April 2015

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WEDNESDAY, MAY 13th, 2015

8AM to approximately 4PM - B SHIFT
LOCATIONS:
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6201 Balboa Blvd. - Encino, CA 91316
$30 PER PLAYER

includes t-shirt & lunch
Balboa Sports Complex
17015 Burbank Blvd. - Encino CA 91316

SIGN UP AT:
www.lafra.org/softballsignup
Only 32 teams can play, first come, first served!

Team registration Deadline is April 30, 2015
*Check website for game schedule starting May 8, 2015
FOOD PROVIDED BY
The LAFD BBQ Team headed by Mark Curry and Greg Pascolla
PROCEEDS BENEFIT YOUR
ORDER SWEATSHIRTS
TODAY!!
HOODIES $30
CREWNECK $25
Bill Bringas (805) 660-7473
Steve Romas (818) 800-0486
Keith Bandy (714) 745-7078
26
On the cover: Strtucture Fire - Encino
APRIL 2015
VOL. XCI
NO. 08
FEATURES
Dedication to Our Fallen
A ceremony was held to honor fallen MFC/OCD members

who left a lasting impression on those who worked beside them.
Captain McKnight and Firefighters Rose, Phillips, Hallett,
Ojeda and Montiel were all remembered .............................06
Kitchen Table Wisdom
LAFD captains discuss the importance of capturing an initial

water supply and their first non-emergency challenges ........30
Unwavering Valor
World War II veteran Clarence Bramley survived the Bataan Death

March and a Japanese Hell Ship to return home and serve a full
career with the LAFD. .....................................................23
CONTENTS
Presidents Message .........................................................................05
Battalion News .................................................................................10
Department in Action .........................................................................25
Station Fridge ..................................................................................29
Retirement Dinner
Art Perez ...................................................................................33
Russ Nakamura .............................................................................34
Retirement Dinner Announcements ...............................................36
Teen Wanted for European Travel
Berlin FD families to host LAFD children ..................................37
Mailbox .............................................................................................41
Memorials ........................................................................................45
Dollars & Sense
2014 Annual Board Chair/President-CEO Report ......................47
Know Your Property Rights
Marriage versus Co-Habitation ...................................................49
LAFD History
The History of Helicopters in LAFD Service ..................................51
Minutes of the Board of Trustees .......................................................54
Classifieds ........................................................................................57
Tailboard ..........................................................................................61
Notice: Production of The Firemens Grapevine magazine is very expensive, and while your dues
serve to underwrite a portion of the magazines costs, the bulk of funding comes from advertisers.
Many businesses advertise in the Grapevine. This does not mean that LAFRA endorses these
advertisers. Use of a Grapevine advertiser is at the risk of the member. If you are interested in any
of the advertisements, we urge you to use any and all means at your disposal to investigate them.
COPYRIGHT 2015
Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association.

No material may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher.
2 April 2015
Photo by: Steve Gentry
Follow us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/firemensgrapevine
Inset photo by: Adam VanGerpen

April 2015 3
FIREMENS GRAPEVINE
owned and published by the
Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association

815 Colorado Blvd, 4th Floor, Los angeles CA 90041
EDITORIAL STAFF
Dave Wagner Editor..........................................................editor@lafra.org
Eric Santiago Creative Editor.....................................esantiago@lafra.org
Juan-Carlos Snchez Project Coordinator................jcsanchez@lafra.org
DisplayAdvertising....................................(323) 259-5200 ext. 231, 232, 260
PSOs
Katherine Main, Brian Humphrey, Erik Scott
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Mike Mastro, Frank Borden, Jody Houser,

Michael Stefano, Monte Egherman, Steve Ruda
PHOTOGRAPHERS
Ryan Babroff, David Blaire, Doc DeMulle, Greg Doyle, Harry Garvin,
Steve Gentry, Juan Guerra, Brian Haimer, Gavin Kaufman, Ryan Ling, Rick McClure,
Mike Meadows, Lloyd Payne, Jeff Zimmerman, Yvonne Griffin, Laura Lichter.
LOS ANGELES FIREMENS RELIEF ASSOCIATION
Juan Albarran........................................................President
Robert Steinbacher .......................................Vice-President
Andrew Kuljis ........................................................Secretary
Barry Hedberg
Chris Hart
Chris Stine
Craig White
David Lowe
David Ortiz
David Peters
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Doak Smith
Frank Hernandez
Frank Aguirre
Gene Bednarchik
James E. Coburn
Jeff Cawdrey
Joe Vigil
Mark Akahoshi
Rick Godinez
Steve Berkery
Steve Ruda
Steven Domanski
Tim Larson
Tyler Tomich
CHAPLAINS
To contact a chaplain,
Please call Senior Chaplain Rick Godinez at (213) 797-2404
or the MFC Floor Captain at (213) 576-8920
Greg W. Gibson...................Chaplain
Danny Leon..........................Chaplain
George A. Negrete...............Chaplain
Aquil F. Basheer..................Chaplain
Tim Werle............................Chaplain
Hershy Z. Ten.......................Chaplain
Roger Fowble.....................Chaplain
Mark R. Woolf.....................Chaplain
Jesus Pasos.........................Chaplain
Craig Poulson.....................Chaplain
TELEPHONES
Fire-Relief ...............................................................(323) 259-5200
Relief Association Toll Free Number .........................(800) 244-3439
Relief Medical Plan ................................................. (866) 995-2372
Fax Number ..............................................................(323) 259-5290
LAFRA MANAGEMENT
Todd Layfer Executive Director..............................(323) 259-5243
Becky Valverde Human Resources Administrator.....(323) 259-5247
Liberty Unciano Controller/Treasurer...................(323) 259-5225
Bob Dillon Operations Manager..............................(323) 259-5233
Marlene Casillas Development & Marketing Director(323) 259-5217
Ana Salazar Member Services Coordinator.............(323) 259-5223
HealthSCOPE Benefits
Claims & Benefit Information...................................(866) 99-LAFRA

THE FIREMENS GRAPEVINE (USPS 191-060) is published monthly by the Los Angeles Firemens
Relief Association, 815 Colorado Blvd. 4th Floor, Los Angeles, California 90041. Annual $24 Subscription
included with Association membership; Non-members: $36. Single issues $3 postpaid. Back issues $6
postpaid. Periodicals postage paid at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing office. POSTMASTER: Send
address changes to: THE FIREMENS GRAPEVINE Magazine, P.O. BOX 41903, Los Angeles, CA 90041.
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259-5200, ext. 231, 232 or 260. All editorial matter must be received by the Editor eight weeks prior to the
month of publication. The opinions expressed herein are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect
the official views of the Los Angeles City Fire Department or the Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association.
4 April 2015
Hello Everyone,
E.R. vs Urgent Care
I cant believe at the end of this month, we will be a third of the
or hurt. They are familiar with your health history. But your doctors of-
This year brought many changes. This was most evident in our
way through 2015.
pharmaceutical benefits for the retirees who are Medicare eligible. When
you combine specialty/compound medications, step therapy and a prior
authorization process with this change, it creates a fertile ground for confusion. Please be patient and follow the customer service directions to
find a solution. If you are unable to find an amicable solution, please let
us know. Keep track of names, times called and other pertinent information so we can go back and improve the available customer service.
One of the questions I get asked the most is, Will LAFRA have to pay
the Cadillac tax? First off, this tax does not apply to Medicare plans.
Second, our rates for active members are under the threshold. Even at
Your primary doctor is the best place to start when you are sick
fice isnt always open. If your doctor isnt available, should you go to an
emergency room or an urgent care facility? We hope you will never have
the need for emergency care, but if you experience a sudden and unex-
pected onset of a condition or injury that you believe endangers your life
or could result in serious injury or disability and that requires immediate

medical or surgical care, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency
room. If your condition or injury is not an emergency like those listed

above, very often urgent care facilities can handle these needs in a more
efficient and cost effective manner. In upcoming Grapevine issues we
will be helping you to preplan and locate your closet PPO facilities - both
hospital E.R.s and urgent care facilities.
a 5% increase over the next three years our rate will still be under the
threshold. The early retiree member (ages 54 to 64) rate, as it sits cur-
rently, will hit the Cadillac tax rate. But we are working hard to reduce
this rate so it does not hit the threshold.

Our LAFRA websites provide the most current and accurate in-
formation that is available. This was evident in the recent Anthem cyber-
attack. As information was provided to us from Anthem, we would immediately make it available to our membership.

Juan Albarran
president@lafra.org
323.259.5200
In the Ten Bells section of our website (lafra.org), members
can now leave (and read) memorial messages. With just a few clicks,
memories and condolences can be shared with the families of the departed and our members. There is also a link at the bottom of the notifica-
tions sent out by LAFRA Secretary Andy Kuljis to add a remembrance or
message. If you would like to sign-up to receive all of the death notices
by e-mail, contact Andy at Andy@lafra.org.

Your Hope for Firefighters event is planned for June 4, 2015.
Through the hard work of your dedicated LAFRA staff, major support
and sponsorships have been secured from Ralphs/Food4Less markets

and U.S. Bank. We hope for a long and meaningful relationship from
all of our sponsors.

And heres your reminder to start stretching out for the Lane
Kemper Softball Tournament on May 13, 2015. It is a great chance to see
some great wannabe athletes, but more importantly to catch up with

old friends.
The Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association has been serving its firefighter
members and their families for more than 110 years. Recently LAFRA renewed
the U.S. trademark registration for its name and logo (shown above).
April 2015 5
n Friday, February 13, 2015, the Los

Angeles Fire Department dedicated the
MFC Dispatch Floor to fallen LAFD
Captain Matthew McKnight. The ceremony
was held to honor Captain McKnights contributions to the Communication Center and to
the citizens of Los Angeles. In addition to the
renaming ceremony, Mayor Eric Garcetti and
Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas also honored five
other members of the LAFD who passed away
while on active duty at OCD/MFC. The other
members are: Firefighters Peter D. Rose, John
Scott Phillips, Michael D. Hallett, Juan Ojeda,
and Reiner A. Montiel. The families of all six
members were present at the ceremony.

Captain/Paramedic Matthew G. McKnight faithfully served the City of Los Angeles and its citizens for more than 31 years.
6 April 2015
Throughout his career, Captain McKnight was

assigned to OCD as a Firefighter/Dispatcher.
As an officer, he returned to OCD as a floor
Captain and transitioned to MFC operations
where he served for nearly 10 years. On August 2013, while on duty, Captain McKnight
passed away from a duty-related medical condition. His passing deeply affected the hearts
of all members of the MFC. Captain McKnight
was greatly respected and admired by all those
that worked alongside him. He left behind his
wife Sylvia, and his now 16-year-old daughter
Lauren, and 14-year-old son Matthew.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Fire
Chief Ralph Terrazas, President of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Frank Lima, and
LAFD Battalion Chief Steven Ruda presented
the renaming of the MFC dispatch floor to The
Matthew G. McKnight Fire Communications

Center to LAFD family members and guests.

The reality of a new and improved
MFC began in the spring of 2002, when City
of Los Angeles voters approved Proposition
Q, a citywide Public Safety Bond Measure to
improve and construct new public safety facilities. The plan included a new 84,000 squarefoot Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
84,000 square-foot facility. The new EOC
would include the new Metropolitan Fire Communications Center (MFC) and Fire Station 4.
On the early morning of February 28th, 2012,
the Los Angeles Fire Department moved from
the Operations Control Division (OCD) at four
floors below City Hall East, to the new MFC
facility at 500 E. Temple Street.

The MFC is a primary and secondary
public safety operations center that serves as
the fundamental connection between Los Angeles residents in need of emergency fire and
medical services. The MFC provides operational and management support for emergency
incidents, gathers intelligence, manages emergency public information, and coordinates the
resource coverage of fire and rescue units. The
MFC is staffed with 26 firefighters/dispatchers and four on-duty officers who work day
and night to process the 2,500 emergency calls
they receive each day. MFC is one of the busiest 9-1-1 call centers in the nation, serving the
great city of Los Angeles.

Further, the MFC has developed a Master Plan to educate the public on the history of
the Los Angeles Fire Department. People from
across the globe interested in learning more

about the LAFD and its rich history often visit
the MFC dispatch center. The project will include the placement of historical photos and
two display cabinets that showcase historical
LAFD memorabilia and Captain McKnights
personal gear. The project will be developing
over the next year and include an interactive
virtual display for all visitors.

Captain McKnight and fallen firefighters Rose, Phillips, Hallett, Ojeda and Montiel
left a lasting impression on all members who
worked beside them. The City of Los Angeles
and its citizens will be forever grateful for all of
the hard work and courage they demonstrated
while serving this great city.
April 2015 7
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8 April 2015
2015 winner
2014 winner
ire Station 88 has nabbed the top honors at Hope for

Firefighters three years in a row. Does your station have
what it takes to break their winning streak and keep them
from claiming a fourth straight victory? If youve never been
to Hope for Firefighters, its one day packed with good times,
great food, and friendly competition all to raise money for
your Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund.
So talk it up at the firehouse, put your team together and
well see you downtown on Thursday, June 4, 2015. Contact
Juliet Brandolino at (323) 259-5215 or jbrandolino@lafra.org
to sign-up or for more info.
from 2013
from 2012
April 2015 9
Truck 9 works a hydrant at Venice

Boulevard and Broadway.
Photo by Martin Nate Rawner
Truck 9 and Engine 17 extricate a driver who ran

into a RR cross-arm on Washington Boulevard.
10 April 2015
Engine 52 awaits an assignment at an

incident on 3/8/15 on So. Irolo Street.
Photo by Yvonne Griffin

Starting on a positive note, the Battalion has seen many complex incidents in
the recent months which are being handled
professionally, courteously, and without major
incident to our members, so kudos for that.
Along with this influx of complex incidents,
companies are getting the opportunity to train
more, such as in air management training at
Franks, or walk-through pre-fire planning on
Battleship Iowa. The only message Ive gotten

recently was that even the B shift at 85s is
finally catching up with their training, and attempting to make amends for years of neglect
- just the word on the street.

So another month has gone by and the
department seems to just be getting its feet wet
with the new four bureau system. As it turns
out, for the first month of this new system the
bureaus didnt even have phone numbers set
up.

So what tangible benefits does the
four bureau system have? This answer is
clouded in our departments innate ability
to chief speak around it. The SOD system

hasnt changed, and though the assign hire
system has changed, the fact that there are
new bureaus simply doesnt matter. You can
get assign hired across the city and still not be
able to cover the vacancy at your own station
within four days. And as the four bureau system seems to not have any practical, boots on
the ground functionality, the department has
also proven this lack of functionality in recent
details. As it turns out, if someone else says
youre a poor firefighter or a poor paramedic,
you can actually get sentenced to training and
temporarily permanent fire side only positions. This includes any overtime, and does
not take into account the displacement of other
individuals who havent committed offenses
egregious enough to warrant the same punishment.

In another positive note, I just want to
remind everyone that they are doing a great
job, and that I know there is no shortages of
Grapevine news-worthy stories out there. The
only problem is, Im not getting any of these
stories, and therefore they cant be reported.
So please, continue to do a great job for the
citizens and our department, and more importantly, send in your stories and pictures so we
can make our Battalion 6 News something fun
and positive to read. Until next month - stay
thirsty my friends.

Please send your stories and pictures to
harborrats6@yahoo.com
Companies extricated one person

trapped near Beverwill and Pico.
April 2015 11
12 April 2015
Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association Medical Plan may

cover this examination. Contact your plan provider to verify.
Paid Advertisement:
WODFF donors visit FS 37.

Photos by Juliet Brandolino
Air Ops members greeted Lucky and new owner, Rachel

Dalby, for the first time since his dramatic river rescue on
January 30th. Photos by Peter Sanders
April 2015 13
39s and 88s extinguished a fire in an apt

unit on Sepulveda Bl on 2/20/15.
Photo by Greg Doyle
Companies found a fire in a storage container at 8900 Woodman Ave on 2/16/15.
Photos by Greg Doyle
14 April 2015
On 2/25/15, companies found four autos

in a car port at 14320 Addison St.
Photos by Rick McClure, EPN
Don Reyes, Paul Medina, Mandy

Molinar Reyes, Torey Reyes, and
Douglas Reyes

On February 22, 2015, the
families of two LAFD members celebrated one wedding. Torey Reyes,
the son of Captain Douglas Reyes
(FS 99-C), and Mandy Molinar,
niece of Firefighter/Paramedic Paul
Medina (FS 44-A) and cousin of
Engineer Ryan Medina (FS 39-C),
were joined in Holy Matrimony in
Corona, California. Paul Medina,
an ordained minister, officiated at
the wedding that was also attended
by Battalion Chief Don Reyes, the
uncle of Torey Reyes and brother of
Doug Reyes.
Tim Manning with the guys from FS 88-B

on his last shift, 1/29/15.
Photos by David Blaire
April 2015 15
Firefighters rescued a dog from

a SFD fire on 2/5/15.
Photo by Adam Van Gerpen
Firefighters extricated one patient on the 5 Fwy on 2/25/15.

Photos by Rick McClure, EPN
16 April 2015
TF 98 taught the kids at Haddon Elementary

about CO dangers and handed out detectors
to take home on 2/12/15.
Photos by David Blaire
On 2/16/15, firefighters extricated

three people at 51st and Wall Streets.
April 2015 17
Companies overhaul a SFD at

922 W 49th St on 2/22/15.
Photos by Yvonne Griffin
Jack stopped by FS 107 for a visit

and some engineer training. But
did he bring lunch?
18 April 2015

Greetings from the battalion that used
to sleep! Thanks to all those who contributed
to this article! It seems when you give people
the opportunity to speak, it is a good idea to
listen. . . hint, hint . . . department are you
listening?

We finally got confirmation on why
the game of musical chairs was so exciting at
104s. It seems some of the firefighters were
trying to get away from Colonel two a day
workout, but it didnt work . . . he followed
them to their new shift . . . awkward!

More news from 104s, comes from the
rank of paramedic where it seems one member
whose license plate reads NOIGMR is
everything but. It seems as though FLSA after
40 just isnt enough for this guy, he has a word
to say about everything. On the bright side,
the word is he is a whiz at the ePCR since he
is always on it. He is offering up free ePCR instruction seminars on his off days. By the way,
a medic at 96s says thanks for the last minute
SOD day at 94s!

Its not all bad at 104s. Kudos go out
to Captain Dane Jackson. I heard on a call he
not only assisted the RA with a driver but also
got the patients vehicle to the hospital. Thats
what we like to hear Cap! Thanks for going
above and beyond! 104s is also sad to hear
that one of the greatest members on the job,
aka Nicest guy on the fire department, may
be leaving to spend his last year at 23s. If
this is the case, Im out on SOD days at 104s.
Please dont leave Cap!

Now to 105s - Ive already said too
much, but the guys wanted to extend a sincere
THANK YOU to Captain Steven JR Lopez
who left the station and his crew better than
when he got there. The guys tell tales about
how he truly knew how to take care of the
guys, but they also laugh because he never
said that phrase once. He even purchased a
brand new 55 TV for the station when theirs
broke - from too much use.

The crew also tells a tale of another
captain who recently left, whose own motto
was take care of the guys. Word is, this captain did everything but! His engineer candidates, on their last several days to pump before
the deadline, were forced to twist stems. They
said thanks, for taking care of the guys!
They also wanted to tell him that they are
still waiting for him to COOK his last meal.
The pizza place out of the district just wasnt
good enough. They also said he cant have the
stations new workout equipment, even though
he answered the phone when someone called
to donate it to the station. No treadmill for
you!!

More kudos goes out to the guys at
73s who put on a phenomenal send off for
Captain Wendell Smith. Crocodile tears had
nothing on the captain as he drove off into the
sunset. The guys on duty said they hadnt seen
him cry like that since he ran his last call at
7150 Tampa, and got himself a brochure!

Kudos are raining everywhere in this
battalion! Every time I turn around a rescue is
helping an old lady cross the street, or jumping runs in their own district! Ok, lets not get
carried away! But the guys do pretty well, like
Rescue 72 helping someone jump start their
vehicle. Then 72s, being on a roll, couldnt
be stopped. They teamed up with their engine
to build props for firefighter survival training.

A single engine/rescue house that knocked it
out of the park, and ahead of schedule to boot!
Way to represent. The battalion would also
like to extend a special thank you to a certain
EMS captain who spoiled us with Stonefire
Grill the shift after his last! Thanks Cap! It
was delicious!

Well, thats all for now! Thanks for
sending in your stories. Please send me what
you got! And remember . . . dont shoot the
messenger!
Batt17writer@gmail.com
72s help out a citizen with a jump start
The care and feeding of 73s TFC
The guys at FS 72 build props for the survival training

April 2015 19
An auto fire in a carport at 6200 Owensmouth Ave was handled on 2/17/15.

Photos by Adam Van Gerpen
20 April 2015
On 1/30/15, firefighters controlled an attic fire in the 1100

block of South Keniston Avenue. Photo by Martin Nate Rawner
GOT NEWS!?
Writers Needed
Contact
editor@lafra.org
Paid Advertisement:
phone:
(800) 244-3439
mail:
P.O. Box 41903
Los Angeles CA
90041
visit:
www.LAFRA.org
April 2015 21
S AV E THE DATE !
Monday, May 18, 2015 @ 2PM (check-in) to Friday, May 22, 2015 @ 12PM (check-out)
ACTIVITY GUIDE
MONDAY - MAY 18th
THUR SDAY - MAY 21st
T U E S D AY - MAY 19t h
:: Golf Journey at Pechanga - Price/Time: TBA
:: Check in & catch up with old friends

:: Reception Get-Together - Beer & Wine (Provided)
:: Pizza Dinner / Wine & Beer (Provided) - Time: 5PM
at Pechanga RV Clubhouse
:: Organization Reps at Clubhouse - 10am-4pm
:: Gathering at THE BUFFET at Pechanga Hotel

- Time: 6pm
$30 per person payable at the Buffet
FR ID AY - MAY 22nd
:: Check out! Till next time...
WE D N E SDAY - MAY 20t h
:: Dinner / Wine & Beer (Provided) - Time: 5PM

at Pechanga RV Clubhouse
:: Organization Reps at Clubhouse - 10am-4pm

:: Wine & Brewery Tour - Time: TBA
$90 per person with lunch
For information email sdomanski@lafra.org
SAVE YOUR HOTEL SPOT!
:: Pechanga Resort/Hotel reservation call (888) 732-4264

:: For other Hotels call (323) 259-5235
22 April 2015
Check out LAFRA.ORG for more details on the above.
SAVE YOUR SPACE!
RV SPOTS AVAILABLE - RESERVE YOURS

by calling LAFRA (323) 259-5200
RSVP to sdomanski@lafra.org after youve made your reservation.
n February 11, 2015, Fireman

Clarence H. Bramley passed
away. He was appointed to the Los
Angeles City Fire Department on July 12,
1949 and took his pension on November
4, 1979. His last assignment was FS 85 B.

Prior to joining the Fire Department, Clarence Bramley had enlisted in
the Army Air Corps, with dreams of becoming a P-40 fighter pilot. While waiting for the results of his pilot exams, his
squadron was ordered to the Philippines
where he serviced the very planes he was
hoping to fly. Then in the spring of 1942,
the islands fell to the Japanese and Clarence Bramley was captured. During the
years that followed, Clarence experienced
the brutal Death March and incarceration
in the Philippines and Taiwan.

The Bataan Death March was
actually a series of marches, covering approximately 85 miles. There were also
nightmarish weeks on a Japanese Hell
Ship and forced labor in a prison camp at
Kosaka, Japan.

Imagine 5,000 POWs dead in one
day, in one incident. These Hell Ships
carried American POWs, but because the
Japanese refused to fly the Red Cross a
number of these ships were sunk by the
American Navy, not knowing POWs
were on board.

Clarence suffered disease and brutality and witnessed the agonizing deaths
of close friends and comrades.

Weeks after atomic bombs were
dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki,
Clarence Bramley was thrilled to watch
American B-29 bombers drop welcome
food and supplies to the soon-to-be-released prisoners in Kosaka. To celebrate
that eventful day, Clarence and others
crafted an American flag that lifted the
spirits of the weakened prisoners. Although the officers and men in the camp
had been hardened by years of combat and
imprisonment, most of them cried with joy
at the sight of Old Glory.

In the fall of 2007, the flag that
Clarence and his comrades sewed was
loaned to Brigham Young University in
Provo, Utah. It remains there today on display.

Clarence Bramley never talked
much about what happened. He was an
amazing, humble and honest man who
sacrificed so much for this country. However Bill Garner, a Marine Corps pilot
during the Korean War, heard the story of
Clarence Bramley and wrote a book. The
newest version of the book is called, Unwavering Valor.

Clarence Bramley is a fine example
of an American hero who is truly a national treasure. He is an unsung hero who suffered unspeakable horrors during captivity
Norma Jean and Clarence in 1946
Flag made in the Kosaka prisoner camp
but ultimately survived and returned home

largely unnoticed.

Clarence Bramley survived to join
what journalist Tom Brokaw called the
Greatest Generation in its efforts to
build a stronger, better world. Clarence
credits his love for family, country and his
faith for the strength to overcome the harrowing years of imprisonment.

Many of us have no idea what took
place during those tragic times. But to
know there were many brave men, such
as Clarance Bramley, should make us all
proud that we live in this great country.
LAFD 1949-1979
Prisoner of War Medal

* Photos courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc. Used by permission.

Through the Bataan Death March, months
aboard a Japanese hell ship, and years in forced labor
prison camps, Clarence Bramley never gave up. This is his
gripping true story of survival and hope. Unwavering
Valor by William T. Garner is available through Cedar
Fort Publishing, Springville, UT
April 2015 23
Paid Advertisement
24 April 2015
STRUCTURE FIRE
Encino
Photos by Steve Gentry
On Friday February 13th, 2015, it took 55 firefighters more than two hours to knock down a fire in Encino. First companies on scene reported a one-story single family
dwelling with heavy fire and smoke showing. Firefighters soon found severe pack rat conditions. All firefighters were ordered out of the home and an exterior attack
was put in place. Two people were removed from the home by CHP officers before LAFD arrival. Both victims were transported to a local hospital in fair condition. Cause
is under investigation.
April 2015 25
SINGLE FAMILY DWELLING

Van Nuys
Photos by Steve Gentry
On Monday, March 2, 2015, five companies responded to a reported structure fire in the 6800 block of Gloria
Ave. First company on scene reported a single family dwelling with one room going. Firefighters took under
15 minutes to knock down the fire and rescued two dogs that were in the home.
26 April 2015
GREATER ALARM STRUCTURE FIRE

Hollywood
Photos by Adam VanGerpen
On February 25, 2015, companies found smoke showing from a multiple occupancy commercial building at 4862 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. Firefighters
extinguished the flames in about 40 minutes. An injured woman who appeared to have been living in an illegally converted unit was transported to a local hospital.
April 2015 27
DROP...MAYBE NOT?
The DROP is a voluntary program within the Los
Angeles Fire & Police Pensions (LAFPP) system that
officially began on May 1, 2002. Per LAFPPs 2012
annual report there are 1,193 sworn members in the
DROP, versus 1,314 during 2011. Many LAFPP participants have described the DROP as a no brainer
and an almost free way to bolster their retirement
assets. But, lets examine the DROP just a bit further
with some simple math. This information is intended
to draw attention to the importance of DROP and
some associated issues to consider.
If you were to retire with 25 Years of Service (YOS)
your pension percentage is 65% of your Final Average
Salary (FAS), which we will call early retirement. If
you were to retire at 30 YOS, your service pension percentage is 81% of your FAS, or late retirement for purposes of this illustration. Immediately we should note
that the difference in waiting 5 years to either retire
or enter DROP adds 16% to your pension percentage.
This difference may not seem that significant but lets
compare these two scenarios over a long period.
Paid Advertisement:
For sake of this illustration we have assumed an

average retirement span of 25 years and the current
average salary among our 13,432 active fire & police
members is $100,173 (average salary is used by the
28 April 2015
citys actuary Segal, for projection purposes). Using

the early retirement scenario of 65% x $100,173 FAS
= $65,112 in retirement, versus retiring later at 81%
x $100,173 gives us $81,140. Annually, your pension
would be $16,028 more if you waited 5 years and
didnt enter the DROP. Multiplying $16,028 by an
assumed 25 year retirement span gives us a gross
higher payout over a pensioners lifespan of $400,700
(NOTE: this doesnt take into account COLA, which
would make this number even higher).
To compare apples to apples, if you retired with 25
YOS and participate in the DROP for five years,
using the numbers above you would end up with
approximately $369,000 in your DROP account and
accordingly with a lower annual pension as illustrated above. Notice how similar these amounts are,
$400,700 versus $369,000? Basically your DROP
balance is a present value payout of accruing 16%
less on your pension while you are retired. To further cloud this issue is the fact that the early versus
late retirement pension amounts will continue to
grow farther apart over the years due to the citys
COLA factor that, when compounded becomes
quite significant.
So, what does this all mean? As in life, there is no
free lunch! This should illustrate how important it
is to properly budget for retirement, including if and
when you should enter DROP.
WHAT WE DO
OUR GOAL
We are investment counselors and

wealth managers. As a Registered
Investment Advisor, we utilize
Charles Schwabs Self Directed
Brokerage Option through the citys
Deferred Compensation Plan. This
allows our clients to keep their funds
within the citys Deferred Compensation Plan while having an independent advisor oversee their assets.
To be your Deferred Comp and

DROP financial advisor. We
strive to grow our clients assets
by effectively reducing overall risk through strategic asset
allocation and a disciplined
investment process that is always
tailored to each clients risk profile and investment objectives.
www.ai-mgmt.com
KURT STABEL, FOUNDER,

ACTIVE LAFD MEMBER
Kurt is the past elected police &
fire representative for the citys
Deferred Comp plan and has
unique experience to help you
utilize the plan. He has previously managed over $600 million in client assets for another
investment advisor, and is a USC
business/finance graduate.
| Tel. 562.433.1400 | kurt@ai-mgmt.com
5941 Naples Plaza, Long Beach, CA 90803 Fax 562.683.2683
April 2015 29
volume/pressure, a broken supply-line, apparatus parked on a supply-line, etc. Therefore, we

must always ensure a certain level of tactical
redundancy by establishing a secondary supply
should we anticipate not arriving first on-scene.

Fire companies should always consider
their response routes and corresponding approach into a fire. This is especially true if they
anticipate not arriving first on-scene, as it will
greatly assist in establishing a separate water
supply and their overall effectiveness.
n this edition of KTW Captains Mack,

Svorinich, and Marotta will discuss (1)
The importance of capturing an initial water supply, and (2) Leadership challenges confronting newly promoted officers. These topics and experienced-based opinions should be
points of discussion among all of us.
Operational Question: What are your

thoughts on the importance of capturing an
initial water supply?
30 April 2015
CI, Marty Svorinich, FS 57-B: At an active

assignment like FS 57 tactical communication is paramount, especially when capturing a
water supply. It is essential that upon leaving
quarters we discuss best response routes and
locate a minimum of two hydrants on the map.
I prefer laying from a corner hydrant, while
utilizing the mid-block as a secondary supply
option.

Water supply issues during the course
of a structure fire are relatively common and
can often present themselves as: inadequate
CI, Dave Mack, FS 10-C: Capturing a water

supply is of great importance especially during
the early stages of a fire. It is an essential tactical maneuver that establishes the foundation
for all other fireground tasks that support extinguishment. Fundamental fire-attack tactical
considerations are all dependent on this action.

Under certain circumstances (i.e. reports of people trapped) not laying-a-line in an
effort to save time may increase the possibility of civilian rescue. Not laying-in under this
scenario must be well communicated to incoming companies to ensure they capture the initial
supply. Again, this example is an exception to
the rule.

Not capturing an initial water supply
has proven time and again to have negative
effects on fireground operations. Identifying a
primary and secondary hydrant while en-route
and stopping to lay-a-line is a fundamental
responsibility of any engine company. Do not
depend on other companies to bring you water.
CI, Steve Marotta, FS 93-C: Although capturing a water supply is a fundamental engine
company evolution, such a task requires discussion and frequent training. A reliable water
supply is one of a few fireground tasks that will
establish the basis for a safe and effective firefight.

Its critical for officers to reinforce the
importance of establishing a supply through
training and SOGs based on your own fire attack philosophy. Members must also be made
aware of the tactical and manipulative challenges of hand-laying or pumping off the
tank whenever a water supply is not established.

In an effort to support capturing a supply, consider mapping an effective response
route(s) and locating a primary and secondary
hydrant as a part of your enroute SOGs. This
precursor to laying-a-line is highly effective
and one that can be employed by either the
captain or one of the firefighters.

Enroute consideration is especially important when it appears multiple companies
will converge at the incidents address. In these
instances it is most advantageous to bring in
water from a different direction. Either way,
capturing a water supply is the task that establishes safe and effective fireground trends and
it should never be dismissed.
Leadership Question: As a new captain can

you tell us some of the non-emergency
challenges youve experienced in your first
assignment?
Mack: Promoting into a task force that had
long-term vacancies in both the CI and CIIs
rank presented difficult challenges upon arrival. It immediately demanded that I meet
the needs of the entire fourteen-member crew
without the aid of a regularly assigned CII.

As a new CI, working alongside a different CII nearly every shift enabled me to
learn a variety of operational and management
skills that I had not yet been exposed to. Although challenging, this scenario strengthened
my perspective on how to manage an entire station and not just a single engine company.

Taking ownership of my shift soon became a primary focus. It was paramount that
I not only manage the responsibilities of my
newly acquired duties, but that I also meet the
needs of the entire shift as well. Greatly assisting in my efforts was the senior leadership
demonstrated by the firefighters, A/Os, engineers and officers at this assignment.

Taking on such challenges as a newly
promoted officer, although at times overwhelming, reinforced the importance of preparation and teamwork. I could not have managed
this scenario to the degree I did had it not been
for the efforts of those at this assignment or my
mentors.
Marotta: Upon promoting I realized my new
assignment had been without a CI for two
years, had a CII on the verge of retirement and
that we didnt have an assigned rated member.
Throw in a first-house rookie and a few members preparing for the engineers exam and
there you have it the makings of a very challenging first assignment.

Although difficult, I believed my initial
leadership challenges were not much different
than those confronting other newly appointed
officers. I felt my most pressing issues were to
establish clear expectations, get to know my
crew, and to ensure we had effective SOGs
that reflected specific target hazards and the
various other challenges our district presented.

All newly promoted captains face challenges - the key in managing them is preparation and persistence. I am also fortunate to command a crew with a terrific attitude. Though my
goal is still a work in progress, with continued

effort and support of my crew I can visualize
it all coming together. As a mentor of mine
would routinely say, There are many land
mines out there, so you better be prepared.
Svorinich: I am always mindful of the need to
manage my time efficiently. I begin the morning by prioritizing my workload into two categories: (1) Emergency and (2) Non-emergency.
Those items that are pressing Ill often address
before 0630 hrs. All other issues Ill appropriately manage within the course of the shift.

Challenges such as not being able to
have an early line-up because of activity levels often requires deviating from the norm. Its
also imperative that with the amount of outof-house hiring that I immediately seize these
members upon arrival and inform them of my
SOGs and expectations.

Simple tasks such as line-up, shopping
and company training are challenging, but not
insurmountable. For example, unlike most assignments, we shop prior to 0800 hrs I will
often take advantage of this opportunity to hold
line-up on E57 while driving to and from the
market.

Those members not on E 57 during
line-up (RAs) will receive a text from me regarding pertinent line-up material. I will eventually convey the information to them during
the course of the day, but this way they can
receive line-up info early in the morning. Innovation and creativity has without question
assisted me in meeting the needs of my command.
In next months article Firefighters Jim Nicholson, Andy Vidovich and Steve Meiche will
discuss (1) the operational challenges of a senior firefighter and (2) leadership challenges in
dealing with young officers and rated members.
April 2015 31
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32 April 2015
On February 26, 2015, the guys from FS 23-C surprised their captain on his last shift with a retirement beach party at Will Rogers. Eng. Bill Bringas
spearheaded the bash for his (former) boss, who celebrated 35 years with the LAFD. 69s, Batt 9 and a ton of friends attended the event on a picture
perfect SoCal winters day. Heres to you Art have a long and healthy retirement!
April 2015 33
or a few hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon last month, the guys at 114s were
actually busy chasing downed aircraft.
Fortunately they were just scores of paper airplanes that littered the apparatus bay after Russ
Nakamuras retirement luncheon. Nak was a
celebrated paper airplane champ at UCLA, so
the crowd pelted him with hand-folded craft as
part of the final ovation.

The guys at 114s did a great job in getting the station ready for more than 100 guests
the Crash floor was so clean you could have
eaten off of it, but they decided to set up the
tables anyway. By the time emcee Steve Ruda
called the crowd to order, the smell of Mexican
spices and taco meat filled the air. But before
the meal, Senior Chaplain Rick Godinez provided the invocation. GoGo was one of Russs
first rookies at old 77s.

The real fun started when Naks former
captain at Rescue Maintenance, Al Barrios,
came up to the podium. He told of Russs interesting work ethic work, b!+ #, work, b!+ #,
work, b!+ #. He did acknowledge that Russ
was the only one who could figure out why the
newly purchased software wouldnt work . . .
even though he couldnt explain why. When the
S&M chiefs demanded to know why their $25k
tracking program wouldnt work, Barrios could
only shrug his shoulders and say, because Nakamura said so.

Rescue Maintenance was well represented by the likes of Tombrello, Mayo (whos
wife Lorraine made the beautiful Hawaiian leis
for the family), Fogelman, Rodriquez, Elzie,
Evanoff, Carr and of course, Liz and Jennifer.
Long time EA-1 partner, Al Schatz, got up to
explain how he tried to keep Nak out of trouble but always ended up being drawn in to his
high jinks, much to the irritation of that other
captain. Frank De La Rosa told everyone that
he and Russ got along so well, that in 15 years
they never had a disagreement or argument.

A couple of civilian co-workers from
S&M decided they would show Russ how real
metal fabricators complete a job. Auto body
master Gary Hurricane Hayakawa and artist/
painter Carlos Moreno got together and produced a fire engine that is 1/18 scale in size but
2/1 in weight! It took a fork lift just to get the
thing into the building.

Mark Akahoshi came forward to present the Fire Chiefs certificate. Mark insisted
34 April 2015
that he was actually Russs brother and that the

other Nak Wayne - was merely an adopted
war orphan. Probably closer to the truth, if you
look at Marks and Waynes hair, is that they
are the ones related or at least they order their
55 gallon drum of hair color from the same
beauty supply.

Russell Rawls, a CSFA director, was
kind enough to attend the event and present a
plaque on behalf of the organization. And he
brought his brother-in-law, Pete Callas, along

with him. Pete and Nak are radio-controlled
airplane flyers and have traveled the country
together with their toys. Pete said that early on
in their friendship, he was very impressed that
Nak was able to commandeer an LAFD helicopter (an actual size one) to help search for
one of their downed RC planes in the Sepulveda basin.

Juan Albarran, LAFRA president and
one of Russs 1980 Drill Tower classmates,
forked over the retirement badge. Juan said
that even at the Drill Tower he was impressed
by Nak. He said that on their first exam, the
recruits were told to fill in the circles on the
answer sheet. Nak followed directions and got
100% . . . Alby got a Zero! Seems Juan copied
all the correct answers from Nak, but he circled the circles instead of filling them in.

Bill Stires came to the podium representing a crowd of guys from old 98s (including Tip, Sauber, Bernard, Nicholson, Foor,
Marquez, Hester, Clark, Villalobos, Prosser,
Nielson, Stone, Ramelli, and Donckels, just to
name a few). Bill related a couple of stories and
told how sad everyone was to see Nak leave
for RMU because of his injuries from the 1993
brush fire.

John Rust drove in from Nipomo to
present Russ with his Personal Record Book.
John was his third house captain at Engine 77,
where Nak would probably have stayed for the
next 35 years if he hadnt been displaced when
the company went paramedic. John noted that
Naks excuse for never making a fat mans
club weigh-in was that he was really an Eskimo (or maybe a sumo wrestler). Other 77s
co-workers in the house included Garcia, Kirkwood, Perez and Davis.

Brother Wayne had the honor of buying
and presenting the retirement gifts a Dewalt
6 grinder and a 4.5 cordless sander. I think
Wayne chose these gifts as a hint to Russ to finally get to work on the 69 Datsun 510 wagon
thats been sitting in their mothers driveway
for the last 35 years, or maybe the 64 Triumph
Spitfire that has been cluttering her garage for
the last 40 years. Just maybe hell have time to
finish a project or two now that hes retired.

For a guy that insisted he didnt want a
retirement party, Nak sure did take advantage
of his audience when he got his chance at the
podium. After 45 minutes, he had finally told a
story about and thanked everyone (yes, everyone!) in the house.

Arguably one of the most talented
craftsman the LAFD has ever had in its ranks
welder, auto-bodyman, mechanic, seamstress
Naks skills, humor, and work ethic will be
missed. Sure hell be busy with lots of his own
projects now, but if you really need a custom
fabricated mini-bike, give him a call. Like always, hell be only too happy to lend a helping
hand.
What Is The...
Extinguisher Fund?

The brain child of Ted Bailie, re-
tired from the LAFD and LAFRA, your

stations Extinguisher Fund is a simple
way to collect donations for the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemens
Fund. Ted saw the accumulation of
change that the cook dumped into the
mess fund box each shift and had a
better idea. If this change was instead
collected for the WODFF he figured it
could really add up. With an average of
50 cents per day per station, in a year
there would be . . . well, you can do the
math!

So take your turn in the cooking
rotation and remember to drop all your

change into your stations extinguisher.
There should be one in every firehouse.
And any loose change in your pockets,
any that you find in the TV chairs, or
hoarded in the ashtray of your vehicle
can be thrown in for good measure.

The Widows, Orphans & Dis-
abled Firemens Fund is the heart of

the Relief Association. This fund provides assistance to our firefighters and
families who are faced with personal
difficulties and tragedies. Donations are
the sole means of support for this Fund.

Firefighters risk their lives to
protect the community on a daily

basis. Thus, they and their families can
be comforted in knowing that the Fire
Department Family, supported by the
Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund, is there for them in times
of need.
April 2015 35
JAVIER CAMPOS, Engineer, FS 44-A
GREGORY E. NEWLAND, Captain II, FS 48-A
SATURDAY, APRIL 4, 2015
SATURDAY, APRIL 11, 2015
Friendship Auditorium
3201 Riverside Drive, Los Angeles CA
Dalmatian American Club of San Pedro

1639 South Palos Verdes Street, San Pedro CA
Social Hour: 6:00 PM
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Dinner: 6:00 PM
Prime Rib and Chicken Buffet - $50 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Family Style Chicken or Beef - $60 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call FS 44 - (213) 485-6244 or email: danielleevense@lacity.org

RSVP by March 15th
Call FS 48 - (310) 548-7548 or Robbie Trevino - (949) 370-4703

RSVP by April 9th
TED NONINI, Firefighter, FS 27-C
JEFF EASTON, Captain II, FS 93-A
THURSDAY, APRIL 16, 2015
SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2015
Knollwood Country Club

12024 Balboa Blvd, Granada Hills CA
Fire Station 27 Museum

1355 N Cahuenga Blvd, Hollywood CA
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Gourmet Buffet
$50 per person includes tax, tip, parking & gift
Call FS 27 - (213) 485-6227
RANDY BEACH, Captain I, FS 8-A

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2015
Porter Valley Country Club
19216 Singing Hills Drive, Northridge CA
Dinner: 7:30 PM
Buffet Dinner - $50 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call FS 8 - (818) 368-1443 or Janie - (805) 404-6212
RSVP by April 15th
Dinner: 5:00 PM
Buffet Style Dinner - $35 per person includes dinner, wine, water & gift
Call FS 93 - (818) 756-8693
RSVP by April 15th
DAVID D. DUMLER, Engineer, FS 23-A

JAMES W. VELS, Captain, FS 23-A
THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 2015
Bel-Air Bay Club
16801 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades CA
Dinner: 6:30 PM
Buffet Style - $65 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call FS 23 - (310) 575-8523 or (661) 373-4886 or emai: jh1429@yahoo.com
Hawaiian attire requested
DARRAYLE PROSSER, Captain, FS 77-B
RICK RAMIREZ, Engineer FS 49-C
SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2015
MONDAY, MAY 4, 2015
Odyssey Restaurant
15600 Odyssey Drive, Granada Hills CA
Dinner: 6:30 PM
Buffet Dinner - $50 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call FS 77 - (818) 756-8677 or Sean Williams (661) 810-9378
or Steve Moskovitz (661) 713-8446
Bannings Landing Community Center

100 E Water Street, Wilmington CA
Dinner: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Taco Truck - No cost (Donations are encouraged)
Donations will be divided between WODFF & WWP
Call FS 49 - (310) 548-7549 or (310) 513-8900. RSVP by April 28th
KENDAL KONEVAL, Firefighter III, FS 8-B
WENDELL F. SMITH, Captain II, FS 73-C
TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015
FRIDAY, MAY 8, 2015
Sagebrush Cantina
23527 Calabasas Road, Calabasas CA
Odyssey Restaurant
15600 Odyssey Drive, Granada Hills CA
Dinner: 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Dinner: 8:00 PM
Buffet with soft drinks - No cost
Buffet Style - $50 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call Maureen Koneval - (818) 517-7717 or email: maureen527@aol.com

Live music and dancing.
Call FS 73 - (818) 756-8673

RSVP by Monday, April 27th
RON MYERS, Captain I, FS 90-B

SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015
Sierra La Verne Country Club
6300 Country Club Drive, La Verne, CA
Dinner: 7:00 PM
Beef & Cordon Bleu - $50 per person includes tax, tip & gift
Call Natalie Goshi - (213) 576-8900 or email: natalie.goshi@lacity.org
36 April 2015
Berlin/Los Angeles Firefighter Family Exchange Program
s part of the Next Generation Project, the Berlin Fire

Department is inviting ten
teens from LAFD families to visit
Germany in July, 2015. The LAFD
teens will be hosted by and staying
with Berlin Fire Department firefighter families.

The teens will depart for
Berlin on July 13th and arrive back
home on July 29th.
Ten Teens Wanted

The search is on for ten teenage boys and girls who would like
to travel to Berlin. Host families
in Germany will provide accommodations and food in their homes
for the participants. Transportation,
spending money and other expenses will be paid by the American
participants own families.

To qualify, teens must have
one parent on active LAFD duty.
Schedule of Events

The group will spend time
at such sites as the Berlin Gate,
Potsdamer Platz, Kurfurstendamm
Street (world class shopping) the
Berlin Tower at Alexander Platz,
the American Embassy, and other
cultural and historical spots worthy
of a visit by American teens. Host
families are encouraged to plan
their own unique activities for the
visitors as well.

Those interested in volunteering can contact Lisa Schechter or Isaac Burks (LAFD retired) in the office of
Councilman LaBonge for the application. They will be happy to answer any further questions you might have. The
applications deadline is June 12, 2015.
Lisa Schechter: lisa.schechter@lacity.org
Isaac Burks: isaac.burks@lacity.org
Both can be reached at 213.485.3337
April 2015 37
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employee pricing, service specials,
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CALL 866-213-8686
to speak with your personal LAFD

Partner Program Specialist today.
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38 April 2015
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ordered. Then he set everything up and instructed

us on how to use it correctly which made the whole
experience more positive. He offered several options
for making the recovery more comfortable. His kit
even included gel for a stiff neck!
When it was time to return the equipment, again it
was picked up on the same day we called. Thank you
for an outstanding experience.
John Gamrat
Castaic, CA
Dear Juliet,
Today a little boys dream came true (and his
mommys secret dream too)! Hamburgers and tater
tots surrounded by a ton of firefighters and then taking
a ride in the fire truck around the block in Westwood.
Captain Mandelbaum made a delicious meal in which
Jay exclaimed mmmmmmm when he took a bite of
his cheeseburger. The firefighters were such gentlemen
and super fun. Jay even danced Zumba with one of the
guys and swung around the pole. The ride along with
Captain Bactat was a super special treat and Jay even
wore the headphones. You can only imagine the fun
that Rhonda, Ashley (her daughter) and I had too. Here
are some of my favorite photos of the day (see photos
in this months Battalion One News)
Best,
Suzanne Asherson
LA Widows and Orphans Fund
Please accept this donation in memory of Les
Hawkes, retired B/C. Les and I have been friends
since our teenage years. Pasadena was our hangout. A
great friend and a fantastic firefighter they come any
better.
Rest in Peace,
Richard Rush
Dana Point, CA
Gentlemen,
Please accept the enclosed donation in memory of
our friend Dudley E. Sorenson.
As you go through life there are certain people that
are there to help you along the way with your career.
To me, Dudley was one of these special people. I first
met him when I was appointed captain and assigned to
Engine 33. Dudley was the captain of Truck 64. This
was before the use of fire hoods and I can recall he and
his crew wore bright red scarfs with their turnout costs
at night. It was quite a sight.
As time passed I was working in battalion 14 and
was acting chief for the bteer part of a year under
Dudleys command. Daily and at large incidents he
was there to advise and support you in your command
operations.
After being appointed to B/C and again working
under his command, I was recommended by Dudley
to be appointed as the Director of the LAFD in the
Southern California Forester and Fire Wardens
Association.
During this same time, I was part of his department
budget committee which handled all phases of
the yearly budget. Once again Dudley, although
in command, was there to advise and support the
members of his committee.
Although many of todays firefighters didnt know
Dudley, the fire stations they are working in today are

the result of many, many hours of work he put into the
building committee to develop these stations.
It was with great sadness when my wife and I
learned of his recent passing. He was an excellent
firefighter and command officer, but most of all a good
friend during our time together on the fire department.
Sincerely,
Bob Mac Millan, Batt 14 retired
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Attention Andy:
Remembering Dudley a neighbor, a friend, a man
of integrity, a father figure, a hero.
I remember Teris dad, Dudley Sorenson. He
seemed always studying, to better himself and reach
the next goal he set for himself. He was a dedicated
family man, husband, father and Fireman. Sometimes
on his day off, he and my mother Virginia, would
have bake-offs to see who could create the best apple
turnover, lemon meringue pie, oatmeal cookies or
a chocolate cake. Looking back, there was no clear
winner, just two families coming together to share the
common love of dessert and friendship.
Dudley was a fireman, strong and dedicated to the
service of others, but when our families were together,
he struck me as a humble, considerate and respectful
man. I like to think of our lives as a quilt. The people
who share our lives are the threads of our quilt, they
keep it together, and the memories of them are brightly
colored and repeat a pattern of love. When you turn it
over only the brightest seem to catch your eye. They
are the ones who leave an imprint of love on your
heart. Because of them you area better person and are
able to be a part of anothers quilt.
I will always remember his smiling face and the
love he shared with our family. Dudley Sorenson will
be remembered in my quilt as one of my heroes.
Joyce Cicogna LHeureux
Canyon Country, CA
LAFRA:
Enclosed is a donation for the Widows, Orphans
and Disabled Firemens Fund to help those in need
as you helped me and my family when my husband,
Capt Fredrick C. Martin, passed away on February 16,
2011. Thank you for all you do.
Viola Marin and family
San Clemente, CA
LA Firemens Relief Assoc.
I would like to thank you for sending David Quiroy
and his medical supplies when we needed equipment.
He delivered the equipment the same day it was
Dear Andy Kuljis,

I want to thank you for your phone call after Fred
passed. That was very thoughtful in sharing some
stories you remember about Fred.
I have always been in awe of the fire department.
When I was a child, we lived a few doors down from
Fire Station 44. I was over there a lot with my brother.
I even mopped a floor or two. Those guys back then
will always have a special place in my heart.
The department really comes through when one
of their own passes. I cant say thank you enough
to everyone for all their help in the time of need.
Everyone made things easier for me.
Freds service was special. The fire truck, the bag
piper playing Amazing Grace, active and retired
firemen carrying the casket, all followed by a military
service and the folding of the flag. The minister shared
wonderful stories of Fred they had known each other
for 20 years. Then my son Dan, Fire Chief of Sutter
County, spoke of his and Freds relationship. It was a
perfect day to say the least.
Im doing okay just a big change and a different
way of life. Thank you for all you did for me and my
family.
Sincerely,
Sandy Yager
Sutter, CA
LAFRA:
I rarely comment publically about men that had a
profound influence on my life, but Bob Aaron is the
exception. Bob was my first captain at Fire Station 3
when I joined the LAFD in 1976. He was my Task
Force Commander at Fire Station 27 when I was
a newly promoted captain in 1984. Captain Aaron
always adhered to the rules and regulations of the
LAFD. He always ran a tight ship. His knowledge
and experience of firefighting principles were never
questioned. We always marched into hell together.
He was never considered as a man among men,
even though he was a monument among stones. When
we went into battle together, we went because we
knew it was the right thing to do
Bob and I never rode motorcycles together, we never
skied together, nor did much together off duty, but
we were joined at the hip when we were in combat
fighting fire.
Most firemen are rarely remembered for their
accomplishments as firefighters. I would like to
acknowledge that Chief Aaron was a brave and
tenacious firefighter who was dedicated to preserving
and protecting the lives of everyone who lived and
worked in the City of Los Angeles.
My family sends its deepest sympathies and
condolences to the Aaron Family.
Millage Peaks
April 2015 41
42 April 2015
At the Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association, we are

committed to bringing you health care and other benefits you
can count on. We are dedicated to providing excellent service
and design our benefits by focusing on the needs of our
members.
Coverage is available nationwide through our extensive PPO network
Preventative care is covered at 100%
Full Body Scan benefit
Long-Term Care Coverage for qualifying participants
Sign Up During Open Enrollment

In April
Look for enrollment details in the mail.

FOR MORE INFORMATION call 323.259.5200 x222 or x223
Visit us at www.lafra.org
April 2015 43
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
800.332.BUGS
www.EcoLaTermite.com
44 April 2015
MEMBERS
Clarence H. Bramley, Firefighter II.
Appointed July 12, 1949. Retired on a service pension November 4, 1979 from FS 85-B.
Passed away February 11, 2015.
Leslie E. Hawkes, Battalion Chief.
Appointed November 7, 1959. Retired on a service pension June 25, 1995 from Arson Unit.
William D. Czernek, Engineer.
Appointed November 7, 1959. Retired on a service pension March 1, 1992 from FS 49.
Robert L. Aaron, Battalion Chief.
Appointed November 24, 1962. Retired on September 5, 2000 from FPB - Metro Rail.
Donald R. Koppel, Fireman.
Appointed December 18, 1951. Retired on a service pension June 1, 1977 from FS 75-B.
Michael A. Roy, Chief Helicopter Pilot.
Appointed April 30, 1966. Retired on a service pension June 29, 1992 from Air-Ops.
FAMILY
Ruth A. Richter, surviving spouse of Walter E. Richter, passed away February 6, 2015.
Rhea Schreiner, surviving spouse of Roy H. Schreiner, passed away February 7, 2015.
Dolores E. Thomas, surviving spouse of Grover L. Thomas, passed away February 12, 2015.
Bonnie M. Young, surviving spouse of Richard A. Young, passed away February 14, 2015.
Charlyn A. Paine, surviving spouse of Floyd D. Paine, passed away February 18, 2015.
Edna L. Richards, surviving spouse of Burt T. Richards, passed away February 28, 2015.
Kathleen Ten Napel, surviving spouse of Fred P. Ten Napel, passed away February 28, 2015.
April 2015 45
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46 April 2015
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by Mike Mastro, President/CEO

Firefighters First Credit Union
2014 Annual Board Chair/President-CEO Report
s we head proudly into our 80th year of service to the men and women of Californias
Firefighter Community, we are pleased to
inform you that your Credit Union achieved another
significant year of reaching our financial, operational
and strategic goals. In 2014, Firefighters First Credit
Union achieved $9.3 million in net income. Additionally, your credit union continued its proud tradition of providing a significant added year end return
to our member/owners of more than $2.5 Million

That exceptional level of financial performance allowed your Board of Directors to return approximately 26% of that net income back to you, our
members, in the form of an Interest Refund and Extraordinary Dividend Bonus of $2,448,525. It should
be noted that our Credit Union is very unique in the
financial services world and not only is exceptionally
competitive in its lending and savings products all
year long, but also rewards our member/owners by
willingly sharing its financial success with those who
belong and participate in our exclusive club. There
were also several additional important give backs
that are provided to Firefighters First Credit Union
member/owners. We also paid out the following:

Classic Visa Cash Refund - $224,100

Value of Platinum Visa Rewards used
by members - $511,000

In addition, in an environment when other
financial institutions were raising fees, your credit
union eliminated a large number of fees in 2012 and
2013, and continued this trend into 2014.

Fee Eliminations (i.e. Money Wires,

Return Deposit Item, Stop Payment, etc.)
continues to increase each year.
Three (3) out of network ATM withdrawals remain free per month/per account with
direct deposit in addition to the thousands of
free CO-OP ATMs. - $241,300
New this year was a $50 reward for households

that leveraged additional services available
through:

Insurance policy with Firefighters Insu
rance - $37,850

Business Account with the Credit Union
$21,950

Investments with Firehouse Financial
$45,000

Mortgage Servicing Loan with the Credit

Union - $23,500

by Gerald Horwedel, Board Chair

Firefighters First Credit Union
The Grand Total of all 2014 Returns to the

Member - $ 3.5 Million

Firefighters First Credit Union is a member/
owned, financial co-operative that is very different
from other financial institutions. Its Yours reflects
your ownership and our intent to provide you, the
member, with value-added premier products and services and drives our continuing intent to share our
growing success with you. Firefighters First Credit
Union is deeply committed to its members as it relates to ensuring that this fine member co-operative
will survive and thrive even as competition accelerates from traditional and non-traditional players.
Thirty-five years ago there were more than 23,000
credit unions - today there are approximately 6,500
across the nation.

Banks have faced very similar issues and
today there are significantly fewer banks than there
were thirty-five years ago. Most of the decline has
been due to mergers and acquisitions. Quite frankly,
those who have not survived were unwilling to grow
and change to meet the challenges ahead. Your Credit
Union has and will continue to display the courage
to ensure our future success by carefully and appropriately adapting to a rapidly changing financial and
technological environment while ensuring that our
foundation of serving our firefighter family with
Trust, Integrity and Uncompromising Value will
endure.

Our continued intent in addressing emerging member financial needs at higher levels and
operating with innovative thinking is driven by the
Credit Unions strategic roadmap, to provide nothing less than Legendary Service and Financial Success to our exclusive firefighter membership. That
focus is underpinned by a foundation of performance
excellence and a Service First mentality that is at
the core of how our special membership serves the
community at large. In fact, your Credit Union implemented a new quality service measurement tool
in 2014, which will now allow us to compare service
levels not only with other credit unions, but also with
other financial institutions; along with a broad array
of industries across the country. Stay tuned as we expect to keep you updated on our progress.

To that end, we are pleased to report that the
Credit Union also implemented the following enhancements in 2014.

Opened the third Firefighters First Credit
Union Regional Office in Thousand Oaks, following through with our strategy of being local to our
members.

Launched Credit Card Customization (Personal image selection) for member debit and credit
cards.

Provided free computer scanning protection
where we proactively monitor your computer. If a
virus is detected, you will receive a notification to

download our free tool.

The Financial Services Industry continues to
be challenged by regulatory, technological and competitive impacts; your credit union has accumulated
more than $92M in financial reserves and ended 2014
with a capital ratio of 10.40%. Regulators consider
7% as well capitalized. We remain one of the safest
financial institutions in the country with excellent financial strength and a solid, well respected membership.

Another element of our success is represented by the robust growth and member value of our
other businesses.

Firehouse Financial (Assets under

Management) - $171.1M

Firehouse Business Services (Business Loans)
- $135.4M

Firefighter Insurance Services (Accumulated

premiums) - $2.3M

2015 will be another year of moving forward. We expect to continue to enhance our delivery
channels, and open regional offices in Pleasanton and
Bakersfield.

Many thanks to our Board of Directors, Supervisory Committee and Staff for their talents, dedication and deep concern for our members. Our volunteers put in many unpaid and uncompensated hours
in their quest to serve our very special members.

As we head into our 80th year, a special
Thank You and acknowledgement to our founding
fire department, Los Angeles Fire Department and
the Los Angeles City firefighters, who have extended
the hand of friendship and partnership to their brother
and sister firefighters across the state of California.
You have created a bedrock foundation upon which
this organization will move forward and ensure that
our legacy of exclusively serving firefighters will
continue for your children and grandchildren in the
years ahead. That sense and understanding of mutual aid and support between all firefighters will carry
us forward into the future.

Thanks again for your loyalty, your business
and especially for being an important part of this very
special Fire Family. Its our continuing promise to
you that this organization will always be run in a safe
and sound manner and with the trust and integrity
and personal caring that is so much a part of who our
members are.

The more Business we do together as a Fire
Family the greater the Financial reward will be for
all Firefighter First Credit Union members.
April 2015 47
Get the most out of your Relief PPO

Plan Physical Therapy Benefit:
:: Choose In-Network providers and the plan pays
100% with no co-pay
:: Maximum is $3,500 per person per calendar
year. Following surgery, the maximum is $6,000
per person per calendar year (Physical Therapy
benefit is combined with the Occupational
Therapy benefit)
:: Ask providers to estimate the number of
sessions needed
:: Compare provider rates before selecting your
therapist
:: Keep track of benets used and amount left.
Check status by calling your HealthSCOPE reps
at 866-99-LAFRA or 866-995-2372
:: Services must be performed by a Medical
Doctor (MD) , a Registered Physical Therapist
(RPT) , or a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)
*Rates
as of2015
1-1-15. All benefits subject to change.
48 April
Im sorry, but the bank cannot release any

information to you, the manager said.
Christine was trying to close out her
deceased husbands account. Why not, I gave
you his death certificate. Whats the problem?
With a look that said, this conversation is over,
the manager told Christine that since there was
no beneficiary on the account, the bank would
need a court order to release any information.

Thats crazy! He was my husband. It
automatically goes to me, right? Frustrated
and mad, Christine left the bank crying. When
she got back to work she told a co-worker what
happened, who in turn, told Christine to see a
lawyer.
No Common Law Marriage in California

So let me get this right, the attorney
said. You and Steve had lived together for 25
years, have a child together, but the house and
bank accounts are in his name only. Why didnt
you take title as husband and wife?

Frowning, she said, They wouldnt let
us. They said we had to be married.

Surprised, he asked, So, you arent
married? You dont have a marriage license?

Nodding her head, Thats right. We
have, or had, a common law marriage.

Exhaling while leaning back in his
chair, he said, Christine, you have more problems than just that with the bank. You see,
California doesnt recognize common law
marriages. So unless you are a co-owner or a
beneficiary, you might not have any rights or

interest in his property.

Sitting up, Christine said, What do you
mean no rights or interest? Doesnt everything
automatically go to me?

Shaking his head, the attorney said,
In this case, there is no automatic. His estate
likely has to go through probate.
Palimony Property Rights Between Unmarried Cohabitants

Clearly upset over what she just
learned, Christine left the office telling the attorney shed call him later. When she got home
she looked up common law marriage on the internet and found that what the attorney told her
was true. But during her search she came across
something called Palimony and thought that
might work for her. Getting the attorney on the
phone she asked, We were together for 25
years. Dont I qualify for palimony?

Remembering Marvin v. Marvin, the
attorney told her about the case between the
actor, Lee Marvin, and his girlfriend, Michelle
Marvin. He explained how after living together
for some time, Lee broke off the relationship.
Michelle wanted alimony, but since they were
not married, the Family Law concept of alimony didnt apply. You see, since she was not
his spouse, she had no spousal property rights.
Also, the court ruled that since there was no
express or implied contract between them that

said Lee would provide for her in return for
Michelle giving up her career, Michelle wasnt
entitled to anything.

Quiet for a bit, Christine asked if being
together for 25 years and having children together wasnt a contract.

If it wasnt in writing you will have to
prove an implied contract. But even then, now
that Steve has died without a will, the laws of
intestate succession take over.
The Take Away

California is a community property
state and common law marriage is not recognized. In order to have spousal property rights,
the parties must be legally married. Further,
to avoid court proceedings or problems with
banks and title companies, title to your property should reflect your marital status. Even if
you decide not to marry but want to provide for
your cohabitant, each party should name the
other as a beneficiary of their accounts, will, or
trust.
April 2015 49
50 April 2015
Submitted by Frank Borden Director of Operations, LAFDHS
LAFD History - The History of Helicopters in LAFD Service

By Pat Quinn, Pilot, LAFD Retired - As I
remember it
Note: I asked Pat Quinn to write this story
some time ago. We all appreciate this history.
Thank you Pat, Frank Borden

After a rash of large brush fires fought
by the LAFD in the late 1950s, the administration approached the United States Forest Service and asked if one of their pilots could come
and brief them on airborne firefighting. This
was before any fire service was using helicopters in a direct attack mode. The Forest Service
answered with a question: Why are you contacting us when one of our best pilots works for
you? That person was Theodore Bud Nelson.
Bud was a WWII and Korean War combat pilot
who worked as a firefighter for the LAFD and
moonlighted as an air attack airplane pilot flying war surplus borate bombers. Moonlighting
was frowned upon in those days, so the administration had no clue of Buds activities.

Bud was detailed to make a presentation to the LAFD staff but much to their
amazement, he recommended they purchase
a helicopter. During his flying with the Forest Service, Bud had watched the construction
of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway with the
use of the then newly developed turbo-supercharged Bell 47 G3 helicopters. Believing that
they could be adapted to a metropolitan fire
service much better than a fixed-wing aircraft,
Bud was able to convince the staff that it would
be a wise purchase.

A Bell 47 G3B helicopter with a 260
horsepower Lycoming piston engine was delivered in early 1962 and three pilots were chosen
from the ranks to fly it: Beverly Beckley, Clarence Ritchie and, of course, Bud Nelson. Clarence Ritchie was named Chief Pilot due to his
military helicopter experience.

Concurrent with these developments
but separately, the Los Angeles County Fire
Department was developing its own helicopter
operation. They hired a noted helicopter pilot,
Roland Barton, to get their operation going.
They were, in fact, slightly ahead of the LAFD
helicopter development. It was LACoFD that
made the first water-dropping tank for the
Bell 47. The LAFD administration quickly
saw the value in this 100 gallon fixed tank and
purchased one for its use. It had hand-opened

doors, utilizing a large lever to open the doors
requiring the pilot to remove his hand from the
flight controls to pull the lever. This was not an
optimum arrangement and could be downright
dangerous under certain circumstances so they
eventually devised an electrical release and
closing mechanism.

A second helicopter, a Bell 47 J-2A,
was purchased and used as an aerial command
post. The mayor, Sam Yorty, saw the value of
this helicopter as an executive transport and
used it extensively. As the administration saw
the value of the direct attack helicopter, another
firefighting helicopter, a Bell 47 G3B-1, with
a 370 horsepower turbocharged Lycoming engine was soon added to the fleet.

The Helicopter Unit, as it was then
called, was able to support a vigorous ground
attack on a brush fire and soon proved its worth
as a rescue vehicle on a wide variety of missions.

During the early
days, the helicopters were
housed at a commercial
hangar at the north end of
Van Nuys Airport. When
Fire Station 90 opened,
there was room to house
the copters in quarters.
In 1970, a dedicated hangar was built for the fire
department helicopters
and the repair of the fast
expanding LAPD fleet as
well as the Department
of Fleet Services helicopters.

The first turbine
powered helicopter, a
Bell 206A Jet Ranger was
acquired in 1967. This
was a quantum leap in
technology and capabilities. It was vastly superior in every regard when
compared to the pistonpowered helicopters.

In the last half of
the 1960s, Chief Engineer Ray Hill devised a
scheme to retire the Bell
The LAFD Bell 47 on the ground

with a Bell Jet Ranger overhead.
In 2009 the LAFDHS Bell 47 was brought to

Air Operations to begin the restoration by
Pilot Jeff Moir.
A complete restoration requires removing all

the parts and going to bare metal. Today the
parts and paint are coming back.
April 2015 51
47 J2-A and to purchase two additional 400

horsepower Jet Rangers and eliminate Mountain Patrol with the forty or so firefighters utilized there. They had been the departments
early warning system and experts on wild land
firefighting. Using a Jet Ranger to patrol on
high hazard days, fires could be spotted easily
and the fire could be quickly evaluated.

During the 1970s, the commercial version of the military Bell Huey helicopter became available. Two Bell 205 A-1 helicopters
were put into service and with it came another
huge leap in capability. The 1400 horsepower
Hueys were equipped with a large 360 gallon
water tank and one was equipped with an internal rescue hoist. With its cavernous cabin,
it could be truly used as a practical air ambulance. The final Bell 47 G3B-1 was also retired
during this time frame.

With the winding down of the Viet
Nam War, the federal government released
large quantities of surplus military helicopters
to other government agencies. The Los Angeles Fire Department was able to purchase four
ex-Air Force Bell UH-1F helicopters with 1325
horsepower General Electric engines. Two of
the four were used for parts and the other two
were stripped of all excess military hardware,
equipped with radios and water tanks and
painted in the red and white LAFD colors. Total investment in each ship was about $60,000.
This was less than 5% of its replacement cost.
At the very first brush fire the first F model
served in Mandeville Canyon. It saved millions
of dollars of homes. A deal was struck with
George Air Force Base near Victorville to exchange parts as they had the exact same type of
Huey helicopters. After several years, George
Air Force Base was deactivated and the parts
source dried up. Replacements were needed
immediately.

In 1986, Bell Helicopter Company
made available a special Bell 412 SP with a
light airframe and enlarged Pratt and Whitney
twin turbine engines. The fire department staff
was able to arrange for its purchase. This was
the next leap in capability and technology. Utilizing the basic Huey airframe, Bell had developed a four bladed semi-rigid rotor system. The
Bell 412 was much faster, quieter, smoother
and safer than all previous models. Seeing the
increase in utilization, the department acquired
another Bell 412 soon thereafter. Two additional Bell 412s were eventually added to the
LAFD fleet.

With four medium lift helicopters, firefighting tactics began to change. During the
early days, the Bell 47s dropped 85-100 gallons
with a projected turnaround of 10 to 12 minutes. During the Jet Ranger days, the projected turnaround was six to seven minutes with
100-120 gallons. With the mixed fleet of 205
A-1 Hueys and 412s, the turnaround expectation was six minutes and 350-360 gallons of
water. If caught early, a quickly growing brush
52 April 2015
fire could be extinguished before

it became a campaign conflagration.

In
the
early days, water
dropping helicopters simply supported the firefighters on the fire
lines. As capabilities improved, the
helicopters could
actually lead the
charge. We probably will never see the day
when airborne firefighters can eliminate the
ground bound component in wild land firefighting but as future capabilities increase, helicopters can sure make the firefighters task a whole
lot easier.

In this quick piece, I emphasized the
firefighting aspect of the helicopters. When I
retired in 1995, rescue related responses were
about 70 percent of our work while firefighting
(brush fires, structure fires, high-rise fires, etc.)
was about 30 percent.

The highlights of my career were the
1971 Sylmar earthquake, the 1994 Northridge
quake, the Malibu fire about 1993 and the
Sepulveda Dam flood where I rescued 45 people: 40 civilians, 4 firefighters and 1 policeman.
I would love to go back and do it all over again.

For the Fire Department, I authored a
manual for firefighting and rescues utilizing
helicopters. It was adopted by the industry
and was used worldwide for more than twenty
years. When I retired, Bell Helicopter Company sent my wife and me around the world
lecturing on firefighting and rescue with helicopters.
Helicopter Restoration

Chief Pilot Jeff Moir volunteered to
restore the LAFD 1963 Bell 47 five years ago
using his own resources to work on it. This helicopter belongs to the LAFD Historical Society and Jeff has done a great job on his off time
to get it ready for display. After more than 33
years on the job and an amazing 28 years as an
LAFD pilot, Jeff retired as of February 26th.
One day before his last day at Air Operations
he, with some help, got the engine back in. One
of his hobbies in retirement is to complete the
restoration of the helicopter. A follow up story
will be included in the May, 2015 Grapevine
about Jeff and the helicopter.
Metropolitan Fire Communications

The Los Angeles Fire Department
(LAFD) dedicated the Metropolitan Fire Communications (MFC) Dispatch Floor in the
name of fallen LAFD Captain Matthew G.
McKnight. A dedication ceremony was held
to honor Captain McKnights contributions to
The Historical Society was asked to provide

historic items and vintage communications
equipment for display in the facility. We
found several items including a fire alarm
box that Jim Finn restored.
the Communication Center and to the citizens
of Los Angeles. In addition to re-naming the
floor in Captain McKnights name, Fire Chief
Ralph M. Terrazas and Los Angeles Mayor
Eric Garcetti honored five other members who
died while on active duty and assigned to the
Departments dispatch section.

Captain Matthew G. McKnight, was
on-duty overseeing the dispatch operations
center on August 12, 2013, when he collapsed
suddenly and died. Captain McKnight faithfully served the citizens of Los Angeles for more
than 31 years. He passed away at the young age
of 51 from a duty-related medical condition.
Captain McKnight served for nearly 10 years
at MFC. He was admired and greatly respected
by those that worked with him and for him. His
on-duty death deeply impacted the hearts and
minds of the members assigned to MFC. Captain McKnight left behind his wife Sylvia, his
now 16-year-old daughter Lauren, and 14-yearold son Matthew.
Happenings at the Hollywood and Harbor
Fire Museums

At the Hollywood Museum in Old Fire
Station 27 work continues on the restoration of
the 1937 American LaFrance Engine known as
the Lulubelle back in the day. The LAFD had
five in service at Fire Stations 68, 31, 50, 58
and 67. Our rig is Engine 67. 1937 was the first
year the LAFD ordered enclosed cab engines
and trucks.

The Museum and Historical Society
hosted a celebration of life for Assistant Chief
Dudley Sorenson in February. It was well attended with more than 150 family and friends.
The interesting story about Chief Sorenson and
his connection with Old Fire Station 27 was
that he saved the building from the wrecking
ball. Retired Battalion Chief Archer Morgan
wrote me a letter about how he worked with
Chief Sorenson in Building Administration and
how the chief intervened to change a plan for
the area to keep old 27s and build new 27s

next door. We do owe Chief Sorenson a debt
of gratitude for his actions and determination
to save this great building, which is the largest
fire museum in a fire station in the country.

The Harbor Museum at Old Fire Station 36 has been the focal point for many visi-
tors and some from the cruise ships that visit

the port, so we get people in the museum from
many countries around the world. Our volunteers continue to enjoy the special lunches prepared by Chef Don Forrest and of course the
story telling times we share.
The Hollywood Museum is
located in Old Fire Station 27 at
1355 No. Cahuenga, Hollywood, CA

90028. The Harbor Museum is locatJohnny Garcia is still busy stripping
paint on the Lulubelle
Tom Brennan is showing Rookie volunteer Dan Mattera how to clean the Amoskeg
steamer. Captain Mattera recently retired
and said as soon as he finished a remodel at
home he would volunteer at the Museum. As
a man of his word he did.
ed in San Pedro City Hall at 638 S.

Beacon St., San Pedro CA 90731.

Anyone interested in joining
our great cause by becoming a mem-
ber, or volunteering to work, or make
a donation of money or an LAFD item

may contact us by mail:
The Celebration of Life event for Retired

Assistant Chief Sorenson in the dorm of
the Hollywood Museum
LAFDHS Museum & Memorial

1355 No. Cahuenga Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90028
Phone: 323 464 2727. But remember

we are currently staffed part time, so
leave a message and we will return

your call. The fax number is 323-4647401. Our E-mail is: LAFDHS27@
Gordon Briggs is describing the life of a
firefighter on the LAFD to a group of Cub
Scouts on tour of the Harbor Museum.
Calendar for April 2015
aol.com. Web site at www.lafdmuseum.org. If you want to look at some

great LAFD history check www.
lafire.com. and check the LAFD web
site for information and events at

www.LAFD.org. We look forward to
hearing from you and seeing you at

the Museum.
The Los Angeles Fire Department

Historical Society is a non-profit 501
(C) (3) organization.
PRESERVE, EDUCATE,
MEMORIALIZE
* Fridays from 0800 to 1200 are work days on the Ralph J. Scott Fireboat
April 2015 53
LOS ANGELES FIREMENS RELIEF ASSOCIATION MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

February 4, 2015
CALL TO ORDER
President Juan Albarran called the meeting
of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles
Firemens Relief Association to order at 10:04
a.m.
ROLL CALL
MEMBERS PRESENT:
Juan Albarran, President
Robert Steinbacher, Vice President
Andrew Kuljis, Secretary
Trustee James Coburn
Trustee Jeff Cawdrey
Trustee Chris Hart
Trustee Gene Bednarchik
Trustee David Ortiz
Trustee Rick Godinez
Trustee Mark Akahoshi
Trustee Frank Aguirre
Trustee David Peters
Trustee Steve Berkery
Trustee Francisco Hernandez
Trustee Chris Stine
Trustee Joe Vigil
Trustee Doak Smith
Trustee Steve Ruda
Trustee Steven Domanski
Trustee Barry Hedberg Pension
Trustee David Lowe Pension
Todd Layfer - Executive Director
Liberty Unciano Controller-Treasurer
MEMBERS ABSENT:
Trustee Tim Larson Pension (Excused)
Trustee Craig White (Excused)
Trustee Tyler Tomich (Excused)
GUESTS:
Dave Wagner, Grapevine Editor
Tom Stires, Retired
Dennis Mendenhall, Retired
Juan Albarran entertained a motion to ratify

and dispense with the reading of the minutes
of the Board of Trustees meeting held January
7, 2015. David Peters so moved. Chris Hart
seconded. There was no further discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to ratify and dispense with the
reading of the minutes and Board actions of
the Board of Trustees held January 7, 2015.
PRESIDENT REPORT
1) Juan Albarran provided an update to the
7470 Figueroa building construction process.
He indicated that the contractors are currently
framing and working on the plumbing.
2) Juan Albarran reported that he met with the
Credit Union and discussed possible business
opportunities between the two organizations.
3) Juan Albarran provided an update to the
EGWP program and indicated that we continue
to have meetings with Rory, the EGWP
representative and Denise Schlegel with HSB.
He indicated that there continues to be some
member issues. He mentioned that the call
volume with those issues has decreased in the
last couple of weeks.
4) Juan Albarran informed the Board that they
will be having a Policy review meeting on
March 19th.
5) Juan Albarran provided updates on members
statuses.
VICE PRESIDENT REPORT
INVOCATION & Flag Salute
Bob Steinbacher asked those interested in

attending the Fallen Firefighter Memorial in
Colorado Springs to let him know so that we
can make arrangements. He indicated that the
memorial will be on September 19th.
Rick Godinez led the invocation. Steve Berkery

led the flag salute.
INVESTMENT COMMITTEE
REPORT
RATIFICATION OF MINUTES
Garth Flint of Beacon Pointe Advisors

presented the 4th Quarter performance of the
54 April 2015
LAFRA portfolio.
Garth Flint reviewed the market and asset class
performance. He indicated that the portfolio
outperformed the allocation and policy indexes
for the quarter and year. He reported on the
various fund managers performance. He
indicated that LAFRA recently added more
money to private equity funds which was the
best performing asset class for our portfolio in
2014.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS REPORT
Todd Layfer presented the proposed 2015
budget for the Boards approval and adoption.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE
REPORT
Jeff Cawdrey presented the following motions.
The committee recommends and I so move to
pay the usual and customary bills in the amount
of $926,315.72. There was no discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to pay the usual and customary
bills in the amount of $926,315.72.
The committee recommends and I so move
to pay the professional fees in the amount
of $122,475.43. There was no discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to pay the professional fees in
the amount of $122,475.43.
approve the proposed 2015 budget as presented
by Todd Layfer. There was no discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to approve the proposed 2015
budget as presented by Todd Layfer.
MEDICAL COMMITTEE REPORT

David Peters presented the following motion.
accept the applications to the Medical Plan.

There was no discussion and no objections.
Motion carried to accept all applications to
the Medical Plan.
David Peters reported that the Medical
Committee met with Bradawn in January to
review the plan design and indicated that they
are waiting for claims experience to determine
rate renewal figures.
David Peters indicated that they will be
creating a letter for the membership that will
contain cost information about emergency
room utilization as opposed to using an Urgent
Care facility.
to accept the donations in the amount of

$18,763.63 to the Widows, Orphans & Disabled
Firemens Fund. There was no discussion or
objections.
Motion carried to accept the donations in the
amount of $18,763.63 to the Widows, Orphans
& Disabled Firemens Fund.
approve the financial assistance applications for
surviving spouses, active and retired members.
There was no discussion or objections.
Motion carried to approve the financial
assistance applications for surviving spouses,
active and retired members.
RELIEF COMMITTEE REPORT
EMERGENCY ADVANCEMENTS
James Coburn presented the following motion.
James Coburn presented the following motion.

pay:

to approve the emergency advancement
applications for active and retired members.
The Sick & Injury benefits in the amount of

$15,073.25,
The Estate Planning benefit in the amount of
$4,200,
The Life & Accident Death Benefits in the
amount of $24,000
The Relief Death Benefits in the amount of
$31,500.
Motion carried to pay the above Relief
benefits.
James Coburn read the names of members who
recently passed and asked for a moment of
silence from the Board.
MEMORIALS
Dale W. Kanagy
Arnett L. Hartsfield
Reiner Montiel
Matthew T. Matich
Joe F. Owens
Rialdo C. Merrill
Jerrol K. Mueller
ASSISTANCE COMMITTEE
James Coburn presented the following motions.
Motion carried to approve the emergency

advancement applications for active and
retired members.
GRAPEVINE REPORT
Chris Hart indicated that he will be having a
Grapevine Committee meeting at the next
committee date.
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
REPORT
Rick Godinez reported that the online
applications to participate in the Scholarship
Program are done. He stated that the deadline
for submission will be March 27th and the
exam date will be on April 11th. He indicated
that they would like to present the awards to the
winners at the June 3rd Board meeting.
SETTING OF DATES
1) Matthew McKnight Dedication Ceremony
February 13th
2) Hook & Ladder Enduro March 21st
3) Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon
April 25th
4) Lane Kemper Softball Tourn May 13th
5) LAFRA Pechanga Reunion May 18 22
6) Practice Picnic HFF May 30th
7) Hope for Firefighters June 4th
RETIREMENT DINNERS

1) Mike Ketaily February 7th Dukes Malibu,
Ocean Room
2) Andrew Gutierrez February 7th Luminarias
3) Timothy Manning February 19th Brookside
Country Club
4) Russ Nakamura February 22nd FS 114
5) Armando Valencia February 24th FS 20
6) Sean Conway February 25th
Fire Station 11
7) Wendell Smith February 28th FS 73
8) Marc Segal March 1st Ports
OCall Restaurant
9) Paul Hilleary March 7th Banning Landing
Community Center
10) Doug Reyes March 12th Knollwood
Country Club
11) Randy Beaty March 18th The Odyssey
Restaurant
12) Gregory Acevedo & Carlos Vargas March
29th Knollwood Country Club
13) Javier Campos April 4th Friendship
Auditorium
14) Gregory E. Newland April 11th Dalmatian
American Club San Pedro
15) Jeff Easton April 19th FS 27
16) Randy Beach April 29th Porter Valley
Country Club
17) Rick Ramirez May 4th Bannings
Landing Community Center
ADJOURNMENT
NEW BUSINESS
Juan Albarran entertained a motion to adjourn.

David Peters so moved. Chris Hart seconded.
There was no discussion and no objections.
Doak Smith referred to the dedication ceremony

for Matthew McKnight and indicated that
member Chris Baker was making some display
cabinets for McKnights plaque.
Motion carried to adjourn. The Board of

Trustees meeting adjourned at 11:43 a.m.

Juan Albarran, President
April 2015 55
Donations to Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firemens Fund

February 2015
FAY SMITH in memory of Christine Cole
William Bill Czernek
INSURANCE SERVICES BRADAWN in memory of

Olga Guadalupe Albarran
RICHARD F. RUSH in memory of Les Hawkes
VIOLA R. MARTIN in memory of my husband

Captain Fredrick E. Martin
ROSE M. BOZANICH & FAMILY in memory of
Ben & Ann Nix
RUTH FAIRRINGTON in honor of Bruce Larson, Gene

Fairrington, the LAFD Chaplains & Firefighters for Christ
BARBARA J. COY from the Buzzard Bait Event
THOMAS H. SHUBERT in memory of William Czernek
SANDRA A. BUSTILLOS in memory of Ann Nix from the

Sawyer & Hendricks Families of Hawaii
RON & CYNDY CICOGNA & FAMILY in memory of

Dudley Sorenson
WILLIAM A. FINN in honor of Ross Stevens
JUDY ROLLINS in memory of Ann Nix
NICOLAS & LUCIA MONTANO in memory of

Olga Guadalupe Albarran
BILL & DONNA MOLLER in memory of Ann Nix
JULIE A APODACA from the Buzzard Bait Event

FIRE STATION NO. 23 from the Fire Extinguisher Fund
EVA M. BARBER in memory of Ann Nix, widow of
Fireman Ben Nix
HELEN L. SCHULZ
LOUIS R. MOLLE II in honor of the Tailboard Fireman
GLENN & SUSAN WONG in memory of
Kelly Ann Van Camp
FRANCES RUSSO in memory of Ann Mary Nix

BUD & MARY CREATH in gratitude for the DME
NANCY P. URUBURU in memory of Ann Nix
DIANE & BILL TANNAHILL in memory of Betty Sarka
ROBERT & ARLEEN MAC MILLAN in memory of
Dudley Sorenson
HAROLD & ANITA WEBER in memory of
Anthony M. Maricich
JOYCE LHEUREUX in memory of Dudley Sorenson
DOROTHY B. MATICH in memory of my husband

Matt Matich
DANIEL J. KEMP in memory of Les Hawkes
ROBERT D. STEINBACHER in honor of Ruthie Camera
BRENT S. SMITH in honor of my father Thomas C. Smith
DEL & JOANN THOMPSON in memory of Mary Lou,

surviving spouse of Ralph Hansen
RICHARD PEARSON C/O UNITED WAY, INC.
DEL & JOANN THOMPSON in memory of Ann Nix

DEL & JOANN THOMPSON in memory of
Anthony Maricich & brother Mitchell
HOLY TRINITY SCHOOL in memory of Anthony Maricich
NETWORK FOR GOOD
JACK & DARLENE FIRZGERALD in memory of
56 April 2015
UNITED WAY OF SANTA BARBARA

JUDY D. MATTERA in memory of Ann Nix
GARTH MOURE from the Buzzard Bait Event
GEORGE & JEAN CAMERON in memory of
Anthony Maricich
VINCE CARDINALE
CLASSIFIEDS
For advertising information, please contact:
Eric Santiago - (323) 259-5231 - eric@lafra.org
Dave Wagner - editor@lafra.org
MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE
YOUR STATION IS GOOD TO
GO. IS YOUR HOME? We provide
storable food, complete preparedness kits, medical supplies and
more. Lowest prices around, free
shipping plus enter coupon code
firefamily for additional savings
for fire fighters. 1-877-976-3919
EHPsurvival.com
REAL ESTATE
FOR SALE
BEAUTIFUL 3 BEDROOMS, 2
BATH, 2 car garage Pool Home,
Green Belt w/Gorgeous Views located in Palo Verde Meadows with
Private boat launch and minutes
to Shopping/Laughlin. Call John
Buck LAFD retired chief (949) 6362170 lbuck91513@aol.com
FOR SALE HOUSEBOAT
SHARE(S),LAKE POWELL. Prime
Week 2nd Week of August (typically), 70 x18 in slip B24 5 Y.O.
StardustCruiser all amenities Fri. to
Fri. week. Full A/C, Flybridge, 22.5
generator, 2 huge refrigerators 4
staterooms and sleeps 14 comfortably. Too much to list here. $15,000
obo plus annual maint. 4 additional
weeks avail 1 starting the Fri after
Memorial Day and three starting
mid September. Fire sale on the 4
Off season weeks, make offer. Call
661-5474205
FOR SALE WATERFRONT
COLORADO RIVER Lease and
Trailer Blythe area. 50% share
(possibly 100%) 50 wide x 150
deep frontage on the river, beach
access to the best water skiing in
SoCal. 60 single wide two bedroom , fully furnished w/ new A/C
and patio w/ awnings. Call for more
info; 661-5474205
GREAT HOME in gated neighborhood on Lake Hartwell, South
Carolina. Located in a gated
neighborhood, has a dock in place
on deep water. Home features five
bedrooms and five bathrooms with
master on main. Kitchen has granite countertops and stainless steel

appliances. There are two decks on
that is screened in. There is an additional 2300 square feet in basement partially finished. Easy walk
to lake. $649,900. 105 Chapelwood
Drive, Anderson, South Carolina.
www.callelizabeth.com
SERVICES
ALTERNATIVE & TRADITIONAL
Termite & Pest Control - ECOLA
Ecological Solutions. Smart
choices, simple solutions. Problem
solved. Call for FREE termite
estimate or pest quotes over the
phone - escrow and inspections
excluded. Fireman wife Sue Fries Termite Lady.
(818) 652-7171.
termitelady@ecolatermite.com
BUSY BEAVER TREE AND
LANDSCAPE. Tree trimming
and removal, stumpgrinding, and
firewood sales. Mixed firewood,
eucalyptus and oak. Delivery
available or pick up. Licensed and
insured. Dwayne Kastor, FS 63-B (818) 535-6368.
CALIFORNIA FIREARMS
DEALER - DOJRS background
checks, FFL transfers, handgun
safety certificate, consignment
sales, gun registration and personal
transfers. Personal firearms instructor, tactical casualty management
and gunsmithing. All handguns
and long guns must be listed on
the California DOJ for sale roster.
Call Bill Evans - active LAFD (714)
330-9825 email: firehousegunz@
gmail.com
or personal growth, marital conflict, family of origin issues. Find a

supportive and confidential place
for healing and growth. Located in
Old Towne Orange. Questions or
consultation: (949)648-7875
susanpurrington@gmail.com
partnership returns, payroll. All

computerized processing with over
30 years experience. Call early
for an appointment around your
schedule. Robert Sanchez LAFDOCD retired (818) 367-7017, cell
(818) 216-1040.
COUNSELING KIDS & FAMILIES. Separation, divorce, kids

behavior problems (anger, acting
out behavior, defiance, attention
difficulties, hyperactivity, school issues, family adjustment), blended
families, parenting, support, family
issues, licensed marriage & family
therapist. Nancy Goodwin with
private office in Temecula. Confidential, 20 years experience, wife
of retired LAFD. (951) 231-1600.
www.goodwinfamilycounseling.
com
PISTOLS, RIFLES & SHOTGUNS

DEALER - Firearm background
checks, FFL transfers, handgun
safety certificate, consignment
sales, gun registration and personal transfers. Personal firearms
instructor and gunsmithing. All
handguns and long guns must be
listed on the California DOJ for
sale roster. Call Bill Evans - 112-C
LAFD (714) 330-9825 email:
firehousegunz@gmail.com
CRAIG SANFORD HEATING &

AIR - Free estimates, residential, commercial. Great rates for
LAFD and LAPD. Toll free (877)
891-1414, (661) 298-3070, FAX
(661) 298-3069. State License No.
527114
FIRE FAMILY ESTATE SALES
Call us when a loved one passes,
moves to a nursing facility or
downsizes. Our professional staff
can handle every aspect of estate
liquidation. We have worked with
many fire families and are here to
help. Rebecca Martin, LAFD wife
(818) 216-3637 www.firefamilyestatesales.com
FIREMAN DESIGN LANDSCAPE
INC. A complete landscape service A-Z. Sod irrigation / stamped
concrete / driveways / patio cover
/ low voltage lighting / artificial
turf / rockscapes / walls. FREE
landscape design. Free estimates.
Serving all Southern CA. Eric
Mendoza 96-B (760) 221-1912.
Call or text. CA Lic # 807078.
Bonded & insured
www.firemanlandscape.com
COMPLETE DRYWALL SERVICE. New construction and

remodel. Acoustic ceiling removal.
Spray texture and hand textures.
Greg Avery (805) 320-8311 or
Mark Avery (805) 551-6041.
FIREMAN WHOLESALE NURSERY & ROCK YARD. All your

landscape materials @ wholesale
prices. Trees / plants / decorative
rock / boulders / firewood / sod /
artificial turf. Delivery available.
Located in Victorville CA. (760)
243-9500
www.firemanwholesalenursery.
com Your 1 stop shop!
COUNSELING SERVICES.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr.
Susan Purrington specializes in
anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, eating disorders, spiritual
ITS TAX TIME AGAIN! Specializing in Firefighter and Paramedic

Returns, Electronic Filing available, year round bookkeeping
and accounting, business and
WAYNE PRESS CHIROPRACTIC. Work, Auto, DMV, Wellness.

Preferred provider for most PPO,
HMO, MPN, Union, Auto accident
and Workers Compensation
Plans. (818) 527-7246.
DrWaynePress.com
WINDOWS & PATIO DOORS
- vinyl replacement windows &
Patio doors. I also carry aluminum,
wood and entry door systems.
Rick Brandelli, Capt. LACoFD, FS
8-C (800) 667-6676.
www.GeeWindows.com
VACATION
RENTALS
BIG BEAR CABIN - All season,
restful views from decks. Two
story, sleeps 6, half mile to lake,
two plus miles to slopes. Fireplace/Wood, cable TV/DVD/VCR.
Full kitchen, completely furnished
except linens. Pets ok. $100/$110
(two day minimum). $550/$650
a week, Beep or Donna Schaffer
1+(760) 723-1475.
www.schaffercabin.com
BIG BEAR CABIN. 2 bedroom,
2 bath, 2 story. Sleeps 6-8. About
6 miles from ski slopes & lake.
Fireplace/wood, cable, full kitchen
- furnished. $100 per night M - Th.
$110 per night F-Sun. Weekly
available. Sheri (909) 851-1094 or
(760) 948-2844.
BIG BEAR LAKES FINESTDeluxe lakeside townhouse, 2
bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 cable TVs,
HBO, DVD, WiFi, 2 wood burning
fireplaces, laundry room, tennis
court, indoor pool, sauna, spa,
boat dock. Fully equipped, including all linens. Sleeps 6. 310-5418311 or nmbigbear@gmail.com
April 2015 57
BIG BEAR CABIN - Sugarloaf Cozy upgraded 2 bedroom cabin.

Sleeps 8. Fireplace, deck, Wifi internet and cable TV. On a large
lot with sled hill. Fully furnished
except linens. $125 Winter $100
summer. Details and availability,
Call/text Jessica (949) 874-5294
sugarloafcabin@cox.net
sugarloafcabin.com
CARPINTERIA BEACH CONDO.
2 bedroom, 2 bath. Three blocks
to beach, five blocks to downtown. Sleeps 8 - Monthly rentals
only - completely furnished - cable
+ WiFi. (vrbo.com - 603800 search). Jill Johns (805) 490-8196.
CATALINA BEACH
COTTAGE - 3 bedrooms, 1
bath, one block to beach, view,
fully equipped housekeeping unit.
Marci (818) 347-6783 or Clarence
(310) 510-2721.
DESERT CONDOS, RANCHO
MIRAGE (near Palm Springs). 2
bed, 2 bath. Fully furnished condo,
TV, internet, pools and spas. Gated
community from $115/night. 3
bed from $125/night. No smoking.
Barbara (626) 798-2484.
JUNE LAKE CABIN - 2BR/2BA
cabin with Carson Peak view.
Close to fishing & skiing. Furnished, wood deck, equipped
kitchen, wood burning stove, tree
swing, cable /DVD/phone. Garage/
ample parking. $95/night plus
cleaning fee. Email for pictures.
Jeff Easton 93-A (805) 217-5602.
junebound@gmail.com
LAKE ARROWHEAD BLUE JAY
CABIN. Charming 2-story with
creek, large deck, two baths,
complete kitchen, TV/VCR/DVD,
fireplace, washer & dryer. Walk to
Blue Jay Village. Sleeps 8. $90/
night. NO PETS! Bruce or Sue
Froude, (805) 498-8542.
LAKE HAVASU LANDING-Waterfront, steps to the water. Boat
mooring out front, off-road desert
behind house. 3 bed/3 bath, fully
furnished w/linens. Direct TV/DVR,
BBQ, Casino, Grocery/Meat Market, Launch Ramp, Marina with
Boat House, Gated Community.
No pets/smoking. $350 Dan Cook
310 418 1577.
LAKE HAVASU BEAUTY FOR
RENT - 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 1600 sq.ft.
Fully furnished with all amenities- Laundry & BBQ. 13,000 sq.ft.
lot. 3 car boat-deep garage. 3
miles from launch ramp. Close to
58 April 2015
downtown shops & restaurants.

View of the lake. Quiet street in
good neighborhood. No pets. No
smoking. Snowbird rates. Call
Mike (661) 510-6246
LAKE NACIMIENTO. Oak Shores
gated community. 3 bedroom, 2
1/2 bath, large loft. 3minute drive
to main marina in Oak Shores.
Large flat driveway. Fully equipped
kitchen, BBQ, washer/dryer, TV/
DVD. No cable. No pets/smoking.
$185/night. 3 night minimum. Call
Ben (805) 444-2264.
MAMMOTH CONDO. 1 Bed/ 1.25
Bath sierra manors condo. In town,
on shuttle route. Sleeps 4 easily.
Pets OK. Fully furnished with new
furniture/HDTV/WIFI Woodburning
fireplace. Hot Tub, sauna, W/D in
complex. Reduced rates for FFs
starting @100/nt
oldtownmammothcondo.ownernetworks.com
mammothmtncondo@yahoo.com
Ryan (310) 717 8483 for more info/
rates
MAMMOTH CONDO. 2 bedroom,
2 bath, sleeps 6. Near Canyon
Lodge. Newly remodeled recreation room with pool and spa.
Laundy facilities, condo has been
beautifully remodeled. Photos
available on website. Winter $300 per night, Summer - $150
per night. $150 cleaning fee. Call
for holiday terms and pricing.
Joseph Angiuli (626) 497-5083.
www.discoveryfour.com
MAMMOTH CONDO - CHAMONIX. 2 bedroom & large loft, 3 full
baths, sleeps 8. 5 minute walk to
Canyon Lodge. Fully furnished,
TVs, VCR/DVD, pool, spa, rec
room, sauna, linens included. Winter $175 weekdays, $195-weekends/holidays; summer $125, plus
cleaning. No smoking; no pets.
Craig Yoder (909) 948-3659.
MAMMOTH CONDO - 2 bdrm, 2
bath, 2 TVs, phone, garage, pool,
jacuzzi, fully furnished - exept
linens. Near shuttle/chair 15.
Winter $125/night. Weekends and
Holidays $110 midweek. Summer
$95/night. $495/week. No smoking. No pets. Jim Johnson (818)
992-7564, FS 80C.
MAMMOTH CONDO NEXT TO
THE GONDOLA VILLAGE Fully
furnished, three bedroom, two bath
with towels and linens, newly remodeled kitchen, internet and cable
TV, pool and Jacuzzi. Walk to the
gondola, shops, restaurants and
ski in on the new comeback trail.

Parking at the front door. Winter:
$250/night. Summer $150/night.
Holidays $300/night. Cleaning is
included. Call Mike Whitehouse,
Retired, 805-987-6122, email:
btkwhitey@yahoo.com
or Bruce Galien, Retired, 661-6457448, email: luvbaja2@aol.com
MAMMOTH CONDO Cozy 2
bedrooms, 2 bath. Fully furnished,
WIFI, 3 TVs, pool, spa, walk
to shuttle, Old Mammoth area.
Winter $115, Summer $90, plus
cleaning fee $139 and 14% city
tax. Includes linens. No pets, no
smoking. Call (310) 540-4648.
MAMMOTH CONDO AT MAMMOTH ESTATES, 4BR/3BA,
sleeps 10, fully furnished, 2
TVs, DVDs, WiFi, towels/linens,
fireplace. Full kitchen. Walk to
Gondola Village and shuttle. Complex has pool, spa, sauna, laundry.
Winter $335/night, Summer $215/
night, plus cleaning. Includes city
bed tax. No pets, no smoking.
Dory Jones (310) 918-0631 or
Kelly Corcoran (310) 619-5355
MAMMOTH CONDO rental. Large
2bed/2bath winterset condo. Fully
furnished, across from Vons, on
shuttle route, easily sleeps 8. Hot
tub, heated pool, sauna, full size
in unit W/D HDTV/WiFi throughout, woodburning fireplace, pets
OK FIREFIGHTER DISCOUNTS,
rates from $150/night
facebook.com/mammothmtncondo@yahoo.com
Ryan @ (310) 717-8483
MAMMOTH CONDO - Sierra
Manors Sleeps 7. 3 bedroom 2 1/2
bath. Fully furnished except linens.
2 TVs/VCR/DVD, stereo/CD.
Dishwasher, microwave, sauna,
jacuzzi, pool. No smoking/No
Pets. Shuttle at door. Winter $155/
night, Summer $100/night, Plus
$80 cleaning fee and City Bed
Tax. Brian & Karen Salvage LAFD
Retired (805) 499-7752.
MAMMOTH LAKES - One
bedroom, extremely charming
wildflower condo. Full amenities,
close to shuttle. Antiques, art,
satellite TV, fireplace. Sleeps 4.
Winter $110, Summer $85 plus
cleaning fees. Call Bill Clark (818)
371-6722
Email: shakesong@aol.com
MAMMOTH SKI & RACQUET:
Studio/loft, 2 bath, king bed,
sleeps 4. Full kitchen, TV, VCR,
DVD. Garage parking. Walk to
Canyon Lodge. Ski back wall. 2

night minimum. Winter $100/nite,
$126 Fri, Sat & Holidays. Summer
$50/nite. Plus $95 cleaning &
linens. Jeff & Lisa Moir. LAFD Air
Ops (661) 254-5788.
MAMMOTH SKI & RACQUET:
Walk to Canyon Lodge. Studio loft
sleeps 4. Queen beds, full kitchen,
2 baths, garage parking, TV, VCR,
DVD. Winter Sun-Thurs $100.nite;
Fri & Sat $115/nite plus cleaning
fee $100. Non smoking complex.
Joel Parker, LAFD retired.
email: cat25sailor@juno.com or
(213) 399-6534.
MAMMOTH CONDO- SEASONS
FOUR RESORT. Charming and
cozy furnished 1 Bedroom sleeps
5. Updated unit with amenities
including wifi, sauna, jacuzzi,
phone, rec room, 2 flat screens ,
DVD players. W/D on site. Shuttle
stop. Walking distance to village.
$120/night + $80 Cleaning fee
Bobby@310-350-5552.
MAUI BEACH FRONT CONDO
ON NAPILI BAY - 50 from water.
Studios and 1 bedroom. Luxury
furnishings + full kitchen. All the
amenities! Mauis best snorkeling/beach. All island activities &
Kapalua within 4 minutes. 5-day
minimum, from $150 per night
(regularly $310/night). Call Sherrie
or Bill for info/reservations (805)
530-0007 or email: pmimaui@aol.
com or visit:
www.napilibaymaui.com
MAUI CONDO 1 AND 2 BEDROOMS. Centrally located on
beautiful Maalaea Bay. Excellent
swimming and snorkeling; white
sandy beach. Minutes from golf,
tennis, fishing, shopping, airport
and resort areas. Marsha Smith or
Jeanne McJannet. Toll free (800)
367-6084. www.maalaeabay.com
MAUIS MOST BEAUTIFUL
BEACH - Napili Bay. Beautiful furnished condo that sleeps 4. Lanai/
balcony, full kitchen, king bed, flat
screen TVs/DVD, ACs free WiFi
(internet), complimentary maid service, complimentary coffee every
morning and breakfast on Fridays.
Special firefighters discount - Best
value in West Maui! Nice pool &
BBQ area - Close to beach! (800)
336-2185 www.napilivillage.com
Don Sprenger - retired LAFD (949)
548-5659
MONTANA ROCKY MT. FRONT
GETAWAY - 80 miles south of
Glacier Natl Park, in the foothills
of the Rockies, mountain and

canyon views. 1,000s of miles of
trailheads, fishing, etc. 2 bedroom,
1.5 bath, dining, living, kitchen
& washer/dryer. SatTV, wireless
internet. $125.00 night + cleaning.
Call Dan (805) 270-8143 or www.
VRBO.com (#494959)
PALM DESERT-3 bed/2bath, one
level. New re-model, fully furnished w/linens. Cable TV/DVR,
Private Patio, BBQ, Laundry,
Garage, Gated Community, two
(Pools, Jacuzzis, Tennis Courts).

Near College of the Desert. $175
Dan Cook 310 418 1577.
SEE NEW ORLEANS MARDI
GRAS. Beautiful 2 BD - 2BA with a
sauna. Hillcrest Villas. Next to golf
course in Adita Springs, LA. Only
$450/week. Feb 13th thru Feb
20th. (562) 799-1134
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE. Romantic
Chalet Family getaway. 3 bed/2
bath plus loft. Sleeps 810. Cable
TV, washer/dryer, microwave,

woodburning stove. 7 minutes to
casinos and Heavenly. Located in
Tahoe Paradise. $105 per night
plus cleaning. Call Shawn or Rose
Agnew at (661) 250-9907 OR
(661) 476-6288.
VACATION
VEHICLES
MOTOR HOMES FOR RENT:
Several 2006 Class A 32 Foot Mo-
tor Homes, with Double Slide Outs,

Fully Loaded, Free Housekeeping
Kit, Camping Kit, Discount Prices
Starting at $150.00 to $180.00 per
night. Serving family & friends of
LAPD , LASD, IPD, OXPD, OX
Fire, LA CO., LA City, Ski Clubs
ask for our 25% off weekly rental
rates. Visit us at www.so-calrv.
com or call 661-714-7689 or 661297-2398. ALSO AVAILABLE BIG
BEAR CABINS, 3 bedroom 2 bath
with pool tables & spas. PLEASE
CALL FOR MORE DETAILS.
Los Angeles Retired Fire & Police Association

Annual Bar-b-que
June 3, 2015
12:00 Noon 3:00 PM
GRACE E. SIMONS LODGE

1025 Elysian Park Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The General Membership Meeting begins at 10:00AM
Bar-b-que will immediately follow the meeting.
Please call the Association office at (888) 288-5073 if you have any questions.
Sorry, no telephone reservations will be accepted.
The deadline for reservations is May 25, 2015

Please return the bottom portion with your
reservation payment to:
Los Angeles Retired Fire & Police Association

9521 Las Tunas Drive Suite 4, Temple City, CA 91780
All Members and their families are welcome to attend!
***Tickets are $5.00 Per Person***
Name_____________________________________________ Phone (
) ________________________________
Number of Adults:________ Children:_________ Amount Enclosed:________ Check Number:________

Please choose one of the following: Fire_______ Police_______
Payments are not refundable, No exceptions.
Please RSVP by May 25, 2015
April 2015 59
60 April 2015
Companies work an attic fire in a mid-city Victorian house on February 11, 1949.
April 2015 61
Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association

815 Colorado Blvd FL 4
Los Angeles CA 90041-1745

April 2015

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City Employees Club

More Discount Tickets at

Cheap Tickets - Insane Service - Affordable Insurance

What Station Will Be This Years Champion?

WEDNESDAY, MAY 13th, 2015

6201 Balboa Blvd. - Encino, CA 91316

$30 PER PLAYER

Balboa Sports Complex

17015 Burbank Blvd. - Encino CA 91316

Only 32 teams can play, first come, first served!

Bill Bringas (805) 660-7473

Steve Romas (818) 800-0486

Keith Bandy (714) 745-7078

On the cover: Strtucture Fire - Encino

A ceremony was held to honor fallen MFC/OCD members

Kitchen Table Wisdom

LAFD captains discuss the importance of capturing an initial

World War II veteran Clarence Bramley survived the Bataan Death

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association.

Photo by: Steve Gentry

Inset photo by: Adam VanGerpen

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association

Katherine Main, Brian Humphrey, Erik Scott

Mike Mastro, Frank Borden, Jody Houser,

LOS ANGELES FIREMENS RELIEF ASSOCIATION

Claims & Benefit Information...................................(866) 99-LAFRA

E.R. vs Urgent Care

I cant believe at the end of this month, we will be a third of the

way through 2015.

or could result in serious injury or disability and that requires immediate

room. If your condition or injury is not an emergency like those listed

In the Ten Bells section of our website (lafra.org), members

tions sent out by LAFRA Secretary Andy Kuljis to add a remembrance or

Your Hope for Firefighters event is planned for June 4, 2015.

and sponsorships have been secured from Ralphs/Food4Less markets

Kemper Softball Tournament on May 13, 2015. It is a great chance to see

some great wannabe athletes, but more importantly to catch up with

n Friday, February 13, 2015, the Los

Throughout his career, Captain McKnight was

Matthew G. McKnight Fire Communications

across the globe interested in learning more

Huge Savings on Health, Endurance & Training Supplements

shop online or visit any of our 3 locations

6252 Romaine St.

8730 Santa Monica Blvd.

M-F 9am8pm; Sat 9am6pm; Sun 10am6pm

M-F 8am9pm; Sat 8am8pm; Sun 10am6pm

in store with our Firefighter Loyalty Program

15030 Ventura Blvd

M-F 9am8pm; Sat 9am7pm; Sun 10am6pm

ire Station 88 has nabbed the top honors at Hope for

Truck 9 works a hydrant at Venice

Truck 9 and Engine 17 extricate a driver who ran

Engine 52 awaits an assignment at an

Battleship Iowa. The only message Ive gotten

to chief speak around it. The SOD system

Companies extricated one person

Los Angeles Firemens Relief Association Medical Plan may

WODFF donors visit FS 37.

Air Ops members greeted Lucky and new owner, Rachel

39s and 88s extinguished a fire in an apt

On 2/25/15, companies found four autos

Don Reyes, Paul Medina, Mandy

Tim Manning with the guys from FS 88-B

Firefighters rescued a dog from

Firefighters extricated one patient on the 5 Fwy on 2/25/15.

TF 98 taught the kids at Haddon Elementary