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 VOL. XCVIV April 2023 NO. 8

• FEATURES •
LAFD Drones—Pilot up! • .............................................06

CII Robert Borgman Turns 100 • .................................09

Our Most Valuable Commodity • .................................10

• CONTENTS •
President’s Message • ...........................................................................05
Battalion News • .....................................................................................13
Fed’s Shrinking Balance Sheet • ..........................................................37
US Police & Fire Championship • ..........................................................38
Fight For Air
LAFD Stepped up • .............................................................................41
The Coasters
Electric Vehicle • ................................................................................43
The Station Fridge • ...............................................................................45
Retirement Dinner Announcements • ....................................................46
Retired Guy
Mad Scientist • ....................................................................................47
LAFRA Mail • .........................................................................................48
Memorials • ...........................................................................................50
Mirror/Mirror • ........................................................................................51
LAFD History
Two Platoons • ...................................................................................52
Firefighters First Annual Report • ..........................................................54
Donations • ...........................................................................................57
Minutes of the Board of Trustees • ........................................................55
Classifieds • ...........................................................................................58
Tailboard
Ambulance Drivers • ............................................................................61

Notice: Production of The Firemen’s Grapevine magazine is very expensive, and while your dues
serve to underwrite a portion of the magazine’s costs, the bulk of funding comes from advertisers.
Many businesses advertise in the Grapevine. This does not mean that LAFRA endorses these
advertisers. Use of a Grapevine advertiser is at the risk of the member. If you are interested in any
of the advertisements, we urge you to use any and all means at your disposal to investigate them.

COPYRIGHT © 2023
Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association.
No material may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.

2 • April 2023
 On the cover: A vacant one-story commercial in NoHo. Photo | Ismael Miranda

Photo Inset: LAFD responded to a reported vehicle over the side of a cliff. Photo | Henry Berkson

April 2023 • 3
 FIREMEN’S GRAPEVINE
owned and published by the
Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association
7470 N Figueroa Street, Los angeles CA 90041

EDITORIAL STAFF
John Hicks • Managing Editor............................................editor@lafra.org
Eric Santiago • Creative Editor...............................................eric@lafra.org
Display Advertising.................................................(323) 259-5200 ext. 231

PSO’s
Erik Scott, Nicholas Prange, Margaret Stewart

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Art Sorrentino, Deborah Lew, Tom Brennan, Mark Khitikian

PHOTOGRAPHERS
Gary Apodaca, David Blaire, Brandon Buckley, Chris Eckenrode, 564 Fire, Greg
Doyle, Harry Garvin, Steve Gentry, Yvonne Griffin, Kevin Johnson, Justin Johnson,
Gavin Kaufman, Rick McClure, Mike Meadows, Kyle Rausch, Jacob Salzman,
Peter Sanders, Adam VanGerpen, Zak Holman

LOS ANGELES FIREMEN’S RELIEF ASSOCIATION

Chris Stine .............................................................President
Jim Duffy ........................................................Vice-President
Jim Dolan, Steve Ruda & Gene Bednarchik.......Community Affairs Liaisons

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Brian Wall Jeff Halloran Milton Quintana
Cesar S. Garcia John Jacobsen Paul Duke
Craig White John Marasco Steve Berkery
Danny Wu Juan Albarran Steve Tufts
Frank Aguirre Kenny Breskin Steven Jones
Henry Gasbarri Leon Dunn Tim Freeman Jr.
JD Fox Mike Sailhamer Tyler Tomich

CHAPLAINS
To contact a chaplain, please call Senior Chaplain, Tim Werle at
(213) 797-2404 or the MFC Floor Captain at (213) 576-8920

Kevin Smith..........................Chaplain Tim Werle............................Chaplain

Danny Leon..........................Chaplain Mark R. Wolf......................Chaplain
George A. Negrete..............Chaplain Jesus Pasos.........................Chaplain
Daniel Lee............................Chaplain Rick Godinez........................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
Vacant • Human Resources Director.........................(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

HealthComp
Claims & Benefit Information...................................(866) 99-LAFRA
THE FIREMEN’S GRAPEVINE (USPS 191-060) is published monthly by the Los Angeles Firemen’s
Relief Association, 7470 N Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, Cal­i­for­nia 90041. Annual $48 Subscription
included with Association mem­ber­ship; Non-members: $48. Single issues $4 postpaid. Back issues $7
postpaid. Pe­ri­od­i­cals post­age paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing office. POST­MAS­TER: Send
ad­dress changes to: THE FIREMEN’S GRAPE­VINE Magazine, P.O. BOX 41903, Los An­ge­les, CA 90041.

Printed by Collective Color, Los Angeles CA. For Clas­si­fied and Display Ad­ver­tis­ing rates please call (323)
259-5200, ext. 231 or 232. All editorial matter must be received by the Editor eight weeks prior to the month of
pub­li­ca­tion. The opin­ions ex­pressed here­in are those of the writ­ers and do not nec­es­sar­i­ly reflect the official
views of the Los An­ge­les City Fire De­part­ment or the Los An­ge­les Firemen’s Relief Association.

4 • April 2023
 The word “April” comes from the Latin verb, “Aperire”
meaning “to open.” From health awareness to art, fine cuisines,
and music, April is a month worth celebrating (maybe with the
exception of Tax Day). Oh, and we can’t forget about April Fool’s
Day. Starting the month with some friendly pranks always re-
minds us not to take everything so seriously.
Members, you should have received a Member Summary
Report last month. What is included in your Member Summary
Report and why do you need to review it? This report will provide
you with all the current information that LAFRA has on file for
you. This document includes your current Relief dues, life and
accident coverage, and/or (LTC) long term care coverage if pur-
chased above the base coverage. While you are reviewing this
document, please pay close attention to the last line item which is
the amount, if any, you are contributing to the Widows, Orphans,
and Disabled Firefighters Fund. If you are contributing, please
consider increasing that amount or if you are not contributing,
please open your hearts and start your monthly deduction today
for this great organization that continues to help our Widows, Or-
phans, and Disabled Firefighters.
The medical committee and full Board approved the 2023
plan renewal at the March board meeting. The rate increase for
LAFRA’s PPO plan for retirees will be 5.97%, and for the active
PPO plan, the increase will be 3.49%. These increases will be ef-
fective July 1, 2023. According to the latest MOU there is a 5.0%
subsidy increase that is still due that will increase the current sub-
sidy in July 2023. LAFRA did present our plan to the LAFPP last
month for approval as this is part of our contractual obligation.
We have provided all documentation requested and are awaiting a
decision from LAFPP on what the increase in subsidy will be for
this plan next year. This item will be on the agenda at the April
6, 2023, LAFPP meeting. LAFRA will provide updated rates as
soon as we are provided with those changes from LAFPP. If you
are currently enrolled in our Kaiser HMO plan and are an active
member you will see an increase in premium of 10.09%.
If you are Medicare eligible you will see a decrease of
-1.06%, and if you are a non-Medicare retiree you will see an
increase of 10.11%. Just as a reminder, Kaiser has control over
plan design changes and rate increases for the Kaiser HMO plan.
LAFRA only collects the premiums and acts as a pass through
for the Kaiser HMO plan. Now is the time to review each plan
offered to you and see what works best for you.
Open enrollment is once again upon us and April is the
time to make any needed changes to your medical coverage,
which includes LAFRA PPO Medical and Kaiser plans. Open
enrollment will occur this month for coverage effective July 1,
2023. You should soon be receiving an open enrollment package.
If you need additional info, please reach out to Member Services.
Open enrollment is the time to add or delete dependents and join
a medical plan for Firefighters by Firefighters. If you do not take
advantage of this open enrollment period, you will have to wait
until the next period in October, unless you have an IRS qualify-
ing event like a marriage or the birth of a child.
CORE LTC BENEFIT FOR ACTIVE MEMBERS
Active members enrolled in the PPO medical plan are au-
tomatically enrolled in the Long Term Care (LTC) Core Plan,
which provides a $1,500 monthly benefit for facility or home care
for up to two years after a 90-day elimination period. Core cover-
age is guaranteed and paid for by LAFRA. Buy-ups are avail-
able (upon approval of medical underwriting) including higher
monthly benefits, longer benefit duration periods, and cost of liv-
ing adjustments for you and your eligible family members.
CORE LTC BENEFIT FOR RETIRED MEMBERS
Retired members and surviving spouses can apply for cov-
erage in the LTC Core Plan, which provides a $1,500 monthly
benefit for facility and home care for up to two years after a 90-
day elimination period. You must complete a group application
which includes a statement of health and medical underwriting.
If you are approved for coverage, the Relief Association will con-
tribute $9.15 per month towards the cost of LTC Core Plan cover-
age.
To learn more about your LTC insurance, download the
FAQ pamphlet, or call UNUM at (800) 227-4165, and/or visit the
website at LAFRALTC.com, and click on the seminar tab.
Save the Dates:
• Lane Kemper-4/17
• Scholarship Exam Day- 4/22
• Pechenga Reunion- 5/22- 5/26
• Hope For Firefighters- 6/1
Christopher Stine
president@lafra.org
323.259.5202
April 2023 • 5
 UAS Drone, who are they? What
do they do? How do drones save lives and
property? We go inside the Los Angeles
City Fire Department’s Unmanned Aerial
Systems Program (UAS). Los Angeles’
elite firefighters are using the latest tech-
nology to transform and advance firefight-
ing techniques in their never-ending battle
to keep the public and firefighters safe.
Considered one of the top fire de-
partments in the world, the LAFD is iden-
tifying many uses for drones on the front-
lines. As the department gears up for each
new fire season and any number of other
potential disasters, they’re preparing and
training a top team of new drone pilots.
We take an exclusive, up-close look at the
program, its equipment and the advanced
skills it requires to operate these amazing
new unmanned aerial systems.

Tactical to Practical:
Some LAFD Drone Facts

Drones made their first official in-

cident-based flight during the Skirball Fire
in Bel Air in December of 2017. After ob-
taining a federal certificate authorization
to own and operate UAS, the LAFD turned
to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foun-
dation for a grant to purchase four drones.
The LAFD drone fleet started with two
DJI Matrice 100s and two DJI Phantom 4
Pros. One Matrice 100 is equipped with a
HD camera for area survey and the second
Matrice 100 has Forward Looking Infra-
red Radar (FLIR) to assess hotspots.
The LAFD is very sensitive to the con-
cerns regarding privacy and adheres to the
following criteria:
The UAS will not be used to moni-
tor or provide surveillance for law en-
forcement purposes. The UAS will only

6 • April 2023
be operated by trained, certified and li-
censed members in both operational and
observational capacities. UAS operators
will be focused on protecting firefighters
and those the Department serves either
through training or at active incidents.
(Source LAFD.Org)
What Are LAFD Drones Used For?
Each year, the Los Angeles City
Fire Department responds to nearly
470,000 calls for service. While many,
such as medical services calls, are not
high-risk emergency situations, there are
some significant incidents that pose a
great challenge to the LAFD, its firefight-
ers, its resources, and pose a considerable
safety threat to all involved, including the
affected community. It is during these
higher-risk calls that the unmanned aerial
systems, aka drones, can make the differ-
ence between life and death.
By their nature, emergencies such
as hazardous materials incidents, confined
space rescues, high/low angle rescues,
swift or moving water rescues or any other
expanded or extended incident, require
every available means of gathering infor-
mation to increase firefighter safety and
situational awareness. During these types
of calls, the complexity or scope requires
critical decision-making by the incident
commander and may pose a significant
risk to firefighter safety. At times, the use
of drones could be extremely beneficial.
Drone Mission Deployment
Some of the top situations where
the LAFD UAS team can be requested,
deployed and utilized include:
Structure fires – in particular,
buildings suspected of structural compro-
mise, possibly in the roof, walls or floors.
Hiker incidents - especially in wilderness
areas, where drones may assist with locat-
ing lost or injured persons who have called
911 while hiking, camping or climbing.
The drones also may help first respond-
ers confirm the safest and most effective
means of getting the rescue team to the
victims.
Swift water incidents – deploying
drones during heavy rains to help locate
trapped or injured people in swiftly mov-
ing water.
Wildfire mitigation – drones can
play a key role in GPS topographic map-
ping, planning and mitigating hazards, for
example, structure defense, perimeter con-
trol (hot spots) and to assess containment.
Natural disaster response and assessment
– UASs can accelerate the situational
awareness needed to begin the recovery
process. Drones may help collect informa-
tion through visual images sent back to
the incident command post, or Emergency
Operations Center for various agencies to
have a collective viewpoint of a disastrous
event. This strengthens the assessment
process by capturing community vulner-
abilities.
Hazardous material mitigation –
deployment of UASs with dual-purpose
sensor payload, high resolution camera to
identify containment areas and amount of
content for liquid spills or gas/chemical
sensors (sniffers) to collect air/environ-
ment samples for analysis and identifica-
tion.
Wide area search and rescue – uti-
lizing infrared sensors to locate a lost
person in low light, and tracking and de-
ploying resources in areas where radio or
cellular communication is impacted, di-
minished or unavailable.
Structure collapse/confined space
search and rescue – deployment of UASs
utilizing infrared sensors to provide night-
vision footage to track heat signatures of
bodies, pinpointing the locations of survi-
vors, and providing hazard assessment for
rescuers access and egress.
Planned training events – use of
drones for training exercises intended
to simulate any of the above mentioned
“real” scenarios. Use of UASs for train-
ing purposes shall be limited to events
that take place on LAFD property, such as
Drill Towers 40, 81 or 89, Frank Hotchkin
Memorial Training Center, live fire train-
ing, Jensen Filtration Plant, or local fire
stations.
Under NO circumstances will a
drone be operated while manned aircraft
are in operation.
Source: LAFD 2017
Additional Information:
• lafd.org/news/lafd-unmanned-aerial-
system-drone-demonstration
• facebook.com/LAFDUASPROGRAM
April 2023 • 7
 LAFRA

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8 • April 2023 Visit LAFRA.ORG/2021-LAFRA-Pechanga-Reunion for more details
 went rather uneventfully; he graduated Aircraft Service Unit was sent to Tinian in
from Franklin High in 1941. the war-torn archipelago, Mariana Islands,
After graduating, Bob worked for where he repaired PBYs and B-29s. While
Pacific Railroad near Yuma, AZ. earning on Tinian, every moonlit night Bob’s unit
65 cents an hour rebuilding ramshackled fended off Japanese aircraft bombing and
railroad bridges. A few months later Pearl strafed their position. On August 6, 1945,
Harbor was attacked and shortly thereafter a modified B-29 named the Enola Gay
he quit to become an arc welder. Once cer- took off from the Tinian airstrip where he
tified, Bob worked at Kaiser Shipyards in was assigned – destination: Hiroshima, Ja-
Richmond, Ca. building ships for a Navy pan. With the war now over, Bob was dis-
contractor. charged in November ‘45.
Bob received his draft notice in Once back in the states, Bob signed
1942, but before being conscripted he up for the “5220 Club” – a government
February 15, 2023 was just another joined the Navy. When Bob informed his program aimed at assimilating veterans
Wednesday for most Americans, but for boss he had enlisted the boss replied, “You back into society by granting them $20/
retired Captain II, Robert Borgman, it was knucklehead! You’re working for a Navy wk for 52 weeks. He then applied, inter-
a uniquely special day as he became part contractor – I could have gotten you a de- viewed and was hired by the phone com-
of a select group of individuals known as ferment for the rest of the war.” On De- pany. While still in training, he was told
Centenarians – people who have lived 100 cember 7, 1942, exactly one year after the LA City FD was hiring. Being unfamiliar
years or more. attack on Pearl Harbor, Bob entered the with the intermingling of LA County and
I recently visited Bob at his Oceans- Navy. City buildings in Downtown LA, Bob en-
ide home to discuss his 100-year voyage Following boot camp, Bob was sent tered the County Hall of Records and sub-
and found him to be in excellent health to Aviation Machinists Mates School (air- mitted his application – he had mistakenly
and with the mental acuity of someone craft mechanic) in Norman, OK. After a applied to the LACoFD and was subse-
thirty years his junior. He was articulate, year in various Ports O’ Call, his Combat quently hired in 1946.
amusing, and quite thoughtful as I sought
to unmask the many layers of his lengthy
journey.
Born February 15, 1923, Bob was
raised in a small house in Lincoln Heights,
just east of the downtown Shops. His fa-
ther was a machinist who also ran a ser-
OT! vice station in Burbank and his mother
was a homemaker; he also had two older
sisters. Despite raising a family in the
midst of the Great Depression, his hard-
working parents provided ample shelter,
two squares a day, and a loving family.
As a youngin, Bob did what most
kids do: attend school, tend to chores,
N
and play with friends. For pocket change
he worked at his dad’s gas station, shined
shoes, and sold newspapers. His goal was
to earn 15 cents a week so he could go to
the movies and still have five cents left
over for candy. When it came time for high
school, Bob asserts these years came and

April 2023 • 9
 Our children are our most valuable commodity.
Like other perishable items, however, the expiration on
childhood comes up very quickly. Soon they will be
out of the house, away from our influence, and making
their own decisions. So, before they pack their bags and
head off into the real world, here are a few life tips to
teach your children before they leave your care. You
may be wondering why an article like this is in this
magazine. Well, whether you are young on the job, or
nearing the end, I can almost guarantee that sometime
in your career you will work with another firefighter’s
child. If I need to explain further—have a talk with
your parents!
1. Teach them your family history—make sure
the grandparents have their input.
2. Take them on a date—that way they know how to
treat their potential mate in the future.
3. Why and how to save money - make them save a
little money. It will become habit.
10 • April 2023
4. How to set and reach goals - make them realistic but
not too easy. It’s always better when earned.
5. How to use tools—hand and power. Nothing is more
satisfying than building it yourself.
6. Gun safety - they don’t have to own one but they
should know how to handle one.
7. How to play golf and/or tennis - teaches patience
and finesse.
8. How - and more importantly why - to write a thank
you card.
9. How to drive a car - an Uber is not always available.
10. How to shave—if applicable.
11. How to have a disagreement with a person and walk
away still friends.
12. How to shop for food, although they will never out-
grow a Happy Meal—nor should they.
13. Why to vote - explain to them it’s a right
and a privilege.
14. Teach them to believe in something more
than themselves.
15. Teach them how to play poker—it’s not just a
card game.
16. Show them how to create a resume—they need
to get off your payroll.
17. Teach them how to read a map and they will
never be lost.
18. Explain how to pay a bill on time and why.
19. Make them paint a room and then make them do
another to get it right.
20. Why they should volunteer - you should be leading
by example on this one.
21. How to change a tire. AAA—really!
22. Explain generosity, then practice it yourself in
front of them.
23. How to book a trip.
24. How to cook a good burger on the grill—
there is nothing better!
25. How to make a good cup of coffee—
I shouldn’t have to explain this one to you!
These items may seem trivial to some of you, but
I can assure you, they are not. Life happens and we all
need advice and instruction from time to time. What
you teach your children now will impact not only their
lives, but yours as well, because children may grow up,
but they will always need their parents. Parenthood
doesn’t stop at 18. Parenthood is a life-long position.
Make it count!
April 2023 • 11
Paid Advertisement

Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association Medical Plan may cover this examination.
12 • April 2023 Contact your plan provider to verify.

It’s April Battalion Juaners, and we
all know what that means… biennial inspec-
tion. Now I’ve heard a lot of variations of this.
Most know it as “annual” which would mean
it happens every year. Some correct them and
say biannual inspection which is worse be-
cause that would mean it happens twice a year.
Yikes! I know everyone is gonna keep calling
it annual because it’s a pleasant nickname but
just remember… it’s biennial. Okay, I’m off my
soapbox and out of the weeds. I’d love to get
pictures of all the annual projects from around
the battalion to feature in next month’s article
so we can show the rest of the department the
pride we have. Also, we’ve had four years to
knock out our projects so there’s really no ex-
cuse to not have done anything. Transfers are
open and there’s gonna be plenty of movement
in and out of the battalion. Welcome to all of
those newcomers! There’s a lot to learn down
here but you’ll be better for it. Just watch out
for snake infestation at 4s. I’ve heard they’ve
learned how to use the CTS (Captain Transfer-
ring System). To all those leaving whether by
choice, by force, or promotion: au revoir (that’s
French for “trash out” or “adios,” I’m not re-
ally sure which). Now it’s time for the news.
Rookies say the darndest things, don’t they?
We’ve all heard our fair share of new mem-
bers adapting to the culture and terminology
of the LAFD and their almost ESL grasp on
our foreign language. For example, there’s two
roof kits on the truck (one with rubbish hooks
and one with nails) and I’ve seen someone grab
the wrong one when going to the roof (techni-
cally not wrong according to the SOG packet
but definitely not right). Then there’s the classic
pry bar vs. crowbar conundrum that Volume
3 puts us in. Anyone who’s been in construc-
tion knows what’s right for the rest of the world
but someone made a mistake 70 years ago, and
we’re sticking with it. This last one might be a
topper, though. A probationary firefighter was
at lineup recently, and it was his first day with
the crew. The captain asked him to introduce
himself and as most rookies do, they fumble
through it unsure of what information to pro-
vide. When he was done, the captain had a fol-
low up question. “Were you in the service?”
Exhilarated by the opportunity to provide
more proof of his prior experience and hope-
fully earn the crew’s trust, he replied, “Yes sir.
I was.” The captain was delighted and asked
which branch. The rookie proudly replied,
“The Forest Service!” You can guess what kind
of reaction he garnered from the 11 guys at the
table behind him. Next up, the “B” Shift at 9s
is following Skid Row tradition and decided
to burn up another rig. This is not nearly as
bad as the last time, but you would have hoped
it would be on something bigger than a rub-
bish fire… That’s all I’ve got this month. Make
sure your helmets aren’t modified, you clarify
terminology, don’t spot too close to trash fires,
and check in on guys that are off or going
through a tough time.
Send your annual projects and stories to:
battalionjuan@gmail.com
Battalion 1 companies do a little training to
prepare for the big one! Photo | LafdCentral
April 2023 • 13
 Each year your Relief Association awards
college scholarships to member dependents.
These include:
• The Leo K. Najarian Memorial Scholarship of $25,000
• The Bill Goss Scholarship of $15,000
• Three Relief Scholarship awards of $12,500
• Dennis Mendenhall Memorial Scholarship of $25,000

Online application available at lafra.org/scholarships

APPLICATION PERIOD EVALUATION & TESTING

Wednesday, March 1 until Friday, March 31, 2023 Saturday, April 22, 2023
(This filing is only for high school seniors and * qualified (participants will be notified)
college students, as per LAFRA policy)

APPLICATION DEADLINE
Friday, March 31, 2023at 5 PM PST

scholarship@lafra.org

14 • April 2023

Hello from Hollyweird. Battalion Juan
has given me some inspiration to write a lit-
tle something for us here in Battalion 5. First
off, I want to say how informative the Chief’s
seminars are. In the most recent edition, Chief
Drake said through a third party analysis of
our deployment model, we need “significantly
more rescues.” Shocker. I would have thought
that any member in the field would have been
able to tell him that, but sometimes you just
don’t like to hear it from your own people.
Next up on the list is a big farewell
to a Chief headed off to special duty in Risk
Management. This particular Chief has been
known to be big on uniforms. Lucky for him
everyone is aware of Frank’s dress code thanks
to the new notice. They also don’t run any call
there, so no excuse not to be suited and booted
at 6 A.M. sharp!
The Dukes are getting a new A/O on
the A shift. Going from slow to slower, nice! I
hope the year and a day A/O doesn’t treat new-
er members like he did when he was a year and
a day firefighter. While the Duke’s are gaining
a new A/O, they are also losing one. Congrats
to A/O Carver on the promotion. I wonder if
he’ll get away with only cooking one on his last
shift.
I also heard that a Captain at 76s was
trying to be a GG and move an RA from 29s.
The only problem was that him being a GG
meant that the RA had to receive some dam-
age to the front bumper. I’m sure it’s nothing a
karate chop couldn’t fix over at the Cobra Kai.
Any tips, tricks, or stories, send me an
email at hollywoodjohnny323@gmail.com
Until next time,
Johnny Hollywood
FF/PM Schultz, working on Engine 85, handles a
semi fire in 79’s first in. Photos | James Kaiser
Batt 13 meets Batt 6 on the border in
79’s first-in. Photo | James Anderson
April 2023 • 15
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YOU can purchase items on behalf of Widows & Orphans
for us to use in our fundraising efforts.

Simply visit our wishlist to see what

we’re currently looking for.

Any purchase you make will be

delivered directly to the Relief offices.

Visit givetoahero.org/amazon-wishlist to learn more.

16 • April 2023
 130 LAFD Firefighters confine and fully extinguish heavy fire within a 50’
x 100’ one-story automotive radiator repair firm. Photos | Ismael Miranda

Captain II Frank Larez says goodbye in style. Frank, we wish you

all the best in retirement! Photos | submitted by Cody Crippen
e. April 2023 • 17
18 • April 2023
 LAFD Swift Water Rescue members in their element!
Photo | David “Doc” DeMulle’

Engine 91 quickly extinguishes a parked sedan

involved in fire. Photos | Ismael Miranda

April 2023 • 19
 BENEFITING

AFTER CEREMONY RIDE

Mulholland Harley Davidson (for a POKER DRAW)

20 • April 2023
 Battalion 13 companies work to ventilate a
roof in 79’s first-in. Photo | James Anderson

Captain De La Torre manages his company on the A-side Firefighter Cibelli working on Engine 66 opens
of a well-involved structure. Photo | James Anderson up the hood of an auto. Photo | James Anderson

Engine 46 handles an auto fire.

Photo | James Anderson

April 2023 • 21
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22 • April 2023
Jason Willahan (64-B) & his wife Amanda welcomed
their son, Weston Patrick Willahan - born 01/07/2023

Light Force 89 made quick work of a

vehicle fire. Photo | Mike Meadows

Captain Kenneth Martinez enjoyed

his last day on LAFD on 2/28/2023
after completing 34 years of service.
Congratulations Ken. Beat that pension
system up for as long as you can!
Photo | Suey Teingerd

April 2023 • 23
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24 • April 2023
Firefighters extinguish flames in a vacant structure on Lankershim Blvd. Photos | Ismael Miranda

LAFD extinguishes the tractor of a big rig fully-involved in fire.

Photo | Mark Lassman

April 2023 • 25
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26 • April 2023
LAFD says goodbye to a great guy. FF/PM Gino Volta leaves us after only 22 years. Lucky
Man. Good luck in early retirement, Gino. We wish you only the best! Photos | Suey Tiengerd

April 2023 • 27
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 Members from Station 105 “C” take a little break from
training to pose for a group shot. Photo | Elan Raber

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Camaraderie! Photo | Elan Raber They both want to be Firefighters! Photo | Adam Van Gerpen

April 2023 • 29
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30 • April 2023
Members of Battalion 17 battle a structure fire in 104’s first in. Photos | Shane Salzman

April 2023 • 31
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32 • April 2023
LAFD ground and air companies along with LAFD Urban Search and Rescue with Heavy Rescue 3 to the
8500 block of Mulholland Drive for a reported vehicle over the side of a cliff. Photos | Henry Berkson

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April 2023 • 33
 Congratulations to Clint Cadena on his promotion Congratulations to Adam Davis on his promotion
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34 • April 2023
Congratulations to Jason Mastro on his promotion Congratulations to Craig Wobig on his promotion
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36 • April 2023

There’s plenty of news about rising
interest rates. Over the past several months,
you’ve become highly aware that mortgage
rates and corporate bond yields have increased
substantially from a year ago. Also, you prob-
ably know that this has been happening in part
due to the Fed’s actions to mitigate inflationary
pressures. Most understand the implications
for rising interest rates. Whether it’s related to
consumer debt or corporate bonds, rising inter-
est rates result in a higher cost to borrowers.
Imposing a higher cost should mean the deci-
sion to borrow money is a more challenging
one, which should then encourage consump-
tion back to levels supported without taking on
new debts.
But there’s another big dynamic at
work in the money markets today—one that
doesn’t get as much news. I’m referring to the
U.S. Federal Reserve Bank’s balance sheet,
which has been shrinking by $95 billion per
month since September 2022. This quantita-
tive tightening initiative (being referred to as
“QT2”) is not a precise tool—far from it. The
economic consequences of the Fed’s balance
sheet runoff are poorly understood. Here are
a few factors for investors and businesses to
consider as we progress through the next few
quarters.
Since the Fed initiated its QT2 policy
in June 2022 to reduce its balance sheet (which
had rapidly expanded during the pandemic-era
by Ivan Illan, Chief Investment Officer, AWAIM®
stimulus injections), total assets held by all
federal reserve banks are down only about
5% from its peak of nearly $9 trillion. Dur-
ing the same period, the yield on a 10-year
U.S. Treasury bond has ballooned over 100%
to around 3.55% (at the time of writing this
article). Nearly all the increases that have oc-
curred in interest rates to date could be attrib-
uted to the Fed’s increases in its fed funds rate.
With many hoping to see a reprieve from the
Fed’s rate hikes in the coming months, it would
be wise to remember that there’s another pro-
gram running in the background (QT2) which
may keep interest rates elevated for quite some
time. This could be good for debt buyers, while
troublesome for equity holders.
QT2 effectively removes the Fed as
the major player in the U.S. treasury and
mortgage-back securities markets. What hap-
pens to the price of any good or service when
its major buyer stops buying it? Simple supply
and demand economics indicate that prices
may move lower until an equilibrium point
is found. In the bond market, when prices go
down, yields increase (as price and yield move
inversely to one another). Thus far, we have
seen the marketplace impact of Fed funds rate
hikes, but once that policy tool hits the pause
button, there’s still QT2 underway. The impact
of the Fed having exited the bond marketplace
as a primary buyer could continue to be felt. Of
course, another buyer could pick up the slack
from the Fed’s policy change, but given the
size and breadth of the Fed’s balance sheet, it’s
highly unlikely.
Ultimately, consumers and businesses
should be aware that there’s another market
force working in the background that may have
as important an impact on sustaining higher
interest rates as had increasing the Fed funds
rate. I recommend that you have a clear under-
standing of your bond portfolio’s duration and
credit exposures. Though difficult to quantify,
an understanding of basic economics and sup-
ply/demand dynamics should warn capital al-
locators of the possibility of more challenging
times ahead. As the Fed seeks to exit its domi-
nant role in the capital markets, non-govern-
mental participants will likely be expected to
absorb this shift. With equity valuation models
heavily reliant on “risk-free” rates (for which
U.S. Treasury bonds are a standard proxy),
there’s even more reason to keep vigilant to an
occult driver of even higher interest rates.
The information provided here is not invest-
ment, tax or financial advice. You should con-
sult with a licensed professional for advice
concerning your specific situation. For more
information, please visit www.alignewealth.
com or call (310) 795-0622 to speak with an
investment advisor representative.
April 2023 • 37
38 • April 2023
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April 2023 • 39
 COME AND HONOR THE
2022 FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Fire Captain II
Paul Egizi
Thursday, April 20, 2023, 12 Noon at the
Millennium Biltmore Hotel
Downtown Los Angeles
506 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California
90071, USA
Please RSVP to (833) 522-3321 ext 3 by April 18, 2023

Tickets are available for $45.00 per person

Tables of ten are available for $400.00
NO TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR, ONLY PICKED-UP
LIMITED SEATING

PLEASE MAKE YOUR CHECK OUT TO THE

LOS ANGELES CITY FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION

MAIL CHECK TO:

LAFFA
c/o Jim Dolan
P.O. Box 6303
Lakewood, CA 90714

40 • April 2023
 Led by LAFD Captain II, Rico Gross, this unstoppable team dominated at
the American Lung Association “Fight for Air” Stair Climb at the L.A. Coliseum!
These amazing heroes are raising awareness and much-needed donations for three
incredible charities, including the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund.
Help them reach their goal!

April 2023 • 41
 THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023
11:30 AM TO 2:30 PM

LIVE MUSIC | FOOD BOOTHS | RAFFLE PRIZES | FAMILY FUN

DOWNTOWN LA On Hope Street between 3rd Street & Hope Place

BRING YOUR FAMILY & FRIENDS!

H OPE F OR F IREFIGHTERS.ORG
42 • April 2023 CONTACT: Juliet Brandolino (323) 259-5215 jbrandolino@lafra.org
 The National Aeronautical and
Space Administration (NASA) has recent-
ly come out with shockin’ news. NASA’s
satellite images and data collected from
other sources indicate that the polar ice
caps have not melted due to global war-
min’. In fact, the polar ice caps have not
receded since NASA started collectin’
satellite information in 1979. NASA also
stated that there had been years when the
ice caps lost a bit of their size but that they
were able to quickly bounce back in the
followin’ years.
So, are solar panels and one of them
electric vehicles in your future? I’m not
excited about electric cars. There may be
a time and place for them but switchin’ to
electric vehicles may not be the answer.
Heck, lots of so called “experts” and scien-
tists still haven’t agreed on the real reason
for this so-called “global warming.” Is it
possible that since mother Earth came to
be, many millions of years ago, that it has
been because of natural changes? Hell,
millions of years ago there use to be di-
nosaurs that roamed the earth. What hap-
pened to them and what was the cause of
their disappearance? Fossil fuels hadn’t
been developed and the only gasses at
the time were from dinosaur flatulence.
Changes are always takin’ place. Look
what happened when I promoted to Capt. I
and went to FS 14.
Of course, many people point to the
fact that our rivers and lakes are shrinkin’,
but eons before the arrival of humans, the
entire valley that is now occupied by Las
Vegas and thousands of homes, used to be
an ancient lake. In fact, there were many
lakes there. Why did they disappear?
With most everyone jumpin’ on the
electric vehicle band wagon it wouldn’t
surprise me if cities, counties and federal
workers may one day be forced to buy an
EV or face job termination. Similar to the
COVD 19 virus, proof of a vaccination
was/is a determinin’ factor on whether
employees keep their jobs. And since Cal-
ifornia has declared that by 2035 no fuel
burnin’ vehicles will be sold in the land of
fruits and nuts, it wouldn’t surprise me if
proof of ownin’ an electric vehicle would
become a job requirement.
I’m sort of worried about the possi-
bility of findin’ a notice in
my mail alertin’ me to im-
mediately buy an electric
vehicle or risk never seein’
another pension check.
AC
KEEP SMILIN’!
choppedup@att.net

All About Your Fire Station Extinguisher Fund

My name is Ted Bailie and I am a retired Los An-
geles City Firefighter. The Extinguisher Program was
started back in 1996 by Larry Hoerner, the late Bruce
“Snake” Larson, and myself. I also have to give credit
to my wife, Diane, for suggesting this Extinguisher Pro-
gram to me while she was reading the Grapevine. I want
to thank all the fire stations that have an Extinguisher
Collection Box in their station and for their continued
support of this worthwhile cause.
The families of Firefighters that the Los Angeles
Firemen’s Relief Association help with the many dona-
tions that they receive are grateful to those that are able
to help in their cause. The Extinguisher Fund is just an-
other way to continue to support the many Firefighters
and their families.
For those new Firefighters and old alike, dona-
tions that get into the Extinguisher can come from any-
one, anywhere, and at any time. The loose change in
your pocket, the TV chairs, the left-over money not
spent on mess that day, or even from people who come
into the Fire Station that want to donate to the Widows,
Orphans, & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund.
When I Retired in 2008, all 104 LA City Fire Sta-
tions had an extinguisher in their Fire Station or facility.
If there is a Fire Station without an extinguisher, please
let a Relief Association Trustee know and we will see to
it that the station gets one.
If every Fire Station collected $30 each quarter,
the Relief Association would receive approximately
$12,000 or more per year.
Thank you to all that continue to support The Wid-
ows, Orphans, & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund through
their donations and though the Extinguisher Fund. My
Best Regards to All My Brother and Sister Firefighters.
Ted Bailie (Retired LAFD)

April 2023 • 43
Your connection to:

P.O. BOX 41903 323.259.5200

LOS ANGELES, CA 90041 800.244.3439

Follow Us Scan
ME!
44 • April 2023
April 2023 • 45
 KEN WILLAHAN, Captain II, Fire Station 80-B JOSE FERNANDEZ, FF/PM, Fire Station 42-C
SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2023 SATURDAY, APRIL 15, 2023
Willahan Residence
Steven’s Steak House
25242 Pradera Dr
5332 Stevens Place
Mission Viejo, CA
Commerce, CA
1:00 PM to 6:00 PM
5:00 PM to 9:00 PM
RSVP by March 15.
RSVP to FS 42: (213) 485-6242
email Elizabeth - ewillahan@gmail.com
or Joe: (909) 215-9128

Live Salsa band after 9 PM

JUAN COLSON, Captain I, Fire Station 79

PERCY E. JONES, Battalion Chief DAMON LAWRENCE, FF/PM, Fire Station 79

SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023 SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2023

Omni Hotel, Bunker Hill Ballroom 2385 N 1st Ave

251 S. Olive St Upland, CA
Los Angeles, CA
4:00 PM to ???
Cocktail Hour: 6:00 PM - Dinner: 8:00 PM
Tacos, BBQ & Crawfish Boil
Call Percy Jones - (213) 925-0651
or email: cmander50@mac.com Colson - Celebrating 33 years of service
Lawrence - Celebrating 34 years of service
Celebrating 43 years of service
Call Donna - (909) 560-9012. RSVP by May 2

TIM AGUAYO, Engineer, Fire Station 49

JOHN GARNICA, JR., Captain II, Fire Station 38-C
SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 2023
SATURDAY, JUNE 3, 2023
Fire Station 49
The Grand
400 Yacht St
4101 E Willow St
Wilmington, CA
Long Beach, CA
11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Social Hour 6:00 PM - Dinner: 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM
Mexican Buffet : $60 pp includes tax, gratuity, & gift
Catered by Sweet Lou’s Rolling BBQ
along with 70’s music
Call Carol Garnica: (951) 907-2802 or
Email: carolgarnica@gmail.com - RSVP by May 19
Celebrating 37 years of service
Celebrating 34 years of service
All are welcome!

46 • April 2023
 This month I am going to deviate
from the norm. I will be hunting the elusive
Unicorn which hasn’t been seen since about
1978. I need your help with this. More on
that in a moment.
In 1978, the LAFD began to issue
new badges, with a name change. Instead of
Fireman, they were changed to Firefighter,
Auto Fireman became Apparatus Operators.
Everything else stayed the same. This is the
reason that I use the term Fireman and Auto
Fireman interchangeably with Firefighter
and Apparatus Operator.
If the story is about an incident that
happened prior to 1978, I use the old names,
Fireman and Auto Fireman. After 1978 I use
the new name. I hope that clarifies things for
you.
The Unicorns I previously mentioned
were Fireman and Engineer badges which
had been modified. When the name change
came, these badges, out of necessity, disap-
peared. If you came on in 1979, you prob-
ably never had a chance to see these badges
because you were issued a Firefighter badge.
These badges had the eye of the Phoenix ma-
chined to accept a red jewel, and the tops of
the wings appear to have been bent forward.
The bent wings gave the bird the appearance
of preparing to take flight. The red jewel was
very striking and probably not done with the
blessing of the LAFD.
If any of you know of the where-
abouts of one of these badges, a photograph
would be appreciated. Where the badge is
and who has possession of it is not necessary
information. A nice picture and a little his-
tory of the origins of the badge would be all
I need.
Here is where you come in. There
will be a reward for whoever comes up with
this information.
The reward will be a half-gallon, or
whatever they are passing off today as a half-
gallon of ice cream, of any flavor of your
choice. If you are within twenty miles of me,
I will hand deliver the cream, your choice
of flavors to your home, station, etc. Over
twenty miles and I will send you a check for
the cream.
I know how these things work so
there are a couple of rules before you get
the reward. First, you will have to show me
proof, i.e. a photograph of the badge.
Second, it has to be the real thing.
If you try to scam me, remember this: I’m
an Italian guy from Chicago. I have two as-
sociates, Carmine and Nunzio, who operate
a midnight cruise to Catalina and on their
boat, they have a large tub and a couple of
bags of concrete. Capiche?
I don’t need any information about
the location or the owner of the badge. If one
is found I will write a short history of the
badge and put it in the Grapevine.
You can contact me at the email ad-
dress at the end of this article.
STEVE ORDWAY AS THE
MAD SCIENTIST
Steve was a Firefighter at FS93 in
the 1970-80s and he wanted to become a
Paramedic. The problem was that the LAFD
wasn’t sending Firefighters to Paramedic
school at that time.
He wanted it so bad that he used TS,
VC, trades, and whatever else he could come
up with and he put himself through Para-
medic school.
I worked a few SOD days with him
and he was a good Paramedic.
This particular day, I was at RA100
with Steve. That afternoon we got called to
assist RA293 with a cardiac arrest. Suzanne
Ibers was the PM and her partner was a FF.
When we got there, CPR was being
performed. We started an IV and Steve was
getting ready to intubate the patient. I was
talking to Suzanne getting more information
when I noticed that she was trying to get past
me. Her eyes were as big as a full moon. She
was trying to stop Steve because he was in-
tubating the patient. She didn’t realize that
he was a PM. She was okay after she knew
that he was certified, not licensed in those
days, and we got on with the patient informa-
tion.
This is the only known photo of Steve,
as the Mad Scientist. He would occasion-
ally ride in the RA with this outfit on. I’m
standing next
to him. The
line through
the center of
the photo is
from being
folded in half.
It may look like
something else
but it’s just a
crease.
GARBAGE DISPOSALS
In the mid 1970s, the City began in-
stalling garbage disposals in the stations.
They had a list and the disposals were be-
ing installed, in order, according to this list.
No exceptions. FS 82 called downtown and
asked if they could get their garbage dispos-
al sooner than the schedule called for. They
were told that the list had to be followed ex-
actly, no butting in line.
However, there was an exception to
the rule. The exception was, if there was an
existing disposal that was inoperative, then
that one would get priority. The light came
on and trash pick-up day found Engine 82
on patrol until they found a garbage disposal
being thrown away. They struck gold. They
installed it and called downtown and report-
ed a broken garbage disposal.
Bingo. The City came out and in-
stalled a brand new disposal and all was
good at 82s.
It’s all in knowing how to make the
system work for you.
THE PAPER BOY IS HERE
The first time I saw Pat Shanley was
about 1978-’79 when he walked into 105s for
a SOD day. He was very young looking so
they called him, “The paper boy” because
he looked like the kid who would deliver
your newspaper and then come to collect
the money. Pat eventually made Captain and
was assigned to old FS 57 on Manchester Bl.
Due to the many legal issues that would be
involved, if I called him short, I will just say
that he would have a hard time dunking a
basketball. I don’t know who sent me this
cartoon, or when, but it had to be sometime
in the late 1990s when I was writing the Batt
17 News.
Art Sorrentino
Daoldwestssidekid@Yahoo.com
April 2023 • 47

IN MEMORY OF EUGENE G.
TANNER—ENGINEER
Sad to hear of Gene’s passing. Al-
though he was affectionally known as
“Mean Gene”, he had a heart of gold and
would do anything for you if he thought
you were truly interested. I worked with
Gene for a number of years at both old FS
3 and at new FS 3. Although a bit “rough
around the edges” he was a fantastic and
extremely knowledgeable engineer. I
learned so much from him through the
years that we were together. Gene also had
an excellent knowledge of building con-
struction. He spent many hours with me,
teaching and educating a young fireman
on all facets of not only general build-
ing construction, but also knowledge of
electrical and plumbing systems. Gene’s
education was invaluable to me through-
out my career. Off duty, Gene introduced
me deep sea fishing, as well as, a number
of camping trips that the firemen and our
families went on. They were great times.
Thoughts and prayers to Gene’s family. He
will be missed. Rest in peace Gene.
Joe Foley
IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM C.
BORTELS—CAPTAIN
I worked with Bill at FS-27 in the
early 70’s. Years later we trailered a boat
to the Baja with 2 other friends and had
a grand time fishing and camping. On the
way home, Bill insisted we stop in Ensena-
da at his friend’s home, a retired Navy
Captain. The home was a huge place right
on a cliff above the Pacific. On the spur of
the moment, this man and his wife treated
us to a fine seafood meal along with all
the wine and beverage you might want! It
turned out that this former Naval Aviator
48 • April 2023
was my Commanding Officer while I was
assigned to NAS Los Alamitos. It was a
once-in-a-lifetime experience and coinci-
dence. Thank you Bill for a Grand Adven-
ture I will never forget.
Jim Kinninger
IN MEMORY OF GARY D. KNAPP—
ENGINEER
So sorry Gary of your passing.
Sending condolences to your family. We
had years of fun at Fire Station 13. I also
want to thank you again for your gifting
me your old acoustic guitar, which became
my locker companion in each of my fire
stations thereafter. I definitely got much
play out of if, especially after tough to
handle emergencies. Far too often I es-
caped “force hire” by rappelling off the
roof to my car below, but your/my guitar
stayed safe in my locker.
Until we can share stories again in
the firehouse in the sky.
Ken Krupnik
IN MEMORY OF FRANCIS D.
HOWARD—CAPTAIN II
I first met Dwayne in the “70’s
while assigned as staff assistant to Batt
14C. Dwayne was the Capt. 1 on the B
shift. I promoted to engineer in 1981 and
had the opportunity to work for him at FS
35A. That lasted for 16 years until his re-
tirement in 1997.
Dwayne was a great cook. His PA
announcement calling the crew to dinner
was a classic. “Dinner is now being served
in the Ivory Room (the color of the kitchen
walls”, dress is casual, no reservations re-
quired”.
We went to many greater alarm fires
together- the Normandie apartment house
fire, the New Hampshire fire that involved
a 100’x400’ apartment under construc-
tion that exposed two four story apartment
houses, a 3-story apartment house, sev-
eral 2-story apartments. The 3 and 4 story
building received extensive damage but
the elementary school at the south end was
spared.
As others have stated, Dwayne was
a true gentleman and a good leader. He
was also a God-fearing man as was his
wife, Mavis. I believe he will find comfort
in Heaven, joining his lovely bride. All
who knew Dwayne will miss him.
Mike Lehr
IN MEMORY OF JAMES DOUGH-
ERTY—FIREFIGHTER III
My 1st fire that I was on the nozzle
of a 2 & 1/2” smooth bore, Jim was back-
ing me up. It was a commercial cabinet
shop in 39’s district Capt. Mike Varney,
Eng Don Ott, Jim and myself were on the
engine. As Jim backed me up he directed
me where to squirt the water. The next shift
we had a fire critique and Jim explained he
felt like a rag doll in a cartoon, every time
I moved the nozzle he flew around behind
me trying to hang onto the hose! He stat-
ed “it was like trying to back up a big ol’
Moose”. Soon after a moose was drawn
on the back of my turnout coat and that
was my name for the next 31 years. Jim
was a fun guy to hang out with and always
brought laughter to the moment. Thanks
for the good times my friend. R.I.P. Moose
Bob Mihlhauser
IN MEMORY OF THOMAS
MURO JR.—CAPTAIN
I had the pleasure to meet Capt.
Muro when I was appointed to Auto Fire-
man in 1975. 2s was one of my most mem-
orable assignments in my entire time on
the job. The crew was led by Capt. Mum-
bles as the old timers referred to him. Of
course, I had no knowledge of the origin
of this nickname but I soon found out not
to use the term of endearment in his pres-
ence. The crew was a cast of characters but
what a great time we had. I had been there
a short time when and one evening we
were dispatched into a greater alarm fire in
17’s district. So off went go out of quarters
and being a new A/O I was excited to see
a large loom-up and so I put the pedal to
the metal. As we were getting closure to
the fire scene, Capt. Muro kept pointing to
me and shaking his finger which I assumed
he wanted me to go faster, so I did. I was
wrong. After we arrived on scene, he looks
over at me and said “Why the hell were Protect Those
you going so fast, I was trying to get you
to slow down.” I turned to him and said,
“Well, Cap, I couldn’t understand a word
with Special Needs
you were saying because you were mum-
bling.” Firefighter Justin Mendence set up a special needs trust to ensure his
I learned a lot From Capt. Muro son and entire family is taken care of in the best manner possible.
and as the years past and we would keep
in touch and reminisce about some of the “You want to think everybody’s going to take care of your kid because
times we had at 2’s. Each time we would
everybody loves him, but unless you have a plan in place…you’re planning
talk, he would remind me of his goal in
retirement. I want to be retired longer that to fail. Leaving it to chance is not in me and my wife’s vocabulary.”
I was on duty. Tom, you made it.

John (Jake) Jacobsen A Special Needs Trust Helps You:

• Set up long-term funding for living expenses & care
IN MEMORY OF TED F. NORTON— • Determine who will be the primary caregiver
ENGINEER
• Create an advisory group of experts to help caregivers make
I worked with Ted in May of 1983 sound decisions
at old 21’s until he transferred to 50s a
year later. Our brand-new Captain was • Ensure your child’s assets are protected & well-managed
John Knowles and Lorenzo Brazley was
the other firefighter. Kerry Bass and Linda • Ensure your child maintains eligibility for special services
were our paramedics on the rescue (con-
verting from EMT to Paramedic status).
“I sleep a little bit easier at night knowing that my son is
Ted hosted a Christmas party for us (FS
21C) at his beautiful cabin in Big Bear set up for his entire life,” Justin said.
where he lived. Captain John Knowles
gifted us with customized ball caps (Red
with black lettering – 21st something or
other) building our moral. It was a beau-
tiful time we had. Ted was a little older
(stunning white hair – you know the “Ken-
ny Rogers look” than most of the other en-
gineers in Batt 13, however he loved the Whether you care for a child or adult with special needs or not,
action and enthusiasm of the crews in Bat- everyone should consider setting up an estate plan. Ask for a
talion. “Getting Started Kit” today by emailing the Relief Association
May Ted rest in the arms of his Sav- Development & Marketing Director at donations@lafra.org
ior, Jesus. or calling (323) 259-5217

James Jure
April 2023 • 49
 MEMBERS
VARRICK L. YOUNG, FIREFIGHTER III.
Appointed November 1, 1956.
Retired on a service pension November 1, 1986 from FS 79.
Passed away February 16, 2023.

DONALD W. AINSWORTH, FIRE INSPECTOR II.

Appointed November 24, 1962.
Retired on a service pension July 18, 1999 from FPB Const. Serv.
Passed away February 21, 2023.

TERRENCE M. PALMER, FIRE INSPECTOR II.

Appointed April 13, 1986.
Retired on a service pension June 30, 2018 from FPB Contruction Unit.
Passed away February 24, 2023.

EARL G. WATZ, CAPTAIN.

Appointed February 20, 1960.
Retired on a service pension July 3, 1988 from FS 104.
Passed away March 3, 2023.

FRED J. HAWK, FIREFIGHTER III.

Appointed November 24, 1962.
Retired on a service pension July 4, 1988 from FS 18.
Passed away March 5, 2023.

ALBERTO S. DE LA PENA, CAPTAIN.

Appointed September 1, 1962.
Retired on a service pension February 28, 1992 from FS 47.
Passed away March 7, 2023

CHARLES I. WALLIN, FIREMAN.

Appointed Febraury 1, 1955.
Retired on a disability pension February 17, 1977 from FS 50.
Passed away March 11, 2023.

KENNETH D. CASSIDY, CAPTAIN I.

Appointed May 15, 1977.
Retired on a service pension January 20, 2012 from FS 56.
Passed away March 13, 2023.

FAMILY
Dolores J. Bjork, surviving spouse of Jerry Bjork, Passed away November 09, 2017.
Carole A. Murray, surviving spouse of August E. Plautz, Jr., passed away February 23, 2023.
Bettye Seeberg, surviving spouse of Donald W. Seeberg, passed away March 12, 2023.

50 • April 2023
April 2023 • 51

Drill Tower, Rookie life in the 50s,
and the two platoon system, Part 1
I was appointed to the Los
Angeles City Fire Department on
November 1, 1956. Back then, you
had to pay one dollar to file for the
exam. That turned out to be a really
good investment. Buying a career
filled with so many great friends,
plenty of excitement, and topped off
with a lifetime of security.
The written was held at Hol-
lywood High School. We were told
later when we were in the drill tow-
er, that over 12,000 candidates took
that exam. I have forgotten what the
number was that passed the writ-
ten, or how many were left after
the physical agility test. As I recall,
after the physical exam, there were
less than 500 candidates remaining.
Our drill tower class has a total of
60 recruits. 30 on each shift, and I
felt very lucky to be there.
The drill tower was located at
140 N. Ave 19 in East Los Ange-
les. Today, it’s the current location
of the LAFD Shops, Supply and
Maintenance. Soon after starting
the tower, five of us found out that
we all lived in the same general
area and started a ride club. Andy
Kulis and I lived in San Pedro, and
Rick Burns, Hal Burkhart, and
52 • April 2023
T
Fernand
to the rig
nearby f
was buil
area for
Written | Frank Baker, LAFD retired
Roger Hirdler were in the city strip.
Andy and I took turns with the
driving, having to go up Figueroa
because the harbor freeway hadn’t
been built yet. Cherished friend-
ships were built during those morn-
ing drives. Friendships that lasted a
lifetime. Unfortunately, Rick and
Hal have since passed away, and
I’ve lost track of Roger. But Andy
and I are still close friends.
The starting salary was $417
a month. Which figures out to about
one dollar and 14 cents an hour be-
fore deductions. My first pay check
for the standard two week pay pe-
riod of 168 hours, I grossed $191.93.
After $13.99 for pension contribu-
tion, and $18.43 for taxes, I took
home $159.51. That comes out to
almost 95 cents an hour based on
the on 168 hours worked. But since
we actually worked only 62.5 hours
on average per week. I was making
over a $1.27 an hour. Paid overtime
did not exist for us back then.
When we were hired, the city
didn’t provide the uniforms, we had
to buy our own. That meant two
denim uniforms, referred to as dun-
garees, consisted of pants and a long
sleeved, zippered jacket. There was
 a uniform called “Blues,” the shirt
This is where Frank Baker was trained to be a firefighter in 1956. The LAFD Tower at San was long sleeved, with white but-
Fernando Road and Pasadena Avenue. The classrooms and the LAFD Shops were in the building
to the right of the photo. Note the 50 Foot Bangor laid against the tower, and the rails in the streets tons about the size of a nickel. And
nearby for the Pacific Electric trolley system. The structure occupied the space from 1930 when it trousers which didn’t quite match
was built replacing a wooden drill tower until 1987, when it was demolished. It’s now the parking
area for heavy apparatus next to the Test pit at Supply and Maintenance. Submitted | Don Nash the shirt’s color, but were of a much
heavier material called “Charlottes-
ville.” So those pants were called
Charlottesvilles. The dress uniform
trousers and shirt were black and
matched well. We also had to buy
our own turnouts, boots, and hel-
met.
There was no uniform allow-
ance, so this was all out of pocket
to the tune of several hundred dol-
lars, and for a job that wasn’t yet se-
cured. Fortunately, there was a Na-
val Tailor, Al Miller, in San Pedro,
who supplied us with the uniforms
and put them on the cuff - pun in-
tended. Al’s son, Joe would come to
the tower, take our measurements,
and they would make up the uni-
forms. We paid as we could, and by
graduation, everyone had taken care
of the bill.

---To be Continued...

Donations
The Los Angeles Fire Depart-
ment Historical Society would like
to thank and give recognition to the
following people who donated to
our LAFD Fire Boat 2, The Ralph
J. Scott restoration project.

• Retired B/C Ken And Livinia Brass

• Retired Engineer Gary Klasse
• the Eugene Murphy Trust

April 2023 • 53
 2022 Annual Report
Thank you for your loyalty, trust, and for being great business members and we also sold our corporate
advocates for your financial organization. 2022 proved office (815 Colorado Blvd). And, recently launched Tax
to be a year of the unknown and extremely volatile due Services.
to the many macro-environment factors, stock market
We continued to support our fire family nationwide
swings, and lingering pandemic concerns.
with sponsorships of over $100,000. The Fire Family
That did not prevent your Credit Union from having Foundation was also able to support our fire families
one of the best financial years to date. We ended the in need by providing over $59,000 in financial support
year with a net income of over $25M, of which $3.1M and awarded $50,000 in scholarships to the children
was returned to our member/owners in the form of an of fire families.
Interest Refund and Extraordinary Dividend Bonus. The
Thanks to our members, Board of Directors,
remainder went into increasing our Capital Ratio to
and employees, for the success of this amazing
further strengthen the Credit Union.
organization which was built By Firefighters For
Our service metrics were also rated as one of the best Firefighters. We remain safe and sound, look forward
across all institutions as measured by our Net Promoter to continuing our efforts in improving the financial
Score of 82.34, indicating a very high degree of member lives of our fire family and ensuring that we have
loyalty. proud members everywhere.
Today, we are 60,000 members strong and serve over
965 Fire Departments nationwide. In 2022, we added
Respectfully submitted,
two new regional offices in Dallas, Texas and will soon
be opening one in Washington State. Hard to believe,
but we now also have over 260 employees, that span
across 23 states and 3 time zones.
In 2022, we expanded our virtual branch hours and
improved several products and services, including
mobile app external loan capabilities, hired a Trust
Officer to serve our central and east coast members,
launched a new educational tool (Financial Fitness), John A. Buck Dixie Abramian
partnered with Paychex as a product offering to our Board Chair President/ CEO

54 • April 2023
 LOS ANGELES FIREMEN’S RELIEF ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES
February 1, 2023

CALL TO ORDER the Pension Department. Bob Macauley is work- board. Frank Aguirre so moved. John Jacobsen
ing on cleaning up some language in the contract; seconded.
President Chris Stine called the Meeting of the
Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Firemen’s The Relief is required to make a presentation The Board entered into Executive Session at
Relief Association to order at 10:00 a.m. annually on the medical plan offered to retirees. 10:11 a.m. The Board adjourned from Executive
The meeting with Pension Board to give the re- Session at 10:47 a.m.
newal presentation is set for March 2nd.
ROLL CALL Member updates and the President Pro-Tem po-
x sition were discussed during Executive Session.
MEMBERS PRESENT: 2) Drill Tower Presentation: At the last presen- Chris also noted Frank Aguirre was nominated
Chris Stine, President tation, all 48 members were signed up with the and accepted the role as President Pro-Tem.
Jim Duffy, Vice President Relief. For the presentation that took place yester-
Trustee Frank Aguirre day, 59 out of the 60 signed up as Relief members. VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Trustee Kenneth Breskin Maria Rodriguez, Membership, also attended the
Trustee Paul Duke presentation. The Relief presented first followed 1) 2023 Conferences: The first conference of the
Trustee Leon Dunn by UFLAC. In the coming days, it will be deter- year is the Investment Institute Conference which
s Trustee J.D. Fox mined if any who signed up switched over to the is open to members of the Investment Commit-
ort Trustee Tim Freeman UFLAC medical plan. tee. The conference will take place on April 24th
Trustee Cesar S. Garcia & 25th in New Orleans. The registration deadline
n Trustee Henry Gasbarri 3) HealthComp: On March15, 2023 Tom Geor- is early March for early discount registration.
Trustee John Jacobsen gouses and others from HealthComp, will be in
Trustee Steve Jones person meeting with the Medical Committee to The IFEBP Conference will take place on Sep-
Trustee John Marasco discuss and address questions, comments, con- tember 30th through October 4th in Boston. This
Trustee Milton Quintana cerns, processes & procedures, and key service is mandatory for all new trustees on the board.
Trustee Mike Sailhamer issues. Jim will begin registering the new trustees now.
Trustee Danny Wu
Trustee Juan Albarran – Pension 4) Credit Union Utilizing LAFRA Board Room: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR REPORT
Trustee Steve Berkery - Pension The Credit Union will be using the LAFRA
rd Trustee Steve Tufts – Pension board room for their meetings. They had their 1) Audit Dates: The audit will take place in two
Todd Layfer - Executive Director first meeting last month and the meetings are ex- phases: April 10th through April 14th (phase
Liberty Unciano – Controller/Treasurer pected to continue until March/April or maybe 1) and April 24th through April 28th (the field
longer, as they currently do not have their own work, phase 2, final phase). Liberty will work
MEMBERS ABSENT: board room to hold meetings. with the Audit Committee on scheduling meet-
Trustee Jeff Halloran ing dates and coordinate the staff involvement
Trustee Tyler Tomich 5) Buzzard Bait: It was a great event and was well with the audit as needed.
Trustee Brian Wall attended. The event netted about $10K.It was an-
Trustee Craig White nounced by Mike Reitmayer the event would 2) Member Profile Report Mailing: This annual
no longer be hosted as an official Buzzard Bait report detailing benefits, coverages, and dona-
GUESTS: None event. Mike has had challenges in recent years tions for each member will be going out this
with the Federal Government (to set the course) month. This is typically sent in late February to
INVOCATION & Flag Salute and difficulties with the private landowner in the arrive for member review before the first Open
event/camping area. Chris encouraged the board Enrollment period of the year. Bob Dillon is
Mike Sailhamer led the invocation. Milton Quin- to still support the event in its new incarnation. working on the mailing.
tana led the flag salute. There will be more details to come.
3) Payroll Donation Letters: These letters are sent
RATIFICATION OF ACTION AND 6) Pechanga Reunion: The annual Pechanga annually at the end of the year and detail the do-
MINUTES Reunion is set for May 22nd through May 26th. nations a member has given, via payroll deduc-
This is another great camaraderie event and all tions, to Widows & Orphans. This is different
Chris Stine entertained a motion to approve the trustees are encouraged to attend. Juan Albarran from a one-time donation where an acknowl-
January 4, 2023 Board Meeting Minutes. J.D Fox is waiting on the Pechanga contract, giving the edgement letter is set for each donation made.
so moved. Steve Berkery seconded. There was no RV spots requested. There may be some changes
discussion or objections. in the places to visit during the reunion. Grape- 4) 1099s: The 1099s as required by law will be
vine and social media will be used to publicize sent out this week. Trustees are subject to 1099s
Motion carried to approve the January 4, 2023 the event. There will be more details on the event on FLSA and honorariums when the total com-
Board Meeting Minutes. to come. bined is over $600 for the year.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT EXECUTIVE SESSION 5) 2023 Budget Preparation: The 2023 Budget
will be presented at the March 1st Board meeting
1) Pension Update: Chris reported that we are Chris Stine entertained a motion to move into for review and board approval.
close to finalizing the new 5-year contract with an Executive Session for voting members of the

April 2023 • 55
6) FRITS 3.0: The Elevations Solutions team
was in the office last week meeting with the staff
again for the next steps in the project. Chris and
Jim participated in some of the sessions. They
were impressed with the staff’s involvement, at-
tention to detail, questions and responses, and
openness to the change of implementing a new
system.
Their next steps are to decipher the information
presented by the staff and begin building out the
new system. The project is still on time and on
budget.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE REPORT
1) Beacon Pointe Offsite Meeting: This meeting
is set for Monday, February 6th at their offices in
Newport Beach. All members of the committee
are invited to attend.
AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT
There is nothing to report at this time. There
will be more to come after the Audit Committee
meeting dates are set.
BUILDING COMMITTEE REPORT
Juan Albarran reported the HVAC quarterly
maintenance has been completed.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
REPORT
Frank Aguirre presented the following motions.
The committee recommends and I so move to
pay the usual and customary bills in the amount
of
$1,391,076.81. There was no discussion or objec-
tions.
Motion carried to pay the usual and customary
bills in the amount of $1,391,076.81.
The committee recommends and I so move to ap-
prove entering into a 5-year agreement beginning
July 1st, 2023 with SoCal Edison for renting the
easement for their land with a cost of
$8,947.91 for year one with incremental increases
each year and the final year ending at
$10,876.24 on June 30th 2028.
Motion to carried to approve entering into a
5-year agreement beginning July 1st, 2023 with
SoCal Edison for renting the easement for their
land with a cost of $8,947.91 for year one with
incremental increases each year and the final
year ending at $10,876.24 on June 30th 2028.
MEDICAL COMMITTEE REPORT
Frank Aguirre presented the following motion(s).
56 • April 2023
The committee recommends and I so move to ap-
prove the medical plan bills totaling
$1,237,344.64. There was no discussion or objec-
tions.
Motion carried to approve the Medical Plan
bills totaling $1,237,344.64.
The committee recommends and I so move to
approve the new PSG Agreement at an increase
of $6,695 per month ($80,340 for the year), effec-
tive July 1, 2023. PSG is the vendor who monitors
contract compliance and costs of drugs with our
PBM, Express Scripts. They assist us with renew-
als, rates, contract stipulations, rebates, etc.
Motion carried to approve the new PSG Agree-
ment at an increase of $6,695 per month
($80,340 for the year), effective July 1, 2023.
RELIEF COMMITTEE REPORT
Mike Sailhamer presented the following motion.
The committee recommends and I so move to
pay:
The Sick & Injury benefits for Active & Retired
in the amount of $34,515.61 The Estate Planning
benefit in the amount of $9,750
The Life & Accident Withdrawals of $0
The Assistance Committee in the amount of
$18,307.14 The Emergency Advancements in the
amount of $0
The Widows & Orphans Disabled Firefighter’s
donations in the amount of $14,147.32 The Life
and Accident Death Benefit in the amount of
$24,000
The Relief Death Benefits in the amount of
$60,000
Motion carried to pay the above Relief benefits.
Mike Sailhamer read the names of members who
recently passed and asked for a moment of si-
lence from the Board.
MEMORIALS
James W. Harkins
Martin G. Garza
Alan R. Dietz
Russell J. Mathews
George A. Felix
Paul R. Fulton
Ronald H. Carr
Douglas R. O’Brien
Harold E. Jensen
Thomas Muro Jr.
Eugene G. Tanner
James Dougherty
GRAPEVINE/WEB COMMITTEE
REPORT
There is nothing to report.
SECRETARY’S REPORT
There is nothing to report.
BY-LAW COMMITTEE REPORT
There is nothing to report.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE REPORT
1) Application & Exam Dates: Mike Sailhamer
extended his thanks to the committee members.
Juliet Brandolino is staff support for this year.
The application submission dates are from
March 1st to March 31st, with 5:00 p.m. being the
deadline on March 31st. The exam date is Satur-
day, April 22nd. Information on the scholarships
and process & procedures has been published in
the Grapevine and on the LAFRA website. The
email address assigned for questions is scholar-
ship@lafra.org.
MARKETING & DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE REPORT
Danny Wu reported on updates from the depart-
ment and committee.
2022 Close Out: Marlene and April are working
on all the 2022 close out items, all tax letters and
acknowledgements, etc.
Drill Towers/New Recruits/Relief Member and
PPO Plan Prospects: Marlene, Heather Leavitt
and Juan Carlos updated the New Hire Guide
to reflect benefits and other changes taking ef-
fect January 1 and ordered a new print run for
the new recruit classes. Marlene provided the
updated PowerPoint for the January Orientation
presentation.
Buzzard Bait: Marlene and videographer and
drone videographer attended Buzzard Bait and
will be working on a main video plus a fundrais-
ing event compilation video, plus a special series
of testimonials for the Relief and Widows & Or-
phans.
Golf and Online Auction: Marlene is wrapping
up various sponsorship donation follow ups and
beginning to work on the sponsor brochure for
this year’s event. April is already starting to work
on next year’s auction. If you know of any busi-
ness or company that can donate a product or ser-
vice, please reach out to April.
Hook and Ladder: April has selected, ordered
and boxed all the branded promotional giveaway
items for this event and its participants.
Newsletters and Websites: Monthly newsletters
are executed for WODFF and Relief audiences
promoting everything needed such as upcoming
events, fundraising programs, benefits and ser-
vices changes or improvements, donor acknowl-
edgements, and feature articles.
Grapevine ads: Marlene and Juan Carlos con-
tinue to create them for anything we need to
promote or showcase including ads for the latest
videos (as appropriate) with QR codes to drive
people from the magazine to the website.
NEW BUSINESS
1) New Relief Logos: Juan asked Danny about
the new Relief logos. Danny showed the board
the 2 logos that have received the most votes, at
least 70% of the vote, at this time. A review of
their text/font, graphics, and product/collateral
items placement has yet to be completed. Cur-
rently, it is anticipated that the use of these logos,
once approved, would be primarily for internal
needs. Any future use, i.e., for the public or be-
yond, is to be determined.
OLD BUSINESS
1) Vice President Vehicle: Jim is still working on
securing a new vehicle. The inventory is very low
right now. Jim will report back as he has updates.
SETTING OF MEETING DATES
1) Hook & Ladder Enduro will take place on Sat-
urday, March 18th. Jim will attend. All trustees
are encouraged to attend, schedule permitting.
2) George Roque Funeral will also take place on
Saturday, March 18th in Redlands. Chris will at-
tend. The family is currently going through the
process for Fire Department involvement in the
services. The funeral is expected to be attended
by a large number of people.
3) The Annual Dads & Kids event at Lake Ca-
chuma – Friday, April 14th through Sunday,
April 16th
4) Pechanga Reunion will take place on Monday,
May 22nd through Friday, May 26th.
5) Hope for Firefighters – This event is scheduled
for Thursday, June 1st. The Hope Committee has
already begun their meetings and are looking at
a potential scaled down event from years past.
Chris encouraged the trustees to get their stations
and/or service area involved in the event. About
5-10 stations/service departments are signed up
at this time.
The next committee meetings will take place on
Wednesday, February 15th. The next board meet-
ing will be on Wednesday, March 1st, 2023.
RETIREMENT DINNERS
1) Jeff Cawdrey Retirement Breakfast will take
place tomorrow, February 2nd at FS 21 from 7:30
a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
2) Al Heredia Retirement Dinner - February 18th
from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. at Long Beach Yacht
Club.
ADJOURNMENT
Chris Stine entertained a motion to adjourn. Juan
Albarran so moved. Frank Aguirre seconded.
There was no discussion and no objections.
Motion carried to adjourn. The Board of Trust-
ees meeting adjourned at 11:21 a.m.
Chris Stine, President

Donations to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund

HAMER TOYOTA in honor of Fire Station 75 - CHRISTINE M. BRUMBAUGH in memory of

Lane Kemper Softball Mike Brumbaugh

MARK R. KEMPER in honor of Lane Kemper BRUCE E. GALIEN in honor of Lane Kemper

DANIEL W. MCLEAN in memory of JOSEPH C. LONGAN in memory of

Myron “Mick” Davis Steven L. Robinson

CHARITIES AID FOUNDATION AMERICA FIRE STATION #5 from the Fire Extinguisher Fund

JOSEPH C. LONGAN in memory of RICHARD J. ERQUIAGA in memory of

Robert L. Kilpatrick, Sr. Terence M. Palmer

STEVEN J. BERKERY from your PATRICK M. SHANLEY in memory of Ted F. Norton

Corporate Secretary Payment
PATRICK M. SHANLEY in memory of
EDWARD L. REED Robert L. Kilpatrick, Sr.

DANIEL J. KEMP in memory of Gilbert B. Ramelli NETWORK FOR GOOD

April 2023 • 57
 CLASSIFIEDS
For advertising information, please contact:
Eric Santiago - (323) 259-5231 - eric@lafra.org
REAL ESTATE
FOR SALE
TWO S/B/S GRAVE SITES FOR
SALE. Rose Hills Cemetery
Whittier, curbside graves in the
Garden of Affection, $9,000 ea.,
or both for $17,500. Contact:
Larry Wilson (LAFD retired) @
(951)780-1838.
SERVICES
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.
CRAIG SANFORD HEATING &
AIR - Free estimates, residen-
tial, commercial. Great rates for
LAFD and LAPD. Toll free (877)
891-1414, (661) 298-3070, FAX
(661) 298-3069. State License
No. 527114
INCOME TAX PREPARATION
Tired of paying excessive fees
for lncome Tax Preparation? A
and J’s Tax Service has been in
business for over 30 years. We
offer year-round friendly service
at very affordable prices. We
are located on Ventura Blvd. ln
Woodland Hills. Joe Flores, Cer-
tified Tax Professional, retired
LAFD firefighter/paramedic.
Business telephone (818)340-
3575. Cell phone (818)521-9227
ajstax@hotmall.com
KEVIN LOCKHART ROOFING
& CONSTRUCTION
Roofing repair and mainte-
nance, construction waterproof-
ing solutions. Kevin Lockhart 18
A (661)810-4980
lic #536528
MONDAY MORNING TRUST
(714) 929-1040. $595 Full living
trust packages (trust, will, p.O.A
finances/healthcare, d.N.R.).
58 • April 2023
Bradley Ball - 11801 Pierce
St. #200 Riverside CA 92505.
Riverside lDA # 000392. I am
not an attorney, I can only pro-
vide “self-help” services at your
specific direction.
REAL ESTATE & MORTGAG-
ES. We all know someone in
the business, that doesn’t mean
you shouldn’t shop. No obliga-
tion free quotes. You work hard
for your money; keep more of
it. Buying, selling, or financing,
call me, John Sullivan (310)
961-8282. West Shores Realty,
Inc. DRE #01260041, NMLS
#2010982
VACATION
RENTALS
AZ - VACATION RENTALS.
Home to Spring Training, Barrett
Jackson Auto Auction, and Ara-
bian Horse Show – WestWorld.
Two homes.
1. Walking distance to Sloan
Park - Chicago Cubs Spring
Training Fields, 3+2 - Pool - Put-
ting Green – Mesa
@cubbiehousemesaaz
2. Walking distance to Scott-
sdale Stadium and 10 minute
drive to Salt River Talking Stick
Fields and Tempe Diablo Sta-
dium. 3+1 - Old Town Scottsdale
@scottsdale76th
Call us – Rod, FS-56B or Diana:
(661)294-0971 to book direct
and avoid the short-term rental
platform fees.
BEAUTIFUL BIG BEAR CABIN.
Two-story with vaulted ceiling,
2BD/1BA . Close to lake, shops,
skiing, and forest. Great deck,
lots of trees, fireplace/wood, ca-
ble TV/WiFi, BBQ, fully equipped
except linens. 6-person max ,
pets ok. $150/day, 2-night min.
Week rate available. Contact
Donna at (760) 723-1475 or Dn-
Beep@gmail.com. See photos
at www.schaffercabin.com
BIG BEAR RENTAL. 3 bed-
room, 3 bath chalet with large
loft with it’s own bathroom
in Fawnskin, Big Bear Lake.
Sleeps 10, walking distance to
some of the best hiking trails in
Big Bear, 15 min drive to Snow
Summit and Big Bear Village.
Huge back deck area with phe-
nomenal views of the lake. Lots
of cooking supplies; instapot,
air fryer, and more! Game room
with boardgames, pool table,
foosball and darts.
https://abnb.me/24MAsKIuZlb
CAMBRIA HAVEN IN THE
PARK HILL AREA OF CAM-
BRIA. A beautiful studio with
one queen bed, perfect for
two people to get away. Enjoy
ocean sounds and views with
a patio and yard for that small
pet. Full size kitchen. Close to
Moonstone Beach, the Fiscalini
Ranch and Cambria’s West Vil-
lage. Hearst Castle is minutes
away. Call Ana 559-974-2509
for fire family discount pricing.
COZUMEL, MEXICO CONDO
Beautiful, large, modern 3
bedroom, 3.5 bath condo at
The Landmark, 3800 sq. feet.
Sleeps 6, ocean views, steps
from beach. Smart TV, Wi-Fi,
pool, jacuzzi, tennis. All master
suites with ensuite bathrooms.
No smoking. Call David (LAFD
retired) at 949-294-2953. Email:
azmalproperties@gmail.com
Facebook: The Landmark 511
GORGEOUS WATERFRONT
RIVERHOUSE on the lagoon
of the Colorado River for rent.
Family home-5 bedrooms, large
bonus room for kids, 4 1/2 baths
. Sleeps 15. Fully loaded with
top of the line appliances. Pri-
vate launch ramp. No pets. No
smoking. No large parties or
events. Contact: Gigi (714)454-
0922 (Spouse-LAFD) for special
firefighter family rates and for
snowbirds Check out details:
https://airbnb.com/h/theriver-
housevacationhome
GRAND CANYON/ WILLIAMS,
ARIZONA. 4 bed,
3 bath Historic Home one
block from Route 66. WALK
to everything! 8 person MAX.
No special events. Gorgeous
house. Unique property.
www.HistoricYellowHouse.
com
Listed on National Register of
Historic Places Grand Canyon
Railway, Bearizona, Elephant
Rocks Golf Course. Call
Kerry-Lynn Moede (602) 818-
6559 JDMoede@aol.com
HAVASU/BOATERS.
3bdrm(2king,1full) 2bath, turn-
key, w/d, WiFi, Dish, gas bbq,
1/2 mile to Windsor launch, cov-
ered gated boat parking,
3 nites $450, $100 for each ad-
ditional nite- cleaning included,
pics available. Email:
rickpuglisi1103@msn.com
(626) 665-9890
HAVASU LANDING
3 Bd, 2 BTH home, sleeps
6-7. Gated Community. Fully
furnished, pano view of lake.
Wi-fi, direct TV, flat screens and
BBQ. Clubhouse, pool, spa and
rec. center steps away. California
side of Lake Havasu. Enjoy the
casino, two launch ramps or the
12 min catamaran shuttle to Lon-
don Bridge. No Smoking/Pets.
$175 nt. Weekdays, $225 nt.
Fr-Sat. Excl. Holidays. 2 nt. min.
Cleaning fee of $125. Call Tony
Wren 760-688-6082 LACoFD for
questions and pics.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA
HOME. Across the street from
Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
3Bed/2Bath in town of Speed-
way. Walk or bike to Main St.
Short drive, 7 miles, to Lucas Oil
Stadium, Downtown Indy, River-
front, Museums, Etc. Available
most dates except May 20 to 27.
Call Tina or Craig at 805-377-
0686 or 805-377-3640
JUNE LAKE CABIN. 2BR/2BA
cabin with Carson Peak View.
Sleeps 8. Within a mile of fishing
& skiing. Close to Mammoth
and Yosemite. Spacious living
room, kitchen, and wood deck.
Smart TV and Wifi. $150/night
plus cleaning fee of $125. Email
for pictures. Brian Smith LAFD
(310)872-7311.
junecabin52@gmail.com
LAKE HAVASU AMAZING
LAKEVIEW POOL HOME. 1800
sq.ft. built 2018, 3 bed, 2 bath,
sleeps 8. (King, Queen, Full
2xTwin). Finished backyard with
pool and spa. Fully furnished
w/ linens, WiFi, internet TV, laun-
dry, large kitchen, BBQ, 2 car
garage.Quiet neighborhood. 3
miles from launch ramp. No pets
/ no smoking. Call Karen (661)
965-0542.
LAKE HAVASU LANDING
RESORT. 3 bedroom, 2 bath,
waterfront house, boat, mooring
out front, fully furnished, laundry,
gas BBQ, launch ramp, gated
community, grocery store, hard-
ware store. No pets, no smoking.
Email Kathy at scarkj@yahoo.
com or call (760) 858-4470
LAKE HAVASU BEAUTY FOR
RENT - 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1600
sq.ft. Fully furnished with all
amenities- Laundry & BBQ.
13,000 sq.ft. lot. 3 car boat-deep
garage. 3 miles from launch
ramp. Close to downtown shops
& restaurants. View of the lake.
Quiet street in good neighbor-
hood. No pets. No smoking.
Snowbird rates. Call Mike (661)
510-6246
LAKE HAVASU LANDING.
TH1-29, Waterfront, 3 BD 3
BA, Direct-TV, DVD, WiFi,
BBQ, Mooring, Casino, Market,
Launch Ramp, Marina, Off Road
Trails, Gated. No Smoking/Pets,
$285 Weekday, $850 Weekend,
$1995 Week, Maid $150, Resort
TOT fee 25%, bring linen, (310)
418-1577, daggertooth@aol.
com
LAKE HAVASU LANDING RE-
SORT BEACHFRONT HOME
with boat mooring. Swim, ski
or fish from front yard. 4 bed/2
bath, fully furnished. DirectTV/
DVD/WiFi, pool table, laundry,
BBQ. Gated community with ca-
sino, groceries, marina, launch
ramp and off-road trails. No
pets, no smoking. $350 Bowen/
Garner email:
havasulanding27@gmail.com
LAKE HAVASU POOL HOME.
1900 sq. ft. remodeled 3 bdrm,
3 1/2 baths, sleeps 8. (1 King,
2 queens). Backyard with
pool, jacuzzi with underwater
lights. Fully furnished w/ linens,
laundry, WIFI, INTERNET, TVs,
BBQ. $150 weekdays, $250
weekends, $125 cleaning fee.
2 night minimum. No smoking.
Call Gabe Moreno or email
fightin25@yahoo.com
LARGE LAKE HAVASU HOME
FOR RENT – 5 bedroom, 3
bath, 2900 sqft home with ame-
nities & pool that easily sleeps
14+ people. Centrally located,
1 mile from the lake, close to
downtown shops and restau-
rants. Check out home at
https://www.vrbo.
com/4648549ha
Call Julie 818-268-7906 for spe-
cial firefighter family rates.
LOG CABIN NEAR JACKSON
HOLE WY: Close to Snake
River, Grand Tetons, Yellow-
stone, World Class Skiing. Call
(818) 207-0811 LAFD Retired.
Visit: www.aspenhill
cabin.com for all information.
MAMMOTH CONDO, La Vista
Blanc, Cozy 2 BD 2 BA, Fur-
nished, WiFi, Cable, Pool, Spa,
BBQ, Sleeps 4, Winter $150,
Summer $130, Maid $175, 14%
TOT(6092), No Smoking, (310)
540-4648, pvignery@aol.com,
(310) 418-1577, daggertooth@
aol.com
MAMMOTH CONDO AT MAM-
MOTH 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 $355/night, Sum-
mer $240/night, plus cleaning.
Includes city bed tax. No pets,
no smoking. Dory Jones (310)
918-0631 or Kelly Corcoran
(310) 619-5355
MAMMOTH CONDO IN SNOW-
CREEK IV
Super nice 2 bedroom / 2
bathroom located in FANTASTIC
Snowcreek IV. *PETS WEL-
COME! King, Double Queen
bunk, & trundle, Nicely furnished
with high-end appliances. Fully
stocked kitchen. Washer/Dryer
in the unit. Pricing varies by
season and demand. Exception-
al condo! Goldencreek637@
gmail.com, 909-576-2025,
Website: https://golden-
creek637.wixsite.com/mysite
MAMMOTH CONDO. Updated
2 bedroom 1 bath old mammoth/
eagle lodge area. Sleeps 5. Fully
equipped kitchen, wifi, pool, spa,
laundry. Walk to restaurants,
bars, stores, park and trolly.
Winter $175 summer $130 plus
cleaning fee, holiday rates vary,
multiple night discounts. No
pets.Contact Will Nevins 26”B”
(714) 697-2587
MAMMOTH CONDO. Two
bedrooms, Large loft. Three full
bathrooms. Sleeps 8. Walk to
Canyon Lodge. DVD, Cable,
Wifi, Pool, Spa, Rec. Room,
BBQ. Winter $175 Sun - Thurs
$195 Fri /Sat Holiday Periods.
Summer $150 Plus Cleaning.
No Smoking or Pets. Call Craig
Yoder (909) 948-3659.
MAMMOTH CONDO AT THE
WOODLANDS - Spacious &
sunny. 2 bedroom, loft, & 2
baths. Sleeps 8. Cable HDTV,
DVD, & Wi-Fi. Pool, Jacuzzi,
& sauna in complex. On shuttle
route. No smoking & no pets.
$160/night winter, $125/night
summer. Plus cleaning and bed
tax. Call Terry Imlay (949)322-
3473 or (949)458-0768
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 SEASONS 4 CON-
DO. Cozy 1 bedroom condo with
full-size pullout couch and bonus
room with twin size bunkbed that
comfortably sleeps 4 adults and
2 children. Conveniently located
15 min walk between the Vil-
lage and Canyon Lodge at 244
Lakeview Blvd. Visit https://
www.seasons4.com/94269/
for pics, amenities, and reviews.
$125/night; off-peak (May, June,
Oct, Nov): $100/night; cleaning:
$100. Bobby (310) 350-5552.
MAMMOTH SNOW CREEK
IV. Beautiful 2bd 2ba 1140sqft.
Check us out at Airbnb.com/h/
ourdeerfriendsretreat for avail-
ability. Email us directly for fire
family pricing. OurDeerFriend
sretreat@gmail.com. Shane
Hirsch(LAFD) 714-803-9324
MAUI, HAWAII VACATION
RENTAL. Kamaole Sands
beach front resort, spacious I
bedroom, 2 bath condo #7104
located in Kihei beautiful beach
and garden views with park
like settings, with pool, jacuzzi
and bbq stations just outside of
relaxing lanai. For pictures and
rates contact:
mauirentalgroups@vtrips.
com complex #7104 sleeps up
to 4 adults with some excep-
tions for children. Retired fire-
fighter owned with 10% discount
given to all LAFD firefighters
and policemen.
NASHVILLE CONDO. Two bed-
room condo, sleeps 6, in Down-
town Nashville. Walking distance
to Broadway St, hockey and NFL
stadium. Contact Wayne, LAFD
@ (805) 796-7863 for availability
and price.
PALM DESERT CONDO.
Montery Sands, 3 BD 2 BA,
Furnished, WiFi, Cable, Pool,
Jacuzzi, Tennis, Sleeps 4,
$200 Night, $800 Week,
$3200 Month, Maid $150, 12%
TOT(STR2019-0002). No Smok-
ing, (310) 418-1577, dagger-
tooth@aol.com
SHELL VACATION CLUB
timeshare points for sale! Points
allow for maximum travel flex-
ibility. Stay at any Shell Resort
or use RCI to travel the globe
with thousands of options! 8700
annual points can be used for
accommodations, airfare, rental
cars, or cash out.Take over deed
for $10,000 obo! Same point
value costs $30k-40k at resort.
Maintenance fees are $235
monthly. Vince Nixon—LAFD
retired 805-585-8808
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE Romantic
Chalet Family getaway. 3 bed/2
bath plus loft. Sleeps 8–10. Ca-
ble TV, washer/dryer, microwave,
woodburning stove. 7 minutes to
casinos and Heavenly. Located
in Tahoe Paradise. $115 per night
plus cleaning. Call Shawn or
Rose Agnew at (661) 250-9907
or (661) 476-6288.
WATERFRONT RIVERHOUSE
ON THE LAGOON OF THE
COLORADO RIVER for rent.
Beautiful family home-5 bed-
rooms, large bonus room for
kids, 4 1/2 baths,Sleeps 15.
Fully loaded with top of the line
appliances. Private launch ramp.
No pets. No smoking. Contact:
Gigi (714)454-0922 (Spouse-
LAFD) for special firefighter
family rates. Check out details:
https://airbnb.com/h/theriver-
housevacationhome
April 2023 • 59
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60 • April 2023
 LAFD Fourth Ambulance Driver Class

Pictured is the fourth Ambulance Driver class hired in LAFD history. On July, 7, 1994 they started with 15 new members, with 10 doing at
least 20 years of service or more. Photo | Art Sorrentino

Front row, L to R: Senior Ambulance Attendant Arlyn Nine, Fire Commissioner Beaubein, Deputy Chief Kenneth Long, Steve Lilienthal,
Pat Wolcott, Dennis Jackson, Jack Liskin, Alan Norman, Unknown, Doug McMillen, Senior Ambulance Attendant John Green, Captain II Timo-
thy De Luca. Back row: Unknown, Dr. Richard Scott, Dennis Keane, Ron Berry, Dave Monette, Unknown, Jim Black, Glenn Allen, Craig
Hansen, Art Sorrentino, Senior Ambulance Attendant Earl Donley.

April 2023 • 61
Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association
7470 N Figueroa Street
Los Angeles CA 90041-1725