Day 8, March 20, 2009

Yesterday, while I was driving into the LA metro area, I had to lock out a number of the old Verdugo fire 400 mhz frequencies because they were making terrible noises and locking up my scanner. Last night I realized that I wasn’t receiving any Verdugo fire dispatch traffic at all. Verdugo dispatches for the following fire departments:

• Burbank (Sta’s 11-17)
• Glendale (Sta’s 21-29)
• Pasadena (Sta’s 31-39)
• Sierra Madre (Sta 41)
• San Gabriel (Sta’s 51-52)
• Monterey Park (Sta’s 61-63)
• Alhambra (Sta’s 71-74)
• South Pasadena (Sta 81)
• San Marino (Sta 91)
• Arcadia (Sta’s 105-107)
• Monrovia (Sta’s 111-112)
• Montebello (???-???), and maybe a few more

I checked Radio Reference.com last night and found a new listing for Verdugo Fire dated 1/11/2009, which lists them now as a 400 Mhz P-25 trunked system, one that requires custom tables (I never had to use one of those before). I put the new info in and immediately got Verdugo fire radio traffic. I’m not sure if it’s set up just perfect yet as the custom tables is new to me.

I got out of the barn early this morning. I went by Arcadia Station 105 to find no training going on at all - which is rather unusual. I stopped at LA County Station 5, as Engine 5 was parked out in front. I talked to the driver at length and he is not at all happy with their 2006 KME. I won’t go into details, but he said their older Pierce got 4.5 miles/gallon and the KME gets 2.5 to 3. He also showed me a number of examples of what he referred to as poor workmanship. He did say that the 1998 KME models were a lot better. They got 90 of the 2006-2007 KME pumpers.

I went by the San Marino FD, but all the rigs were and it was not a good light situation for any photos. I ran into Alhambra’s Pierce Quantum TDA while in route to Alhambra Station 71. I could not ger my camera out in time t get a shot. I arrived at Station 71 and was surprised to see a huge new ALF USAR rig in the station. The captain of Engine 71 pulled it out so I could get some photos. It is cross-manned by 30 trained members of the department, who will respond with it if called upon.

I waited a while for the truck to return, but they never showed up. I went by LA City Station 47, who I’d heard say on the air earlier that they were drilling somewhere in their district.. I couldn’t find them, but their district is very hilly and I could easily have missed them. It was around 1000 hours and I headed to the LA City FD shops on Pasadena Avenue.

Captain Nielson, who took me around two years ago, had been replaced by Captain Drummond. I asked the Captain what the department currently has on order. They have four ALF TDA’s that are due next year from a previous contract. There are also two crash trucks on order. They are bidding out nine new pumpers. The previous pumper bid (which had been split between Seagrave & Pierce) has expired – so a new bid is taking place. There are no longer any old Seagrave ladder trucks in first line service. They are all in reserve now. The department is currently putting 1988 Seagrave triples into reserve status.

I was told that the department keeps a dozen spare TDA’s and 40 spare triples (pumpers). The department has been having trouble with frames on the most recent Seagrave pumpers and with the radiators on the newest ALF ladder trucks. Captain Drummond assigned a firefighter that is assigned to the shops (he runs all the pump tests and ladder tests and also works closely with company officers on their equipment) walk me around the apparatus yard.

The firefighter had been talking with a company officer about obtaining some wood for the mounting of some tools on his apparatus. We all walked back to the departments carpenter shop. Wow- yopu should see some of the work they do there. I was totally impressed. As we walked around the shop yard, I got a number of photos of rigs that were in for service. The only really new rig I saw was a very recent Brush Patrol. I must have spent almost two hours at the shops talking and looking around.

I even got a new computer list of fire apparatus, including the manufacturer serial numbers. I was introduced to the civilian who does the computer apparatus lists. He was kind enough to run the list for me with the manufacturer serial numbers on it. He also ran a list of the abbreviations on the list, just in case I couldn’t figure out what I was reading.

I am still totally impressed by the professionalism of all that are involved in the LA City FD shops. I was introduced to the Chief in charge of the ships, who seemed just as interested as I was in the apparatus. He too had a camera in hand, but his was a Rolls Royce compared to my Yugo. He told me some old stories of when he was at Station 9 and they had 125 runs in one day! Today, he said, they have 17 firefighters assigned to Station 9 per shift.

I really wanted to drive by new Station 4, but decided I’d save that for a weekend on my back through. Traffic is horrendous during the weekdays at the new station (I found that out two years ago when they were building it). I’m told that it will be four to five years before OCD will move into its new facility in Station 4.

I drove by LA City Station 1 on my way back from the shops, but it didn’t appear that anyone was home. As I was driving up Figueora, Engine 201 rounded the corner ahead of me- too fast for me to get the camera out. I figured Truck 1 was nearby. I waited around the corner in case they were behind E201, but they never came. When I rounded the corner and went up two blocks I found them parked in a parking lot of a grocery store. I got photos of the rig, which looked like it had totally been rebuilt and repainted- including a new grill.

I went by LA City Station 12, nobody home (their engine had been at the shop). I stopped by Pasadena Station 31, on a very busy street with no ramp. I took a photo of the station. I headed up to PFD Station 33, where they have a training yard out back. There were three old pumpers parked out in the yard and the only training going on was for paramedics. As I walked into the back of the station, Engine 33 went out the front door to get some lunch.

They have one of two 2006 Pierce Dash pumpers (E37 has the other). There was a more recent order of two that are assigned to Engines 31 & ??. The department is expecting delivery of two new Seagrave pumpers that will be assigned to Engines 38 & 39. They also will be ordering a new tractor-drawn aerial ladder. I got photos when Engine 33 returned.

I talked to a couple of the firefighters from Engine 33 after they returned. I asked why the 1999 KME TDA was parked in Station 33. I was told that it was in reserve status. They have had so much trouble with the rig that Ladder 32 is now operating with a 1985 Seagrave (their previous truck). There is some talk of taking the pump off the TDA as they’ve had two broken axles (besides the many other problems) to lighten the load on the axle. Firefighters hate the rig, but there’s not much they can do about getting rid of it.

It was just a gorgeous day here today, sunny and in the upper 60’s for the most part. It was a little overcast (or smoggy) looking up into the hills, but very comfortable. Both LA City and LA County have been pretty busy this afternoon. It was pretty quiet this morning.

I’m back at the hotel now and at 1634 hours Task Force 63 is on the scene reporting a working fire on Oakwood at California Court I believe E62, E5 and RA 62 also responded initially along with Bn 4. They are getting E67, and LF 92 on the working fire. Engine 63 is fire attack and Engine 62 is backup. Truck 63 reports fire in the exposure now. A knockdown was reported at 1643 hours. Engine 67 is a new company that recently went in service near Marina Del Rey.

LA City has a ton of new stations that I’ll try and get photos of during my return trip. I plan to be here an entire week before heading back east on my way back. I need photos of new Stations 78, 81, 84 and 114 in the valley, Stations 4, 13, 21, 43, 62 and 67 in the central area of the city, and Station 36 in the far south San Pedro Harbor area. There is also a new fire museum in the harbor area that I’d like to see.

Tomorrow I’m heading up to the San Francisco area for four days. It’s supposed to rain in the LA area tomorrow- just so it doesn’t snow up in the Grapevine Pass (which usually forces I-5 to close through that high mountainous area). I’ll be staying in South San Francisco. Hopefully, I’ll be able to pick up San Fran trunked radio traffic from the motel. If I can’t, I may have to move to someplace where I can monitor them. I just checked the weather and it’s supposed to rain all over California by tomorrow afternoon and into Sunday morning. Looks like I’ll have some time to work on updating my apparatus rosters. Oh well.