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LOCAL NEWS & INFORMATION
UPDATED : May 9, 2008
GLENDALE - Harold Scoggins has been promoted to serve as Glendale's new Fire Chief effective May 1, 2008. Scoggins, 42, replaces Interim Fire Chief Don Biggs who served since last fall following the retirement of Fire Chief Chris Gray in August 2007. Harold has 23 years experience in the fire service and is an 18 year veteran of the Glendale Fire Department. For more info, go here.
UPDATED : May 7, 2008
LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Sheriff Lee Baca directed the piloting of a concept that may revolutionize law enforcement practices. Known as Advanced Surveillance and Protection (ASAP), this program features a combination of technologies such as high-resolution video surveillance, acoustic gunshot detection, automated license plate recognition, and other advanced components integrated into a station command center. These technologies, used together or individually, will deter and reduce crime. Imagine that a shooting has just occurred wherein the victim is injured or killed. Sensors immediately detect the gunshot and automatically pinpoint high-powered, night vision–capable cameras on the crime scene and send a live image of the fleeing suspect vehicle to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) station command center. The license plate is recorded by the camera and then entered into a database. The suspect vehicle drives through an intersection equipped with surveillance cameras that automatically detect the suspect vehicle and alert the command center and nearby LASD cars. Live images of the fleeing vehicle are transmitted to the LASD cars, which then go into pursuit. During the pursuit, the command center takes control of the local traffic signals, turning them red in order to reduce the potential for collisions involving innocent drivers. This is ASAP at work. ASAP involves the following technologies:
Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR): Mobile ALPR consists of three cameras mounted adjacent to a radio car’s emergency light bar. These cameras automatically scan nearby license plates and determine if a vehicle is wanted or stolen. ALPR systems can scan up to 8,000 license plates during the course of a single shift. Fixed ALPR systems are mounted primarily atop intersection signal poles and parking lots. These fixed systems scan each vehicle as it passes through the intersection and notify the concerned station when a stolen or wanted vehicle is detected. An additional benefit to ALPR technology is the ability to manually input license plate numbers. For example, the LASD has established a process that allows it to input immediately the license plate number of a vehicle wanted in an Amber Alert; therefore, any ALPR system in the county will get an Amber Alert hit should that vehicle be scanned.
Remote Video Surveillance: High-definition video surveillance cameras are being put into use increasingly throughout the United States. Mounted atop buildings or light poles throughout designated public areas, these cameras not only have night vision capability but also can incorporate ALPR technology to read vehicle license plates up to 200 yards away. Pictures from the video surveillance cameras can be transmitted to the station command center and to ASAP-equipped radio cars, allowing live views of suspicious and criminal activity. The video is recorded for investigative and evidentiary purposes. This technology enhances the ability to investigate and solve crimes, strengthens cases in court with video evidence, and improves officer safety when responding to crimes in areas under video surveillance.
Acoustic Gunshot Detection: Acoustic gunshot detection is a gunfire location system that incorporates sound detection sensors with a computerized mapping system. The system is able to determine the difference between a gunshot and a vehicle backfire or other nonthreatening sound. These sound sensors, located atop buildings or other elevated locations, are able to recognize the gunshot and, within fractions of a second, accurately pinpoint the location of the gunfire to within 25 feet. The information is plotted on a computerized mapping system and graphically displayed at the station desk. This confirmation of gunfire and the immediate determination of the location allow deputies to quickly respond to shootings with a much greater level of confidence. Gunshot detection technology has been utilized in the Century Station area, where it contributed to decreases in gunfire ranging from 60 to 90 percent in the areas of deployment.
Command Center: All of these technologies are fed into a command center, located at the station. The command center contains video monitors for the video surveillance system and has the ability to download recorded video onto a DVD or CD to be used later as evidence.
The ASAP technologies are soon to be deployed in other LASD station jurisdictions. The Compton ASAP plan utilizes all of the technologies mentioned earlier, integrated into one dynamic system. Video surveillance cameras will be mounted on light poles at 75 locations throughout the city. Acoustic gunshot detection systems will be deployed in key locations, and both mobile and fixed ALPR systems will be deployed. Future phases include a wireless network that will blanket the Compton Station jurisdiction. The Century Station will implement an advanced command center hosting 15 to 30 high-resolution closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras distributed throughout the city of Lynwood and unincorporated county areas. These cameras will link to existing gunshot detection systems and will also interface with some fixed license plate recognition technologies. These cameras will be deployed at key intersections and homed back to the station using both wireless mesh and point-to-point wireless technologies.
UPDATED : May 6, 2008
SAN GABRIEL - The San Gabriel Police Department has been approved to purchase four (4) patrol vehicles. The budgeted amount of $140,000 includes costs related to conversion and equipping each vehicle. An additional vehicle needs to be replaced due to being totaled as a result of a traffic collision. The department has decided to convert to the Dodge Charger which has had impressive testing results. The purchase is authorized for five (5) 2008 Dodge Chargers from McPeek's Dodge of Anaheim for $122,506.95.
PASADENA - Between 2004 and 2006, the City of Pasadena spent $590,911 defending and settling lawsuits against police officers. Pasadena police officers conduct approximately 100,000 pedestrian and vehicle stops each year. While most of these contacts are routine and do not result in community complaints or litigation, some contacts with the public evolve into physical altercations and/or allegations of wrong doing by employees that may be dismissed or proven with the use of an in-car video system. The Pasadena PD has recently completed a 90 day trial of video equipment by 3 vendors. One of these companies was International Police Technologies Incorporated. This product was found to be satisfactory. The police department has been approved to purchase an in-car video system from International Police Technologies, Inc. to be installed in 52 police cars in the amount of $388,591.56.
UPDATED : April 2, 2008
MONTEBELLO - A lieutenant with ties to the police officer's union was promoted to chief of police in a 4-1 vote of the City Council. Dan Weast, a 24-year veteran of the Police Department, will receive an annual salary of $144,996. On top of his salary Weast also will be provided with benefits, a retirement program and a city vehicle. Weast has already appointed two officers to higher ranks and brought another one aboard. He plans to put a heavy emphasis on the city's graffiti problem and raise the bar on officer standards. He also plans on training citizen patrol volunteers to man the city's public video camera system. Weast said he has a GED and his experience includes more than 2,400 hours of law enforcement training. he has spent the last 11 years as a supervisor. He has worked patrol, on an anti-gang unit, homicides, robbery, narcotics and other assignments. Seven officers applied to the position and the council reviewed six of them. There are more than 80 sworn officers in the department that operates on a $15 million budget. L.A. County Police Officers Association President Scott Frayer said most of the police chiefs in the county have a higher education but the success of a chief is rarely based on his education.
UPDATED : March 21, 2008
WEST COVINA - The West Covina Police Department has begun testing four new mobile fingerprint readers. One has been deployed in each sergeant and corporal patrol car. Software updates to those units also include Cal Photo. Cal Photo can be used to run a California driver’s license or I.D. number to assist in verifying the information/ I.D. of the person being investigated. Cal Photo will provide the driver’s license photo and identifying information of the individual directly to the MDT in the patrol car. Cal Photo will eventually be installed in all police units. The fingerprint readers do not require any special information, only the right index fingerprint of the person to be checked. The fingerprint readers themselves are just a bit smaller than a cell phone. The right index fingerprint is captured in about a second via a touch pad. Using Bluetooth technology, the reader sends the information to the Los Angeles Fingerprint Identification System via the unit MDT. Returns have averaged about two minutes. The patrol unit MDT will display the photo, name, birth date and latest booking number. The system will provide information if the person has ever been arrested and booked in Los Angeles County. The readers were acquired through a Rand Corporation grant obtained by the Sheriff’s Department. The West Covina Police Department has six total, including four in testing now. The remaining two will be deployed when testing is complete. West Covina is among the first agencies in L.A. County to use this technology, which will greatly enhance patrol officers’ ability to make positive identifications in the field.
UPDATED : March 20, 2008
UNITED STATES - Capt. Clint Roberts makes his living cutting accident victims out of hideously mangled vehicles, but even he could hardly believe it when two people in a 2007 midsize car survived a head-on crash with a full-sized pickup last year. The Ford Fusion's reinforced steel construction probably saved the lives of the 18-year-old driver and his 16-year-old passenger. But Roberts said it gave his Hillsborough County Fire Rescue crew fits as they tried to free them last November. Because hydraulic cutters couldn't shear the roof posts, rescue workers had to turn to heavy-duty electric saws, replacing blade after blade as they dulled on the rugged material. There is no question that today's cars save lives by cocooning motorists in reinforced alloys, impact-absorbing crumple zones and as many as a dozen air bags. Rescue officials and experts from around the United States said the new technology is also hindering extrication of injured people, increasingly forcing crews to work deeper into the critical "golden hour" between accident and treatment by emergency room doctors. On many 2005 and later cars, an extrication that once took 10 or 15 minutes can now take twice that or longer. To catch up, counties and cities are spending tens of thousands of dollars -- if they can afford it -- to buy more powerful equipment that can cut through newer cars' reinforced steel and the lighter, tougher exotic metals used in roofs, posts and doors. Then there are obstacles that endanger rescuers' safety. Pressurized gas canisters that inflate air bags can explode if pierced by cutting tools. Rescuers can be blown from cars when air bags suddenly inflate. Hidden battery cables in hybrid cars can deliver a powerful shock. To protect themselves, workers now have to peel away the ceiling and interior plastic to see what's underneath before they can even start cutting. Experts cannot say for certain whether the delays in getting these victims to the hospital have resulted in people dying. But that's the fear. The problem has rescue workers scrambling to update their tools and explore different ways to attack cars with their cutters, spreaders and saws. Some agencies with equipment more than a few years old are arriving at accident scenes and finding out that it will no longer do the job. Leading hydraulic-tool makers such as Hurst Jaws of Life -- whose namesake George Hurst introduced the first hydraulic extrication tools for auto racing in the early 1970s -- must keep putting more oomph into their equipment, making it heavier and more expensive. A single Hurst cutter and power unit runs about $25,000. Add hydraulic spreaders and other tools and the price rises quickly. The flip side, of course, is that more people are surviving horrific crashes that would have killed them just a few years ago. One problem for rescue workers is how to get the latest technical information about newer cars and how to deal with them.
WEST COVINA - The city approved a pay hike this week for police officers and firefighters. The contracts grant retroactive raises from July, with police starting with a 6 percent raise that will grow to 17 percent by 2010, and firefighters gaining a retroactive 4.5 percent and 14.5 percent, all by the end of the three-year contract. West Covina City Hall was filled with dozens of public safety officers applauding when the council approved the contract on Tuesday. But some residents at the meeting questioned how the city can pay for salary increases and benefit upgrades with slowing revenue. Raises for police officers and firefighters are expected to cost $1 million more than was budgeted for the departments this year. Meanwhile, the city has estimated a $2 million deficit at the end of the year. The police contract also increases the uniform allowance, by $100 a year, and the compensation for college tuition reimbursement. The fire contract offers similar improvements. Over the course of the three years, the salary and benefit increases for both contracts will cost the city $6.1 million more than under the previous contract, which expired in June.
UPDATED : March 4, 2008
LOS ANGELES COUNTY - He's walked away from a midair collision and survived more than a few attempts to shoot him out of the sky. He's plucked lost hikers out of narrow mountain canyons and threaded his way through tangles of power lines to pull schoolboys from flooded storm channels. But today, helicopter pilot Tony Pachot just wants to pull off one final soft landing. The pioneering Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department flier will end a 33-year career. Pachot, the Sheriff's Department's first black pilot, will have plenty of tales to tell. The department's 25 pilots strap pistols to the waists of their flight suits when they lift off, prepared to chase down lawbreakers over 4,000 square miles of county territory. Pachot, 60, of Ladera Heights, became a sheriff's deputy as a reaction to being stopped in 1970 by a pair of Los Angeles police officers for an allegedly burned-out license plate light. It was pouring rain and the water company salesman was dressed in suit and tie as he traveled to meet his future wife, Darlene, for dinner. The police would not let him retrieve an umbrella from his car. And then they appeared to purposely drop his car registration into the street's overflowing gutter. That is when he decided to become a cop so that others would not have to be treated this way. His move to the sheriff's Aero Bureau came from a desire to fly the department's fixed-wing airplanes. Pachot had a private pilot's license and figured he could help ferry prisoners around and do aerial surveillance work. When he found out that all sheriff's pilots are required to have a "rotocraft" rating, he set out to learn how to fly helicopters. Pachot, who hopes to start a helicopter charter company, said he'll miss the view from his sheriff's copter cockpit.
LOS ANGELES - The City Council decided against reducing the size of next month's Los Angeles Police Department Academy class, an action that would have saved nearly $700,000 this budget year and more than $3 million in the year that begins July 1. The additional officers will contribute to an aggressive expansion of the LAPD, pushing beyond Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's goal of 226 new officers this year. But it also will add to the cost of a department that already takes one-quarter of the city's $4.4-billion general fund budget. Villaraigosa and the council were holding firm on the police issue even as the city's financial and policy analysts warned of the economic consequences. Chief Legislative Analyst Gerry Miller told the council that the cost of more police, along with fire and sanitation services, would require cuts of up to 14% in all other departments in the coming budget year. The reductions would come on top of cuts of as much as 10% this fiscal year.
LOS ANGELES - More than three years after taking a tough-love stance on the nearly 110,000 bogus calls it received each year, the Los Angeles Police Department is still struggling to get the upper hand. The overall number of alarms has dropped, but nearly all are still false. Obsolete computer technology and understaffing, meanwhile, have left the department as overwhelmed as ever, failing to collect millions of dollars in fines each year from often belligerent home and business owners. Los Angeles is a city obsessed with protecting itself. Dozens of companies, with names such as Sentry Tech and Protection One, serve an estimated quarter of a million homes and offices that are equipped with wired locks, secret pass codes and panic buttons. The systems can be valuable crime deterrents for residents, but police complain that they are a tremendous drain on their resources. The issue came to a head in 2003, when police responded to 109,295 alarm calls -- about 13% of all calls for assistance that year -- and nearly 106,000 of them were false. Police Chief William J. Bratton, already trying to make do with an undersized force, tried to push through a new policy calling for officers to respond to alarms only when there was clear evidence that a break-in was occurring. Too much time and too many resources, Bratton said, were wasted on wild goose chases. But Angelenos and the security industry erupted in protest, lighting up the phones of City Council members. The council took the unusual step of vetoing the LAPD's proposed policy and appointed a task force, which produced the compromise that went into effect three years ago. The city ordinance imposed the two-false-alarm limit and requires operators at security companies to try to contact clients on at least two phone numbers to see if an alarm should be canceled before the LAPD is sent. It also imposed an increasingly steep scale of fines for each false alarm, starting at $115 for the first offense. For those who do not get an alarm permit required by the city, the fines are much higher. In one way, the plan has worked for police. By last year, the number of times police were dispatched to an alarm call had plummeted to 59,482. Most notably, although the overall number of alarms is down, the rate of false calls has held steady at about 97%. More than 4,500 addresses tallied three or more false alarms last year. Topping the list is a building on Hill Street in downtown L.A. -- home to scores of jewelry wholesale businesses that wrongly summoned police 253 times in 2007. The response by officers can be significant, especially at night when helicopters are sometimes called in to check rooftops. There are nearly 33,000 delinquent bills from the last two years alone, totaling more than $11 million that the department has failed to collect -- roughly enough to pay a year's salary for 175 new officers.
UPDATED : February 26, 2008
PASADENA - The Pasadena Fire Department has been approved to purchase 2 new engines from Seagrave Manufacturing for a total cost of $957,301. By purchasing these units, the entire front-line will have enclosed cabs and meet NFPA and OSHA requirements. The Fire Department also was approved to purchase one Rescue Ambulance from Road Rescue in the amount of $157,566. This unit will replace RA-31.
BEVERLY HILLS - The Office of Homeland Security has awarded the City of Beverly Hills an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) allocation in the amount of $200,000 to purchase Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) equipment.
ARCADIA - Arcadia Fire has been approved to purchase 1 Chevrolet Suburban to replace Battalion 105. This unit will replace an existing 1992 Chevrolet Suburban. They are piggy-backing on a LASD order so the total will be $42,900. They are budgeted for $90,000 therefore the remaining money will be used to equip the unit with emergency lighting and communications equipment.
REDONDO BEACH - The Fire Department has been approved to purchase 2 new Chevrolet Suburbans for use as Battalion Chief vehicles. They have also been approved to purchase 1 new GMC Yukon to be used as a Fire Support unit.
MONTEBELLO - The Montebello Police Department has been approved to purchase the Data911/M6 Mobile Digital Computers (MDC's) that will allow the Police Department to secure the latest generation MDC's that are compatible with the New Work Systems Computer Aided Dispatch/Records Management System (CAD/RMS) software and wireless network. The Verizon Wireless network will provide the highest speed data transmission as well as system security management software for public safety use. The cost will be funded with a combination of Federal and State grant funds.
UPDATED : February 21, 2008
LOS ANGELES COUNTY - The nation's largest law enforcement aviation fleet might soon expand. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department aero unit is preparing a cost analysis to explore whether it would be more effective to maintain its current choppers or to purchase new ones. The unit, based out of Long Beach and which patrols the all of Los Angeles County, currently has 12 patrol-type helicopters, three rescue helicopters and three airplanes. A population boom in the north basin, in cities such as Palmdale and Santa Clarita, coupled with a lack of resources is what prompted the cost analysis. The cost analysis is expected to be completed within the next six months. The unit's existing budget is about $10.5 million. The patrol helicopters were purchased for about $2.4 million each in 2003. The rescue helicopters, Sikorsky H-3s, were acquired from the Navy in 1997. They were refurbished at $2 million each. The helicopters, which typically fly at 500 feet above the ground, are also used when there are vehicle pursuits and critical missing children. Rescue helicopters often make patrols over the San Gabriel Mountains. The patrol helicopters spend much of their time over areas such as Compton, Carson, Lennox and Century, as well as responding to calls coming out of the Industry station.
MONROVIA - The Monrovia Fire Department has been approved to purchase a new Chevrolet 2500 HD from Sierra Autocars, Inc., in the amount of 35,175.88. This vehicle will replace the current Patrol 101. The Monrovia Fire Department has also been approved to purchase a new Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid vehicle from Sierra Autocars, Inc., in the amount of $23,783.46
UPDATED : January 22, 2008
SOUTH PASADENA - Recognition of retirement goes to Sergeant Joseph Payne for 35 years of service to the South Pasadena Police Department.
WEST COVINA - Recognition of retirement goes to Corporal Andrew Hischar for 30 years of service to the West Covina Police Department.
UPDATED : January 15, 2008
LOS ANGELES - Hoping to slash some of the city's worst officer response times and boost police presence in the community, the LAPD has proposed shrinking the San Fernando Valley's sprawling patrol divisions. The proposal, expected to be reviewed by neighborhood councils and other civic groups for input, would lead to the most significant police-beat changes in the city in three decades. Essentially, the plan calls for carving out a separate Northwest Division from the sprawling Devonshire and West Valley divisions. The plan also would allow the LAPD to reduce the size of some of the busiest and most violent divisions, including Mission and Van Nuys. The idea is to let police spot and focus on more serious crime. One of the primary objectives of the plan is to bring the Valley's high average officer response times closer in line with the city average of seven minutes. Currently, the Valley's is about eight minutes. The changes come as part of a voter-backed, five-year LAPD building expansion that added a new bomb squad facility, operations bureau and police station in the Valley. It also funded several other stations outside the Valley and a new jail downtown. The additional $380 million Canoga Park station is set to open later this year. The Los Angeles Police Department's Valley Bureau has the most stations - seven with the new division - of any of the department's four bureaus. The Valley Bureau serves 1.3 million people and covers about 220 square miles from West Hills to Studio City. San Fernando Valley leaders have long complained that the area was under-policed, given its size and population. The new Canoga Park station will add 75 officers to the 1,852 officers already in the Valley. But LAPD officials cautioned that they are not adding more officers on the street, merely adding more uniformed officers to staff the station.
UPDATED : January 10, 2008
WEST COVINA - A new fire chief will start work Monday in West Covina. Paul Segalla, 46, has been in fire fighting since 1983. Most recently, he spent two years overseeing new fire officer training at the University of Illinois' Fire Service Institute. From 2002 to 2005, he was Fire Chief of Lockport Township, near Chicago. Segalla is friends with West Covina's previous fire chief, Richard Elliot, who retired in November. Segalla said he decided to apply for the position after hearing Elliott's praise for the city. Segalla will leave Naperville, Illinois on Sunday to come to California.
UPDATED : December 21, 2007
SIERRA MADRE- Starting July 1, police officers will see bigger numbers on their paychecks, assuming the city's proposed utility tax initiative passes in April. After four years of fruitless negotiations, officials from the city and the Sierra Madre Police Officers Association reached a sort of quid pro quo contract agreement this week: In exchange for the union members' support of an April ballot measure that would increase the city's utility tax, police will receive a 24 percent pay hike over three years. For officers to receive the salary increase, union officials agreed to write a ballot argument in support of the proposed utility tax hike, which would increase from 6 percent to 12 percent if approved by voters. The three-year deal, approved Tuesday by council and union officials, gives union members an average salary increase of 9 percent, starting July 1, followed by an average 8 percent increase in the second year and 7 percent in the third. The utility tax, which requires a simple majority to pass, would bring in about $1.5 million a year for the city. There is a bail-out clause of sorts in the agreement, just in case the city doesn't get the expected tax revenue over the next few years. The memo notes that, in the event the city's annual revenue of combined sales and property tax declines more than 3 percent in any fiscal year compared to the preceding fiscal year, the council can reduce or eliminate any subsequent salary increases.
UPDATED : December 19, 2007
REDONDO BEACH - The Redondo Beach Police Department has been approved to purchase (3) 2008 Chevrolet Impalas, (1) 2008 Ford Crown Victoria, and (1) Dodge Charger from Wondries Fleet Division for a total cost of $113,691. The three Impalas (units 605, 608, 683), the Crown Vic (unit 609), and the Dodge Charger (unit 612) will be delivered to the Police Department to replace existing vehicles that have outlived their useful lives.
TORRANCE - The Torrance Fire Department in cooperation with the Firefighters Association was approved to staff a 5th rescue ambulance based out of Station #5. This is the creation of a 24-hour paramedic unit with a annual funding mark set at $365,000. The implementation date will be set for February 3rd, 2008. The agreement for implementation of the 5th unit has set the following:
- Move 3 firefighters from the Air & Light unit to the Paramedic Rescue as FF/PM
- Move 3 firefighters from the Hazmat unit to the Paramedic Rescue as FF/PM
- The 2 remaining firefighters from the Hazmat Team will be retained until they are absorbed through attrition
- Add the Air & Light Engineer to the Hazmat Team
- Assign all Hazmat Engineers (9) Shift Cause & Origin Investigation duties.
- The Fire Dept. will continue to make every reasonable effort to call/hire employees to maintain the current level of staffing
LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles' police and fire departments defied Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's call to cut their budgets for next year and instead proposed major spending increases Tuesday to improve public safety and emergency services. Commissions that govern the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Fire Department said they could not submit budget proposals with the 8 percent reduction requested by the mayor without imposing draconian cuts, including layoffs. Instead, both agencies submitted budget requests to the Mayor's Office that call for increases - $250 million more for the LAPD and $72 million for the LAFD. Funding for the agencies represents more than half the city's total general fund budget. If adopted, the Police Department would have a budget of $1.5 billion while the Fire Department would have $607 million. Police Commissioner John Mack said the LAPD needs the money in its proposed budget to fund programs required under a federal consent decree and to meet the mayor's goal of reducing crime. The commission believed it needed to also pay for an in-car camera system to monitor officers for incidents of potential excessive force or racial profiling. The LAFD is coping with demands for massive reform after audits by Controller Laura Chick that found continuing problems with racial and sexual harassment. At the same time, demands on the Fire Department - particularly emergency medical care - are rising with the closure of the emergency room at King-Harbor Hospital and the shutdown of other hospitals in the region. Fire Chief Douglas Barry said he has yet to quantify what an 8 percent reduction would mean for services and whether any fire stations would have to close. The LAFD budget was described as already lean, with most of the proposed increases being used for salary boosts and infrastructure improvements.
UPDATED : December 12, 2007
MANHATTAN BEACH - The Fire Department has been approved to purchase a 2008 paramedic rescue ambulance from Leader Industries for $81,349,87. The fire department currently maintains a fleet of four ambulances: one front-line Advanced Life Support (ALS), one Basic Life Support (BLS), and two reserves which can be used for ALS or BLS. The current front-line ALS unit was purchased in 2003. Ideally, these vehicles are kept in front-line service for a period of three years, then transferred to less intensive use (reserve status or BLS).
LOS ANGELES COUNTY - Helicopter Association International (HAI) is proud to announce this year’s Igor I. Sikorsky Humanitarian Award recipient as the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, Air Operations Section, Pacoima, California. The Los Angeles County terrain can be as diverse as the rugged San Gabriel Mountains, the vast high desert of the Antelope Valley, the islands of Catalina and San Clemente, and the expansive coastline and scenic beaches that make up the greater Los Angeles area. During the fall and winter months, the department routinely battles the destructive wind-driven “Santa Ana” wildfires that push down from the high-desert area to the coastline. The unit has pioneered the use of helicopters in wildland firefighting and is still a leader today in the use of aircraft in urban areas. In 2006, the department battled 405 wildfires and dropped nearly two million gallons of water and retardent. In addition to their expertise in firefighting, the department has been a major player in Emergency Medical Services (EMS) operations since 1967. In 2006, they transported more than 1,222 patients, performed more than 30 hoist rescues, and flew just over 15,000 passengers. August 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the Air Operations Section of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. From their humble beginnings with a single Bell 47 to the present day fleet of three Sikorsky S-70 Firehawks, six Bell 412s, and a Bell 206 JetRanger, the Air Operations Section has been serving the citizens of Los Angeles County with pride. During that time, the unit has flown well over 100,000 hours in support of operations in and around the Southern California area. With more than 4,600 personnel and 179 fire stations, the department is the largest county fire department in the United States, and its population base of 11 million makes Los Angeles County one of the most populated regions in the country. To ensure safety, pilots work closely with firefighters and paramedic crews. Chief Anthony Marrone credits the staff for the section’s safety record. Marrone points out, “We have a great group of dedicated pilots, firefighters, paramedics, and mechanics, that is why we have one of the safest operations in North America.” We congratulate the dedicated men and women of the Air Operations Section as they continue to save lives, protect property, battle wildfires, and provide outstanding service for the next 50 years. All winners will be recognized at HELI-EXPO 2008’s annual “Salute to Excellence” Awards Banquet on February 25, 2008 at 8:00 p.m. in Houston Texas.
UPDATED : December 5, 2007
MONTEBELLO - It was appropriate that Police Chief Garry Couso-Vasquez announced his retirement at a community function Tuesday. During his eight-year tenure, Couso- Vasquez, 57, has been known for his community involvement. He notified the 125-member department last week about his decision, which was prompted by undisclosed health issues. Although a few in the audience of residents, business members and elected officials knew about the pending retirement, the majority did not. There was an audible gasp from one section of the banquet room when Couso-Vasquez made the announcement. Couso-Vasquez, who was also celebrating his 57th birthday, started his law enforcement career in 1972 as a reserve police officer in the Montebello Police Department. He has a total of 36 1/2 years working with the same city and agency he grew up in. In 1974 he joined the Los Angeles Police Department where he was assigned to patrol the Southwest, Wilshire and Hollenbeck areas. Couso-Vasquez, who's earned gold and silver medals in the Western States Police and Fire Games in bodybuilding, also served six years in LAPD's elite SWAT team. He admitted that he had taken the Montebello Police Department as far as he could. He has earned a Medal of Valor from both the Los Angeles Police Department and the Montebello Fire Department. As for new challenges for Couso- Vasquez, who lives in Whittier with his wife, Helen, retirement may include a run for the Whittier City Council and an advisory role in private or federal security systems.
ARCADIA - Police took to the streets Thursday - not to nab crooks but to protest a lack of a labor contract. Saying their contract expired four months ago and the city has yet to make a suitable offer, about 50 Arcadia Police Department officers and detectives waved signs at Foothill Boulevard and Santa Anita Avenue, asking passing motorists to support local police. The sticking point is over salaries, with the officers saying the Arcadia department is among the lowest-paying in the San Gabriel Valley. They said the department has lost 12 officers over the past two years who left for more lucrative law enforcement jobs in surrounding cities. The rush of officers out the door could jeopardize public safety, as well as the lives of officers. The department has 15 vacancies. In August, the city offered police a 16.4 percent raise over three years; then earlier this week, it offered a 22 percent raise over four years. Both of which the police association rejected.
BURBANK - Burbank Fire will be accepting a Wildland Type 6 Fire Patrol awarded by the Fireman's Fund Heritage Grant program. Fireman's Fund Insurance company has a philanthropic mission to support firefighters for safer communities through the Heritage program. The Verdugo mountain range borders the eastern aspect of the city and encompasses many homes within Burbank. In order to address the threat of the high-risk hillside areas, the Burbank Fire Department requested grant funds in the amount of $85,005. The DeWitt Stern Group identified the Burbank Fire Department as a candidate for the 2007 Fireman's Fund Grant. With the increasing threat of brush fires in the region, staff felt it was prudent to direct funds toward reducing this risk in our local area. A Wildland Fire Patrol would allow for a more rapid response than a type 1 fire engine over these steep and arduous fire roads.
UPDATED : November 27, 2007
PASADENA - In front of friends, family and a group of about 20 fire officials, two firefighters were promoted to the rank of engineer this week. David Marquez and Tim Okimura both joined the Pasadena Fire Department on the same day in June 2002 - and both achieved the milestone together. As engineers, the two will drive fire engines and operate water pumps on the vehicles. They also will serve as second-in-command at fire scenes. Their promotion ceremony took place at Fire Station No. 31. Pasadena Fire Chief Dennis Downs called each man up and spoke a bit about his accomplishments before awarding him the engineer badge. With a large number of retirements from the force in recent years, Downs said he is noticing a trend of less-tenured firefighters assuming higher positions.
MONTEBELLO - The Montebello Fire Department has added two battalion chiefs to the department to enable it to run more efficiently, officials said. Captains Kevin Collinge and Dominic Hebert have been promoted and will start their new assignments by the end of the year. The 76-member department now has four battalion chiefs. Hebert, who will have administrative duties, will oversee the training of all the shifts in the department and the Emergency Medical Service program. Both Hebert and Collinge have served in the department for more than 20 years. The raise in pay for the new battalion chiefs will be absorbed in the city's 2007-08 budget by an unfilled opening in the department and the pending retirement of a current battalion chief. There is also a fiscal advantage to the hires because there will be less overtime, since each shift needs a battalion chief. If the City Council had not promoted them, the department would have had a gap with the retirement of the battalion chief and would've had to spend time and money recruiting.
UPDATED : November 1, 2007
BALDWIN PARK - After six months of negotiations, police officers agreed to a contract proposal that will include a 2.5 percent pay increase. But the Baldwin Park Police Association is still unsatisfied with the one-year agreement. The group represents 61 sworn officers and sergeants, and about 20 non-sworn staff members. According to the agreement, sworn officers will get a 2.5 percent pay increase and a $1,250 medical cap. The medical cap is the amount of money officers receive each month to pay for medical insurance for themselves and their families. If unused, any or all of the money can be cashed out. Under the existing contract - which was adopted in 2004 - salaries for police officers range between $4,156 and $5,570 a month, according to city documents. Salaries for sergeants are between $5,157 and $6,910 a month. The current medical cap is $950. Officers said despite having accepted the agreement, the offer is not up to par with what they feel they deserve. Officers are referring to another offer - a 5 percent raise, but no increase in the medical cap.
UPDATED : October 24, 2007
Los Angeles
County Fire Modification
to Response Matrix (Battalion Chiefs)
UPDATED : October 20, 2007
BEVERLY HILLS - City Manager Roderick Wood has appointed Timothy J. Scranton, a veteran firefighter and current assistant chief, as the City's new fire chief. Scranton succeeds Fire Chief Dale Geldert, who contributed tremendous expertise over the past year in assisting in the department's leadership transition and reorganization. Scranton began his career 24 years ago as a firefighter for the City of Alhambra, where he also served as a fire engineer. He came to Beverly Hills as a firefighter in 1986 and became a fire engineer four years later. He served as a fire captain from 1994 to 2006, specializing in the areas of fire suppression and training. In 2006, he was appointed battalion chief heading the Fire prevention bureau and this year became an assistant fire chief. He holds a bachelor's degree in occupational studies from California State University, Long Beach. Scranton was selected for the fire department's top post after a rigorous, internal recruitment process that involved several highly qualified candidates. The process included multiple screenings and several interview panels composed of the Mayor, Vice Mayor and Executive management staff, the Beverly Hills Fire Department, the Beverly Hills Fire Association, the Beverly Hills community and an external City Fire Chief. Scranton thanked City officials for the opportunity to lead the Beverly Hills Fire Department. The Beverly Hills Fire Department includes 91 dedicated employees, three fire stations and 16 active and reserve apparatus. The Department is one of only a few in the nation to earn the 'Class 1' rating by the Insurance Services Office.
UPDATED : October 17, 2007
REDONDO BEACH - The Redondo Beach Police Department held a retirement ceremony for Kirby, a police dog that recovered large amounts of drugs and money. Mayor Mike Gin presented Kirby, a black Labrador, with a retirement badge and a new chew toy at a City Council meeting. Kirby was involved in more than 700 searches where she helped recover 400 pounds of marijuana, 33 kilograms of cocaine, five pounds of methamphetamine, four pounds of heroin, more than 5,000 ecstasy pills and more than $100,000. Kirby was born in Arizona in January 2000 where she lived with a family that cared for her as a puppy. She was trained as a search and rescue dog for a year, and then her family could no longer take care of her. A trainer for Kirby was found and she moved to Bakersfield to begin training as a narcotics dog. In May 2001, Redondo Beach Police Department Officer Kevin McCamy heard about Kirby, and visited her at canine school, where they quickly bonded. Kirby and McCamy trained together for several weeks, and she graduated with honors of June 2001. Kirby will continue to live with McCamy during her retirement.
UPDATED : October 12, 2007
PASADENA - The Pasadena Fire Department recently
added some new equipment to their arsenal with the purchase of
two thermal imaging cameras, courtesy of a $21,000 grant. The
two essential items were made available through money provided
by insurance provider Bolton & Company the Fireman's Fund
Insurance Co., which gives grants to fire department's
throughout the nation. Along with financing the cameras,
leftover grant funds will go toward department programs,
officials said. The camera's cost about $10,000 apiece,
officials said. The imaging cameras give firefighters a type of
superhuman power, allowing them to see through walls and heavy
smoke. Using technology that recognizes heat, the thermal
imaging camera can detect the amount of heat put out by an
object, allowing firefighters to see fire that may be out of
sight. But even more important, the equipment can help them find
people trapped in a fire through their body heat. Fireman's Fund
officials hope to make things a little easier on the nation's
fire departments by helping them pay the costs of the equipment
SAN GABRIEL - The City Council has approved improvements to both Fire Stations including plumbing, kitchen, phone system, day room, turnout lockers and a carport for Station 51. The City of San Gabriel will also add two new police officer positions enhancing the department’s responsiveness to calls for service and will increase patrol officers undedicated time to engage in patrol activities.
SAN MARINO - San Marino Police Chief Gary Isaacs was
recognized last night by the San Marino City Council for his 27
years of service to the community. Isaacs announced his
retirement in March pending the announcement of his replacement.
BEVERLY HILLS - Officer Richard Schwab will be retiring from the Beverly Hills Police Department with 25 years of service to the City.
MONROVIA - Monrovia’s Fire Department has received the go-ahead from the Los Angeles County Emergency Medical Services Agency to convert a fire engine to a Paramedic Assessment Unit, thus adding a third paramedic response element to its services. The department’s Engine 101 will be stocked with paramedic supplies and have a State Certified Paramedic assigned to the truck, thereby allowing for quicker patient assessments and treatment. Monrovia operates a dedicated paramedic unit from Station 101 and a paramedic engine from Station 102. This adds a third responding unit, operating out of the headquarters station in Old Town. Monrovia has more than enough certified paramedics on staff to handle the additional unit, so there will be no need to hire addition personnel.
MONTEBELLO - The Montebello Police Department has established a new plan to deploy officers, based on the community's needs, officials said. The plan will be in full force by the end of the month with the addition of a new officer. The intent is to have one veteran officer reassigned to the Crime Suppression Unit once the new officer is trained. The unit, which currently has six officers and a sergeant, handles graffiti and gang problems. The new strategy provides a stable policing and tactical operation that is flexible so officers can quickly respond to spikes in crime or any unusual crime pattern that develops. The goal is to get rid of taggers that terrify neighborhoods. Taggers are no longer just those who deface property, but are part of gangs. And the punishment is changing to fit the crime. If the damage is extensive enough, taggers can be charged with a felony. Other units in the new plan includes a retail enforcement officer, a narcotics unit and a counter officer. Residents and businesses will see an overall increase in service with the implementation of this plan.
BEVERLY HILLS - Beverly Hills Fire Chief Dale Geldert has announced that he will retire from the department by the end of the year after nearly two years with the City. Geldert joined the City of Beverly Hills in March 2006, coming out of retirement to assist in the transition and reorganization of the fire department. The exact date of Geldert's retirement is under discussion. The City will begin a recruitment process to hire a new chief. Prior to joining the City, Geldert served as director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) and has had more than 40 years of firefighting and administrative experience for a variety of agencies in California and nationally. He served as county fire chief for Merced County, and fire chief and deputy city manager for the city of Oceanside. He also served as international fire marshal for the U.S. Department of State. He was appointed by Gov. Pete Wilson to the Board of Forestry in 1996 and by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2004 to head the CDF.
UPDATED : October 11, 2007
MONROVIA - The City Council has approved the expenditure of $32,598 to purchase and install Automatic Vehicle Location (AVL) software on 16 of its patrol vehicles. Implementation of the AVL system will allow dispatchers to see in real time the exact location of all patrol units, allowing dispatchers to send the closest officer to a call when time is of the essence. It enhances officer safety if one of the officers needs immediate assistance, he need only press an emergency button on either his mobile or portable radio and the dispatcher will be able to see the location of the car and dispatch the closest units. Funds for the equipment and software are being allocated from the Police Department's Cellular Site Rental Special Project Account, which accumulates revenue received from two cell phone companies who rent space on the communications tower behind the Police Department.
PASADENA - The City Council has approved $388,734 from the General Fund unappropriated fund balance to the Police Department to add three Police Officers, one Sergeant, two vehicles with fuel, maintenance and replacement costs. The fiscal year 2008 budget added three Police Officers to Patrol to replace officers transferred to special details and new programs in response to emerging issues. The adopted budget also recommended that additional officers be added in fiscal year 2009. Appropriation of these funds now will allow the Department to add these positions six months earlier than originally expected. This action will support the Department's ability to provide timely responses, remain proactive at suppressing crime and enhance community policing efforts.
BURBANK - The Dewitt Stern Group and Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company (Fireman’s Fund®) awarded a $157,218 grant to the Burbank Fire Department, to fund the construction of a flashover fire survival facility. When completed, this facility will enable firefighters to experience real-life flashover fire situations. Nearly all firefighters involved in structural firefighting will experience a flashover situation during their career. Flashover fires are sudden, dramatic changes in fires that can cause great damage and threaten firefighters' lives. In fact, flashover fires are the second leading cause of death to firefighters. This grant will fund the construction of the facility, classroom-style tables and chairs, personal protection equipment (helmets, self-contained breathing apparatus, turnout gear) for use in training, and storage. The facility will be used by 11 cities in Area "C" including Alhambra, Burbank, Glendale, Monrovia, Monterey Park, Pasadena, San Gabriel, San Marino, Sierra Madre, and South Pasadena. These cities represent over 800,000 residents covering over 126 square miles. As of October, 2007, the facility has been completed.
UPDATED : October 3, 2007
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