Day 22, April 3, 2009

From last night: Verdugo just dispatched a run for a fire at 1178 King Street in San Gabriel for SGFD Engines 51, & 52, Monterey Park E61 & L61, Alhambra E74 & L71 and Bn 6 and Bn 7. It was a fire in the kitchen that was quickly knocked down. Cal Trans today banned big rigs from Angeles Crest Highway where that terrible accident occurred a couple days ago (and another fatal a few months before that). This is what the mayor of La Canada had asked for months ago.

Someone asked me to explain Los Angeles City Task Forces. Here goes as best as I can recall from reading Paul Ditezel’s History of the Los Angeles FD. The Task Force concept came about way back in the 60’s during the Watts Riots. Then Assistant Chief Raymond Hill was in charge at the time as the chief of department was out of town at a convention. The “Task Force” was an organization term used by Assistant Chief Hill to organize his companies into small groups that would work together during the riots. Don’t forget that there was hundreds of fires set by rioters here.

The city didn’t have the companies or manpower to send a full assignment on each reported fire. Chief Hill organized LA City companies into small groups under one command captain that would go in, knock down the fire and then get out. The groups consisted of two engines, and a ladder truck with one command officer (fire captain) in charge. They would work as a unit and respond together. It was deemed unsafe for a single company (of 4 or 5 men) to respond into any riot area alone.

The concept worked very well and after the riots the term was used to describe a station with an engine and ladder company (don’t forget that most LA engine companies had a second piece long before then). In the 50’s many of the second pieces were “High Pressure Wagons” which carried hose, had two small high-pressure pumps and would respond with the pumper into the scene, drop a line at the nearest hydrant before they arrived at the fire and then the second piece, the “Pumper” would stop at that hydrant and pump the supply line to the wagon (2-1/2 or 3” hose back then).

During the riots they used two triple combination pumpers and a ladder to make their “Task Force.” I believe they paired up a single engine company with an engine and truck house to make up the task force. It sounded like they didn’t use the high-pressures during the riots as they often needed heavy streams to knock down the many fires during the riots.

Anyway, the system worked out so well from a command point, that it was adopted as SOP after the riots. They found they could save money too by having a lieutenant in command on the engine and the captain on the truck in command of both companies, hence two triples and a ladder equal a task force. In the late 60s the “Heavy Duty Task Force” came into being when a third triple numbered in the 200 series (with its own crew) would be assigned to the station (and usually the wagon would have a 50’ snorkel or TeleSqurt). Now you had a pump, a wagon (snorkel or TeleSqurt) under one Lieutenant and a 200 series Triple (under another Lieutenant) and the Ladder Truck (all under the command of a the ladder truck captain) amounted to a Heavy Duty Task Force.

In the early 80’s or whenever Proposition 13 was passed here) the Heavy Duty Task Forces all became Task Forces (lost the 3rd triple). The second piece (the pump in the old days) was deemed the 200 series unit after that. The “Light Force” is another concept that came about because of the large brush fires in this area. It was decided that it made sense to break up the Task Forces at times and pair the second triple (200 series unit) with the ladder truck so that you would always have pumping capability at a fire scene. Often, then engines would respond to the brush fires leaving the ladder trucks alone. That was fine, but the trucks had no pumps on them. It made more sense to pair the 200 series engine (driver only) with the Truck (that was referred to as a “Light Force.”. When the engines responded to the brush fires (they rarely ever sent trucks), then they still had a five or six man crew with a triple and a truck in the station.

The “Light Force” concept also allowed OCD (fire alarm) to split up the Task Force and still leave a Light Force (or an engine) in service in the area. For example, downtown responses may include a Task Force from one station, but a Light Force from the next station, leaving an engine still in service in that area. .A single engine (triple) would make up as the manpower that the 2nd Task Force would have had. Let’s do a for instance. A fire is reported just west of downtown, which is surrounded by Task Forces. Let’s say it’s in Station 3’s area. The dispatcher would probably send Task Force 3, then either Light Force 11 (or Light Force 10) and then possibly Engine 10 (or Engine 11 if it was Light Force 11 that responded) and possibly a single engine (Engine 13) to get the manpower they need on the scene. I’m not sure what downtown normally gets for a full assignment, but the point being is that you have would still have two Task Force houses with companies in them, one a Light Force and the other a single engine at the other station. I hope you understand the flexibility the Light Force gives the department.

When a Task Force goes to a drill, a Light Force will normally fill in at their house while they are at drill. But the Light Force house that is filling in would still have an engine in service at the station it came from. When they have big fires here and they ask for “three more Task Forces” they will probably get a mixture of Light Forces and single engines to make up the nine rigs being asked for. This allows for more areas to have fire protection at all times.

Dang! I hope that doesn’t confuse everybody. It rained here overnight. When I got up this morning th parking lot was wet and it was fairly overcast. By the time I cleaned up, ate some breakfast and loaded up the car for the day, the sun was trying to break through. It looked a lot darker north, up in the hills than out south. So I decided to head down to Long Beach and the San Pedro area of LA City. I drove by Arcadia Station 105 (nothing going on) and then was headed to a couple more stations (LA County 166 and 42) down near I-10, where I would go west to the 710 to take me into Long Beach.

Just as I was nearing LA County 166 around 1000 hours, Long Beach sent Engines 17, 22, 14, Truck14, Medic 14 and Battalion ? to a reported house on fire at 2157 Lomina Street. I looked briefly at my map and guessed where it was by the companies responding and put a mark on my Long Beach map. I got on the I-10 (two blocks south of 166’s) and headed west ro the 710. Engine 17 had arrived on the scene and reported heavy fire showing. I knew I probably wouldn’t see are fire by the time I got there (it was about 34 miles away), but I knew I’d be able to get some photos of Long Beach companies out on the street.

I made pretty good time down the 710 and then had to drive four miles on city streets to get there. As I arrived, companies were picking up their lines. Engine 22 had already left the scene, but the others were still working. Engine 4 drove by the scene and I got their photo along with the companies still working. A firefighter from Station 14 asked me to send me photos of their rig and any photos I had of the fire. He asked for my cell phone number and I gave it to him and told him I got there well after knockdown. He still wanted photos.

I headed to LBFD Station 17 after that to see if there were any rigs out in their training yard- there weren’t! I headed to Station 14 to get the serial #s of the rigs I had shot. The station was very hard tp find, but I eventually found it. I got the info and the firefighter from Engine 14 asked if I’d got his text message yet. I looked at my cell (I must have missed the tones) and sure enough there was his message.

I drove by Station 4, but it looked like they were still out on the street somewhere. I headed down to the ocean front and headed to Station 1 downtown. I was greeted by two the nicest paramedics. They were just having lunch at the station, but they agreed to show me around the station anyway (one said “we paramedics are used to eating at different times.” I got a photo of Truck 1 in the station as there was room (the LBFD bought it used from an Indian Casino that never used it much). Then they pulled out the Squad (Engine 101) and Engine 1 for photos.

They told me that Long Beach has 23 stations with 24 engine companies (Squad 101 at Station 1 is an engine). They have five trucks now (just added the fifth at Station 19 on January 1st). Truck 17 became Truck 14 after Truck 19 went into service. The department has nine paramedic units and a number of outlying engine companies that are “paramedic assessment”. All are staffed by firefighters. The medics work 16 shifts on the medic, then eight shifts on an engine.

They told me I should check out new Station 24, the first station built since Station 14 (in 1978). As I was headed over to San Pedro anyway, I stopped and got a shot of the station, engine and haz mat (indoor) and met another very cordial firefighter. I went over the huge Vincent Thomas bridge into San Pedro and headed to Station 48. I passed Engine 285 and took a quick out-the-window shot if it. The engine was home alone at Station 48, as the Light Force and Squad were on a big drill on the “island.” I asked the firefighter if it was anything I could get to for photos. He said no, that it was on private corporation property and that it might already be over.

Over it was as the Light Force returned a few minutes later (I got fair photos). The driver of Engine 48 then pulled it out for photos. The Squad would be at the drill all day, I was told. I asked about the fire museum at old Station 36 and the location of new Station 36 (opened a year ago). They showed me how to get to them on a station map. I headed to Station 112 (near old 36) and as I pulled within a block, I saw a ladder truck back into their parking lot. When I got there I found that “Heavy Duty Task Force 9” was there for a ride and demonstration on Fireboat 2. I got some fair photos (they were all parked together) and then one of the firefighters invited me in to see the fireboat. Wow! I thought the old Fireboat 2was big – this one is even bigger.

As I left, I took a shot of the old San Pedro courthouse, where Engine 36 was quartered. Then as I headed to new Station 36, Engine 112 passed me by (quick out the window shot). I ran into two very cordial firefighters (just eating) at Station 36. I didn’t ask them to pull out the engine or “Foam 60” as I didn’t want to inconvenience them. Foam 60 is only there temporarily as Foam 40 is down (I got shots of it at the shops) and they moved Foam 60 out south (as Foam 81 is also up in San Fernando valley). When Foam 40 is fixed, Foam 60 returns to 60’s.

As it was already 1430 hours, I headed back north. I got on the 110 and took it all the way up into Pasadena, and then got on the 210 for the return to Arcadia. I finally made it back to the motel by 1600 hours. It turned out to be a great day out south, sunny and 65. When I got back up to Arcadia it was much darker and mostly overcast. It looked like it could rain again.

I wish I could have had longer daylight today. I could have spent much more time in that area. Oh well. I should also explain about where I’m staying. When I came trough here on the way up to northern California, I stayed here a couple nights to ”test things out.” I was staying on the 3rd floor at the time (very inconvenient) and had no problems hearing LA City. But when I came back through, I was assigned a noisy 1st floor room that I couldn’t pick up LA City in. When I asked to move, the only room open was the room I am in now, that they said could be ready in a half hour. I checked out the room and was very pleased with its location, on the west end of the Extended Stay right next to the parking lot, with a side entrance right by my room.

I assumed that I would get great LA City reception, as it is the west-most room in the hotel. I was wrong and traded the great convenience of the room for bad LA City reception. I don’t know if it’s the other buildings nearby causing problems or what. Next time I come out here I’ll try to find something a little closer to LA. I just love the Arcadia area. I’ve stayed at the Motel 6 across from the Santa Anita racetrack many times (with no radio reception problems), but wanted something a little nicer with a kitchen - which saves on meal costs, is much nice for keeping beverages cold (and saves on calories too as I’m not eating as much fast-food).

In San Francisco, unless you stay in the city (or across the bay near Oakland- no thanks) you can’t pick up the 800 mhz trunked SFFD radio. I did find an area down the bay coast near Redwood City (where apparently the signal can travel across the bay waters) that I’ll probably stay at on my next trip. I liked being as close as I was to San Francisco and the Motel 6 in South San Francisco was very reasonably priced. San Francisco buff Phil Reid was going to call me if they had a multiple in San Francisco, but they have only had five extras all year. I was close, but never got a call.

Well, I think that’s plenty enough for today. The local news is showing live shots of an out of control brush fire in the Palm Springs area that has already burned two homes.