ValleyView 4 Sep-Oct 2015

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Issue 4 Operations Valley Bureau Sept/Oct 2015

PREPARING FOR EL NIÑO

By Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott

BUREAU When you think of the fire department, you naturally think of fire but we also
COMMANDER prepare for other environmental emergencies as well. Every few years, winds
Deputy Chief shift in the Pacific Ocean along the equator, warming the water more than usual.
Daryl Arbuthnott These “El Niño” events trigger changing weather patterns globally and can
increase chances of heavy rain and snow pelting California. Forecasters are
ASSISTANT predicting this year’s El Niño as the second strongest on record for this time of
BUREAU year, and it has the potential to be the most potent weather changer in 65 years. In 1995, the dry
conditions prior to El Niño’s arrival created the perfect conditions for flooding, mudslides and flash
COMMANDERS floods—very similar to the heat wave we experienced this summer. Some are speculating that our
Assistant Chief region’s next El Niño may already be here—and when you talk to experts you will hear that the
Trevor Richmond weather phenomenon sports a dual personality. El Niño may bring much-needed drought relief to our
state, but it also brings torrential rains which can create disastrous flooding and mudslides.
Andrew Fox
Emile Mack Please remember that floods are dangerous and should be taken seriously. Flooding can occur quickly
Gregory Reynar in the mountain passes and valleys, and mudslides are common on hillsides with very little vegetation.

TRAINING (See El Niño continued on page 2)
OFFICER
Captain II DRONES AFFECT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
Richard Fields
Drones, or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) as fire suppression as well as commercial aircraft in
EMS OFFICER the Federal Aviation Administration labels them, their approach to their respective airports.
Captain I are becoming more popular these days. These Fire departments across California have been
Danny Wu little aircraft are fun to fly and allow hobbyists the forced to stop or postpone critical air drops on
ability to see incredible sites.
OFFICE However they also can pose a fires, severely hampering fire
4960 Balboa Blvd. flight hazard, so hobbyists suppression efforts.
Encino, CA 91316 need to know and follow
Federal Aviation Likewise, when a UAS is
818-728-9921 Administration (FAA) rules identified in an LAFD brushfire
818-728-9931 Fax when operating these little incident, all helicopters in the
flying machines. area need to be grounded—
Email: resulting in a complete loss of
UAS are considered valuable water dropping
lafd.valleybureau “mechanized” equipment and resources and severly
@lacity.org consequently cannot fly over, hampering fire suppression
take off from, or land in, efforts. Please be aware of
congressionally designated your surroundings if you fly a
Wilderness Areas. They are UAS, and educate others about
not permitted to fly in areas their impact during emergency
that have “Temporary Flight Restrictions” in place, operations.
such as wildfires.
The FAA has authority over all airspace. Ensure
Recent reports have documented UAS being that you comply with all FAA regulations and
operated over wildfires, thereby interfering with guidance for flying UAS by checking online at:
www.faa.gov/uas

1Proudly serving the communities of: Arleta, Bell Canyon, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, City of San Fernando, Encino, Granada Hills, Lake View Terrace, Mission Hills, Noho Arts District, North Hills, North Hollywood,
Northridge, Pacoima, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sun Valley, Sylmar, Tarzana, Toluca Lake, Tujunga, Universal City, Van Nuys, Warner Center, West Hills, Winnetka, Woodland Hills.

Los Angeles Fire Department

automatic door opener in the case of INDOORS

power failure. • Close all windows and doors around
• Keep a flashlight and portable radio your home to prevent sparks from

with you at all times and stay tuned to blowing inside.
your local news station.
• Close all doors within the house to
BRUSH FIRE
OUTDOORS slow fire spread inside the house.
PREPAREDNESS • Turn on the lights in all your rooms,

If you see smoke or fire in your area, • Move combustible yard furniture away on the porch, and in the yard. Your
immediately report it by dialing 9-1-1. from the house or store it in the home will be more visible through the
Remember to take note of the location garage. smoke.
so that the dispatcher can send
emergency responders to the correct • Cover windows, attic openings, eaves, Brush season is upon us and it is critical
location before you hang up.
and vents with less combustible

material, such as 1/2-inch or thicker that you prepare your family and home

plywood. to be ready. For more information

• Close window shutters and blinds if please visit:

EVACUATION MAY BE NECESSARY they are fire-resistant. www.lafd.org/brush

• Attach garden hoses to faucets and
• Back your car into the garage heading situate them so they can reach all
out with windows closed. Be sure to
areas of your house.
keep your keys with you so that you • Place a ladder against the house on
can evacuate quickly should it become the opposite side of the approaching
necessary.
fire for roof access.
• Close the garage door, leave it
• Shut off butane, propane and/or
unlocked, and disconnect the
natural gas valves.

(El Niño continued from page 1)

Southern California’s dry rivers, creek beds and deep slot canyons can be especially dangerous for those caught by a rapidly
moving flash flood. Los Angeles is a semi-desert area of mountains, canyons, ravines and basins. Problems are created
when thunderstorms, high winds and other bad weather strike suddenly because:

Halloween is almost here. Make sure to • Just six inches of rapidly moving flood water is enough to knock a person down.
keep your trick-or-treaters safe. Kids • It only takes two feet of water to float a large vehicle.
are more than twice as likely to be hit • Mudslides can easily travel faster than 10 miles per hour.
by a car and killed on Halloween than on • Flash floods can turn a calm landscape into a raging river in a matter of minutes.
any other day of the year. To protect • Flash floods can move boulders, rip out trees, knock down bridges and destroy
your children, make it easier for drivers
to see kids. Give your child a flashlight buildings.
• If you receive a warning or are caught in a flash flood, move immediately to higher
or glow stick to
carry, or attach ground.
retro reflective
hang-tags, Here’s what you can do to prepare yourself for this year’s El Niño:
wristbands or
tape to their • Clear trash and loose items from gutters and alleys that could potentially interfere
costumes. Also, with storm drainage.
when choosing
a costume, stay • Don’t place trash and recyclable containers directly on drains and/or in gutters.
away from • Do not rake leaves, grass clippings or yard debris into the street or alley or gutter.
trailing fabric • If you see a clogged catch basin, call the City’s Storm Drain Hotline at (800) 974-
that could catch
on fire. 9794 to report it so that LA Sanitation can get it cleaned out before the rains begin.
• Prepare to harvest rain. Big storms mean big returns on rainwater that can be

captured in rain barrels and used at a later date for irrigating outside landscaping.
The Metropolitan Water District is still offering a rebate on rain barrels for City
residents. If you already have rain barrels, make sure they’re in good working order
before the rains begin in earnest.

For more information about preparing for El Niño please visit:

www.lastormwater.org

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Operations Valley Bureau

SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS MONTH!

This year we are asking you to take action now—make a plan with your
community, your family, and for your pets. Plan how to stay safe and
communicate during the disasters that can affect your community. We are asking
everyone to participate in America’s PrepareAthon! and the national day of action,
National PrepareAthon! Day, which culminates National Preparedness Month on
September 30th. Together with planning, preparation, and action we can ensure
safety for our families and communities.

DEVELOPING YOUR FAMILY ESCAPE PLAN

You know that family escape plan you keep meaning to draw up and finalize? You know the
one, where you make sure you’ve mapped out two ways out of your bedroom and two ways
out of you home? And you’ve chosen a safe meeting place where every one in your family will
go in case you have to escape in a fire or other disaster? That plan you keep meaning to go
over with everyone in your household? The one you keep meaning to practice?

If there’s one thing an emergency will teach us, it’s that everyone rises to the level of their

own preparedness. Or perhaps more truthfully, sinks to the level of their own unpreparedness.

If you wait until an emergency to come up with a family escape plan, things are bound to go

badly. Emergencies and

disasters are scary things.

You can’t expect every member of your family, or your-

self, to behave calmly and escape your home in an effi-

cient and timely manner when the world is crashing in

around you. But if you have an escape plan in place, and

you’ve practiced that plan once a month, every member

of your family will have a much better chance of escaping

your home without injury. You’ll have a plan. Everyone

will know what to do. You’ll know how to get out -even in

the dark, even with the smoke alarm blaring. And every-

one will know where to go outside of the home to meet

The first step in making a family escape plan is drawing a map of your home. the rest of the family and await first responders. Protect
your family...Create a Family Escape Plan today!
For more info please visit: www.mysafela.org

THE GREAT CALIFORNIA SHAKEOUT

THE WORLD’S LARGEST EARTHQUAKE DRILL

Everyone should know how to protect themselves during an earthquake. On
October 16 at 10:16 a.m., more than 9 million people in schools, business-
es, nonprofits, government agencies, neighborhoods, organizations and
households all across California will practice “Drop, Cover and Hold On” and
other aspects of their emergency plans. The Great California ShakeOut be-
gan in California in 2008 and is the world’s largest earthquake drill. Partici-
pation is free and may take only a few minutes, depending on your drill
plans.

The primary purpose of ShakeOut is to encourage people and organizations
to be prepared to survive and to recover quickly when the next big earth-
quake happens. Learn more and register to participate at:

www.ShakeOut.org/california

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VALLEY BUREAU INSIGHTS

OPERATIONAL RESPONSE TIMES 2014 TOTAL TYPES OF CALLS

From Station Notification to Time On-scene Advanced Life Support 69,045

2015 July/August All Incidents Basic Life Support 39,757
5 Minutes 28 Seconds
Fires/Alarms 12,995

BATTALION 12 SPOTLIGHT Other 7,633

Fire Station Number and Community Served 2014 TOP 5 MEDICAL SERVICE CALL TYPES

7 Panorama City 75 Mission Hills Call Type Number Calls per 1,000
Residents
24 Shadow Hills/Sunland 77 Sun Valley
Sick 15,157 10.4

74 Tujunga/Sunland 91 Sylmar Fall 11,031 7.5

98 Pacoima Difficult Respiration 10,960 7.5

59 On-Duty Personnel Daily Unconscious 9,394 6.4

Chest Pain 9,057 4.2

EVENTS

Sept 11 Patriot Day Ceremony 7:00PM - 9:00PM LAFD Fire Station 88, Sherman Oaks
20 Congressman Brad Sherman Town Hall Meeting 3:00 PM Birmingham High School, Lake Balboa
30 NFPA Horse and Pet Preparedness Press Conference Orcas Park, Lake View Terrace
30 Valley Public Safety Advisory Committee 9:30AM - 11:00AM Fire Station 87 Training Center, Granada Hills
6:00PM - 8:00PM

Oct 3 Annual Valley Disaster Preparedness Fair 10:00AM - 2:00PM Fire Station 87, Granada Hills
10 Reseda Tree Giveaway 10:00AM One Generation Center, Van Nuys
11 45th Assemblymember Matt Dababneh
Northridge Community Coffee 2:00PM - 4:00PM Wilkinson’s Senior Center, Northridge
15 Great California Shakeout 10:16AM Locations throughout the Valley
17 Fire Station 7 Grand Opening Fire Station 7, Panorama City
27 LAFD Leadership Empowerment Advisory Panel 10:00AM-2:00PM To be determined
8:30AM - 12:00PM

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT OPERATIONS VALLEY BUREAU AT (818) 728-9921

LAFD RETIREMENTS LAFD FIRE COMMISSION

Name Rank Station/Community The Los Angeles Fire Department is overseen by a five-person civilian board appointed
8 / Porter Ranch by the Mayor and affirmed by the City Council. The Board of Commissioners establishes
Richard Brunson Captain goals and provides direction to the Department. Fire Commission public meetings are
84 / Woodland Hills held on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 9:00 AM in Room 1820 of City Hall
Paul Gamez Captain 100 / Lake Balboa East.

Philip Gonzales Firefighter 39 / Van Nuys If you need assistive listening devices, sign language interpretation, auxiliary aids
114 / Van Nuys Airport and/or translation services, please contact LAFD, (213) 978-3838, 72 hours in advance.
Mike Jacalone Captain 106 / West Hills
For Board Reports please visit: http://ens.lacity.org/lafd/lafd_board_report.htm
James Kwasigroch Captain 28 / Porter Ranch
Audio recordings are at: https://www.youtube.com/user/lafirecommission
Richard Pearson Captain

John Virant Captain

Operations Valley Bureau (OVB) encompasses the entire San Fernando Valley portion of Los Angeles. Battalions For more information or to
10, 12, 14, 15 and 17 report to the Valley Bureau Commander, Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott. The primary download a newsletter:
responsibility of Emergency Operations, which includes the OVB, is to direct, coordinate and control the line
functions of the LAFD.

To request LAFD resources at public events (community fairs, school visits, etc.) , please send an email to
[email protected] with the details of your event (date, time and duration, location, etc.).

As a covered entity under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the City of Los Angeles does not
discriminate on the basis of disability and, upon request, will provide reasonable accommodation to ensure equal
access to its programs, services and activities.

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