BATTALION 14 News & Information

Battalion 14 responded to a report of a civilian trapped at a construction site in the Beverly Park Estates area of Fire Station 108s district.

Battalion Chief John Nowell directed the rescue of a 30 year old female who had crawled approximately 50 feet into an air conditioning duct inside the large residential dwelling that was in the final stages of construction.

Light Force 88 Captain Alex Arriola negoiated a voluntary self-rescue with the trapped woman who was able to back out of the 16" duct. (video)


Battalion 14 also responded to a large scale Physical Rescue at 0220 hours this morning involving an auto over the side off Mulholland Drive near Deep Canyon in Battalion 10. Chief Nowell, acting as the Rescue Group Leader, directed the rescue of 8 teenagers who had been inside a small vehicle that had rolled approximately 250 feet down the steep hillside.

Specialized resources including USAR 88, Heavy Rescue 56 and Helicopters with "FLIR" and "Night Sun" capabilities were utilized to rescue the victime from the steep, brush covered terrain. As helicopters preformed hoist operations to remove victims in litter baskets ground units used cable winches to assist firefighters in bringing victims to safety.

Initial reports indicated that all of the occupants of the vehicle were wearing seatbelts with the exception of two of the teens who had been riding in the trunk of the Nissan Sentra sedan. (video) (video)

Following the completion of Wednesday's successful Trench Rescue (see post below) members who participated in the incident reviewed their operations in an effort to identify and discuss a number of strategic and tactical concerns. Both Operational and Command concerns were addressed.

Following is a list of "Lessons Learned" compiled from the incident review:

1. Only the minimum number of personnel should be allowed in close vicinity of the trench. Members allowed near the trench should be limited to USAR members directly involved in the rescue, EMS personnel critical to patient care, and support personnel critical to logistical support functions. It may also be important for a limited number of Command personnel to be near the trench however they should not be directly involved in the rescue operation.

2. Support personnel are critical in the initial stages of the rescue. Logistical support, including the procurement, transport and delivery of shoring material, basic and specialized equipment, medical supplies and other materials and equipment necessary for the rescue should be considered a priority by the Incident Commander. Consider assigning on scene companies to these duties or requesting additional resources to accomplish these tasks if necessary and designating an officer to supervise.

3. Assign Medical, Rescue and Scene Safety responsibilities ASAP. 99% of our on scene responsibilities fall into these three areas in this type of incident and by covering these three areas early an Incident Commander can better organize the incident and build toward a successful outcome.

4. Edge protection is a priority and should be implemented by the first units on scene whenever possible. After initial placement the edge protection should be continually monitored by the Safety Officer. Additional protection should be added when necessary depending on changing conditions.

5. An RIC component should always be established. Although there may be sufficient personnel on scene to accomplish this task it is a requirement in this type of incident to designate the RIC companies and place them in an area for rapid deployment.

6. First companies on scene should spot apparatus away from the incident in order to provide direct access to the rescue site for any specialized apparatus.
Example: A Heavy Rescue may need to be placedin close proximity to the trench in order to utilize their boom as a "high point" or provide support to the rescue effort. Open space near the trench may also be needed to provide access for a Vacuum Truck when necessary.

On Wednesday, May 24, Battalion 14 responded with a full Physical Rescue Assignment, including USAR support, to a report of a civilian trapped in a collapsed trench on Woodman Avenue in Fire Station 102s District.

Companies assigned included LF 102, LF 39, E 78, HR 56, EMS 14, E 288, USAR 88, RA 88, LF 89, BC 10, E 88, EMS 10 and DIV 3.

Light Force 102 was first to arrive on scene and found a 25 year old man who had been installing a sewer line at a construction site partially buried in a four foot deep trench.

The members of LF 102, assisted by additional first responders, immediately began to establish a safe working area around the trench including edge protection and administered first aid to the victim. Battalion 14 requested dispatch of a Vacuum Truck enroute based on the initial reports from the units on scene.

As specialized resources began to arrive on scene, including USAR 88 and Heavy Rescue 56, Battalion 14 assigned responsibilities in 3 key areas: Medical (Battalion 10 / Cisneros), Rescue (USAR 88 / Gikas) and Scene Safety (LF 89 / Rubino).

Firefighters worked rapidly to shore the trench and remove the collapsed soil that covered the victim to the shoulder level. Rescuers who initially used their bare hands to remove dirt transitioned to the USAR Trench Certified members who used "Air Knives" to loosen the soil for rapid removal. The USAR Rescue Group members were teamed and rotated throughout the operation.

With the arrival of Division 3 Commander Roderick Garcia Battalion 14 Commander Evan Williams was transitioned to assume command of the Rescue Group. The Medical Group Leader assigned USAR certified Rescue 88 to handle EMS duties in the trench and Rescue 78, backed by Assessment Engine 78, to handle out of trench EMS duties and patient transport to the hospital.

The injured workman was removed from the trench in approximately 35 minutes and transported in critical condition to Providence Holy Cross Medical Center .

A complete slide show of the incident can be seen by clicking here.

Additional information can be found on the excellent LAFD News & Information site by clicking here.

Following the incident, on scene units conducted a review of operations performed and Lessons Learned. Look for those Lessons Learned to be posted on this site ASAP.

To all of the members who worked together to make this rescue a success....We salute you!

We're trying to keep you updated on everything going on in Battalion 14. One way is through this page. For more specific information on details, company closures, training, daily roster and weather, click on the Shift links in the right sidebar. We try and keep these pages updated with timely information. If you have a question as to what we are doing on a particular date, it will probably be answered on these pages. Check out the sample below, or follow the links for current info.

We snapped this pic at a recent Structure Fire and immediately thought of our friends out on the East Coast.

Greetings to all of you who follow our site...we really enjoy your comments and value your support.

To our fellow firefigthers in Miami-Dade...we even have a few Palm Trees out here that aren't on movie sets....Stay Safe!

Light Force 102 responded to the northwest corner of Chandler Blvd. and Woodman Ave. on a 2-car traffic accident that critically injured the driver and front-seat passenger of a Honda Accord (below). A passenger in the rear seat was also hurt, as was the driver of the other vehicle, an Acura SUV (right). With the help of E39, E78, RA239, RA78, RA102 and RA891, all 4 patients were rapidly transported to local hospitals.

Truck 39 (Battalion 10) at a recent Structure Fire.

The life of a Staff Assistant is certainly not easy. In addition to all of their administrative duties they are subject to the same dangerous emergency conditions that the members on the front lines face on a daily basis.

S/A Dan Curry from Battalion 14 "C" Platoon normally can rely on the watchful eye of Battalion Chief Pat Shanley to keep him out of harms way on the fireground. This was not the case on Friday when Dan was working with the "B" shift B/C Evan Williams.

Without PMS to protect him the shields were down and Dan was on his own at the fire on Kittridge. As the picture shows Dan took one for the team during cause investigation and literally worked until his fingers were bleeding. Just for the record, Dan will probably try to tell you it was something else but the truth is.... THIS IS JUST A PAPER CUT!

On Friday, May 19, Battalion 14 responded to 14411 Kittridge St. on a reported Structure Fire. Units responding included Task Force 89 , Rescue 89 and EMS 14 from Battalion 14 along with Engine 7, Light Force 88, and Task Force 90 from Battalion 10.

Upon arrival companies observed light smoke from a second story apartment midway down the "B" side of the large apartment complex. Engine 7 used an 1 3/4" line for initial attack on what proved to be a fire in one unit with no extension.


The cause of the fire was an unattended burner on the stovetop that overheated the contents of a pot and spread the fire to adjacent combustibles and cabinetry in the kitchen of the apartment. (shown)

Quick action by the first companies on scene limited the fire to the kitchen and front room portion of the unit.

Battalion 14 responded with the L.A.P.D. on Thursday, May 18 to a reported Barricaded Suspect at 5329 Satsuma Avenue in North Hollywood. The male occupant of a single family dwelling, who had initially held a woman hostage before releasing her, was refusing to leave the dwelling as requested by the P.D and was threatening on scene units with a knife.

Battalion 14, E 60, RA 60 and EMS 14 stood by while the L.A.P.D. summoned S.W.A.T. officers to assist them in their efforts to peacefully arrest the suspect. The commander of the Arson/Counter Terrorism Section coordinated operations with the L.A.P.D. . After approximately 3 1/2 hours S.W.A.T. members utilized tear gas to forcibly remove the suspect from the dwelling and place him under arrest.

"Message Received...Message Understood"

If only all radio communications could be that easy. As we discussed in the last Communication Tip, radio communication at the scene of an emergency is constantly affected by factors such as noise, activity, reception, radio and battery condition, area of use and other radio traffic. Unfortunately most of these factors affect our communications in a negative way.

Speaking from the position of an on scene commander or supervisor it can be very frustrating when using the radio to pass out assignments or maintain company accountability when it is unclear if your radio messages are being received or understood. This frustration is often mirrored by the company commander or member who experiences the same frustration when trying to efffectively communicate with the I.C. .

As fundamental as this may sound, you must roger and/or acknowledge all radio messages directed to you. At an emergency incident, especially in the early stages of an escalating incident, it is always best to not only acknowledge the radio message but also to repeat any assignment given so that the I.C. has no doubt that his assignment has been received and is clearly understood.

One reason this is important is because of the "radio environment" at the Command Post. Most incidents are now run on multiple channels. Multiple channels, multiple radios, multiple speakers - a design for confusion. An Incident Commander is not only monitoring multiple radio channels but he is also hearing, filtering and prioritizing communication from a number of resources and personnel simultaneously. This can cause confusion at the C.P. when at times it seems that everyone is talking on their radios at the same time. By repeating their assignment, along with the companies identifier, company members can cut through the confusion and be assured that they are being properly tracked on the I.C.s tracking sheets.

Example: I.C. - "Light Force 102 I'd like you to take Fire Attack on the 3rd Floor".
LF 102 - "Roger. LF 102 taking Fire Attack on the 3rd Floor".

We can all improve our radio communication. We all need to improve our radio communication. It seems like at every emergency critique we talk about how we struggle with communication in one area or another. Let's work together on this one. It's simple. To insure the sender that their message was received and understood....Acknowledge all radio messages!

On Wednesday, May 17, a Physical Rescue Assignment including Battalion 14, TF 60, RA 60, TF 89, HR 56, RA 86, RA 860, and EMS 14 was dispatched to 6401 Riverton Ave. in North Hollywood.

Firefighters used the "Jaws of Life" to rescue two trapped victims and initiated first care on scene. Both patients were transported to a local hospital in stable condition.

If you are interested in taking a virtual aerial flight over your district check out the unbelievable aerial images on Windows Live Local. An example can be seen by clicking on the link showing the High Rise Building in Warner Center featured in the post below or by clicking here.

We used the site to look at the Wildland Interface areas of Battalion 14 and were absolutely blown away by the crisp images and sharp detail shown. This is an outstanding tool to use for pre-fire planning and other related activities.

Check it out!

On Monday, May 15, Battalion 14 was dispatched to a Major Emergency Fire in a High Rise office building located at 21700 Oxnard St. in the Warner Center area of Woodland Hills (Battalion 17).

Upon arrival Battalion 14 was assigned to Division 18 for supervision and coordination of operations on the floor above the fire. Fire Attack companies located and confined the fire to an electrical room on the 17th floor. Smoke from the fire was present on several floors above the fire including the 18th however their was no extension of the fire above the 17th.

Firefighters from Battalion 17 did an excellent job in not only knocking down the fire but also in locating and rescuing a building occupant who was trapped inside an elevator car during the fire. When elevator repair personnel who had been called to the scene were unable to raise or lower the elevators LAFD members located the trapped women in the High Rise Elevator Bank on approximately the 4th floor level.

Because there was no access to the High Rise Elevator Bank below the 12th floor, rescue of the trapped occupant was accomplished by breaching a wall of the elevator shaft, locating the elevator car, opening the car doors and evacuating the occupant through the wall. The members of Task Force 72 took the lead in the operation.

A total of twenty-four Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, three LAFD Rescue Ambulances, one Heavy Rescue, one Arson Unit, one Urban Search and Rescue Unit, one Hazardous Materials Squad, one LAFD Helicopter, one Airborne Task Force, two EMS Battalion Captains, six Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and one Division Chief Officer Command Team were assigned to the incident.

On May 9th and 10th Battalion 14 members conducted extensive training on a large commercial building scheduled for demolition.

The owners of "Gangi Screen Printing" offered to let our members conduct roof cutting ops and interior RIC drills on their building located on Vineland Bl. in North Hollywood.

Members had the opportunity to chalkboard and actually cut a number of section of the lightweight roof. This training was extremely valuable for the probationary and younger members and a great refresher for the veterans.

Valuable RIC training was also conducted in the maze of offices and work areas inside the large building.

Excellent Training!

On Saturday, May 13, Fire Station 86 hosted their 2nd Annual Fire Service Day "Pancake Breakfast".

Hosted by the station and with planning and support by the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce, the event was once again a great success.

In addition to the great food and station tours this year's festivities included activities for the kids, static apparatus displays and demos and a live band for entertainment.

Members of the Toluca Lake Chamber assisted with the planning and procurement of food as well as supplying volunteers for set-up and the actual cooking of breakfast.

As you can see by the look on the children's faces everyone had a great time and had a chance to meet their local firefighters up close and personal.

The breakfast was held in conjunction with Fire Service Day and plans for next year's event are already underway.







Thanks to the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce, all of the volunteers and the members of Fire Station 86...Nice job!

One of the responsibilities of the Battalion Commander is to visit the stations in their battalion every shift. While visiting, all of the latest Department info is discussed along with other important happenings like the exchange of mail, etc. Every once in a while an exciting new tool that will dramatically improve our efficiency is discussed. It is rare that one is actually discovered during a station visit but this was the case the other day.

At an undisclosed location (for security reasons) a top secret technological marvel was discovered while making the rounds. Seen here (above) the device appears to be on some sort of space age charging station. Although it looks like an ordinary helmet liner with some stupid batteries and a curb feeler antenna loosely attached with electrical tape we have been assured that this is not the case.

We do not know what this is. Do you? The only thing we could find out was that it will be worn by the Engineer.

If you know what it is please let us know by e-mail or comment...Thanks!

One of the most important facets of the 2006 Battalion 14 "Great Race" was the opportunity for all of the participating teams to review their performance and develop various "Lessons Learned" from their operations. Following are some of the "Lessons Learned" that were submitted to the Battalion 14 Commanders:





















"As an officer, continue your SOGs regarding delegation. I bit off a larger piece of the pie than I would on a real incident. This caused my field of vision to narrow. Train like it is the real thing!"

















"Size up is very important! (The Captain) sets the pace for all members".













"Focus on completeing the tasks which form the foundation. Example: I should have provided my Engineer with additional staffing to complete establishment of a water supply".






















"Setting up the first two minutes (Crucial to obtaining goal)"





















(Captain) "Provide better direction to the crew (SOD Members) regarding the desired objectives and final product".

















"Assisting with Hose Packs helped all members. Flaking hose upstairs allowed for extinguishment".






















"Know when to say enough and get out of IDLH safely. Valuable lesson of discipline in 2 in-2 out. Exhausted member needed help out".


















"Pace, Pace, Pace".

















"Watch corners (hose caught) Hose pullers very important".

















"At a real incident be comfortable enough to abandon an evolution which isn't working and not salvageable (loaded hose line) and assist the backup company with the revised evolution".




















"Carry nozzle and coupling to nozzle for fast extension". (when extending line off nozzle)






















"Train as if your life depends on it...because it does".


Observations from the "Great Race" officials:

"When setting up your hose lay in the stairwell get all unused equipment and hose packs out of the way and clear of the work area".

"The teams that were deliberate and steady had the best times".

"Take the extra time to carefully flake out your hoselines before loading".

"Some of the officers tried to do too much".

"This operation (hi-rise) more than any other takes clear and concise order and direction from the Captain to the crew to be successful".


















To all of the teams...Thanks again for your outstanding efforts!

Check out this great Web Site based on the East Coast. EMTBravo Network has excellent coverage of Fire and Medical related info including pics and discussion forums covering topics from all over the U.S.A. . You can register for free to check out the site. We recommend you take a look.



To the members of the FDNY, their families and friends from the members of Battalion 14 and the LAFD... We will never forget!

Many radio messages are not heard at the scene of an emergency due to one contributing factor above all others. That factor is noise. The noise factor at an emergency incident can be caused by any number of things including sirens, horns, apparatus, traffic, equipment, wind, other radios and even the fire itself.

It is important for all members to take steps to insure that they can hear messages over their portable radios in noisy working environments.

When using a portable radio with an extension microphone keep in mind the mic also doubles as the radio speaker. If the microphone is not placed where it can be heard important messages may be missed. Depending on incident conditions the microphone can be clipped on a retractable cord near the Turnout Coat collar or even on the chin strap of the member's helmet near the ear in order to be better heard. A clip on the radio pouch or the pouch flap may not be the best place for the microphone to be attached.

At a recent incident a member of the Roof Team accidentally activated the emergency trigger on their handi-talki. Because the Roof Team was in the process of ventilating using chain saws the members were unable to hear the Incident Commanders radio request for the member's status. It was necessary for the I.C to declare an "Emergency Traffic" to resolve the issue.

Ventilation Ops is a perfect example of the type of noisy environment where steps must be taken to insure radio messages can be heard. The Officer in charge of the operation is usually in a position to best monitor radio traffic. If noise from the operation is a factor consider moving away from the saws if practical. Reposition or hold the extension mic so it can be heard. Make sure all the members of your team have their radios on, that they are on the correct channel and that the volume is turned up. These are basic steps that can be taken by any company prior to beginning their operations.

Finally, all members at the incident should help others in making sure radio communications are effective. If you hear a message that is intended for someone else nearby and the message is not received and acknowledged, take a moment to relay the message to that member and insure that their radio is properly functioning.

On Saturday, May 6, 2006, every Battalion 14 Company competed in the inaugural edition of "The Great Race". The times are in and a winner has been declared.

Arriving companies were tasked with establishing a water supply, loading the standpipes, throwing the 20' extension ladder, ascending the stairwell with all necessary equipment and placing a fire attack line into operation on the 4th level of a 5 story parking structure that simulated a High Rise Building. Finding heavy fire and smoke on the fire floor the 4-member teams extended their High Rise Hose Pack attack lines as far as possible before having to extend yet another 100 feet from the Nozzle to reach the objective.

Under the watchful eyes of on scene "Officials", as well as Division 3 Commander Rick Garcia, the teams were required to observe all proper safety procedures and don full PPEs. The entire fire floor was deemed an IDLH area and all teams were "on air" for their operations. Having to continually flow water, advance the loaded attack line around a corner and extend from the nozzle, each and every team was faced with a scenario that was tough but very realistic.

With more details, pictures and a video to follow in the next post, here are the official results and the name of the Battalion 14 Great Race Champion and winner of the Charles E. Miles Perpetual Trophy:

6th Place - Engine 78 - 17:03

5th Place - Engine 97 - 13:39

4th Place - Engine 89 - 13:06

3rd Place - Engine 60 - 11:44

2nd Place - Engine 86 - 11:16

Champion - Engine 102-11:12

(Above) The winning team from Fire Station 102: (left to right) Engineer Steve Romero, A/O Richard Moody, Captain II John Cappon and F/F Eric Custudio. Also pictured are F/F Brendon Lew (far left) and A/O Frank Aguirre (far right) Presenting the trophy is Division 3 Commander Assistant Chief Rick Garcia.

(Above) Pictured with the team from Fire Station 102 is the Runner-Up team from Fire Station 86 of (left to right) FF/PM Miguel Escobedo, F/F Melissa Galleano, Captain I Richard Brunson and Engineer Luis Vargas. The margin between the first and second place teams was a mere 4 seconds!

The Battalion 14 and Division 3 Commanders would like to congratulate all members for their outstanding efforts at today's event. Look for a compilation of Lessons Learned and much more from today's activities in our next post. You were great!

Congratulations to Fire Station 102 ... The 2006 "Great Race" Champions !

All teams in Battalion 14 have just completed "The Great Race" and the Results are in. Engine 60, Engine 78, Engine 86, Engine 89, Engine 97, Engine 102 and Engine 108 all gave maximum effort in completeing a series of Fireground evolutions in order to establish an overall time and a shot at the Charles E. Miles Perpetual Trophy.

Look for each team's time as well as a complete write up of the event in a few hours on this site. The Champion will be declared in that post.

On Saturday, May 6, 2006, every Fire Station in Battalion 14 will be competing to emerge victorius in the inagural edition of "The Great Race". The exact location of the race, as well as the exact nature of what the teams will actually do, has been a close kept secret in an attempt to establish a level playing field. The prime directive is to train hard, improve your skills and have fun.

The event will be held on the "B" Platoon. All stations have received a set of rules. Each Station will field one team. Each team will consist of an on-duty Captain, Engineer and two Firefighters. Although only one team may compete per Station the other on-duty members will be in attendance to cheer their fellow Firefighters on to victory and honor.

Teams will be completing an evolution, or series of evolutions, and will earn a total elapsed time based on accomplishing the stated goal. Lowest elapsed time will win. Conditions will be a simulated emergency incident and all applicable equipment will be utilized. As in an actual incident, safety is a priority and full PPEs are mandatory. Officials will oversee the event and insure a safe and fair competition.

All members will be competing for the Charles E. Miles Perpetual Trophy (shown above) that will remain in possession of the winning Station for one year. The winning team will also be featured in a future post on the Battalion 14 Web Site.

The Battalion 14 Commanders wish all of the teams... Good Luck!

The Battalion 14 Commanders are making every attempt to keep our site up to date and informative. In addition to bringing you accounts of the latest emergency activities in the Battalion we are trying to insure that any "Lessons Learned" from recent incidents, "Training Tips", "Safety Alerts" and other performance related information is posted as quickly as possible.

Your comments to our posts are not only welcome but are important in establishing a dialogue that can benefit all of our members and viewers. A comment that was recently posted in response to Communication Tip #2 is a great example. The person who posted the comment gave all of our members additional insight on improving radio communication while wearing a facepiece based on personal experience. This type of information is clear and fundamental and it is exactly what we are looking for. It is invaluable and could improve both our communication and our safety.

Anyone can make a comment on our posts. You do not have to be a "Blogger" member to comment. Just click on the "Post a Comment" link at the bottom of the post, choose "anonymous", write your comment and post it. We will review your comment and post it ASAP, usually on the same day.

Help us improve our Battalion 14 Web Site....Post your comments!

We have added a new link to the Battalion 14 web site. LA FirePhotos.com is an excellent site dedicated to posting Southern California fire service related photos and articles. With many of the photos being from Los Angeles Fire Department emergency and non-emergency incidents and activities this is a great opportunity for viewers to review pics from all of the LAFD in addition to those on the Battalion 14 web site.

Check it out!