CAPT. McMANIGILL'S LAST LINEUP
Another LAFD veteran skipper held his last lineup recently at FS 108.
Howard McManigill was appointed to the LAFD on March 12, 1962 and was promoted to Captain on June 13, 1976.
BC Patrick Shanley and Capt. Dennis Benkovsky of neighboring FS 97 were there to wish Howard well...111 years of experience in this photo!
Howard McManigill was appointed to the LAFD on March 12, 1962 and was promoted to Captain on June 13, 1976.
BC Patrick Shanley and Capt. Dennis Benkovsky of neighboring FS 97 were there to wish Howard well...111 years of experience in this photo!
CREW OF THE WEEK
This week we feature the crew from Fire Station 65 "C" Platoon in Battalion 13. Congratulations to Battalion 14 alumnus Chris Granucci on his recent promotion to Captain I and his assignment to 65s.Send us your crew pics and we will be happy to post them here on our site....
Stay Safe!
FIRE SERVICE DAY PANCAKE BREAKFAST AT FIRE STATION 86
Over 600 hundred residents who reside in Battalion 14 enjoyed a Saturday morning at Fire Station 86 as the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department, Fire Station 86, hosted its annual Fire Service Day Old Fashioned Pancake Breakfast. The "MOAB", as pictured above and otherwise known at the "Mother Of All Bar-B-Ques, provided by United Firefighters of Los Angeles, allowed the volunteers to cook thousands of pancakes to feed all of the hungry participants.
The old fashioned pancake breakfast was held on Saturday, May 12th, 2007, at Fire Station 86. Members of the community were able to gather at the Fire Station where the children were able to get a first hand look at Fire Station 86's fire engine and residents were able to get a close up view of the beautiful new landscaping at the Fire Station.
The parking lot at the Fire Station was converted to an outside dinning room, complete with canopies and balloons, where residents were able to enjoy their pancakes, sausage, fresh fruit, and orange juice.
Future Firefighters are served a refreshing cold drink by a "young" volunteer. 
The pancake breakfast was made possible by the army of Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce volunteers, whose hard work and generous donation of time and energy made the event possible. Proceeds from the breakfast benefit the Fire Station 86 Adopt-A-Fire Station program and the Fallen Firefighter Memorial Fund.
LAFD Explorers assist the children with getting the feel of using a fire hose...
Many thanks to Steve Hampar and his hard working committee of volunteers along with Councilmember Tom LaBonge and his Deputy, Alice Roth, for all of their assistance in making the event a great success. Thanks also to the multitude of business sponsors whose fiscal contributions added to the success of the event.
The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department are grateful for the support received from the community and are dedicated to providing a high level of professional all risk emergency service to the community of Toluca Lake and City of Los Angeles.2-CAR TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
Battalion 14 companies recently responded on a 2-car traffic accident at Cahuenga Blvd. and Whitnall Hwy.
Firefighters were confronted with a car wrapped around a power pole.
Task Force 60 asked for a physical rescue assignment, but was able to extricate the driver in less than 10 minutes.
E86 and RA60, responsible for patient care, rapidly transported the 30-year-old male in critical condition to the nearest trauma center.
Two patients, one a 5-year-old properly secured in a child-restraint device, were transported with minor injuries. Photos by Chester Brown.
THANKS AND FRIENDLY ADVICE
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of my friends and co-workers, both on the LAFD and many other departments across the Nation, for all of the kind words and well-wishes in regards to my retirement after 33 years of service.
The LAFD, and the fire service in general, is the best thing that ever happened to me. I love the job and I love the guys. I looked forward to going to work every day and I looked forward to the fun and the challenges associated with the greatest job in the world. I'm really going to miss it and I'm looking forward to keeping up with what's going on by following the Battalion 14 blog and dropping by the Station every now and then for some kitchen table stories.
I recently received the following e-mail from Darrin in Chula Vista, CA;
Chief Williams, congratulations on your retirement. I have enjoyed reading and learning from the Battalion 14 blog. Do you have any advice/tips for success for a young Captain, especially from someone with as much leadership/command experience as yourself. Any help is appreciated. Again, congratulations on your retirement and thanks for the great work on the blog. Fraternally, Darrin
Darrin, I'm certainly not an expert in this area but I would like to repeat some of the advice that has been given to me through the years by a number of people that I highly respect. Nothing trick here...common sense advice that holds true not only for Officers but for everyone at every level.
1. Know your job. This single quality will outweigh all others when it comes to earning the respect of your people. Knowing your job enables you to walk the walk and truly lead by example. It allows you to make wise decisions and helps you fulfill your prime responsibility at the scene of an emergency - provide for the safety of your crew.
2. Treat people the way you would expect to be treated. How basic. You can read every leadership book in the world and it still boils down to this. You've studied, passed some tests and now you find yourself an Officer. This does not give you the right to suddenly start treating people differently. The fact is it demands that you treat people with respect and consideration. Isn't that how you would like to be treated?
3. Make safety your top priority. Get 'em there safely and get 'em home safely. This goes hand in hand and with knowing your job. You better take safety seriously because the lives of your crew are at stake. We have a tendancy to downplay it but our job really is dangerous and believe me you do not ever want to contribute to a situation that could compromise the safety of your people. You have to train with safety in mind and make every decision with safety in mind. If you find yourself worrying about the safety of your crew then your priorities are in order. This is the life of a Fire Officer.
4. Know your people. You can't know what your people need if you sit in your office all day. You need to find the balance point between forcing yourself on your crew and being a non-caring pencil pushing loser. I honestly believe that many Officers are ineffective simply because they don't take the time to learn what their people need. Get out from behind the desk and walk among'st em. You can get to know them and they can get to know you. It will make them better and it will make you better.
5. Perfect the art of listening. You can make good decisions on your own. You can make better decisions if you learn to listen to those around you. Why limit yourself. I once had a Staff Assistant that I highly respected. He had an amazing ability to stop me from making stupid decisions by using one phrase; "Are you sure you want to do that?" I listened, I learned and I found out that his wisdom was invaluable in making me a better Officer and a better decision maker.
6. Put your people in a position to succeed. This comes in knowing your role as an Officer. You're not there to lord over them or use them to try and make yourself look better. Your duty is to be both a team leader and a member of the team. You need to have the ability to size up a situation, emergency or non-emergency, and develop a plan or solution that insures your crew can succeed in their mission. Never forget that it's your crew that gets things done.
7. Give credit where credit is due. I learned as a young Officer that everything I gave to my crew came back ten-fold. Your people will literally bust their ass for you. They don't do it for atta boys or accolades but I guarantee that a few words of encouragement or thanks for a job well done will go a long way towards making them know that you appreciate their efforts.
8. Back 'em. It's that simple. You back your people when they're right and you back your people when they're wrong. If you're going to be an Officer who is respected you have to be willing to lay it on the line for your people. You have to believe that your people are important and you're not. You have to be willing to go to bat for each and every one of them on duty or off duty and you have to be willing to do it 24/7. You have to be willing to take blame at times when it's beneficial for your people and detremental to you. If you're willing to do this you will be an effective leader and an Officer who gets the most out of his people.
9. Be consistent. When you become an Officer you give away your right to "have a bad day". Nobody wants to work for somebody with multiple personalities. You can't be moody and you can't be unpredictable. Your crew needs to know how you will react in every situation and they have to know that you're steady and reliable when it comes to your decision making.
10. Trust your people. Trust is a two way thing. Too often Officers expect their crew to trust them in their duties when they fail to trust their crew. Here's a newsflash...we all make mistakes. Errors know no rank. You need to cultivate a basic belief that your crew wants to do what's right and be there to assist them. You're not there to constantly dwell on the negatives and if you think this makes you a good Officer you're dead wrong.
Darrin, good luck in your new role..... (Retired) B/C Evan Williams
