Author: davidb

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.

It's time to vote! If you're a paid member of the LAFD Historical Society, this is your chance to help guide the future of the organization. During the month of August, we're conducting our annual elections. By now, you should have received your ballot and voting materials in the mail. Please review the materials carefully and once you have a good idea of what you'd like to see take place in the future, please select your vote and return the envelope promptly.

If you have friends who are members, please ask them to vote. It is extremely important that we get as many members to vote as possible.

Read the overview of the elections document - click here.

UPDATE on materials received via the US Mail: In the election material you received in the mail there is one reference to using a proxy procedure to give the Board the right to cast your vote.  We were going to use a proxy system but decided against that for technical reasons, but there is still a reference to "proxy" in your election materials.  Please understand that you may not vote by proxy in the current election.  We apologize for any confusion.

If you have not received your ballot materials via US mail, please contact us immediately: info@lafdmuseum.org

If your membership has lapsed, we invite you to renew your membership and vote.

It's important that your ballot be received no later than September 08, 2009. (Updated)

Note: Updated candidate statements are available online - click here.

You may review the current listing of directors online - click here.

To learn more about the LAFD Museums, click here.

As is the tradition of the Los Angeles Fire Department, May is the time when the department opens the doors to all of their fire stations to welcome the public. This year, May 9 was the day - and The LAFD Museum & Memorial was open as well. The LAFD Historical Society combines Fire Service Day with the department's annual Open House event. And this year's event was a blast. See the Flickr Gallery from 27s and 99s.

Thanks to some generous sponsors, all of the cooking materials were donated, and as a result, the event generated good revenue to support the museum and maintenance of the memorial. For those who spent some time with the organization on Saturday, there was a wealth of things to enjoy, including the presentation of the LAFD Division 1 Honorary Fire Chief - this year to Valorie Keagan, a dedicated community activist and volunteer who has tirelessly worked to improve public safety within her Hollywood West community group and within the Hollywood area overall. The presentation was made by Battalion Commander John Drake (B5-A), and Valorie was presented with her white chief's helmet by Fire Chief Douglas Barry and City of Los Angeles councilmember Tom LaBonge. Other notable VIPs included City of Los Angeles councilmember Wendy Gruel, Fire Commissioner Casimiro Tolentino, Deputy Chief Mario Rueda, as well as other senior commanders and fire officials.

The food was, as usual terrific and was prepared, also as usual, by retired firefighters. Hundreds of people passed through the iron fence into the fallen firefighter memorial grounds and listened to speeches, watched Firefighter Ryan Penrod (29-B) and Wilshire the Fire Dog, plus a rescue drill by the members of 27-A. Watching firefighters tear a car apart using the Jaws of Life and other resuce tools is something to be seen.

The museum store did a brisk business (thank you!) and the new education program (MySafe:LA) was on hand with evacuation kits, merchandise, and information about the fire and life safety program being introduced to Los Angeles area schools.

It goes without saying that no event can be successful without a team effort. And, the volunteers at the LAFD Museum outdid themselves this year in nearly every respect. When you next come to visit the museum, please make certain to say hello to the volunteers you meet. They donate their time and do so because of their love for the fire service and the importance of maintaining the memorial.

If you haven't been to one of our pancake breakfast events, please make a note that next year, you must plan on attending. May is the month. Specific details will be published in the website in March of 2010.

This coming April 25, the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society will host a memorial service to honor the 30th anniversary of the death of City of Los Angeles Firefighter Brian E. Phillips. Firefighter Phillips, a department member for nearly six years, was killed when he was thrown from an aerial ladder during ladder pipe operations while on scene at an arson structure fire.

Firefighter Phillips was assigned to Task Force 102 in the San Fernando Valley. At about 7:30PM on the 25th of April 1979, the long ring sent firefighters to their apparatus for a reported structure fire at Mullin Lumber Company on Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. Arriving firefighters discovered a working fire and began deployment of resources to engage in suppression activities. It was during the firefight that Phillips was thrown to the street when the ladder pipe assembly came loose on truck 102.

Brian's father, Terry Phillips, served the City of Los Angeles for 26 years and retired as a captain in 1967. When he died, Firefighter Phillips was survived by his wife, Brenda, and a stepdaughter, Michelle Lee Cupp.

The LAFD Historical Society honors all fallen firefighters and the public is welcome to visit the memorial plaza. There, etched on the memorial wall, you can view Brian Phillips name, as well as the 254+ other LA City Firefighters who died while protecting the citizens of the city of Angels.

Please honor Brian by attending a special 30th anniversary memorial service. It will be held on the 25th of April, 2009 at the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in Hollywood. Please refer to the website calendar for specifics on the event.

On March 26, 2008, while on-scene at an incident in the Westchester area, City of Los Angeles firefighter Brent Lovrien was killed when an explosion rocked an electrical room. Lovrien, assigned to Task Force 95, was doing his job - protecting lives and property, when he made the ultimate sacrifice.

A year has passed, but the loss of firefighter Lovrien remains in our hearts and minds. For those firefighters who are on duty today, their thoughts are with Brent's family, friends, and loved ones. Every firefighter in Los Angeles trains as if their lives depend on it - because they do. Even though the city experiences far fewer structure fires and other fire-related incidents, each emergency call could signal the last response for any firefighter responding.

The Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society would like to invite you to visit our memorial plaza, where you may see firefighter Lovrien's name on our memorial wall, can experience our lovely plaza - and can reflect on the history of this fine department and those who served for the past 124 years.

An updated report on the loss of firefighter Lovrien can be read here.

The Los Angeles Police Department and indeed the City of Los Angeles is mourning the loss of Deputy Chief Kenneth Garner, who died suddenly this weekend. Chief Garner was known as a decisive, direct individual who spent every day of his career concerned for the citizens who live and work in the city of Angels. Chief Garner attended several of our events and we join in offering our condolences to the department and his family.

Los Angeles Times Journalist Sandy Banks has written a moving tribute to Chief Garner. You may read it by clicking here.

For additional information, please visit the LAPD website.

The volunteers and supporters of the Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Society wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year. The organization is very enthused about the coming year and we hope that you and your friends, family members, and co-workers find the opportunity to visit one of our museums.

As everyone knows, the current ecomony is a issue that affects everyone. As a museum, the importance of ongoing support from the public is critical to the organization's survival. We are actively working on a number of initiatives, and your support is important to our success.

The Fallen Firefighter Memorial
While primary construction of the memorial has been completed, there remain outstanding expenses that must be retired. In addition, the plaza requires ongoing maintenance and support. When you purchase a memorial paver, you're supporting the memorial and the plaza. Please help us keep the memory of every fallen LAFD firefighter alive. We were saddened to add names to the wall this year, but also feel pride that there is a place for people to visit and reflect, so that every name has meaning for every citizen of Los Angeles and our many visitors from outside the city.

Old Fireboat #2, the Ralph J. Scott
This is the oldest serving piece of apparatus in the history of the city, and perhaps the country. Fireboat #2 served Los Angeles in the Port of L.A. for 77 years. It is now on land, stationed behind FS112 and the current Boat 2 berth in San Pedro (across from the Harbor LAFD HS Museum). The "Scott" as she is affectionately called, is due to be housed in a fantastic structure being built and paid for by the Port of Los Angeles.

The fireboat itself requires rehabilitation that volunteers cannot accomplish on their own. As much as we love the boat, our efforts will merely slow the progress of decay and the effects of time. Therefore, we continue to seek support for the boat, so that we may have professional experts work with us to prepare the boat for her final assignment.

Restoration of Old Fire Station 27
The Hollywood museum is in need of maintenance and rennovation as well. Any old building requires love and attention, so that it remains a viable structure. We have managed to make certain that the museum is taken care of, but there are impending projects that require substantial investment to complete, including upgrading the electrical, plumbing, and security of the building.

When you become a member of the LAFD Historical Society, you are assisting us in our mission to preserve the history of the department, in part via the Hollywood museum - Old Fire Station 27. Please consider becoming a member if you are not - and if you are, please consider volunteering or otherwise finding a way to support our efforts.

Volunteers
We are always seeking new volunteers. This year, more than ever, we are eager to bring in new people, who have a love of the fire service and/or history in general. There are many interesting tasks for our volunteers, ranging from apparatus restoration to conducting tours or working in our gift shop.

Regardless of the support provided, we greatly appreciate every bit of assistance that is provided to our organization. We exist because of the support you provide. As we head into 2009, we would like to remind you that we have some of the most interesting artifacts to be found anywhere in the United States. We have knowledgeable retired firefighters who can share the history of the department with you. And we have one of the most remarkable memorials to be found anywhere - dedicated to those firefighters who gave their lives in service to the city.

Please make the LAFD Historical Society part of your 2009 vacation, tour, or support plans. This website provides information on membership, pavers, volunteering, and other opportunities. We look forward to seeing you soon.

The annual Fallen Firefighter Memorial Service was conducted on October 11, 2008 in front of Historic Fire Station 27 in Hollywood. This marked the first-even memorial service in the completed Fallen Firefighter Memorial Plaza and it was a beautiful, well-attended event.

Under a remarkable clear sky, with a breeze and the feeling of fall in the air, LA Firefighters, fallen firefighter family members, city leaders and the community came together to remember our fallen heroes. The LAFD Honor Guard opened the event with a moving entry into the Memorial Plaza. Captain Steven Owens (76-C), acted as Master of Ceremonies and welcomed speeches by Councilmember Dennis Zine, Councilmember Janice Hahn, Fire Commissioner Genethia Hudley-Hayes, Fire Chief Douglas Barry, and others. Singer Tim Davis delivered a memorable musical performance.

The highlight of the day was shared by the daughter of a fallen member of the Department. Jessica Reiner, whose father (Eric Reiner 81-B) was killed in the crash of Fire 3 ten years ago, read a letter she wrote to her father. Her rich voice, clear message and endearing words to a missing dad will be remembered by anyone in attendance for a long time. The Reiner family can be proud of Eric's memory, and the LAFD is proud of the commitment to excellent every member of the family demonstrates at each public event in which they participate.

Other family members, some who have not previously seen the Memorial Plaza were in attendance. Many went up to touch the Wall of Honor that lists the names of all 254 fallen members of the department (as of August 1, 2008). Of special note was the presence of the two new "Hollywood Stars" in front of the middle apparatus bay door of Historic Fire Station 27. Initially authorized by the late Johnny Grant, these stars memorialize the two firemen assigned to Station 27: Captain Michael Carter and Fireman James Hassan. Fireman Hassan's daughter was present at Saturday's event. And, although not noted in the official program, LAFD Historic Society board member Ted Aquaro is to be commended for his continual support of all fallen firefighter's families. They all look to him as their stanchion of support and link between their loved ones and the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Battalion Chief Dan McCarty played "taps" and all 255 names (one not yet added to the wall) of those who lost their lives while on-the-job were read aloud. Retired Assistant Chief Frank W. Borden spoke and as a fitting conclusion to the event, the LAFD Air Ops Division sent three helicopters (two Bell 412 models and a Bell 206) to fly over the gathering.

And while the event was moving, it was important to see the community and the fire department come together as they did. The celebration of these fallen firefighters lives was the cornerstone of the comments made by every speaker. Their stories and their commitment to the City of Los Angeles can now be memorialized forever - and we invite you to visit our Memorial Plaza at any time.