstrates an ongoing commitment to the fire service and hazardous materials field by teaching and encouraging others to
progress themselves and their organizations to
pursue excellence. Jack is recognized as someone who has played a key role in creating and/
or promoting innovations and achievements in
hazardous materials training and education.

Fry has more than 35 years of service
with the LAFD and has been a captain for 23
years. He is currently assigned to the Joint Regional Intelligence Section within the Homeland Security Division. His prior assignment
was at the Critical Incident Planning and Training Alliance. He promoted to the rank of Captain I on April 5, 1992 and Captain II on April

15, 2007. He has worked throughout the city on

various assignments and details.

Jack current assignment takes him into
the world of intelligence. He is assigned to the
Joint Regional Intelligence Center located in
Norwalk, California. This assignment requires
Jack to develop, maintain, and coordinate the
Fire Department Terrorism Liaison Officer
(TLO) Program. He is directly responsible
for developing a network of Fire Department
members, both internal and external, in conjunction with local law enforcement, in order
to share terrorism elated information. This involves effectively collecting and sharing information to Fire Department personnel within a
seven county region which includes San Luis
Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles,
San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange.

Jack has been married for 29 years to
Mary, the love and inspiration of his life. They
have two children: Danny who is pursuing a
firefighting career following Jacks footsteps
and daughter Stephanie who works for Harrahs
in Las Vegas where she lives with her husband
and children. Jack and Mary have spent more
than a decade managing a youth theater group.
Their current adventure, the Curtain Call Com-

pany is a group of local theatre veterans that

produce adult-cast comedies, dinner theatre
murder mysteries. This is a non-profit program
where Jack and Mary donate their time, money,
and resources. Jack not only helps to build the
sets, he participates in the productions and offers assistance in a variety of ways.

Jack has also participated in many community based activities, supporting his children
throughout the years. This includes assisting
the local Cub Scout Troop, helping neighbors,
and volunteering his time to make a difference.
If there was a need or request, Jack would be
there to offer assistance or provide whatever
skills needed to accomplish the goal.

Jack has gained the respect of his subordinates and colleagues. He takes time to
share his knowledge and experience in an effort to saves lives and reduce injuries. Jack
takes personal interest in the members of this
department and ensures he takes time to develop their interests and enhance their strengths.
The mechanism he uses is his natural ability
to connect with those around him, taking full
advantage of his assignments and opportunities
to make people in the community safer.

June 2015 35

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36 June 2015

rill Tower 40 is back! After a five year

shut down, Drill Tower 40, also known
as the Harbor Recruit Training Center
has undergone a major facelift which includes
technological upgrades to make the classroom
state of the art.

The Drill Masters are Captain II Steven Skelly and Captain II Monica Hall. They
lead a highly motivated staff who spent months
building props, refinishing ladders, painting
classrooms and restoring apparatus to LAFD
standards. 56 recruits started Class 14-2 on
April 6, 2015, and the graduation is scheduled
for August 20, 2015.

Drill Tower 81, the Valley Recruit
Training Center, lead by Drill Masters Claudio
Fluxa and Sean Stilson graduated 29 of the 43
recruits who started on December 29, 2014, in
Class 14-1. The graduation was on May 14th,
which provided Fire Chief Terrazas with the
opportunity to promote one B/C, two Captain
IIs and 14 Captain Is in the field and six Inspector IIs and two Inspector Is in the FPB.

There are several programs provided
for firefighter candidates to assist them with

successfully navigating the hiring process

including written exam preparation, oral interview preparation, practice C-PAT, and the
CAP Candidate Assistance Program. These
programs are offered at Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center, and are staffed by a
loyal cadre who dedicate their evenings and
some weekends to help future firefighters succeed. Avila, Wilcher, Hill, McLean, Moore, Tukua, Wilcox, Williams, Ross, Nunez, Johnson,
Mattox, Riley, Dominguez, Figueroa, Sanchez,
Larini, Perez, Jensen, Quon, Lecense and Sonata are the volunteers who make the programs
happen.

There are some very funny and interesting stories out of training that cannot be told
because we must protect the confidentiality of
the recruits. Just remember that we are laughing on the inside!

June 2015 37

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38 June 2015


It might come as a shock to you that
those are the instructions from God to have a
healthy successful marriage. God tells the husband to love his wife as Christ loves the church
and for wives to respect her husband. You can
read Gods plan for marriage in Ephesians 5
and throughout the bible.

I know we all struggle in our marriages
because even those who withstand the test of
time will tell you, at times, it was hard work
and took a lot of trials and errors to get where
they are today - still married and in love with
each other and committed until the end.

I have been married to my amazing wife
Alma for 23 plus years and I am so in love with
her to this day. She is my best friend and we are
each others biggest fans, but it was not always
this way. My wife and I both came from parents
that were divorced and it was no surprise that
we had to seek counseling to help us figure out
why we were having so much difficulty in making our marriage work. Our counselor gave us
each a copy of a book called Love and Respect.

This book opened our eyes to what we
were doing wrong and changed our focus of
doing marriage Gods way and not ours. The
book explained how we as a couple could work
through difficult times and still be there for one
another. I have recommended this book to several couples over the years and have seen positive change in how those couples do marriage.

Here are some ideas that helped my
marriage.
Never go to bed angry - work it out

before you go to sleep
Have each others back when conflict
hits
Be quick to listen and slow to speak
Take a break if conflict gets heated
Agree to disagree

ll start this article with a question. Do you

think love is an emotion or a decision? How
you answer is a huge factor in how you approach the success or failure of your marriage.

It has always amazed me that in most
careers you need a license or a college degree,
but when it comes to entering what is meant
to be a life long commitment in marriage there
is no training required. Where did you learn
how to be in a committed healthy relation-

ship? Most people would say they learned from

watching their parents or other couples as they
were growing up.

Remember back to that day you and
your spouse stood at the alter and pledged
you love and affection to one another in front
of God, family and friends. Remember those
words you said to each other as you gazed into
your spouses eyes, I will love, honor and respect you til death do us part. Where does
that come from and what does it really mean?

These are a few tips that helped my
marriage and many others. The bottom line for
me is that love is a decision and not an emotion. I choose to love my wife everyday I wake
up and it is my goal each day to let her know
that I do love her. I hope this helps or brings
some light to those marriages that are in the
dark. God wants your marriage to work. If that
is your desire, then make it work. Choose to
love.

June 2015 39

n this edition of KTW Senior Firefighters Vidovich, Nicholson and Meiche will
discuss (1) how to address operational conflicts, and (2) resolving co-worker conflicts.
These topics and experienced-based opinions
should be points of discussion for all of us.

Operational Question: How do you avoid conflict

with officers and rated members with less experience than you when questioning their fireground
decisions?
FF Steve Meiche, FS 49-C: I find the best way
to avoid operational conflict is by effectively
communicating BEFORE an incident. It makes
more sense to identify our strengths and weaknesses on the training ground than on the fireground. Ive also found that by exercising creativity when training you can further stimulate
tactical discussion and reinforce manipulative
skills.

Ive also seen some great ideas over the
years that were simply not practical in real life

40 June 2015

situations. To avoid fireground confusion I prefer straightforward SOGs while taking the following into account: (1) Will it work, (2) Does
it make sense, and (3) What could go wrong.
To me #3 is the most critical If an operation
compromises safety or the incidents goal, then
its a No Go.

Anytime we train I feel its important to
discuss and evaluate what weve practiced. If it
makes sense, works, and is safe, then lets roll
with it. The key for me in avoiding operational
conflict on the fireground is training, pre-incident communication and ensuring everyone
understands their role.
FF Jim Nicholson, FS 114-B:
I make it personal by taking a
one-on-one approach when
first discussing fireground
operations. If disagreements
arise theyre discussed civilly
and without placing anyone
on the defensive. This should
prevent harsh feelings, which

at times can be difficult to overcome. Either

way, Im well aware they have the final say
as they took the test, and I didnt.

Safety is generally one thing we all
agree on. To best support this I go over their
operational expectations from A to Z. In doing
so I not only listen to their ideas, but I can also
have my say as well. Ill also discuss issues
such as district challenges, target hazards and
the various tactics that have worked well for us
in the past.

My goal is to get on the same page as
soon as possible in order to avoid any mixed

messages in the locker room or on the fireground. Remember, communication and clarity
is paramount to any successful fire company.
Ive found that with this approach, if Im compelled to intervene during an operation, I can
do so more effectively.
FF Andy Vidovich, FS 5-C: Throughout my
thirty-four years on the LAFD Ive been very
fortune to work alongside some outstanding
officers and rated members. Because of this
Ive seen firsthand how quality officers manage
their operational and personnel matters, and
how well-respected rated members effectively
communicate their SOGs.

In my current assignment as an EIT
Im able to travel throughout the City interacting with a diverse group of officers and rated
members. These relationships have further reinforced that developing trust in one another
should be of the highest priority. Ive long
realized that effectively communicating operational differences and concerns is greatly dependent on this mutual trust.

Discussing a rated members SOGs or
an officers tactical consideration and actions is
much more effective in the engine house than
on the fireground. Over the years Ive learned
to avoid operational conflict through pre-incident communication and steady training. That
said, whenever an immediate safety concern
arises I will immediately voice my intentions
regardless of working relationships.

Leadership: As a senior firefighter and locker

room leader tell us how you address personal
conflicts among co-workers?
NICHOLSON: Over the years Ive worked
alongside some very talented people. Most

were not only great at their jobs, but were of

high character as well. These members understood the significance of co-worker relationships and the importance in addressing conflicts
before they became a front office problem.

Id impress upon these members that
when conflicts linger they tend to take on a life
of their own. Hopefully the issue is still within
their control if so Ill advise them to quickly
resolve it in the locker room. If their issue is
something Ive previously experienced Ill
pass on whatever lessons Ive learned. Ill also
stress that even simple misunderstandings can
lead to front office problems if not immediately addressed.

There have always been personnel differences in fire stations to work through. In resolving our own issues we also demonstrate an
appropriate level of maturity to our officers and
station personnel. Simply put, spending onethird of our lives in fire stations demands that
we get along.
VIDOVICH: Ive definitely seen my share of
conflicts in the firehouse. Of all the disagreements Ive experienced, its those resolved by
the members themselves (not the front office)
that usually turn out best. I realize however that
this is not always possible.

Getting involved with co-worker disagreements can be a touchy situation. Most
important is recognizing that I cannot assist
with these types of issues unless Ive earned
the respect of our locker room as well as the
front office. Nevertheless, whenever I sense a
dispute is going to affect the harmony of our
crew or firehouse, it may be time to intervene.

Before stepping in and trying to assist
I ask myself if I should involve myself in their
business, if I have experienced something simi-

lar, if my involvement could help the situation.

I also assess the intensity of conflict, the temperament and personality of the members and
I try not to take sides. Remember, the key to
co-workers allowing you to assist in resolving
their disagreements is TRUST.
MEICHE: Conflicts in fire stations are inevitable. It doesnt matter if the disagreements are
between individual members or between shifts,
they must be taken seriously and quickly resolved. Over the past 34-years my most enjoyable assignments have been those where a prevailing attitude of loyalty and trust existed. We
got along great, respected one anothers opinions and when differences arose, they werent
allowed to fester.

I find the key to resolving any conflict is
to ensure our members understand the commitment to their assignment and the responsibility
we all have in working through various differences. Its also important to encourage positive
dialogue and to clarify how destructive trash
talking can become over time. Equally significant is gaining the trust and credibility of my
co-workers so that when these types of issues
arise I can better assist with them.

None of us should allow conflicts to
go unchecked so that they eventually become
front office problems. Unfortunately, not all
conflicts can be resolved in the locker room, so
knowing when to take it to the front office is
also very important as well.
In next months KTW: Captains Steve Wynne,
Kenny Kemp and Jason Hing will discuss (1)
Back-up fire attack responsibilities, and (2)
Why officers fail to gain the respect of their
commands.

June 2015 41

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42 June 2015

mail:
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phone:
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nce again we played all three days in La Quinta, starting with

the always difficult Mountain Course at the La Quinta Resort.
Next was the sleeper of the three courses, the Dunes Course, also
at the La Quinta Resort. We finished on the beautiful but tough Jack
Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West. We had three days of balmy,
sunny days in the mid-eighties. All three courses were beautiful and in
fantastic shape.

We had a total of 63 of our LAFD Golf Club members competing in four flights, with two mens guest flights. In the A Flight,
Steve Schulz, playing in the feature foursome with Dale Gant, Kelly
Faulkner, and Roger Camunas held on to win the Club Championship.
The Net A Flight championship went to Noel Murchet. In the B
Flight Bruce Bickly cruised to an easy gross win by six shots and Gary
Mannan was strong in winning the net. In the C Flight, Joe Szabados
cruised to a 13 stroke win in gross and Eric Anderson was the easy winner in net. In the D Flight, Don Carter played consistent golf, Ill let

him tell you his scores, to run away with the gross win and new member
Jimmy Hill did the same in the net.

This year was the year of the injury. In the A Flight, on day
one, both Gary Klasse and Randy Sousa came up lame is pulled muscles
in various parts of their bodies and had to withdraw. We also lost a couple
of guests players to injury. Lets hope they mend quickly, Im playing
with Gary in a partners tournament in May. It cant have anything to do
with age, Im positive.

The LAFD Golf Club would like to thank all of our players and
guests for attending and look forward to seeing you come back to our
Memorial Club Championship.

If any Los Angeles City firefighter, active or retired, is interested
in joining our club please visit our website lafdgc.com.

The following is the final scores in all four Memorial Club
Championship member flights, the names on the left are for gross scores
and the names on the right are for net scores:

A FLIGHT
INDEXES 1.2 THRU 9.2

B Flight
INDEXES 10.6 THRU 12.8

2015 Memorial Club Championship A Flight Gross

C Flight
INDEXES 13.4 THRU 20.5

D Flight
INDEXES 21.5 THRU 32.6

2015 Memorial Club Championship

A Flight Net Champion

* - Playoff on scorecard

June 2015 43

ALBERT LUNA, Captain II, FS 48-C

SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2015

What Is The...

Extinguisher Fund?

The Trump Homes

2970 Twin Harbors View Drive, Rancho Palos Verdes CA
Dinner: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Mexican Food - $40 per person including food & drink
Call FS 48 - (310) 548-7548 or email: mikemonroy76@yahoo.com
RSVP by June 13, 2015

The brain child of Ted Bailie, re-

tired from the LAFD and LAFRA, your

stations Extinguisher Fund is a simple
way to collect donations for the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemens
Fund. Ted saw the accumulation of

TIM TAURIG, Captain I, FS 77-C

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
Odyssey Restaurant
15600 Odyssey Drive, Granada Hills, CA
Social Hour: 6:00 PM

Dinner: 7:00 PM

Chicken & Prime Rib - $55 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call FS 77 - (818) 756-8677 or Carlos Limon - (818) 416-4330

change that the cook dumped into the

mess fund box each shift and had a
better idea. If this change was instead
collected for the WODFF he figured it
could really add up. With an average of
50 cents per day per station, in a year
there would be . . . well, you can do the
math!

So take your turn in the cooking

rotation and remember to drop all your

change into your stations extinguisher.
DR. ROBERT SCOTT, LAFD Psychologist, FHMTC

There should be one in every firehouse.

SUNDAY, JULY 15, 2015

And any loose change in your pockets,

Frank Hotchkin Memorial Training Center

7250 World Way West, Los Angeles CA

hoarded in the ashtray of your vehicle

Luncheon: 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM

Catered Taco Bar - $20 includes food & gift
Call Gwen Duyao - (909) 560-6573 or email gigid1217@yahoo.com
23 years of service rescuing the rescuers

any that you find in the TV chairs, or

can be thrown in for good measure.

The Widows, Orphans & Dis-

abled Firemens Fund is the heart of

the Relief Association. This fund provides assistance to our firefighters and
families who are faced with personal

BRIAN ALLEN, Captain, FS 80-B

SUNDAY, JULY 19, 2015
Fire Station 80 (LAX)
7250 World Way West, Los Angeles CA
Social Hour: 1:00 PM

Lunch: 2:00 PM

difficulties and tragedies. Donations are

the sole means of support for this Fund.

Firefighters risk their lives to

protect the community on a daily

basis. Thus, they and their families can
be comforted in knowing that the Fire

BBQ Lunch - $20 includes food, drinks & gift

There will also be a breakfast served (Free) from 7 AM to 9 AM

Department Family, supported by the

Call FS 80 - (213) 978-2180 or email williamtwick@gmail.com

or firerider48@yahoo.com. RSVP by July 1, 2015. Casual Dress.

mens Fund, is there for them in times

44 June 2015

Widows, Orphans & Disabled Fireof need.

n a clear evening in May, with a glorious view of the Valley, friends and
family gathered at the Odyssey to
honor Darrayle Prosser upon his retirement. It
was obvious by 6:05 pm that the room was too
small for the flood of firemen who came to help
Darrayle kick off the next chapter in his life. By
the time the restaurant staff had opened the partition and added another half-dozen tables, MC
John Nowell was calling the group to order. If
you miss a meal, he said, Its gone forever!
See you during dessert.

When the cheesecake finally arrived,
Nowell introduced Darrayles family of overachievers. Son Neal graduated from Berkeley
and is working on his Masters at Pepperdine.
Son Ryan is a Lehigh grad and is a project
manager for Brighton Engineering. Daughter
Marla is a freshman at UCSD. Sister Debbie
is an LAPD detective. And Karen, married to
Darryle for almost 30 years, has her MBA.

Nowell explained that Darrayle, with
his modest G.E.D., met Karen at the Howard
Johnsons in T.O. where she was doing a little
under-age drinking with a fake I.D. Somehow
he persuaded (blackmailed?!?) her into going
out with him and eventually marrying him.

Darrayle started Drill Tower 89 in
March of 1983. He spent his formative years
in Battalions 14 and 13 before transferring
to OCD. He became a staff assistant in 1989
and his partners over the years included Dave
Badget, Bob MacMillan, Louis Chatin and
Bill Cody. He was able to share his skills as
an instructor for rookie staff assistants and as
a command post trainer. Darrayle promoted
to captain in 2003, working at 64s and 81s.
He transferred to the Tactical Training Section
in 2006 where he excelled under the tutelage
of Nowell, Joe Castro, and a cadre of talented
captains. He went to FS 77 in 2008 and retired
seven years later, just short of 32 years on the
job.

Former Fire Chief Jim Featherstone
started off the presentations with the LAFD
Certificate. Joe Castro offered the City Service
Pin and Darralyes captain at 98s, Mike Sauber, awarded the CSFA plaque. Representing
the Relief Association, Craig White handed
over the Retirement Badge and Adam Van Gerpen from UFLAC presented the Axe plaque.
As Darrayles relief at 77s, Tim Traurig, read
through his P.R.B., he kept pausing, staring
over at Darrayle and exclaiming I didnt know

you were Korean! Seems that Traurig thought

that with a last name of Prosser and the ability to cook an excellent schnitzel, Darrayle was
German it wasnt until minutes before, when
Nowell said in his intro that Darrayle was born
in Seoul, Korea that he realized his dorm mate
was Asian.

Front seat partner Sean Williams came
up to the podium with the guys from 77s and
presented Darrayle with a helmet plaque. Sean
also pulled out a long stick with a handball
stuck on the end of it. He said that Darrayle
would bop him with this stick whenever he
turned the wrong way. His former captain insisted that he never had to use it because Sean
always knew where he was going.

In the end, a humble retiree came to the
dais to thank everyone for showing up (and to
refute many of the stories shared). He presented
wife Karen with a huge bouquet and then spoke
of his appreciation to his many co-workers who
helped him to have a successful and rewarding
career.

Good luck to you both, Darrayle and
Karen. May your travels in your new fifthwheel take you to campgrounds and fishing
holes beyond your wildest dreams.

June 2015 45

n April 11, 2015, 170 friends and family gathered at the Dalmatia American
Club of San Pedro to celebrate Captain II Greg Newlands 40 years of service to
the LAFD. He retired from FS 48-A, so it was
only fitting to hold the dinner at the local hangout. The social hour was packed with plenty of
faces from the past, reminiscing of the good ol
days.

After lots of prodding, everyone finally
made their way into the dining hall. Mark Khitikian had the honor of serving as MC, dressed
to the hilt with his stylish Kazakhstan-imported
Pendleton shirt, looking as dapper as ever. The
invocation was led by Matt Monroy which was
followed by the flag salute by Chris Baker.

As the crowd settled in, a slideshow
played showing Gregs life and 40-yr.career.
There were some hippie pics with long hair
from Gregs high school days at San Pedro
High School, where he earned his P.H.D. (Pedro High Diploma). Must have been the long
hair that attracted the love of his life whom he
met in high school, Debbie Comstead.

There were several chief officers in the
crowd, old and new, making a rare appearances, but then again, it was Greg Newland. Most
of them were either Gregs old carpool buddies
or study partners from this fireman days. Someone accidentally blurted, How come they promoted and you didnt? The quick witted MC
explained that Greg didnt want to go to the
dark side.

The guest table included Gregs lovely
wife Debbie, daughter Britt and husband Chris
Meyers, mother-in-law Kathy Comstead, niece
Jennifer, Debbies sister Shelly and husband
Rick Rosales, Gregs brother Randy, sister Carroll and friend Mary.

After a traditional Croatian dinner, the
party got started. Chief John Vidovich presented the Mayors Resolution. John worked
with Greg at 11s as his Captain I and recalled a
SOD day when they both worked down on RA
846 - Greg was the attendant. By the end of
the shift, Vido saw Gregs frustration with the
902-Ms and credited him with coming up with
the idea of ePCRs! He also recalled when Greg
had a SOD at Boat 2 and Greg answered the
doorbell, coming face to face with the Mayor
Garcetti, who asked for a boat ride. Greg politely responded, Ok, no problem, but who
are you? No wonder you couldnt promote to
chief!

46 June 2015

Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas, representing San Pedro, dressed in a stylish sport jacket,
presented the Retirement Certificate and apologized to the MC for not getting the memo, but
explained his Pendleton shirt was in the cleaners! Ralph, John, Mark and Greg were all inspectors together. He also credited Greg for
teaching them all about roof ops and thanked
Greg for his dedication. He stated that whenever Greg was running a roof operation, he always had full confidence in Gregs experience
and taking care of his people.

Past Fire Chief William Bammatre (another carpool partner) presented the service pin
and commented how Gregs work ethic always
reflected commitment and dedication. He also
credited MC Khitikian (Broken Arrow) for
heading up the Departments Sensitivity/EEO
training, since Marco could not get along with
any chiefs!

The famous godfather of San Pedro,
retired Captain Andy Kuljis, who is related to
everyone there, thanked Greg for his unselfish
service to his men through out his career and
presented Greg his retirement badge. CSFA
rep Dennis Frazier tried to present the CSFA
plaque, but it seems that the plaque was being

driven down by Dave Frelinger who apparently

got a SOD day!

A story was told about Gregs rookie
probationary dinner, where Greg was coaxed
by senior firemen Mike Burns and Carl Palace
into cutting off Chief Sam Dianittos tie as he
walked by at line-up. Carl told Greg that he had
a brand new tie in his pocket to give Dianitto.
So the chief walked up, Greg takes his scissors out and cuts off the chiefs tie. Greg then
asks Carl for the new tie, to which he responds,
What tie?!! All Greg remembers was getting
a swift kick in the shins by the chief!

Past UFLAC president and Gregs drill
tower classmate and friend, Ken Buzzell, presented the UFLAC Axe Plaque. He said he
wouldnt miss Gregs dinner for anything in the
world, but recalls that Greg missed his retirement dinner for a SOD day! He thanked Greg
for his dedication and work ethic and stated
that Greg always had a crew that stuck with
him for years because of his work ethic.

Khitikians sidekick, retired BC John
Commerford, who worked with Greg at FS
15, entertained with some jokes and stories,
but said he wouldnt take responsibility for
Khitikians jokes! He presented Gregs PRB


Kelly Toman, on behalf of FS 48,
presented Greg with an old style helmet on a
plaque. As Gregs attention was distracted, FS
48-A, rolled out a fully restored 1972 CZ-400
dirt bike that Gregs adopted son, Rob Trevino,
removed from Gregs storage shed. It was fully
restored by Tim Parrish of Century Motorcycles of San Pedro.

As Greg finally took the mic, he thanked
all for attending and stated how his father-inlaw, Captain II Walter Comstead, influenced
him into becoming a fireman. He appreciated
working with a great group of men through-

out his career and learned to be the best on the

LAFD. He said he will miss the camaraderie,
laughter, station trips, fire house stories, games
for dishes, and nicknames firemen would give
each other that would stick throughout ones
career. Greg stated he will always remember
working with the best group of men and women.

We all wish you, Debbie and the kids
the best as you COAST into a long, happy,
healthy retirement . . . and finally get to that
long list of chores Debbie has waiting for you
at home!! God Bless and ride safely!

Paid Advertisements:

and recalled how he wanted to fire Greg when

he was his rookie, but just couldnt remember
what for. A story was told how Greg was nicknamed a COASTER by a certain A/C for not
doing special duty as a Captain II. This flustered this chief so much that it caused him to
forget to put his pants on for a live TV news
interview, only wearing his white shirt, badge,
tie, exercise shorts, and flip flops! It seemed
Greg had a way of driving chiefs off the deep
end and into either an asylum or anger management classes in which his wife, Debbie, was the
lead psychologist!

June 2015 47

Send your letters & comments to the editor at: editor@lafra.org

Dear Relief Association:

Dear Andy,

Our family cannot thank the
L.A.F.R.A. enough for your service
and kindness in honoring our uncle
Lars Nelson at his funeral the 2nd of
May. Lars was a good fireman and
a great uncle. My Uncle Lars was a
man one would want to emulate. I
wanted to be a fireman just like him.
God answered my prayers and allowed me to serve the citizens of San
Diego for over 30 years as a firefighter and engineer. I will be eternally
grateful to the men and women of the
L.A.F.D. and your Firemens Relief
Association for honoring my Uncle
Lars. Blessings to you all.

How can I possibly thank you
enough for your kindness and compassion following the death of my
husband, Dudley. He assured me over
and over that, when the time came, I
had only to turn to you for help and
everything would be resolved. How
true that has turned out to be.

I also thank you for the flag and
beautiful box, complete with inscription, that yu sent me. It hangs proudly
on the wall next to his helmet. Please
compliment the person who makes
the boxes because they are so attractive. Dudley would have felt honored
to receive it and grateful to you too.

Please accept the enclosed
check in memory of my dear Dudley
for the Widows, Orphans & Disabled
Firemens Fund. Dudley was always
a firm supporter of the fund and the
good work it does.

I hope the Relief Association
will have the benefit of your presence
for a very long time in the future (no
retirement for you!) so that wives like
me who lose their husbnads will know
that whatever the problem, Andy will
find the solution.

Sincerely,
William F. Nelson
LAFRABud [Creath] was a Fireman at 9s
when I came on the job in 1974. He
was promoted to Engineer shortly
thereafter and went to 11s. He earned
my respect early on as I heard many
stories of his driving and pumping
abilities. His house, next to Woodland
Hills Country Club, was a beauty. An
excellent Fireman, Engineer, golfer
and man.
May he rest peacefully,
Dave Murray
Newbury Park, CA
48 June 2015

Warmest regards,
Lee Sorenson
Westlake Village, CA
LA Firemens Relief Assn,
Burt [Hosterman] was my relief for
the nine years I worked at 11s. A

true professional and great engineer,

and friend! Always had a smile and a
story that would make you laugh. He
will truly be missed as will his cook
your own steak and three-bean salad.
My prayers go out to his loved ones!!
Mike Hilliger
Van Nuys, CA
Dear Andy,

Please accept this donation to
the Widows, Orphans & Disabled
Firemens Fund. This is in memory
of our father and grandfather, Dudley
Sorenson. Both my mom, Dorothy,
and dad were committed to the LAFD
and all of its members families.
Thanks Andy for all of your help in
our time of need. The LAFRA is a
fantastic organization that is much
appreciated.
Sincerely,
Steve and Pam Sorenson and family
Capistrano Beach, CA
Andy

Please accept this donation in
memory of two very special guys:
Bob Patterson and Ross Stevens. Prior
to my retirement in 1986, Bob gave
me four signed and framed pieces
of his outstanding and legendary
work. I met Ross in my third house
as a rookie, and we became live long
friends. Both are sadly missed.
Thank you,
Rudy McTee
Gardnerville, NV

EP Grapevine Ad 5.pdf

4/30/15

8:18 AM

g
To Everyone at LAFRA.

Thank you so much for the
beautiful flowers you sent me for
Burdette (Bud) Creath. That was so
thoughtful. Jim Dolan was so helpful. I will be sending a donation when
things are settled. You are truly a
great organization.
Fondly,
Mary Lynne Creath
Woodland Hills, CA
Relief Association:
Please accept these funds from our
extinguisher at Fire Station 111, Boat
#1. If you could also please acknowledge Ted Bailey for his efforts in
providing all the great extinguishers
we would appreciate it.
Kind Regards,
FS 111
Terminal Island
Dear Mr. Saavedra (FS 12-A):

How can I thank you enough
for saving my life when you dislodged a piece of meat from my
throat in my daughters house in
Eagle Rock two months ago? I am
extremely grateful to you and your
fellow co-workers. Please accept this
contribution to the Widows, Orphans
& Disabled Firemens Fund of L.A. in
honor of your fine work.
Sincerely,
Tamara Casriel
Deal, NJ

Frank and Laura thought they had plenty of time to get an

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comparing costs make sure you know all the documents included and services
provided so you compare apples to apples. Each planner may break it down
differently.
2. Assemble a team. Your estate planning professional can advise you about
contacting a tax expert, an accountant and someone who can give you advice about
charitable giving.
3. Compile documents. Ask your attorney or other Estate Planning professional
what you'll need to bring to the first meeting. Its usually just a few simple
documents and could include the deed(s) to your property, insurance policies,
retirement accounts and a proper I.D.
4. Ask for guidance. When you meet with members of your team, describe your
goals and ask about the best way to reach them.
5. Cover all the bases. Understand the options when considering a will or trust,
durable power of attorney, a living will, a health care power of attorney, trusts for
your children, your charity and even yourself.

For your Getting Started Kit contact

Marlene Casillas, Development & Marketing Director, at
(323) 259-5217 or email MCasillas@LAFRA.orgJune 2015 49

MEMBERS
Burdette Creath, Engineer. Appointed June 10, 1961.
Retired on a service pension June 11, 1996 from FS 102. Passed away April 8, 2015.
Justin H. Schuler, Engineer. Appointed May 1, 1950.
Retired on a service pension February 1, 1973 from FS 33. Passed away April 9, 2015.
Harold Myers, Jr., Captain. Appointed June 21, 1954.
Retired on a service pension July 1, 1977 from FS 73-A. Passed away April 10, 2015.
Donald L. Miller, Captain. Appointed January 20, 1941.
Retired on a service pension September 19, 1971 from FS 92-A. Passed away April 14, 2015.
Charles H. Harvey, Captain. Appointed December 1, 1947.
Retired on a service pension February 1, 1969 from ARSON UNIT. Passed away April 16, 2015.
Robert C. Wing, Fireman. Appointed November 18, 1946.
Retired on a service pension April 1, 1977 from FS 69. Passed away April 16, 2015.
Frank P. Wells, Fire Inspector II. Appointed February 10, 1948.
Retired on a service pension July 1, 1977 from FPB Engineering. Passed away April 9, 2015.
Duane V. White, Captain I. Appointed April 1, 1973.
Retired on a service pension July 26, 2003 from FS 79. Passed away April 22, 2015.
Roland V. Schneider, Captain. Appointed July 24, 1965.
Retired on a disability pension June 29, 1982 from FS 38. Passed away April 23, 2015.
Eldon W. Pearcy, Engineer. Appointed December 19, 1955.
Retired on a service pension May 16, 1982 from FS 107. Passed away April 24, 2015.
Lars H. Nelson, Fireman. Appointed April 19, 1948.
Retired on a service pension April 28, 1974 from FS 29. Passed away April 24, 2015.
Herbert H. Heath, Engineer. Appointed July 3, 1951.
Retired on a service pension March 1, 1977 from FS 86. Passed away April 25, 2015.
Willard G. Merritt, Fireman. Appointed April 18, 1959.
Retired on a service pension September 23, 1979 from FS 38. Passed away April 25, 2015.
Vernon C. Samworth, Captain. Appointed December 1, 1947.
Retired on a service pension January 1, 1978 from FS 18. Passed away April 27, 2015.

FAMILY

Geraldine Forler, surviving spouse of Conrad J. Forler, passed away March 29, 2015.
Barbara J. Doyle, surviving spouse of George C. Doyle, passed away April 3, 2015.
Marie R. Wells, surviving spouse of Guy G. Wells, passed away April 5, 2015.
Helen Sheppard, surviving spouse of William H. Sheppard, passed away April 7, 2015.
Joan R. McRae, surviving spouse of David B. McRae, passed away April 22, 2015.
Carmela Johnson, surviving spouse of Maurice A. Johnson, passed away May 3, 2015.
Charmaine Chovil, spouse of Fred R. Chovil, passed away May 3, 2015.

50 June 2015

by Mike Mastro, President/CEO

Firefighters First Credit Union

The presence of Like buttons and
other social media icons on our websites, online publications and even corporate communications seem as normal to the general experience as the logos or taglines that have been
there for decades. For this months article, Id
like to talk about social media and offer tips on
how you could protect yourself online.
PROTECTING YOURSELF ONLINE

Sharing is important. I believe that
sharing with our Fire Family is what makes
our Credit Union stronger. We share what we
know about personal finance through in-person
conversations, newsletters, corporate collateral, and mailed materials. We also share online
through email and social media.

There are many positive impacts with
social media. It is an additional channel for us
to use to provide better service for our members
and a way to enhance their experience with us
at Firefighters First Credit Union. We use it to
keep an open online channel of communication
with our members. And we really do appreciate all the Likes, followers and support we get
from our members, too.

But there are some downsides to social
media sharing, particularly as it pertains to our
kids. One of the many responsibilities we have
as adults is to keep this essential and effective
tool age-appropriate and safe for young people.

Although my kids are already grown,
my grandson is just getting started in life. I
know that he will have exposure to this tool at
an early age. My concern is that he uses these
online tools responsibly and safely. Also, in a
way that doesnt hurt his reputation down the
road.

In better understanding social media, I
have some insights I intend to share with my
grandson to help manage his online experience
when he gets older. In the spirit of sharing, I
thought you might be interested:

Be sure that the sites they are using
are age appropriate. Facebook, for example,
requires users to be at least 13. LinkedIn requires users to be at least 18. Twitter does not
have an age requirement, but in the past it was

also 13. If your child is younger than that, be

sure that they didnt start an account with a
false birthdate (most tweens can figure out
what year they needed to be born to be 13).

Monitor the privacy settings. We all
know that privacy settings can change frequently. To us, its a nuisance to update them,
but for kids it can be dangerous if they are not
updated.

Appropriate content to share. Explain why you need to keep private information
private with your kids, so they understand why
this is important.
Revisit the Golden Rule. If you expect your
child to be kind in their actual life, you need
to remind them that you expect that same kindness in their online life as well. Use the Golden
Rule to tell them that they should treat others
the way they want to be treated on social media.

Give them guidelines about what to
post . . . and more importantly what not to
post. You have more life experience that helps
your judgment with social media. Use the lessons you learned to help kids understand that
poor choices of what to post could have consequences on their future. A good principle could
be that if they wouldnt post it on the wall at
home, then they should not post it on their wall
online.

Discuss cyberbullying. Not only can
kids be bullied face-to-face, but it is actually
easier to do it online and through text messages. Cyberbullies can be classmates, online
acquaintances, and anonymous users, but most
often they know their victims.

Set limits. Social media can be a time
waster. Have firm rules about what they need
to have completed before they get online, like
homework and chores. Then, set a time limit.
Warning: this will make you very unpopular . .
. but remember that this isnt a popularity contest.

Keep the screen in a common space.
What happens in the living room around the
rest of the family can be quite different than
what happens in the privacy of their room.
Whenever possible, keep the computer, tablets

and smartphones in the common areas of your

house.

Become their friend. You need to be
one of their online friends. If you dont already
have an account on the major social networks,
its time to set one up. Mandate that your kids
invite you into their network so you can see
who their friends are, what they are posting,
and monitor what they are doing online.

As I said before, social media is a part
of our lives. Its important that we understand
this and guide the young people that depend on
us to shape their judgment for how and what
they share online. We should also be the judge
of when enough is enough. Limits are important no matter how much resistance you get.

Last year, there was a video that went
viral called, Look Up by Gary Turk. Ironically, it was about the dangers of becoming too
involved in social media. This video has more
than 50 million views and his message was that
we all need to do is look up from our screens
and engage in our lives.

I believe this, too. Social media has its
place and it is an excellent resource for communication and sharing. However, it should
not become your life. It is the life we are living
with the people we love and not the one that we
present online that matters most.

Thanks for reading. Remember, sharing
with the Fire Family is what makes our Credit
Union stronger. I encourage you to follow the
Credit Union and the Fire Family Foundation
on our social sites Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn - and let us
know how were doing.
Have a safe month!

Mike Mastro
Material provided is for your information and convenience only. For
specific legal advice, consult with a qualified professional. Your credit
card issuer can also provide you with disclosure information for any
included benefits.

June 2015 51

Submitted by Frank Borden Director of Operations, LAFDHS

LAFD History - 1956 - The City and the LAFD Grows

The First Fire Service Day Then & Now

oday, some 110 years after it was built

in Los Angeles and put into service, the
Gorter Water Tower is on display at our
Hollywood Fire Museum in Old Fire Station
27. This unique fire apparatus was one that was
originally horse drawn and in 1921 was motorized with a tractor. The Gorter was the last
horse drawn fire apparatus on the LAFD. It had
several assignments in the downtown area and
was in active service and reserve status until
1949.

In 1981 the members of Fire Station 12
volunteered to restore the Water Tower in the
backyard of the station. With the help of Mort
Schuman, the Shops and members of Fire Station 14 to get it running, get parts and get it
painted, they did a great job on it as can be seen
today. It was demonstrated in the LAFD Centennial Year Muster at Dodger Stadium in 1981
with our Amoskeg Steamer and other antique
fire apparatus.

It is an interesting design and uses water pressure to run the tower up to 65 feet. Its
designer and builder, Henry Gorter, had already
built water towers for the San Francisco Fire
Department and his work impressed Chief Engineer Thomas Strohm enough to bring Mr.
Gorter to Los Angeles.

Today the Water Tower still runs because of the work done by our volunteers Tim
McHenry and Mark Howell. It was driven out
of the Museum last year so we could get the
Seagrave Anderson truck out for restoration.
The Seagrave Anderson City service truck has
returned and is now parked next to the Gorter
Water Tower for all to see and appreciate.
The following history of the Gorter Water
Tower was written by Walt Pittman:

In the official records of the Los Angeles City Council or the Fire Commission there
is nothing to indicate how Henry H. Gorter was
lured away from his job at San Francisco. It
may have been the $150. monthly salary, which
was considerable more than he was making
there, and moreover, he may have thought he
had more opportunity to sell more water towers after completion of LAFDs tower. The
Mayor, at the August 13, 1904 Council meeting asked that an ordinance be drafted creating the position of Superintendent of Engines
and Machinery. On December 21, 1904, the

52 June 2015

Fire Commission made the same request of the

Council and fixed the salary at $150 per month.
The actual date that work started on the tower
is not recorded, however on February 1, 1904,
Gorter received his first $150.00 monthly payment as per the contract. On February 23, 1904,
Chief Strohm reported payment of $8.92 for
blueprints and $150.00 salary for the mechanic building the water
tower. On March 28,
1904, Chief Strohm
reported the payment
of $60.00 for 400 lbs.
of steel castings for
the tower. Then on
April 25, 1904, the
Chief reported payment of $79.88 for
cartage of patterns
and castings from
San Francisco. On
February 25, 1905,
Gorter received his
next to last $150.00
payment as per the
contract. There is no
doubt that the Gorter
Water Tower was
constructed entirely
in the shops behind
Engine Co.4.

The acceptance test was conducted on March
4, 1905, with three
steamers
drafting
from the Los Angeles Light Co. reservoir at 5th and Alameda Streets and . .
.being successful in
every way and it was
ordered
accepted
by the Fire Commission meeting held on
March 11, 1905.

At this meeting, H. H. Gorter was
appointed Superintendent of Engines
and Machinery at a
monthly salary of

$150.00 per month to be effective March 1,

1905. The City Council and Fire Commission
minutes make no mention of Gorter after his
appointment. Sometime during late 1905 or
early 1906, Gorter left the LAFD and no official reason has been found. On April 27, 1906,
Alfred Price was appointed Superintendent of
Engines and Machinery as of May 1, 1906.


Water Tower 1 was officially commissioned July 1, 1905 and moved into the former
quarters of Truck A at Engine Co. 4, 227
Aliso Street. Truck A had been de-commissioned earlier in 1905 and it is thought that it
was placed in service with the members from
the closed Truck. Water Tower 1 remained at
Engine Co.4 until Truck A (now known as
Truck 1 with a new horse-drawn Anderson
City Service Truck) was reinstated. On August
16, 1910 Engine Co.24 was opened at 2nd and
Hewitt Street and Water Tower 1 moved in. In
mid 1914, shop numbers were beginning to
show up and the Gorter Tower officially became Shop No.79.

Shop No.79 was still located with Engine 24 when it was taken out of service on
July 19, 1921 and sent to the Municipal Shops
where the 1918 American La-France Type 31
2-wheeled tractor was removed from Shop No
22, Engine 3s Ex 1st Size Metropolitan steamer and attached to the tower motorizing the last
horse-drawn apparatus in service on the LAFD.
It was returned to service at Engine Co. 24 on
October 13, 1921.

Water Tower 1s last horse-drawn run
was with Archie (No.152), Tom (No.158)
and Pinky (No.192) pulling the Gorter out of
Engine Co. No. 24 on February 8, 1921; . . .2-2
Box 272, 1240 E. 6th Street. Engine 24 worked
1 hr. and 19 minutes . . . no work for tower.

Shop No.79 remained at Engine Co. 24
until 1926 when it was relocated to Engine Co.
5 at 4th and Towne Street. There it remained
until taken out of service on November 30,
1949 and stored at Engine Co. 7

Contrary to one claim that the Gorter
Water Tower and Water Tower-Truck Co.24
both operated at the Grey Building fire on November 6, 1939, it did not happen. Only Water
Tower-Truck Co.24, Shop No.1085, the 1938
American La-France operated at this fire.

Henry H. Gorters most notable accomplishment was the three water towers he
designed and built, however his Gorter Monitor and Wagon Battery nozzles and worm-type
nozzle shut-offs were widely used in many
Western fire departments. Gorters shut-offs
were designed to give hosemen the ability of
turning off and on high pressure streams and to
prevent hosemen from slamming nozzles shut
which ran the risk of bursting hose, or stalling rotary type pumping engines, and on rare
occasion, breaking the crank shaft on rotary
type engines. S. F. & W. W. Hirsch, Seagrave
agents in Los Angeles sold a worm-type shutoff called the Metropolitan made by L. F. Katona. It was adopted as standard on the LAFD.
When they were no longer available, the LAFD
purchased the patterns and made them in their
own well equipped shops. They can still be
found on LAFD apparatus.

Bordens Note: The Metropolitan shut
off butts can now be found in our museums.

We drove the Gorter out of the Hollywood Fire

Museum so we could move our LAFD Seagrave Anderson City Service truck out for restoration work.

Fire Station 5 in 1925 with the

crew, Engine 5 and the Gorter. It
was motorized in 1921.

In 1981 the Gorter Water Tower was brought

to Fire Station 12 in Highland Park for restoration. At this point the front end is off the rig.

A major fire occurred downtown at 529 S. Main St. on January 23, 1913. The greater alarm
response to the fire included the Gorter Water Tower applying water to the upper floor. Note the 50
foot Bangor ladder up to the same floor on the left side.

June 2015 53

Happenings at the Hollywood Museum

The LAFD Tractor Company gave us a
big helping hand moving some of our equipment from storage to the Hollywood Museum.
We are very thankful for the hard work done
by FF/PM Heavy Equipment Operator Joe Kovacic, FF Heavy Equipment Operator Andy
Carter and FF Heavy Equipment Operator
Sergio Mayorga. Another thank you to our volunteers Dan Mattera and Johnny Garcia. They
all worked hard to bring our 1934 Seagrave engine, a Hall Scott engine, and 50 foot Bangor
ladders to be restored.

June 18th is the day for our Annual LAFD Retired Member Luncheon. Retired LAFD members, family and friends are invited for good
food, a raffle, stories and comraderie.

The Hollywood Museum is

located in Old Fire Station 27 at

1355 No. Cahuenga, Hollywood, CA

90028. The Harbor Museum is located in San Pedro City Hall at 638 S.

The 1934 Seagrave is being rolled off,

pushed and pried off the trailer into the
Museum backyard.

The is the famous Hall Scott engine that powered so many of our LAFD fire apparatus from
the 1940s 1960s. A powerful 6 cylinder
gasoline engine that will be restored by our
Museum volunteers for display. They say they
may get it running too.

Calendar for June 2015

Beacon St., San Pedro CA 90731.

Anyone interested in joining

our great cause by becoming a mem-

ber, or volunteering to work, or make

a donation of money or an LAFD item

may contact us by mail:

LAFDHS Museum & Memorial

1355 No. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028

Phone: 323 464 2727. But remember

we are currently staffed part time, so

leave a message and we will return

your call. The fax number is 323-4647401. Our E-mail is: LAFDHS27@

aol.com. Web site at www.lafdmuseum.org. If you want to look at some

great LAFD history check www.
lafire.com. and check the LAFD web

site for information and events at

www.LAFD.org. We look forward to

hearing from you and seeing you at

* Fridays from 0800 to 1200 are work days on the Ralph J. Scott Fireboat

the Museum.

The Los Angeles Fire Department

Historical Society is a non-profit 501
(C) (3) organization.

PRESERVE, EDUCATE,
MEMORIALIZE

54 June 2015

The Gorter Water Tower at its second

assignment, Fire Station 24 in 1914.

LOS ANGELES FIREMENS RELIEF ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

April 1, 2015
CALL TO ORDER
President Juan Albarran called the meeting
of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles
Firemens Relief Association to order at 9:21
a.m.
ROLL CALL
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Juan Albarran, President
Robert Steinbacher, Vice President
Andrew Kuljis, Secretary
Trustee James Coburn
Trustee Jeff Cawdrey
Trustee Chris Hart
Trustee Gene Bednarchik
Trustee Rick Godinez
Trustee Mark Akahoshi
Trustee Frank Aguirre
Trustee David Peters
Trustee Francisco Hernandez
Trustee Joe Vigil
Trustee Tyler Tomich
Trustee Doak Smith
Trustee David Ortiz
Trustee Craig White
Trustee Steve Ruda
Trustee Steven Domanski
Trustee Barry Hedberg Pension
Trustee David Lowe Pension
Todd Layfer - Executive Director
Liberty Unciano Controller-Treasurer
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Trustee Chris Stine (Excused)
Trustee Steve Berkery (Excused)
Trustee Tim Larson Pension (Excused)
GUESTS:
Dave Wagner, Grapevine Editor
Dennis Mendenhall, Retired
Bruce & Debbie Galien
Lee Kebler, L.A. Retired Fire & Police
Bob Olsen, L.A. Retired Fire & Police
INVOCATION & Flag Salute
Rick Godinez led the invocation. Gene
Bednarchik led the flag salute.
RATIFICATION OF MINUTES
Juan Albarran entertained a motion to ratify
and dispense with the reading of the minutes
of the Board of Trustees meeting held March 4,
2015. David Lowe so moved. Gene Bednarchik
seconded. There was no further discussion or
objections.

Motion carried to ratify and dispense with the

reading of the minutes and Board actions of
the Board of Trustees held March 4, 2015.
PRESIDENT REPORT
1) Juan Albarran provided an update on the
7470 Figueroa building. He mentioned that
during their last weekly construction meeting
they discussed the timeline of the work being
done and negotiating for electrical wiring. He
indicated that we recently upgraded the fire
alarm system by adding a Voice Evac option
which should increase the level of security
for the staff and others in the building. He
presented mock-up photos showing the front of
the building with different LAFRA signs and
asked for feedback from the Board.
2) Juan Albarran referred to the Policy Book
and presented the proposed changes made
during their policy book review meeting. He
asked that the Trustee review these changes so
that they could approve them at the next Board
meeting.
3) Juan Albarran introduced Bruce and
Debbie Galien to the Board and indicated that
they were there to present a donation to the
WODFF in the amount of $26,000 from the
Hook & Ladder Enduro event. Board members
expressed their gratitude to Bruce Galien and
Craig White for their efforts and leadership
along with all those that participated making
the event a huge success.
4) Juan Albarran referred to the Town Hall
meeting and provided a list of the items
discussed and actions the Board would like to
take. He indicated that he will email the list
to the Board for review and to discuss future
goals.
5) Juan Albarran informed that they made a
Drill Tower presentation and indicated that
they will be making a second visit because they
have added additional recruits.
VICE PRESIDENT REPORT
1) Bob Steinbacher referred to the World
Healthcare Congress conference he attended
and indicated there may be a few changes
coming to our medical plan. He indicated that
they will discuss those changes in the Medical
Committee and report back to Board for the
2016 plan year.
2) Bob Steinbacher referred to the upcoming
conference and memorials and reported on
those already scheduled to attend.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT

1) Todd Layfer reported on the Hope for
Firefighters event and indicated that they
have 17 fire stations signed up to cook. He
mentioned that the Hope Executive Committee
is encouraging the fire stations to cook more
entre items in place of dessert. He also thanked
Ralphs market for being a generous sponsor.
2) Todd Layfer informed that the staff HIPAA
training will be held on April 23rd. He indicated
that medical attorney Bob Macaulay would be
instructing the class.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE REPORT
Steve Domanski reported that they received
another distribution from the PIMCO Bravo
fund which is already earmarked for Southwest
Partners. He indicated that they are currently
discussing rebalancing the portfolio and the
fixed income portion. Todd Layfer reported
that Southwest Partners is requesting a capital
call for the existing fund and indicated that this
fund is now 90% called in terms of the capital
commitments that have been requested.
Frank Aguirre reported on the investment
conference he and a few other Trustees attended
in Palm Springs.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
REPORT
Jeff Cawdrey presented the following motions.
The committee recommends and I so move to
pay the usual and customary bills in the amount
of $3,972,064.96. There was no discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to pay the usual and customary
bills in the amount of $3,972,064.96.
The committee recommends and I so move to
approve donating $250 to the California Fire
Foundation for their firefighter memorial.
There was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to approve donating $250
to the California Fire Foundation for their
firefighter memorial.
The committee recommends and I so move to
approve $470 for the food vendor for the 7470
building orientation. There was no discussion
or objections.
Motion carried to approve $470 for the food
vendor for the 7470 building orientation.

June 2015 55

The committee recommends and I so move to

approve $100,000 to Glendale Fire Systems
for the 7470 building fire system and security
hardware. There was no discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to approve $100,000 to
Glendale Fire Systems for the 7470 building
fire system and security hardware.
The committee recommends and I so move to
approve $3,000 to send the Executive Director
to attend the Investment Institute conference.
There was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to approve $3,000 to send the
Executive Director to attend the Investment
Institute conference.
The committee recommends and I so move
to approve $13,000 to upgrade the fire alarm
system with Voice Evac addition. There was no
discussion or objections.
Motion carried to approve $13,000 to upgrade
the fire alarm system with Voice Evac addition.
The committee recommends and I so move to
approve the proposed LAFRA staff medical
premiums rates effective July 1, 2015 as per
the information presented by Bradawn. There
was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to approve the LAFRA staff
medical premium rates effective July 1, 2015.
MEDICAL COMMITTEE REPORT
David Peters presented the following motion.
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.
David Peters informed the Board of the
E-Health platform Healthcare Online offered
by Anthem Blue Cross. He indicated that the
committee directed Bradawn Inc. to solicit
information from Anthem Blue Cross to move
forward and create marketing materials for a
July 1, 2015 effective date.
David Peters informed the Board that we had
mistakenly collected contraceptive copays
from members and indicated that those refunds
are being calculated, processed and returned to
those members.

The committee recommends and I so move to pay:

The Sick & Injury benefits in the amount of
$14,750.44
The Estate Planning benefit in the amount of
$8,400,
The Life & Accident Death Benefits in the
amount of $60,000
The Relief Death Benefits in the amount of
$49,500.
There was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to pay the above Relief
benefits.
James Coburn read the names of members who
recently passed and asked for a moment of
silence from the Board.
MEMORIALS
Leslie E. Hawkes
Anthony M. Marichich
Earl H. Carlson
Ross J. Stevens
Roger E. Shouse
Joseph P. Ruh
Donald R. Koppel
Clarence H. Bramley
James D. Olson
Michael A. Roy
Joseph G. Malais
ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE
James Coburn presented the following motions.
The committee recommends and I so move to
accept the donations in the amount of $5,634
to the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens
Fund. There was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to accept the donations in the
amount of $5,634 to the Widows, Orphans &
Disabled Firemens Fund.
The committee recommends and I so move to
approve the financial assistance applications for
surviving spouses, active and retired members.
There was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to approve the financial
assistance applications for surviving spouses,
active and retired members.
GRAPEVINE/WEB REPORT

RELIEF COMMITTEE REPORT

Chris Hart reported that changes with mailing

event flyers to the fire stations will occur. He
indicated that the Grapevine will now email
those flyers to him and he will send them to the
stations via the captains on duty.

James Coburn presented the following motion.

SECRETARYS REPORT
Andy Kuljis reported that they have added

56 June 2015

some verbiage to the death notices to help

facilitate members access to the LAFRA
website. He also reported that he had ordered
more flag boxes.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT
Rick Godinez reported that the exam date will
be Saturday, April 11th and stated that the
deadline to submit applications is now closed.
He indicated that they are looking at June 3rd
for the award presentation.
SETTING OF DATES
1) Firefighter of the Year Luncheon April 1st
2) Scholarship Exam April 11th
3) Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
April 25th
4) Lane Kemper Softball Tourn May 13th
5) LAFRA Pechanga Reunion May 18 22
6) Practice Picnic HFF May 30th
7) Hope for Firefighters June 4th
8) Colorado Springs Fallen Firefighter
Memorial September 19th
9) IFEBP Annual Conference (Hawaii)
November 8 - 11
RETIREMENT DINNERS

1) Javier Campos April 4th
Friendship Auditorium
2) Gregory E. Newland April 11th Dalmatian
American Club San Pedro
3) Ted Nonini April 16th Knollwood
Country Club
4) Jeff Easton April 19th FS 27
5) Randy Beach April 29th Porter Valley
Country Club
6) David Dumler & James W. Vels April 30th
Bel-air Bay Club
7) Darrayle Prosser May 2nd
Odyssey Restaurant
8) Rick Ramirez May 4th Bannings Landing
Community Center
9) Kendal Koneval May 5th
Sagebrush Cantina
10) Wendell F. Smith May 8th
Odyssey Restaurant
11) Ron Myers May 9th Seirra La Verne
Country Club
12) Gary Makale May 20th Dalmatians
American Club of San Pedro
ADJOURNMENT
Juan Albarran entertained a motion to adjourn.
David Lowe so moved. Gene Bednarchik
seconded. There was no discussion and no
objections.
Motion carried to adjourn. The Board of
Trustees meeting adjourned at 10:30 a.m.

Juan Albarran, President

Donations to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund

May 2015

HOOK & LADDER

PROCEEDS 2015

GREGORY J. HOLLY for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

STEVEN G. RAVITZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

MARK A. SEITZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

CRAIG L.WHITE for the Hook

& Ladder Enduro

HENRY A. MUNOZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

CARL S. MOSKOVITZ II for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

GEOFFREY D. LITE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

LEONA I. SORENSON in honor

of Andy Kuljis and memory of
my husband Dudley Sorenson

DON W. CLEGG in memory of

Clarence (Red) Bramley &
Bert Willmore

ANITA P. MC KOEWN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

CLIFFORD J. RUNYEN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

MICHAEL BURGESS for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

NANCY J. JACKSON in
memory of Chief
Robert Aaron

MARK B. STAFFORD for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

COLLEEN SCHULTZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

SHELDON G. MC KOWAN for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

FRANK E. STILLER/
VENTURA COUNTY
ELECTRIC for the Hook &
Ladder Enduro

RYAN E. WALLACE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

STACEY GRAHAM for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

STEVE W. ROMAS for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

MARK B. STAFFORD for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

GREGORY M. PETERS for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

ROBERT D. SHRODE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

MICHAEL G. MAC INNES,

SR. for the Hook & Ladder
Enduro

MAY L. MALAIS in memory of

my husband Joe from his
golfing buddies in Las Vegas
D. A. K. ENTERPRISES
NEIL J F. ZEVNIK for
Juliets Fundraiser
TIMOTHY D. WUERFEL JR.
for the Hook & Ladder
Enduro
SCOTT AMORELLI for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro

TIMOTHY B. VAN DUSEN for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

STEVEN & PAM SORENSON

in memory of our father &
grandfather Dudley Sorenson

HENRY A. MUNOZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

HOLLYWOOD POST NO. 43/

THE AMERICAN LEGION
in honor of FS 35
JEFFREY B. NORDELLA MD
for the Hook & Ladder
Enduro
MARY L. MALAIS in memory
of All LAFD who have gone
before us & answered the
last call
LYNN HASTINGS for the Hook
& Ladder Enduro
DOMINIQUE SILVAS for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
BETTY J. HALL in memory of
my husband Captain
Joseph P. Hall

DWAYNE R. KASTOR for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro
KEVIN S. ELLEDGE for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
BRADLEY N. GROSSMAN for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
GREGORY J. PASCOLLA for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
JOSHUA J. RIDER for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
DAVID L. LILLY for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
SCOTT D. MITCHELL for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
TAMARA CASRIEL in
gratitude to Fire Station 12-A
for their life-saving efforts

JOHN D. TOHILL for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro
DONNA J. DAMEN for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
SCOTT D. MITCHELL for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
SCOTT D. MITCHELL for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
GARY S. MAGA for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
GERALD E. JEFFREY JR. for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
TIMOTHY D. WUERFEL JR.
for the Hook & Ladder
Enduro
RICK REUBENS for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
ROBERT M. DEAN for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro

KRISTIN M. JORDAN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro
DAVID A. ROWLEY III for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
THE SCV AGENT INC for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
MICHAEL K. REITMAYER
for the Hook & Ladder
Enduro
ROBERT W. MAC INNES for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
DAVID L. LILLY for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
ALAN P. BARRIOS for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
FUMIKO HMBERD JR. for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
JACKIE SLOAN/ C/O JAN
OLSON in memory of
Jim Olson
ROBERT W. MAC INNES for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
KHRISNA KOSTAS for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
RICHARD L. WATTERS for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
JAMES D. MARTIN for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro

June 2015 57

Donations to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund

May 2015

DALE M. ROBINSON for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

KRISTY M. SANCHEZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

FIRE STATION NO. 26 from

the Fire Extinguisher Fund

MARK A. SEITZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

RICHARD E. FOX in memory

of Ross Stevens

BRIAN V. SANDWICK for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

TERESA L. HOTWAGNER for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

GEORGE M. MENTA for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

HELEN L. SCHULTZ

DARIO O. REYES for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

HEATHER M. KELLEY for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

SCOTT D. MITCHELL for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

FIRE STATION NO. 70 from

the Fire Extinguisher Fund

JUAN M. ALBARRAN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

LEON M. SANCHEZ for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

PAUL KRANKE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

KATHLEEN M. FLINT in
memory of Bill Czernek

WADE A. WHITE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

DARIO O. REYES for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

F E HARRIS in memory of
Bill Czernek

KATHLEEN RUNYEN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

JAME S J. EBERLE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

CHARLES D. SLAUSON for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

GARY S. MAGA for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

FIRE STATION NO. 10 from

the Fire Extinguisher Fund

DALE J. SMITH for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

KEVIN S. ELLEDGE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

CRAIG L. WHITE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

DAYNA TOLSON for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

STEVE W. ROMAS for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

MATTHEW DAMEN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

STACEY L. GRAHAM for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

PAMELA J. ABBOTT for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

DAVID SWETT for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

JENIFER COSTIN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

MRS. OTTO HERMAN in

memory of Clarence Bramley

FIRE STATION NO. 73 from

the Fire Extinguisher Fund

LLOYD W. LANDERS for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

EILENE GITTLEMAN in
honor of Mr. & Mrs. G. Hall

JAMES D. MARTIN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

DAVE & PAT HARTWELL in

memory of Robert Lee Aaron

SABENNA GUNTER for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

FIRE STATION NO. 11 from

the Fire Extinguisher Fund

LAURIE W. RICE for

Juliets Fundraiser

AMANDA ETCHEVERRY for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

FIRE STATION NO. 98 from

the Fire Extinguisher Fund

TOM & MARY BARRATT in

memory of Bill Czernek

KENTON A. SMITH

KATHRYN A. BROWN for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

GARRY G. GALINDO in
memory of Harold Myers

JODEE L. WILSON for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

JAMES E. GILLUM from the

Simi Valley Firehouse Gang

GREGORY E. NEWLAND for

the Hook & Ladder Enduro

BERYL M. LAWRENCE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

WADE A. WHITE for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

JEFFREY K. MOIR for the

Hook & Ladder Enduro

GEORGE FRY
CHRISTINE M.
BRUMBAUGH in memory of
Mike Brumbaugh
DOROTHY L. RUBINO for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
ROSE M. WELLS in memory of
my husband Frank P. Wells
DONNA CRAFT in memory of
my father Frank P. Wells
TIMOTHY R. TOGNERI for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
GREGORY E. NEWLAND for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
LYLE R. TAYLOR for the Hook
& Ladder Enduro
COLLEEN SCHULTZ for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
STEVEN G. RAVITZ for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
DEBRA J. BRICKEY for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
KEVIN DUNLAP for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
ROY E. PRINCE for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
ROY E. PRINCE for the
Hook & Ladder Enduro
INSTALLATION SERVICE for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro
BRETT & DIANE TAYLOR for
the Hook & Ladder Enduro

58 June 2015

DELANO ROBERTS
JEFFREY K. RICKEY
JOHN M. LAY
LOWELL C. JOHNSON
ROBERT C. WING
SUSIE LANCASTER

CLASSIFIEDS
For advertising information, please contact:
Eric Santiago - (323) 259-5231 - eric@lafra.org
Dave Wagner - editor@lafra.org

MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE
YOUR STATION IS GOOD TO
GO. IS YOUR HOME? We provide
storable food, complete preparedness kits, medical supplies and
more. Lowest prices around, free
shipping plus enter coupon code
firefamily for additional savings
for fire fighters. 1-877-976-3919
EHPsurvival.com

REAL ESTATE
FOR SALE
BEAUTIFUL 3 BEDROOMS, 2
BATH, 2 car garage Pool Home,
Green Belt w/Gorgeous Views located in Palo Verde Meadows with
Private boat launch and minutes
to Shopping/Laughlin. Call John
Buck LAFD retired chief (949) 6362170 lbuck91513@aol.com
FOR SALE HOUSEBOAT
SHARE(S),LAKE POWELL. Prime
Week 2nd Week of August (typically), 70 x18 in slip B24 5 Y.O.
StardustCruiser all amenities Fri. to
Fri. week. Full A/C, Flybridge, 22.5
generator, 2 huge refrigerators 4
staterooms and sleeps 14 comfortably. Too much to list here. $15,000
obo plus annual maint. 4 additional
weeks avail 1 starting the Fri after
Memorial Day and three starting
mid September. Fire sale on the 4
Off season weeks, make offer. Call
661-5474205
MOUNTAIN CABIN ON 2.5
ACRES in Frasier Park area (
Lockwood Valley) 1 bedroom 1
bath, excellent gpm well, great for
motor cross, weekend get away,
or add on and live full time. Lot is
flat any fully fenced, pine trees,
has work shed and much more.
$115,000. Call Jim Porter915-3144797

SERVICES
ALTERNATIVE & TRADITIONAL
Termite & Pest Control - ECOLA
Ecological Solutions. Smart
choices, simple solutions. Problem

solved. Call for FREE termite

estimate or pest quotes over the
phone - escrow and inspections
excluded. Fireman wife Sue Fries Termite Lady.
(818) 652-7171.
termitelady@ecolatermite.com
BUSY BEAVER TREE AND
LANDSCAPE. Tree trimming
and removal, stumpgrinding, and
firewood sales. Mixed firewood,
eucalyptus and oak. Delivery
available or pick up. Licensed and
insured. Dwayne Kastor, FS 63-B (818) 535-6368.
CALIFORNIA FIREARMS
DEALER - DOJRS background
checks, FFL transfers, handgun
safety certificate, consignment
sales, gun registration and personal
transfers. Personal firearms instructor, tactical casualty management
and gunsmithing. All handguns
and long guns must be listed on
the California DOJ for sale roster.
Call Bill Evans - active LAFD (714)
330-9825 email: firehousegunz@
gmail.com
COMPLETE DRYWALL SERVICE. New construction and
remodel. Acoustic ceiling removal.
Spray texture and hand textures.
Greg Avery (805) 320-8311 or
Mark Avery (805) 551-6041.
COUNSELING SERVICES.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr.
Susan Purrington specializes in
anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, eating disorders, spiritual
or personal growth, marital conflict,
family of origin issues. Find a
supportive and confidential place
for healing and growth. Located in
Old Towne Orange. Questions or
consultation: (949)648-7875
susanpurrington@gmail.com
COUNSELING KIDS & FAMILIES.
Separation, divorce, kids behavior
problems (anger, acting out behavior, defiance, attention difficulties,
hyperactivity, school issues, family
adjustment), blended families,
parenting, support, family issues, licensed marriage & family therapist.

Nancy Goodwin with private office

in Temecula. Confidential, 20 years
experience, wife of retired LAFD.
(951) 231-1600. www.goodwinfamilycounseling.com
CRAIG SANFORD HEATING &
AIR - Free estimates, residential, commercial. Great rates for
LAFD and LAPD. Toll free (877)
891-1414, (661) 298-3070, FAX
(661) 298-3069. State License No.
527114
FEELING PRESSURE FROM
YOUR SPOUSE and co-workers
and cant find a way out? Has
God left stranded? Dont turn to
Twinkies! Call clinical psychologist:
Dr. Lindsay Deibler (714) 749-5215
for adult psychotherapy and learning disability assessments. Specialties: Relationship difficulties, work
stress, spiritual issues and eating
concerns. Olde Town Orange.
www.drlindsaydeibler.com
FIRE FAMILY ESTATE SALES
Call us when a loved one passes,
moves to a nursing facility or
downsizes. Our professional staff
can handle every aspect of estate
liquidation. We have worked with
many fire families and are here to
help. Rebecca Martin, LAFD wife
(818) 216-3637 www.firefamilyestatesales.com
FIREMAN DESIGN LANDSCAPE
INC. A complete landscape service A-Z. Sod irrigation / stamped
concrete / driveways / patio cover
/ low voltage lighting / artificial
turf / rockscapes / walls. FREE
landscape design. Free estimates.
Serving all Southern CA. Eric
Mendoza 96-B (760) 221-1912.
Call or text. CA Lic # 807078.
Bonded & insured
www.firemanlandscape.com
FIREMAN WHOLESALE NURSERY & ROCK YARD. All your
landscape materials @ wholesale
prices. Trees / plants / decorative
rock / boulders / firewood / sod /
artificial turf. Delivery available.
Located in Victorville CA. (760)
243-9500
www.firemanwholesalenursery.
com Your 1 stop shop!
HIRE A VETERAN. Owner operated. Reasonable rates. Dump truck,
Bob Cat, Back hoe for landscape
renewal, Grading demo & more.
Larry D. Brown (818) 489-5126
PISTOLS, RIFLES & SHOTGUNS
DEALER - Firearm background
checks, FFL transfers, handgun

safety certificate, consignment

sales, gun registration and personal transfers. Personal firearms
instructor and gunsmithing. All
handguns and long guns must be
listed on the California DOJ for
sale roster. Call Bill Evans - 112-C
LAFD (714) 330-9825 email:
firehousegunz@gmail.com
TAX ALERT FOR FIREFIGHTERS. Dont lose thousands of
dollars during your professional
career to taxes! Let HEWITT
FINANCIAL GROUP prepare your
tax return. We specialize in tax
preparation and financial planning
for firefighters. We offer a FREE
REVIEW of your last three years
of tax returns. Call us today at
(800) 573-4829 or visit us at
www.hewittfinancial.com
WAYNE PRESS CHIROPRACTIC. Work, Auto, DMV, Wellness.
Preferred provider for most PPO,
HMO, MPN, Union, Auto accident
and Workers Compensation
Plans. (818) 527-7246.
DrWaynePress.com
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
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. $100/$110
(two day minimum). $550/$650
a week, Beep or Donna Schaffer
1+(760) 723-1475.
www.schaffercabin.com
BIG BEAR CABIN. 2 bedroom,
2 bath, 2 story. Sleeps 6-8. About
6 miles from ski slopes & lake.
Fireplace/wood, cable, full kitchen
- furnished. $100 per night M - Th.
$110 per night F-Sun. Weekly
available. Sheri (909) 851-1094 or
(760) 948-2844.
BIG BEAR LAKES FINESTDeluxe 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, includ-

June 2015 59

ing all linens. Sleeps 6. 310-5418311 or nmbigbear@gmail.com

BIG BEAR CABIN - Sugarloaf Cozy upgraded 2 bedroom cabin.
Sleeps 8. Fireplace, deck, Wifi internet and cable TV. On a large
lot with sled hill. Fully furnished
except linens. $125 Winter $100
summer. Details and availability,
Call/text Jessica (949) 874-5294
sugarloafcabin@cox.net
sugarloafcabin.com
CARPINTERIA BEACH CONDO.
2 bedroom, 2 bath. Three blocks
to beach, five blocks to downtown. Sleeps 8 - Monthly rentals
only - completely furnished - cable
+ WiFi. (vrbo.com - 603800 search). Jill Johns (805) 490-8196.
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.
DESERT CONDOS, RANCHO
MIRAGE (near Palm Springs). 2
bed, 2 bath. Fully furnished condo,
TV, internet, pools and spas. Gated
community from $115/night. 3
bed from $125/night. No smoking.
Barbara (626) 798-2484.
JUNE LAKE CABIN - 2BR/2BA
cabin with Carson Peak view.
Close to fishing & skiing. Furnished, wood deck, equipped
kitchen, wood burning stove, tree
swing, cable /DVD/phone. Garage/
ample parking. $95/night plus
cleaning fee. Email for pictures.
Jeff Easton 93-A (805) 217-5602.
junebound@gmail.com
LAKE ARROWHEAD BLUE JAY
CABIN. Charming 2-story with
creek, large deck, two baths,
complete kitchen, TV/VCR/DVD,
fireplace, washer & dryer. Walk to
Blue Jay Village. Sleeps 8. $90/
night. NO PETS! Bruce or Sue
Froude, (805) 498-8542.
LAKE HAVASU LANDING-Waterfront, steps to the water. Boat
mooring out front, off-road desert
behind house. 3 bed/3 bath, fully
furnished w/linens. Direct TV/DVR,
BBQ, Casino, Grocery/Meat Market, Launch Ramp, Marina with
Boat House, Gated Community.
No pets/smoking. $350 Dan Cook
310 418 1577.
LAKE HAVASU BEAUTY FOR
RENT - 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1600 sq.ft.
Fully furnished with all ameni-

60 June 2015

ties- Laundry & BBQ. 13,000 sq.ft.

lot. 3 car boat-deep garage. 3
miles from launch ramp. Close to
downtown shops & restaurants.
View of the lake. Quiet street in
good neighborhood. No pets. No
smoking. Snowbird rates. Call
Mike (661) 510-6246
LAKE NACIMIENTO. Oak Shores
gated community. 3 bedroom, 2
1/2 bath, large loft. 3minute drive
to main marina in Oak Shores.
Large flat driveway. Fully equipped
kitchen, BBQ, washer/dryer, TV/
DVD. No cable. No pets/smoking.
$185/night. 3 night minimum. Call
Ben (805) 444-2264.
MAMMOTH - 1 bedroom Summit condo, sleeps 6. Convenient
underground garage parking.
Jacuzzis, gym (pool/tennis in
summertime), shuttle right outside!
Across from Eagle Lodge, Winter
$110 per night, Summer $80 per
night plus $65 cleaning fee and
13% tax. All linens included. Drew
or Nancy Oliphant (661) 513-2000
or mammoth241@aol.com
MAMMOTH CONDO. 1 Bed/ 1.25
Bath sierra manors condo. In town,
on shuttle route. Sleeps 4 easily.
Pets OK. Fully furnished with new
furniture/HDTV/WIFI Woodburning
fireplace. Hot Tub, sauna, W/D in
complex. Reduced rates for FFs
starting @100/nt
oldtownmammothcondo.ownernetworks.com
mammothmtncondo@yahoo.com
Ryan (310) 717 8483 for more info/
rates
MAMMOTH CONDO. 2 bedroom,
2 bath, sleeps 6. Near Canyon
Lodge. Newly remodeled recreation room with pool and spa.
Laundy facilities, condo has been
beautifully remodeled. Photos
available on website. Winter $300 per night, Summer - $150
per night. $150 cleaning fee. Call
for holiday terms and pricing.
Joseph Angiuli (626) 497-5083.
www.discoveryfour.com
MAMMOTH CONDO - CHAMONIX. 2 bedroom & large loft, 3 full
baths, sleeps 8. 5 minute walk to
Canyon Lodge. Fully furnished,
TVs, VCR/DVD, pool, spa, rec
room, sauna, linens included. Winter $175 weekdays, $195-weekends/holidays; summer $125, plus
cleaning. No smoking; no pets.
Craig Yoder (909) 948-3659.
MAMMOTH CONDO - 2 bdrm, 2
bath, 2 TVs, 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 NEXT TO
THE GONDOLA VILLAGE Fully
furnished, three bedroom, two bath
with towels and linens, newly remodeled kitchen, internet and cable
TV, pool and Jacuzzi. Walk to the
gondola, shops, restaurants and
ski in on the new comeback trail.
Parking at the front door. Winter:
$250/night. Summer $150/night.
Holidays $300/night. Cleaning is
included. Call Mike Whitehouse,
Retired, 805-987-6122, email:
btkwhitey@yahoo.com
or Bruce Galien, Retired, 661-6457448, email: luvbaja2@aol.com
MAMMOTH CONDO Cozy 2
bedrooms, 2 bath. Fully furnished,
WIFI, 3 TVs, pool, spa, walk
to shuttle, Old Mammoth area.
Winter $115, Summer $90, plus
cleaning fee $139 and 14% city
tax. Includes linens. No pets, no
smoking. Call (310) 540-4648.
MAMMOTH CONDO AT MAMMOTH ESTATES, 4BR/3BA,
sleeps 10, fully furnished, 2
TVs, DVDs, WiFi, towels/linens,
fireplace. Full kitchen. Walk to
Gondola Village and shuttle. Complex has pool, spa, sauna, laundry.
Winter $335/night, Summer $215/
night, plus cleaning. Includes city
bed tax. No pets, no smoking.
Dory Jones (310) 918-0631 or
Kelly Corcoran (310) 619-5355
MAMMOTH CONDO rental. Large
2bed/2bath winterset condo. Fully
furnished, across from Vons, on
shuttle route, easily sleeps 8. Hot
tub, heated pool, sauna, full size
in unit W/D HDTV/WiFi throughout, woodburning fireplace, pets
OK FIREFIGHTER DISCOUNTS,
rates from $150/night
facebook.com/mammothmtncondo@yahoo.com
Ryan @ (310) 717-8483
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 $155/
night, Summer $100/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 plus
cleaning fees. Call Bill Clark (818)
371-6722
Email: shakesong@aol.com
MAMMOTH SKI & RACQUET:
Studio/loft, 2 bath, king bed,
sleeps 4. Full kitchen, TV, VCR,
DVD. Garage parking. Walk to
Canyon Lodge. Ski back trail. 2
night minimum. Winter $100/nite,
$125 Fri, Sat & Holidays. Summer
$60/nite. Plus $120 cleaning &
linens. Jeff & Lisa Moir (661) 2545788.
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: cat25sailor@juno.com or
(213) 399-6534.
MAMMOTH CONDO- SEASONS
FOUR RESORT. Charming and
cozy furnished 1 Bedroom sleeps
5. Updated unit with amenities
including wifi, sauna, jacuzzi,
phone, rec room, 2 flat screens ,
DVD players. W/D on site. Shuttle
stop. Walking distance to village.
$120/night + $80 Cleaning fee
Bobby@310-350-5552.
MAUI BEACH FRONT CONDO
ON NAPILI BAY - 50 from water.
Studios and 1 bedroom. Luxury
furnishings + full kitchen. All the
amenities! Mauis best snorkeling/beach. All island activities &
Kapalua within 4 minutes. 5-day
minimum, from $150 per night
(regularly $310/night). Call Sherrie
or Bill for info/reservations (805)
530-0007 or email: pmimaui@aol.
com or visit:
www.napilibaymaui.com
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
MAUIS MOST BEAUTIFUL
BEACH - Napili Bay. Beautiful furnished condo that sleeps 4. Lanai/
balcony, full kitchen, king bed, flat

screen TVs/DVD, ACs free WiFi

(internet), complimentary maid service, complimentary coffee every
morning and breakfast on Fridays.
Special firefighters discount - Best
value in West Maui! Nice pool &
BBQ area - Close to beach! (800)
336-2185 www.napilivillage.com
Don Sprenger - retired LAFD (949)
929-0989
MONTANA ROCKY MT. FRONT
GETAWAY - 80 miles south of
Glacier Natl Park, in the foothills
of the Rockies, mountain and
canyon views. 1,000s of miles of
trailheads, fishing, etc. 2 bedroom,
1.5 bath, dining, living, kitchen
& washer/dryer. SatTV, wireless
internet. $125.00 night + cleaning.
Call Dan (805) 270-8143 or www.
VRBO.com (#494959)
PALM DESERT-3 bed/2bath,
one level. New re-model, fully

furnished w/linens. Cable TV/

DVR, Private Patio, BBQ, Laundry,
Garage, Gated Community, two
(Pools, Jacuzzis, Tennis Courts).
Near College of the Desert. $175
Dan Cook 310 418 1577.
SEE NEW ORLEANS MARDI
GRAS. Beautiful 2 BD - 2BA with a
sauna. Hillcrest Villas. Next to golf
course in Adita Springs, LA. Only
$450/week. Feb 13th thru Feb
20th. (562) 799-1134
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. Romantic
Chalet Family getaway. 3 bed/2
bath plus loft. Sleeps 810. Cable
TV, washer/dryer, microwave,
woodburning stove. 7 minutes to
casinos and Heavenly. Located in
Tahoe Paradise. $105 per night
plus cleaning. Call Shawn or Rose
Agnew at (661) 250-9907 OR
(661) 476-6288.

VACATION
VEHICLES
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 661297-2398. ALSO AVAILABLE BIG
BEAR CABINS, 3 bedroom 2 bath
with pool tables & spas. PLEASE
CALL FOR MORE DETAILS.

For advertising information, please contact:

Eric Santiago - (323) 259-5231
or email: eric@lafra.org
or visit our website at
www.lafra.org/advertising

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

#1 Volume Ford Dealer in the world for 20

consecutive years!

Lincoln / Mercury / Honda / Mazda /

Volvo / Ford / Jaguar / Lotus / Aston
Martin / Spyker / Galpin Auto Sports
For special pricing contact
Terry MillerFleet Sales & Leasing
15505 Roscoe Blvd
North Hills CA 91343
818-797-3800 l www.galpin.com
1.800.GO.GALPIN

HAMER TOYOTA, INC.

Camry / Celica / Corolla / Tundra
Tacoma / Sienna / Supra / Solara
11041 Sepulveda Blvd
Mission Hills CA
Ask for Steve DensonFleet Mgr
steve@hamertoyota.com
818-365-9621
Specializing in hassle-free car buying

HONDA OF HOLLYWOOD
Honda - Sales and Leasing
Large Selection of Used Vehicles
6511 Santa Monica Blvd
Hollywood CA
Ask for Dave Erickson
323-466-3251 l Fax: 323-462-0187
DaveE@hondaofhollywood.com

June 2015 61

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association

815 Colorado Blvd FL 4
Los Angeles CA 90041-1745

Thank you for your

loyal Fire Family
membership
since 1935

*Offer valid 4/1/15 6/30/15 and is only valid for new memberships. Offer not eligible for previously opened memberships. Requirements to receive incentives: New membership with a minimum deposit of $80 into a Firefighters First savings account. Piggy bank or stylus pens will be distributed while supplies last at account opening. Account
closing: If the new membership is closed within 6 months of opening, the $20 bonus received will be deducted at closing. Bonuses are considered taxable income and will be reported on IRS Form 1099-INT. Bonus will be posted to member savings accounts by 7/31/15. This offer cannot be combined with any other promotions. Who qualifies as a
new member: Eligible firefighters include full-time, paid, active and retired professional firefighters within the State of California, plus family members (mom/dad; grandma/grandpa; kids,
adult kids; adult grandkids). For a complete eligibility list, visit us at www.firefightersfirstcu.org. 1 An Extraordinary Dividend Bonus or an Interest Refund may be declared at the discretion
of the Firefighters First Board of Directors at year-end. 2 ATM rebate program details: with a Firefighters First checking account, we will reimburse you for ATM surcharge fees incurred when
making a withdrawal using your Firefighters First ATM/Check card. Fees will be reimbursed for your first three (3) ATM transactions that incur a surcharge fee per calendar month. Fees will
be reimbursed the same day unless your ATM withdrawal is after 3:00 pm (PT). Withdrawals after this time or on a non-business day will post on the next business day along with the fee
reimbursement. To qualify for this program, you must have a combined direct deposit total of at least $500 per month and you must make your ATM withdrawal from your Firefighters First
personal or business checking membership.