Last weekend, community members across Los Angeles visited their neighborhood fire stations for free tours and demonstrations in celebration of the LA Fire Department’s (LAFD) annual Fire Service Day. This year’s theme was “Stronger Together: A Tribute to Unity.”
LAFD Interim Fire Chief Ronnie Villanueva and LA City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield stopped by Fire Station 88 in Sherman Oaks, which was one of four stations that hosted larger community gatherings for each the four main bureaus: West, Central, South and the Valley.
Villanueva said that despite the challenges LA firefighters faced during the extensive Palisades and Eaton wildfires in January – which he described as “disastrous”, the biggest fires in the history of LA – the focus should remain on the people, especially those who’ve lost their homes.
“There [were] a lot of issues [and] a lot of chaos that went on just in general, but I think what we need to really pay attention to is the people; these other things are the minutia,” Villanueva told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. He acknowledged that there are budget considerations and other possible issues, adding, “We might need more stations in the valley – it’s a huge place.
“But I think what’s more important is that we focus on the needs of the people, the needs of our constituents – the communities that we serve,” said Villanueva, noting that regardless of their budget “the firefighters are going to go out the door every day and do the job, no matter what.”
Villanueva said he believes the widespread nature of the fires may have contributed to the misconception that local firefighters were not sufficiently prepared to battle the blazes, but, he emphasized, “Your LA City Fire Department is prepared to do the job every single day.
“We average 1,500 calls a day and 600 transports every day,” he said.
Placing politics aside, added Villanueva, “my main concern is the safety of my firefighters and the safety of the citizens of Los Angeles.”
All LAFD stations welcomed local residents for Fire Service Day, to offer tours and vehicle demonstrations, answer questions and give away toy fire helmets and other freebies for kids. Each of the four bureau stations also honored a community member as “honorary fire chief.”
In Sherman Oaks, Deputy Chief Jaime E. Moore, commander of operations for LAFD’s Valley Bureau, introduced Patricia Bates, Ph.D., of Encino as the honorary chief for the Valley Bureau for her “unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship and community service.”
Bates, who serves on the conservation and sustainability committee for the San Fernando Valley Audubon Society, helped create a pollination garden at Fire Station 83 in Encino. She also helped secure a $15,000 grant for Fire Station 88 for a skid unit, which is a mobile firefighting unit that can be mounted on a pickup truck and utilized for fighting fires in remote locations.
One of the areas where the skid unit is expected to be particularly helpful is in the Sepulveda Basin, Moore told the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol. He said there have been numerous fires in the area, which is inhabited by many people experiencing homelessness.
“We’re obviously very cautious going in there and it’s not easy for our big equipment to get in there,” said Moore. “This skid unit … gives us the mobility to be able to get in there and put the small fires out, and hopefully we can work together with the council district to help get a lot of these homeless individuals rehoused.”
Bates said she felt “incredibly honored” to receive the award, which she considers a recognition for her fellow local environmentalists as well.
“Our whole group is working diligently in the Sepulveda Basin to restore habitat, to try to bring awareness to the situation and make it a safer place for everyone,” she said.