Day 21, April 2, 2009

USAR 32 at the bad accident in La Canada yesterday was not LA County, but Pasadena’s USAR 32. Pasadena’s also responded to the scene. Later they requested two light units to the scene. One was an LA County rig, the other was from Glendale (I believe). The truck driver that was driving the big rig car-carrier is in jail. This intersection was also where another big rig lost control coming down the steep hill and also caused a fatal accident. The mayor had requested after the last fatal accident that the state (or whoever) not allow big rigs to use this dangerous hill.

LA City had a fire that I did not hear up in the San Fernando Valley last evening. My reception in this room is kind of sporadic for LA City. I’ll have to find the best spot in my room so that I’m not missing any of the action. When I got up this morning I looked out the window and saw how overcast it was and decided to go back to bed and catch up on some sleep. When I woke up a little while later, I checked my e-mail and received an updated LA City apparatus roster from Peter. I was told that the reason some of the apparatus was missing from the roster that he gave me was because some of the rigs did not have the manufacturers serial numbers listed, and those rigs disappeared from the querie list (because they didn’t have a mfg. number for them).

I worked on my computer apparatus files for a while. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do with all the department rosters I’ve been picking up on this trip (Phoenix, LA City, LA County, San Francisco, San Jose). I’ll be busy updating both my city apparatus fleet files for those cities and also the apparatus manufacturers Excel spreadsheet files. I’ll be updating for weeks to come!

I finally hit the streets sometime after 1000 hours after I heard a number of rigs saying they were heading to Burbank for training. I headed towards Burbank, but stopped briefly at Pasadena Station 33, just a block off the 210 freeway to see if anybody was out in their training area. There were no rigs there, so I got back on the 210. I transferred to the 134 freeway and then I-5 and decided to get off in downtown Burbank to see if the rigs were at their headquarters- they weren’t.

I headed up to the training area near Burbank Station 13. That sharp firefighter had told me where it was a couple days ago, but I never wrote down the address. I knew one of the streets and kept driving until I could see their tower a block off the main drag. I hit a small rig bonanza when I pulled in and Burbank Engine 13, Trucks 11 and 12, Haz Mat 12, Medics 11 and 15, and Pasadena Haz Mat 24 were all there training. I lucked out as the sun briefly broke through the clouds so I could get some pretty decent shots.

As I was nearby LA City Station 60 (the next station west of Burbank) I drove by and found just Engine 60 in the station with a poor photo situation because of no ramp (and now again being very overcast) so I went on by. I drove by LA City Station 86, the next station south, and the engine was out somewhere. I got on the 101 and headed down into the Hollywood area of LA City.

I ran into Engine 35 and Rescue 56 at a medical on Hollywood Boulevard, but couldn’t find a place to park within blocks. A photo would have been near impossible with all the traffic anyway. I ran into one of Hollywood’s most unique citizens as I was driving down the street. All of the sudden, the car ahead of me screached to a near stop, then proceeded ahead as two dudes were trying to cross the street between cars (which is a big No No! here), and when the car ahead of me took of again, one of the guys spit on his windshield. Turns out the guy must have been cleaning windshields as when I drove by him he spit at mine and then again at the windshield of the car behind me. I guess he thought all the traffic should stop so he could cross Hollywood Blvd mid-block. I’ve seen almost everything imaginable on this street. It’s tamer now than it used to be. I remember the first time Duane and I visited this area, we were laughing almost constantly at all the nuts that hung out there.

I headed down further to where all of the interesting shops along Hollywood Blvd are located. I got out and browsed a few of the interesting souvenir, book and miscellaneous shops for a few blocks and then headed to nearby LA City Station 27. Rescue Ambulance 27 was the only rig I could see in the station, so I didn’t even stop. I plan to visit the LA City Fire Museum next door (old Station 27) on Saturday.

I headed down to LA County Station 8 in West Hollywood. I stopped and got a shot of Ladder 8, which was parked next door to the station blocking off the street. The firefighters were all inside throwing a football at a plastic garbage can 40 feet away to determine who was going to do the dishes for the day. There are 13 firefighters assigned at this station, the most at any LA County station. They told me the area around the station used to be a gay neighborhood, but it is mostly Russian now. The Russians are Coming! The Russians are Coming! – one of my favorite comedy movies of all time.

As I left the station I ran into LA City Engine 47 going the opposite direction down Santa Monica Boulevard (no chance for a photo). I ran into a number of LA City rescue ambulances on the street today. They are very, very busy. I don’t monitor the EMS channels here at all as there’s enough regular fire traffic to blow your mind. But if you drive a couple miles on a busy LA street, you’ll probably see an RA in action.

As it was nearly 1500 hours, I drove by LA City Stations 82 (engine parked behind the RA), 20 (impossible for photos on busy Sunset Boulevard) on the way to the 2 freeway. I made good time to the 134 freeway and when I got to the 210 it was all plugged up with traffic. I stopped at Pasadena Station 33 again (no one there) and then drove side streets back to Arcadia. I stopped at Pasadena Station 32 as it looked like everyone was home there. The firefighters there were great and pulled out their huge Haz Mat (its so long they can’t park it on the station ramp) and their reserve engine for photos. They also have “Rescue Cushion 32” parked out back. It’s just a pickup truck with a huge airbag they use for jumpers off bridges over the 210 freeway. A firefighter told me it’s been busier than usual lately with the economy in such bad shape.

It was getting very dark and looked like rain. I headed back to the Extended Stay for the night. I had to stop and get gas (it was 2.099 on the way out, now it’s 2.179). Just as I got back in the car I heard LA City companies downtown at a working fire on the 2nd floor. I never heard the address, but Task Force 4, Task Force 9 and Squad 4 were there working. Just as they reported the fire knocked down, OCD dispatched a run to the 6600 block of 10th Avenue, out in Station 66’s area. This also turned out to be a working fire involving a dwelling with fire in the attic. Besides Task Force 66, I heard Light Force 94 and Engine 57 also at the fire. There were probably a couple RA’s there also.

I guess I might have missed a lot of LA City action in my motel room. I can’t seem to get the San Fernando Dispatch channel at all. I’m still experimenting with scanner positions. It is supposed to rain here tomorrow morning. If it does, I’ve got plenty of work to keep me busy. It might clear up in the afternoon the local weatherman said (hopefully). It’s supposed to be sunny and in the 70s on Saturday and Sunday.

That’s it for a fairly gloomy (65 degrees) day here today. Long Beach just dispatched companies to a working fire at 1150 New York, near Station 10. Dispatch reports that there is a Deputy Chief on the scene reporting a working fire at that address.