Author: davidb

The Los Angeles City Fire Department, as well as the Historical Society, lost a great retired member, supporter and friend when Frank Manwarren passed away this past week. Frank was fireman's fireman - dedicated, professional, hilarious, and was a man of courage, faith, and generosity.

I first met Frank nearly a decade ago, when I had my first experience with the LAFD Historical Society. I was sitting in the kitchen, talking with then Assistant Chief and LAFDHS President Bob Defeo, when I noted a photo of a group of firemen at the table in the same kitchen. Chief Defeo grinned and pointed to a bald man in his early eighties, who was sitting next to him. The man gave me a toothy smile and then turned away. I was initially taken aback but after a moment,  realized the goofy grin from the bald man was a signal - he was in the photograph. That began a mutual admiration relationship with Frank Manwarren, fireman, general contractor, waterscape designer, and photographer. (Photo: Frank Manwarren cuts his birthday cake at the LAFDHS in 2005)

I knew Frank far less than most of those who are actively involved with the LAFD Historical Society. Regardless, I enjoyed every moment spent with him. He always had a ready handshake, would ask about the things going on in my life and that of my wife, and was eager to share stories about his career, both in the fire service and the military.

He often spoke of his son, of whom he was very proud. He tearfully recalled the loss of friends who died while he was on the job, and he brightened whenever he saw his friends Bill Rolland, Julian George, and Ted Aquaro.

During the last year, I asked Frank on numerous occasions if he'd sit down for a video interview to talk about his past and the many things he accomplished. He would always grin, and find a way to get out of it. I wish he would have agreed, but out of respect, I didn't push him beyond asking every time I saw him! This past fall, I walked into the museum kitchen and Frank was having lunch. He saw me, gave me that big grin, extended his hand and said, "How are you? And, NO!" It was a hilarious moment, and it was very much an example of Frank being Frank.

Every firefighter has an interesting story to tell. But Frank was one of those unique individuals who really had a LOT of stories to tell. From struggling through a living hell in China during World War II to taking pictures for the LAFD during the Bell Air Fire, the Watts Riots and even to his amazing waterway creations for Disney and Busch Gardens, he lived a full life and was mentally vibrant to the very end.

He would have been 90 this coming June. It is the same month the LAFD Historical Society hosts their retired firefighter luncheon. I'll miss Frank at that luncheon. I know everyone who knew him will miss him every day. His last email to me came just a few weeks before he passed away - writing, "next year will be much better. Keep working hard and we will win." There's no better advice for anyone.

To learn more about Frank and his life, please click here.

Donations in the name of Frank Manwarren can be made to the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, Officers, and Volunteers of the LAFD Historical Society, we'd like to wish you and your family a prosperous and safe 2010.

You are invited to visit either of our museums (Hollywood and the LA Harbor), and we're eager to have new members, new volunteers, and new sponsors - as there is much work underway. Our memorial plaza, while fully functional, requires ongoing maintenance. The rehabilitation of Old Fireboat #2 in San Pedro is one of our significant priorities for 2010, while the Harbor museum continues to bring in new visitors every weekend.

To set the year off on the right foot, we encourage you to check out the New Year's Greeting from the Los Angeles Fire Department. Featuring a tribute video produced by Cameron and David Barrett in 2005, the message holds true: The LAFD will be there, whenever you need them.

And, from our house to yours, know that the LAFD Museum and Memorial will be there for you as well. We look forward to seeing you in 2010.

Early in the morning of December 4, 1984, the Los Angeles Fire Department lost one of its firefighters in the midst of a greater alarm structure fire near the Los Angeles International Airport. Firefighter Ben Pinel was part of a fire attack team when he became separated from his crew. We invite you to learn more about Firefighter Pinel and his ultimate sacrifice for the City of Los Angeles. To learn more, click here.

We also encourage you to visit the LAFD Museum and Memorial in Hollywood. Firefighter Pinel's name is on our memorial wall, and you may make a donation in his name - or purchase a memorial paver for our plaza.

Company Response!

When you evaluate all of the various ways in which first responders train today, it's easy to think of the past as a more simple time. Yet, a quick look back reveals that training was as important then as it is today.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has a proud tradition of training its officers and firefighters. Take a look at this training film from the middle of the last century and you'll discover the specific emphasis placed on being safe, and training as if each firefighter's life depended on it. It's really a fine example of LAFD in action.

Captain Steve Ruda was walking along the street, awed by the destruction that lay before him. The disastrous Sayre Fire had blown through the Oakridge Mobile Home Park just one week earlier, destroying more than 500 homes. Now, residents were finally allowed back in, if only temporarily, to sift through the remains of their homes, searching for anything that might be of value.

Ruda, a Captain II with the Los Angeles Fire Department, has years of experience with wildfires, but this was different. “Entire blocks of homes were gone,” he recalled. “It was extremely emotional for our firefighters, as they did everything they could to save these homes.”

Here and there, a gutted car sat in a driveway, the only remaining elements being scorched metal. The only identifiable remains for most homes were mailboxes that tilted at crazy angles next to the street.

Captain Ruda, the Task Force Commander for 27s, was working with his crew to help open safes for homeowners, who would then retrieve the few valuables inside not consumed by the heat and fire.

As Ruda walked along the street, he noticed an older woman, with several young women sifting through rubble, and when they saw him, they motioned for him to come over. As one of Ruda’s roles was to provide support to the homeowners, he strode directly over to them. “I don’t know for sure,” said the older woman, “but this may be of interest to you.”

She offered the Captain a browned, rusted piece of metal. Ruda turned it over and over in his hand. There was a seal on the metal and at first glance, it looked like the seal of the City of Los Angeles. And a word... Fireman. “This looks like an LAFD Firefighter’s badge. A very early one,” Ruda said to the women. The older woman nodded and said, “that badge belonged to my father, George Damron.”

Flash back to 1935. The history books indicate it was a typical southern California Saturday morning on September 7th. Downtown bustled with the many activities of Los Angeles, including the hectic garment district, where clothing and other materials were manufactured. The Mission Painted Fabrics Company was just one of those businesses. A wide array of volatile chemicals were used in the manufacturing process, often in large tanks or vats, to waterproof the often painted fabrics. One of the vats was called, “a dipping tank,” and it was open so canvas or other fabrics could be dipped into it. The vat contained a combination of wax, petroleum oil, gasoline thinner, and paint pigment.

At approximately one quarter past ten o’clock in the morning, the owner of the business, Elliot Theobold and Superintendent, Gordon Gould, were standing near several of these tanks, when they noticed a “flash of fire” just off the ground near the open waterproofing vat. The canvas caught fire and within seconds the vapor in the room ignited, filling the structure with smoke and flames. Lucky to be only slightly burned by the flashover, Theobold rushed to his office and called the fire department. Outside, a passerby also witnessed the fire and pulled three different fire alarm boxes. The initial assignment included Engine Companies 2, 5, and 24. They were joined by Truck Companies 17 and 24, along with Salvage 24. Battalion 7 responded with acting B/C George Dyer.

First in was Engine 2. The crew, headed by Captain Lawrence W. Krumsiek laid several lines in front of the building. Other lines were laid around the two-story structure and entry was made at several locations, nearly simultaneously. Captain Krumsiek and Fireman George Damron entered the structure near the open dipping tank and opened their nozzle, putting water on the fire. Other hose lines were put into operation and within just a few minutes, the fire appeared to be knocked down.

The rapid addition of water from multiple hose lines not only covered the floor, but the open dipping tank’s chemicals had spilled and were swirling around the feet of Krumsiek and Damron. The chemicals in the tank had been pre-heated for their water-proofing purpose, and shortly after the main body of fire was extinguished, a boil over occurred, resulting in re-ignition of the fire and chemicals that were spilling from the tank. The fire enveloped and trapped both Krumsiek and Damron. They retreated and attempted to exit the building, but the floors were wet and slippery, and they both fell into the burning oils. Both men managed to get up, and they stumbled outside, "looking like human torches," a newspaper account reported. Hose lines were immediately opened and the fire was extinguished, and firemen attended to their injured brothers.

Both men were transferred to the receiving hospital, but despite care, Captain Krumsiek died the next morning, September 8th. George Damron appeared to rally for a few days, but his body was unable to deal with the extent of his injuries and he also passed away, on September 13, 1935.

Standing among rubble of the Oakridge Mobile Home park 73 years later, Captain  Ruda stood with a fallen fireman’s badge in his hand. And at that moment, he decided to do something about it. “The badge represents everything to a firefighter,” he said. “We worked hard to earn it, and we continue to attend to our duties to maintain that honor. I couldn’t let this badge be forgotten.”

So, Ruda arranged for the badge to be encased in Lucite. He spoke with George Damron’s daughter Charlotte, who gave him the badge, and his two granddaughters, Pamela and Cheryl, about preserving the badge at the LAFD Museum and Memorial. They agreed.

On November 14, 2009, at 10AM, Fire Chief Millage Peaks presented a new honorary badge to Pamela and Cheryl, as a tribute to their grandfather, George Damron, and their late mother, Charlotte. He was appointed to the Los Angeles Fire Department on September 5, 1923. On September 7th, 1935, as a member of Engine 2, A-Platoon, he answered his last call. Engine 2, A-Platoon, and the entire Task Force 2 was on hand to assist the Fire Chief with the presentation. Following the presentation to the two sisters, they, in turn, presented their grandfather's preserved badge to the LAFD Historical Society.

For Ruda, the moment he found the badge represents the mystic and wonder of the job. “Not to sound too corny, but it was like a phoenix rising from the ashes,” he said. “To find it the way we did, just shows how some things tend to find their way home.”

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NOTE: You can see the badge at the LAFD Museum and Memorial in Hollywood. To learn more about LAFD Line of Duty Deaths, please visit LAFIRE.COM.

It's one thing to put out fires, and it's entirely another to determine how they started - and in some cases, by whom. The Los Angeles Times has published a wonderful story about LAFD Arson Investigator Tom Derby. It's a terrific read - and if you're interested in the history of the department, this is a story to remember. Note also the wonderful photo by our friend Harry Garvin, a motion picture cameraman who moonlights with the Arson unit.

READ STORY.

On November 6th, 1961, the City of Los Angeles experienced the worst fire in the history of the city - to that point in time. The Bel Air Fire destroyed nearly 500 homes, and it was a miracle that nobody died as a result of the wind-driven flames.

As the November winds begin to pick up this week, we encourage you to check out this important reminder of how quickly a wildfire can destroy a neighborhood, even in today's modern world.

Read our story: Remembering the Bel Air Fire of 1961

The LAFD Historical Society, Museum & Memorial would like to thank all of those who attended the 2009 Memorial event here in Hollywood. Each year, we gather to pay our respects to those firefighters who served the public and gave their lives so that others might live.

Each year, the LAFDHS creates a special event, dedicated to our Los Angeles firefighters. Each year, we unfortunately are adding names to teh memorial wall in front of Old Fire Station 27 in Hollywood. This remains a dangerous job, and every ounce of support from the public is important, not only to the department, but to the families of fallen firefighters as well.

Thank you again for your support!

We encourage you to continue that support with the purchase of a memorial paver or other donation. The LAFD Museum operates solely with funding from donations and membership fees. Your support is greatly appreciated.

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS: UPDATED!

Ex Parte Court Appearance

Jim Finn as President of LAFDHS, through the organization's legal representation, Farmer & Ridley LLP, will be making an ex parte application to the Los Angeles Superior Court, Central District, Room 206, on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. for relief pursuant to Corporations Code Section 5515 to ratify the recent LAFD Historical Society election results even though quorum was not met. 

NOTE: Any interested party has a right to object, but you must appear.

UPDATE: The court appearance has been postponed until December. Additional Details will be posted, as they become available.

For information regarding the Los Angeles Superior Court, please click here.

Our annual elections are under way! And we're very excited that a large number of our members are sending in their election ballots. Are you one of them?

If you haven't voted, please make certain you do! This is your chance to help shape the future of the LAFD Historical Society, Museum & Memorial. If you haven't received your ballot, please contact the museum immediately. You can reach the museum at 323-464-2727.

And, don't forget: All members are invited to attend the annual meeting. Meeting details can be found here.