San Pedro Central

During National Preparedness Month, the Los Angeles Fire Department asks you to...

Choose an emergency contact person outside your area - because it may be easier to call long distance than locally after a disaster.

Take a minute now to call or e-mail an out-of-town friend or family member. Ask them to be your family's designated contact in the event of an emergency. Be sure to share that contact's phone number with everyone in the family.

During an emergency, you can call your contact who can then advise others where you are, how you're doing and how to get in touch.



Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

During National Preparedness Month, the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department ask you to...

Pick a place to meet after a disaster. Designate two meeting places. Choose one right outside your home, in case of a sudden household emergency, such as a fire. The second place you choose needs to be outside your neighborhood, in the event that its not safe to stay near or return to your home.



Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

On Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 2:50 PM, 9 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 6 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Rehab Tender, 3 EMS Battalion Captains, 1 Battalion Chief Officer Command Team and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 64 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Battalion Chief Ralph Ramirez, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 485 Halvern Drive in the Los Angeles community of Brentwood.

Firefighters arrived quickly to find smoke showing from the improved attic of a 6,513 square-foot two-story single family home undergoing a major remodeling.

Met by contractors who had been overseeing a plumbing upgrade, firefighters soon learned that a torch being used by a plumber had ignited construction materials within the walls and soon spread to the fully finished 'third-level' attic in the central portion of the expansive home.


Strategic vertical ventilation helped curtail the spread of fire, as firefighters used thermal imaging devices to find and abate the rapidly spreading fire.

The relentless effort of firefighters confined flames to the central portion of the home, with the blaze fully extinguished in just 59 minutes.

There were no injuries.

Loss from the fire is estimated at $352,000 ($350,000 structure & $2,000 contents). The cause of this mid-afternoon blaze is categorized as accidental.

(photos)

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

During National Preparedness Month, the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department ask you to...

Take a moment to imagine there is an emergency, like a fire in your home - and you need to leave quickly. What are the best escape routes from your home? Find at least two ways out of each room. Now, write it down - you've got the beginning of a plan!


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

On Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 12:33 AM, 11 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 4 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 1 Urban Search and Rescue Unit, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 2 EMS Battalion Captains, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 81 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Assistant Chief Daryl Arbuthnott, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 1427 East 6th Street in the Artists District of L.A.'s Industrial Eastside.

Los Angeles Firefighters arrived quickly to find a pair of interconnected one-story commercial buildings measuring 75' x 100', well involved with fire.


View Larger Map (you can also pan, click & zoom the pre-fire image above!)
Firefighters swiftly took to the roof to perform vertical ventilation of intense heat and smoke as their colleagues forced entry into the business, extending handlines to do battle at the seat of the fire within the non-fire sprinklered building.

The bulk of the fire was confined to the westernmost part of the conjoined structures that contained furniture manufacturing. The flames were extinguished in just 33 minutes.

No injuries were reported.

Fire loss to the manufacturing and storage facility for Peter Alexander Furniture - which included a vehicle parked within the business, was limited to $275,000 ($200,000 structure & $75,000 contents).

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

During September, the Los Angeles Fire Department is teaming up with the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Ready Campaign in encouraging Americans to take an active role in personal and community disaster preparedness.

National Preparedness Month is a nationwide campaign highlighting the simple steps each of us can take to be prepared for emergencies.

With a motto that inspires us to 'Plan Now. Work Together. Be Ready.' National Preparedness Month 2010 will highlight ways for us to be prepared in our homes, businesses and communities.

Throughout September 2010, the LAFD News & Information blog will feature daily tips to help us plan and work together to be ready!


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

John Solomon

A question often faced by the Los Angeles Fire Department - and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is where to turn for a frank assessment of their disaster preparedness programs.

The answer for both agencies is simple: John Solomon.

The author of "In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog", we're honored to have John as a mentor and today as a guest contributor.

A brave man, whose personal insight into emergency management enjoys a strong following, John knows what it takes to survive a disaster when he writes...

September is National Preparedness Month, which focuses attention on what citizens should do to ready themselves, their families and their communities for potential disasters.

According to Ready.Gov, the U.S. government’s official preparedness website, there are three key steps for each citizen to become prepared for an emergency:

1) Get A Kit 2) Make A Plan 3) Be Informed.

However, this year, the federal government will be making a special push to get Americans to create an emergency communications plan for their family.

In fact, Federal Emergency Management Agency head Craig Fugate told me in an interview earlier this month that if citizens are going “to do one thing” this National Preparedness Month they should develop a family plan which he said is a good "first step" towards family disaster readiness.

In order to help Americans do the emergency planning, Ready.Gov and the Ad Council are offering some online tools to create a printable comprehensive Family Emergency Plan and an email/text containing basic information that can be shared with others.

Also, as part of developing a family emergency plan, the director of the Ready Campaign, Darryl Madden, told me that he hopes Americans will — if they have not already — check with their workplaces and kids’ schools to find about their emergency plans.

Another relatively easy but very useful thing you can do in advance to help communicate in a crisis is to prepare your cell or smart phone. This month, make sure to add your key In Case of Emergency (ICE) contact numbers to your mobile's Address Book and sign up for emergency text/e-mail alerts that many cities and towns now offer.
                                                    -John Solomon

Thank you John.

During September, the LAFD News & Information blog will feature a daily tip to help you and your family get and stay prepared.

We encourage you visit and bookmark John's "In Case Of Emergency, Read Blog", and to add his RSS Feed to your newsreader.

You'll also find John on Twitter @JohnDSolomon


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

Stay calm. No doubt the circumstances surrounding your need to dial 9-1-1 is due to an emergency. The dispatcher realizes this and is there to help, but please stay calm. Try taking a deep breath before dialing.  It is a natural instinct for many to insist the 9-1-1 operator to "hurry up", this will not quicken the process, but can hamper it if they have to ask the caller for information several times because he or she could not comprehend what was being said.

Be prepared to answer questions, simply. Rather than explaining to the dispatcher all the surrounding circumstances regarding your emergency, be prepared to answer a series of questions concisely with "yes," "no," or “I don’t know.” This will expedite your getting help.

Let the Fire-dispatcher guide the conversation. They have several tasks to perform and are processing your information into a computer while sending it to the Fire Department personnel responding to your emergency, allowing firefighters to gain a better understanding before arriving on scene. The majority of the time, emergency services are being sent while you are still on the phone line.

Submitted by Erik Scott, Spokesman Los Angeles Fire Department

John W. Callahan 1949-2010

John W. Callahan, retired Deputy Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department, and active-duty Chief of the San Luis Obispo, California Fire Department, passed away suddenly on August 18, 2010.

Chief Callahan began his career with the Los Angeles Fire Department on July 25, 1970 as a Firefighter and he promoted through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of our Department. As Commander of Operations, he held the second highest position in the Department.

During his LAFD career, Callahan supervised the implementation of the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, served as Commander of the Fire Suppression and Rescue Bureau, managed the Disaster Preparedness Section, oversaw Communications and Dispatch, as well as the In-Service Training Section.

In addition, he headed LAFD preparations for the 2000 Democratic National Convention and served as the Department's liaison with the Mayor and City Council.

Chief Callahan also served as the Vice-President for the LAFD Chief Officers' Association (COA) and as chair of the Emergency Preparedness Commission for the County and Cities of Los Angeles. Since 2004, he provided consulting in the area of public safety with clients throughout the United States.

Following retirement from the LAFD in 2003, he went on to become the Fire Chief of San Luis Obispo Fire Department in 2005, and led that agency at the time of his passing.


As the Fire Chief in San Luis Obispo, Chief Callahan was credited with bringing innovation to the Fire Departent and key improvements to the City's emergency operations.

On August 27, 2010 firefighters and friends from across our nation gathered in San Luis Obispo to offer a final farewell to a highly beloved fire service leader:



Chief Callahan is survived by his wife, Lynne, son John Christopher and daughter Danise.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

The National Weather Service has continued an 'Excessive Heat Warning' due to hot and potentially humid weather in southern California today.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
331 PM PDT THU AUG 26 2010

...DANGEROUS HEAT CONTINUES OVER THE VALLEYS AND LOWER MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING....STRONG HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA WILL CONTINUE TO BRING VERY HOT TEMPERATURES TO THE VALLEYS AND MOUNTAINS OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY TODAY. THE HEAT COMBINED WITH FAIRLY HIGH HUMIDITY LEVELS CONTINUES TO BRING HEAT INDEX VALUES ABOVE CRITICAL WARNING THRESHOLDS.

CAZ088-547-548-270400-
/O.CON.KLOX.EH.W.0003.000000T0000Z-100827T0400Z/
SANTA CLARITA VALLEY-LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN FERNANDO VALLEY-
LOS ANGELES COUNTY SAN GABRIEL VALLEY-INCLUDING...SANTA CLARITA... NEWHALL...VALENCIA...WOODLAND HILLS...NORTHRIDGE...BURBANK...UNIVERSAL CITY...PASADENA...SAN GABRIEL...POMONA
331 PM PDT THU AUG 26 2010

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING.

* TEMPERATURE: HEAT INDEX READINGS...A MEASURE OF THE LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT CAUSED BY THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY...WILL CONTINUE TO BE AROUND 105 DEGREES THROUGH EARLY EVENING.

* IMPACTS: HEAT STROKE...HEAT EXHAUSTION...AND HEAT CRAMPS ARE
POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HIGH HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

Officials have opened cooling centers at community facilities across the City of Los Angeles. We encourage seniors and others at risk to consider these sites as refuge from the heat.

To find a cooling center in the Greater Los Angeles area, call 2-1-1.

The Los Angeles Fire Department is pleased to offer tips on Hot Weather Safety.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

As a friend of the LAFD, we welcome you to join the men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department and their families this Friday at Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park for our annual "Summer Private Party" sponsored by the Los Angeles Firemen's Relief Association:

Los Angeles City Firefighters
Summer Private Party
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Friday, August 27, 2010
6:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Closed to General Public

Your Private Party Admission is only $23 each!

Public Park Hours 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM, Tickets Valid All Day - Wristband Required.

Still thinking about it? Consider this...

No Daytime Traffic
Free Parking (after 5:00 PM)
Children 2 and under are FREE!

Buy your tickets on-line now. Simply click here and enter the promo code "LACITYFD" in the box at the top right of the Six Flags Magic Mountain home page. We're thrilled to say that $1 from each ticket you purchase will go to the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemen’s Fund. See you at Magic Mountain this Friday!

Other select organizations will attend. We're sorry, but Season Passes are not accepted at this special event.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

The National Weather Service has issued an 'Excessive Heat Warning' due to hot weather in much of southwestern California today.

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
505 PM PDT WED AUG 25 2010

...DANGEROUS HEAT EXPECTED OVER THE VALLEYS AND LOWER MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...

.A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES TO THE VALLEYS AND LOWER MOUNTAINS THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING. HUMIDITIES WILL RISE SLIGHTLY AS WELL. THE COMBINATION OF THE VERY HOT TEMPERATURES AND SLIGHTLY INCREASED HUMIDITIES WILL LIKELY PRODUCE DANGEROUSLY HIGH HEAT INDEX READINGS DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

CAZ046-051>054-260300-
/O.CON.KLOX.EH.W.0002.000000T0000Z-100826T0300Z/
SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS RECREATIONAL AREA-SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY MOUNTAINS-SANTA BARBARA COUNTY MOUNTAINS-VENTURA COUNTY MOUNTAINS-LOS ANGELES COUNTY MOUNTAINS EXCLUDING THE SANTA MONICA RANGE-INCLUDING...TOPANGA...SANTA LUCIA WILDERNESS AREA...MACHESNA MOUNTAIN WILDERNESS AREA...SAN MARCOS PASS...SAN RAFAEL WILDERNESS AREA...DICK SMITH WILDERNESS AREA...LOCKWOOD VALLEY...MOUNT PINOS...ACTON...MOUNT WILSON...SANDBERG
505 PM PDT WED AUG 25 2010

...EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING.

* TEMPERATURE: HEAT INDEX READINGS...A MEASURE OF THE LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT CAUSED BY THE COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HUMIDITY... ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 100 THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...MOSTLY AT ELEVATIONS BELOW 5000 FEET.

* IMPACTS: HEAT STROKE...HEAT EXHAUSTION...AND HEAT CRAMPS ARE POSSIBLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

AN EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING MEANS THAT A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY HOT TEMPERATURES WILL OCCUR. THE COMBINATION OF HOT TEMPERATURES AND HUMIDITY WILL COMBINE TO CREATE A DANGEROUS SITUATION IN WHICH HEAT ILLNESSES ARE LIKELY. DRINK PLENTY OF FLUIDS...STAY IN AN AIR-CONDITIONED ROOM...STAY OUT OF THE SUN...AND CHECK UP ON RELATIVES AND NEIGHBORS.

Officials have opened cooling centers at community facilities across the City of Los Angeles. We encourage seniors and others at risk to consider these sites as refuge from the heat.

To find a cooling center in the Greater Los Angeles area, call 2-1-1.

The Los Angeles Fire Department is pleased to offer tips on Hot Weather Safety.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey & Devin Gales, Spokesmen
Los Angeles Fire Department

Pursuant of a formal Mutual Aid Request, the Los Angeles Fire Department has assigned one Strike Team of firefighters to assist the Kern County Fire Department and allied agencies in their battle against a brush fire near Lebec, California (northeast of Frazier Park), approximately 40 miles northwest of our City.

View larger map of Post Fire (you can also pan, click & zoom the map above!)
These twenty-two personnel from the Los Angeles Fire Department have been dispatched to the Post Fire in accordance with California's Fire & Rescue Emergency Mutual Aid System. Administered by the California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA), the system is designed to ensure resources to local jurisdictions when their own resources are committed or insufficient for a specific emergency incident.

The City of Los Angeles remains protected by the use of additional staff and reserve apparatus to cover foreseeable local needs.

The men and women of the LAFD ask motorists to remain watchful for these and other convoys of emergency apparatus, and to be mindful of the space necessary for them to safely maneuver on local roads and highways.

Pursuant of protocol, official public and media information regarding this wildfire, including the actions of assigned LAFD personnel, will be provided by the Kern County Fire Department, which maintains daily jurisdictional authority of the area where the fire is burning. Additional details may be posted for public view on the Inciweb system.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

You've heard and seen weather warnings, er.. watches - or were they advisories?

When it comes to emergency management and your safety, words have meaning. That's why the Los Angeles Fire Department suggests you become familiar with the terms used to identify severe weather conditions.

Advisories, Watches and Warnings are not synonymous!

Watch:
A watch is used when the risk of a hazardous weather or hydrologic event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so that those who need to set their plans in motion can do so.

Advisory:
An advisory highlights special weather conditions that are less serious than a warning. They are for events that may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that threaten life and/or property.

Warning:
A warning is issued when a hazardous weather or hydrologic event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring. A warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life or property.

By remembering to look or listen for such key words, you can take appropriate action to keep yourself and those you love safe from foreseeable danger.

To learn more about weather in our region, visit the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard Weather Forecast Office at:

www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox

...and, remember to tune to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television stations for information whenever severe weather threatens!

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

You've heard and seen weather warnings, er.. watches - or were they advisories?

When it comes to emergency management and your safety, words have meaning. That's why the Los Angeles Fire Department suggests you become familiar with the terms used to identify severe weather conditions.

Advisories, Watches and Warnings are not synonymous!

Watch:
A watch is used when the risk of a hazardous weather or hydrologic event has increased significantly, but its occurrence, location, and/or timing is still uncertain. It is intended to provide enough lead time so that those who need to set their plans in motion can do so.

Advisory:
An advisory highlights special weather conditions that are less serious than a warning. They are for events that may cause significant inconvenience, and if caution is not exercised, could lead to situations that threaten life and/or property.

Warning:
A warning is issued when a hazardous weather or hydrologic event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring. A warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life or property.

By remembering to look or listen for such key words, you can take appropriate action to keep yourself and those you love safe from foreseeable danger.

To learn more about weather in our region, visit the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard Weather Forecast Office at:

www.wrh.noaa.gov/lox

...and, remember to tune to NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio or television stations for information whenever severe weather threatens!

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department