Day 24, April 5, 2009

There were a number of working fires last evening in the LA Area. Los Angeles City had a working fire in the 13th Battalion where they had extension problems to an adjoining structure. It was very confusing trying to sort things out on the scanner as LA County also had a working fire in their 13th Battalion at the same time (they are both in the same general area also).

I heard a number of companies and Fireboats 2 and 4 involved in a large drill down in the harbor area of LA City that started just after 0800 hours. Everything sounded fairly real, as companies reported when they came upon debris and bodies in the water and then transported them to triage stations on land (there were two reported DOA’s). It sounded like the drill involved an explosion aboard a boat. Someone would periodically announce over the radio “this is only a drill” for the benefit of other companies that were not involved. When OCD sent out apparatus for runs this morning, there were all sorts of weird responses (probably from companies filling in for the companies that were at the drill exercise).

It was fairly clear out this morning when I left the Extended Stay. My plan was to go to Venice Beach, but not until around 1100 hours. I took my time, driving by Arcadia Stations 105 and 106 (nothing going on), then I stopping at the San Marino FD when I saw firefighters out reloading hose. I got another shot of Engine 91 and got to see their new Pierce Arrow XT they just received. They couldn’t pull in out as it’s not yet in service and they haven’t been trained in on it yet. I also drove by the South Pasadena FD, but didn’t stop in as trees shade the short station ramp.

I got on the 110 feeway, just a few blocks from the SPFD, and dead-headed to Venice Beach. The 110 Freeway (the Pasadena end) is one of the oldest freeways in the entire area. It has only three lanes, twists and turns fairly sharply and has a 55mph speed limit instead of the 65mph limit on other freeways. I got on the I-10 (Santa Monica freeway) south of downtown and arrived at the end of the freeway (in Santa Monica) a little early than I expected (traffic was very light). I went by SMFD Station 3 and it was empty. I also drove by Station 1 hoping a company might be parked outside, but no luck there either.

I drove down to Santa Monica Pier area and it was already loaded with tourists. I headed south to Venice Beach, arriving around 1100 hours and I parked in a city-operated beach parking lot ($7.00). I walked up and down the Venice Beach boardwalk and looked at the wares being offered, the live entertainment and walked out to the beach a couple of times. It was very clear today so you could clearly see up the coast beyond Malibu.

The levels of entertainment offered have dropped off a bit over the years since I’ve been coming here. It’s a must stop for me if I’ve got the time. The “firefighter” that used to juggle, blow fire, swallow swords and balance a girl sitting on a chain (with the chair leg in his mouth) was painted in gold like a statue. He would remain perfectly still as tourists approached, and when they stopped to look closer or examine the statue, he would suddenly move, yell something at the tourists and scare them half to death. It was OK, but not as good as when he did all the other stuff.

I watched a couple other street performer acts. One performer from Latin America jumped feet first into a pile of broken bottles from a chair. He had a comedy routine that built up the crowd for his finale. It was OK, but not that entertaining. The biggest crowds formed for a group of South American gymnasts who did break dancing, all kinds of gymnastic routines, and all kinds of physical tricks (one jumped up and down on one hand for over a minute). One was bouncing at least 20 feet into the air on a super pogo stick. There was a commentator doing an on-going comedy routine during the entire performance. It was really funny and had the audience howling in laughter. They passed a hat around after the 15 minute program and got hundreds of dollars for their efforts.

Then there are all of the local kids on roller-blades, skateboards and bikes doing all sorts of tricks, not so much for the tourists benefit, but for their own entertainment. One guy had what looked like an 8-foot round metal hula-hoop, which he stood inside and then rolled, twisted and turned as he was rolling down the concrete in the hoop. How he kept from rolling over his fingers as he rolled upside down I’ll never know.

By 1300 hours Venice Beach was absolutely packed with tourists. The vendor food lines were so long that I didn’t even have the patience to wait in line to have lunch (there is every imaginable ethnic food available in about six blocks). It was a gorgeous day at the beach today, 75 degrees and sunny with a very refreshing breeze coming in off the ocean. I finally left around 1400 hours.

I took city streets back, hoping there would be something to chase on the way back to Arcadia, about 37 miles away. I drove by LA Stations 63, 62, 43, 68, 26 and 20. I didn’t catch any companies out and about and the radio was fairly quiet, except for the huge training exercises in San Pedro. LA County had a couple more major traffic accidents over cliffs. LA City had a reported brush fire near the northern city limits in San Fernando Valley that turned out to be a fully-involved golf cart on a golf course up in the hills. They had a great deal of difficulty getting water to the fire because of the golf cars location.

I made good time back on the freeways and stopped at Arcadia Station 105 to try and get some photos. The driver pulled their engine out for photos and told me that their Truck and USAR were down at a local Ralph’s store selling tickets for their upcoming pancake breakfast fundraiser. I drove down there and got shots of their reserve truck and USAR and talked to the firefighters. Their regular ladder truck had been involved in a rescue of a man in a palm tree. During the rescue, part of the palm tree fell on the aerial ladder and now it has to be tested before they can use it again.

When I talked to my girlfriend Karyle last night she told me I had a letter from Bob Knowels of Dallas, Texas. I had her open the letter and read it to me over the phone- good I did. I have been involved with Bob from the Firepics.net website and gave him a CD with a bunch of apparatus photos that Duane and I had taken. Bob was thrilled and had sent me a CD with many of his older photos from Dallas. We’ve conversed off and on by e-mail since.

Bob stated in his letter that he was looking for more Texas photos that Duane and I may have taken while visiting Texas over the years. At the end of his letter he stated that if I was ever in the Dallas area to be sure and look him up. He said he was currently living in his mothers (recently deceased) home right now as he was going to fix it up before putting it on the market and that if I were in the area I was invited to stay with him in northern Dallas.

I explained to Bob by e-mail last night when I was planning on being in Dallas and that I’d love to get together and do some buffing with him. He e-mailed me this morning and we’re going to get together on the days he’s not working. I’m not so sure about staying with him, although his deceased mothers home is in a very nice area of north Dallas (near Station 7). He gave me his cell-phone number to call him on when I get in town. Hopefully the weather will cooperate this time around (two years ago tornados kept me out of the area altogether).

That’s all for today and for the LA City area of the trip. Tomorrow morning I’m off to Phoenix. The weather has been so good that I hate to leave, but the weather forecast on the news here said it is cooling off and rain is predicted here by Tuesday. One thing I surely will not miss from here are the new Metro articulated buses. They are painted red and silver and look like fire trucks from a distance. I can’t tell you how many of those I've chased down while I've been in the LA area.