Day 20, April 1, 2009

When I got up his morning it was very overcast. I decided to change my plans for the day to go to the LA County FD shops figuring it would be a good time to shoot all the rigs out in the shop yard without the sun causing shadows.

I drove by Arcadia Station 105 and found nothing going on there. On the way down to the LA County shops, I decided to drive by Alhambra Station 71 and try to get photos of their Quantum TDA. I ran into a firefighter there who recognized me from one of my previous trips. I got a shot of Engine 73, which was in the shops (behind Station 71) for some mechanical problems. Then the firefighter and driver pulled Truck 71 around so I could get photos. The sun just started to break through the clouds as I was taking photos.

I called the LA City shops today and spoke to Peter Ritter, who printed the LA apparatus roster for me at the LA City shops on my way through a week and half ago. I explained that many of the engines and trucks were missing from the roster. He said he’d check it out and asked me for my e-mail address. He said he’d try to figure out what was wrong and e-mail me the roster.

I headed by Monterey Park Station 61, where I’d love to get a good shot of their KME TDA, but a mechanic was parked in front of the apparatus bays (so that shot was out). I drove by Monterey Park Station 62 and the engine and medic were parked outside. I stopped, met two very nice paramedics and got shots of the engine. As I turned the corner to head to the shops a block away, LA County Engine 1 pulled out of a grocery store lot. It looked like they were headed back to quarters, so I passed them by so that I could get their ahead of them and get some shots. I got out of the car at Station 1 just as they rounded the corner a couple blocks away. The lighting wasn’t great, but I got a shot as they were backing in. The guys at Station 1 were top notch and seemed very interested in fire buffing. I asked them who the new LA County FD shop supervisor was and they told me Chief Mariangakos, a great guy, had replaced my old friend Chief Watkins (who retired the day I was here two years ago).

I headed to the shops, a block away from Station 1. I told the gate guard that I wanted to see Chief Marangakos in the FD shops and he motioned me in. When I got around the south end of the building, on the fire shop side, I was surprised to see a huge conglomeration of fire vehicles all jammed together. They were in the process of repaving the parking lot, and the entire east side of the fire shops was closed off. What a mess!

I asked for Chief Marangakos and was told he was on vacation and was introduced to Captain Rod Morris, who was in charge. I told him what I was looking for in an LA County FD apparatus roster and he took me into the office and printed out all of the fire apparatus for me (not all the cars and shop vehicles). They have 1100+ vehicles in their fleet, with only 400+ of them being fire apparatus. The last list, which Chief Watkins game me, included everything and was 44 pages.

I asked Captain Morris if I could take photos of the rigs parked outside and he told me “good luck”. I think I was only able to get six or seven rigs out of the 100+ parked there as most were parked so tight. There were a number of new Freightliner crew rigs lined up in the lot, a few new rescues, but no new engines or trucks. All of the 90+ KME engines and six KME quints are in service. They will be ordering some more quints, I was told. I left the shops just as the lunch horn sounded.

I headed to nearby LA County Station 3. Engine 3 was parked outside, but it was a shadowed shot. I decided to try and get some more new LA City stations on the city’s south side. I jumped on the 710 freeway andheaded south towards new LA City Station 65. I got off at Imperial Highway and headed east. I went by LACounty Station 147, but he Quint was gone. I found new LA City Station 65, but the only person in the house was an EMS supervisor and she was just leaving. She told me to come back, but I really doubted I’d have time.

I asked her if new Station 64 was open yet and she said it would be about 4-5 months before it would open. I decided to head by and see what it looked like and maybe catch some shots of the rigs at 64’s. I headed west on Century Boulevard, and just I was about to turn south on Main Street, OCD dispatched a full assignment to 646 West 99th Street. I couldn’t believe how close I was. Main is the dividing line between east and west and 99th Street is a half block north of Century Boulevard. I was only 6-1/2 blocks away.

The assignment was Task Force 94, Engine 57, Engine 65, Rescue Ambulance 864, Rescue Ambulance 57 and Battalion 13. When I got to the 600 block west, I turned north on Hoover the half block to 99th and turned left (thinking I would be in the 600 block). It was the 700 block. Just as I got to the end of the block, Engine 57 turned the corner a block ahead of me and as I pulled over roared by me with RA 57 right behind. I had to go around the block and park. As I was parking, I noticed smoke from the east side of Hoover (I hadn’t noticed any smoke before). Light Force 64 and RA 864 pulled up at that time.

Engine 57 reported that they thought it might be rubbish in the back yard. Engine 57 pulled a pre-connect and Engine 264 backed across Hoover to the hydrant on the west side of the street. I got a shot of the smoke over the top of the buildings and then rig shots of E264 and Engine 57. It turned out to be a fire in a wood shack (or garage) behind a boarded-up home. Another pre-connect was pulled from 57’s, but Engine 264 never had to hook up to the hydrant. I couldn’t get a shot of Truck 64 as it was parked between vehicles on the narrow street. They cancelled the rest of the assignment before they arrived.

I headed to nearby Station 64. What a mess that area was. There are huge cyclone fences surrounding the new station (just east of the old station) and also around current station 64 (except for the apparatus doors). I couldn’t find a place to stop as there is a busy police station across from 64’s with squad cars parked everywhere. No one was in the station anyway, so I just headed to my next stop, new LA City Station 21.

I headed north on the 110 freeway and was that packed and running very slow. I got off at the Slausen exit and headed for 21’s. I got a station photo, but didn’t see the engine. This station is not an “L” shape as there are two sets of three apparatus doors on either side of the living quarters.

As I was not that far from Vernon Station 1, I headed there to see if there was any training going on by their tower. Vernon is an almost 100% commercial community. There are only about 100 residents living in the roughly two-square-mile city. They have four stations, with four engines, one truck, one heavy rescue and one USAR rig (all manned). There are only two assigned on the rescue and the USAR. Firefighters told me Engine 4 was coming over for a class, but they never showed up while I was there.

The tones went off in the station for a “fire alarm sounding” and the captain asked if I wanted to ride the engine. It turned out to be a test of their new radio tone system. When the tones sounded again, the firefighters thought it might be another test and didn’t run to the rig. But it was a run for Engine 1 (111- they’re now using a three digit numbering system used by other departments in their mutual aid area) for a swarm of bees. I got a shot as they departed the station. I was told that new Vernon Station 2 had opened on the same site as old Station 2. I headed there next.

Vernon Station 2 is located adjacent to Vernon City Hall and Police Headquarters. I got a station photo as I pulled in. The engine was out getting refueled under a canopy. I was waiting for them to finish refueling so I could get a photo. Their alarm tones sounded and Engine 2 (112) was sent to a car collision a block south of the station. Squad cars came streaming Code 3 out of the adjacent parking lot as Engine 2 pulled out of their side lot. I could see what looked like a rear-end collision a block south. There were at least six squad cars that responded Code 3 and a number of uniformed officers that ran out of the city hall and down to the scene.

I asked the driver of the HazMat if I could get it outside for a shot. He was very nice and pulled the HM out so I could get photos. My next stop was LA City new Station 4 in downtown LA. It is in a very busy area of town with a lot of traffic. I made my way there and got a station photo from my car as there is no parking at all along Temple Street in that area. I couldn’t find a lot for the station either, unless the access is from the street behind the new station.

As it was about 1500 hours and I was in downtown, I quickly made my way to the 110 (Pasadena) freeway and headed towards Arcadia. It turned out to be another great day here today with mostly sunshine and about 70 degrees. I’m watching the local news here (as I do this report) and there are live shots from a news helicopter of a huge pileup (at least one fatality) in LaCrescenta on Foothill Boulevard. There are lots of LA County fire rigs on the scene. Now they are reporting two fatalities and still have people trapped. It looks like a big rig car carrier lost control, hit a number of vehicles at the intersection (flattening more than a few) and then plowed into a coffee house. I just heard LA County companies ask for another helicopter for transport. Air Rescue 5 was just dispatched. The live helicopter shot just widened out. I can see at least six engines, one truck, three rescues, two BC’s and a number of ambulances on the scene. I just heard LA County USAR 32 say they were arriving on the scene.

Tomorrow it is supposed to be mostly overcast in the area. I had planned on going down to the Long Beacharea tomorrow and then see new LA City Station 36 in the San Pedro area. I’ll see what the weather looks likewhen I get up tomorrow morning.

That’s all for today.