Member News

 California Professional Firefighters' online video news. Local leaders pitch lawmakers on local fire funding; Alameda Co. Fire Ops helps locals "feel the heat."

Ontario Firefighters Local 1430 and the Ontario Fire Department are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Battalion Chief Richard "Chip" Smith on February 21st, after a corageous battle with cancer.  He was 46 years old. 

Stepping up on their own time, two Marin County firefighters brought their skill and heart to the citizens of earthquake-ravaged Haiti. Spending their vacation time and their own money, Larkspur firefighters Jim Clark and Matt Cobb spent two weeks helping anyone they could find, armed only with a duffel full of medical supplies and a determination to make a difference. The two -- both proud members of Marin Professional Firefighters Local 1775 -- raised some $7,000, half of it their own money, for their personal relief mission. 

San Diego’s fire department has been operating under a money saving strategy for about a month. Under the plan, up to eight fire engines can be idled each day and their crews reassigned to cover for sick or absent firefighters. The plan saves money but could also impact the department’s response times.

It is with great sorrow that the City of Montclair Fire Department announces the passing of Deputy Fire Marshal Timothy J. Bissett on Saturday, February 20th of occupational cancer.  He was 58 years old.

California's labor community came together in Sacramento this week. Their mission: fight to protect middle-class families devastated by the Great Recession. As part of its 2010 Legislative Conference, the California Labor Federation brought lawmakers face-to-face with union workers from 19 regional Central Labor Councils, bringing the fight for jobs to the State Capitol.

CAL FIRE firefighter Becky Quigley was named 2nd Assembly District Woman of the Year this week in a ceremony recognizing the outstanding achievements of women from the State Assembly's 80 districts.

California Professional Firefighters' online video news, California Labor Federation's Legislative Conference, Firefighters On Your Side

When Sacramento Metro Fire Captain Barbie Law was a relief worker in Haiti, she befriended a 7-year-old Haitian boy with a heart defect. Law has since returned to the United States with a mission: To get him the surgical help that he needs.

A stretch of the I-215 Freeway in Perris has been named after fallen CAL FIRE firefighter John D. Guthrie this week. Guthrie valiantly battled the Decker fire with his crew on August 8, 1959 and was overrun by flames.

Fire crews are taking longer to respond to emergencies since a budget-cutting plan that eliminates engines from several stations took effect last month, a new city report says.

Citing problems with internal testing, NIOSH has recommended that fire departments discontinue use of four Champak N95 respirators. NIOSH's recommendation targets four of the units' approval numbers: TC-84A-4363, TC-84A-4364, TC-84A-4394 and TC-84A-4665.

California Professional Firefighters' online video news, Locals Fight Back with Video, Locals on the Web

Whether an elderly man would have survived a recent apartment fire had a nearby fire engine been in service that day is debatable, given the quick response by firefighters. What isn’t up for debate is that the city’s decision to sideline up to eight fire engines per day in a cost-cutting “brownout” plan has led to longer response times in San Diego.

Hemet firefighters and paramedics Chris Galetta and Dan Lamy felt like they made a difference. They spent eight days in the village of Titanyen, repairing broken bones that hadn't been set since the quake occurred on Jan. 12 and treating survivors for typhoid and malaria.

A Ventura County firefighter was recovering at UCLA Medical Center on Tuesday after surgery for a serious eye injury he suffered Monday evening when ammunition and other items exploded during an house fire in Thousand Oaks, authorities said. Local 1364 member Paul Torres, 36, underwent five hours of surgery to his right eye, Ventura County Fire Department officials said. 

Late last year, CPF led a united fire service in support of a measure designed to put more money directly into first responder services. When the bill failed we said we'd be back, and we are. As part of his 2010-2011 budget, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has re-introduces the CPF-backed Emergency Response Initiative.

This 24-page report reviews CPF’s major events and accomplishments during the past calendar year, as well as identifies challenges for the future. It offers a snapshot not only of 2009, but also provides a primer on the range of services and benefits offered by your state association.

Members of Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014 are on the ground in Haiti. The firefighters, the core of California Task Force #2, have already been a part of some of the most dramatic rescue efforts seen since the Jan. 12 earthquake.

Want to stay connected with the stories that matter to you? Then you need to connect to CPF Firevision, CPF's twice-monthly online video update on the issues and stories that affect your life on the job and the safety and security of you and your family. 

The long-feared "second wave" of the Station Fire is hitting Southern California this week. Many areas ravaged by the massive summer blaze are now being evacuated because of the risk of mudslides. 

 When Redlands firefighter Mike Leinen's wife Annie was diagnosed with Stage 4 malignant melanoma one day before the birth of her third child, Mike's brothers and sisters with Redlands Professional Firefighters Local 1354 covered shifts and raised money for the family. As they mourn her untimely passing this past week, there is also gratitude for how firefighters stood up for one of their own.

California Professional Firefighters' online video news. Pension-slashing measures introduced; LA County FFs on the ground in Haiti; Terrorism Consequence Management behind-the-scenes.

 Los Angeles County firefighters credited with saving lives in the aftermath of Haiti's devastation are back in the U.S. Task Force 2 -- one of only two teams in the nation certified for world-wide disaster response -- was on the ground less than 48 hours after the quake hit. They returned late last week.

 California Professional Firefighters' online video news service presents Protecting Your Retirement: A Special Report on the 2010 Pension Fight.

 New evacuation orders have been issued as the Station Fire burn area continues to be hit with mudslides in the wake of a wet Southern California winter..

With California’s mutual aid system stressed to the breaking point by local budget rollbacks, California’s first responders took the issue directly to state lawmakers on Wednesday. Their pitch: Pass the Emergency Response Initiative. 

California Professional Firefighters has lost two members this week, both to hard fought battles with cancer.

 Warning of the "growing cost" associated with California's rapid development and urbanization of the wildlands, the Los Angeles Times this week editorialized in support of the CPF-backed Emergency Response Initiative. The Times said the proposal was "reasonable" and reflected a level of burden-sharing that is appropriate in a disaster-prone state.

Hundreds of firefighters and friends from throughout California gathered in Riverside to say a last farewell to a fallen colleague. Riverside City Firefighter Eric Botkin died late last year at the age of 41 from job-related cancer.

Members of Modesto City Firefighters Local 1289 continue to stand vigil as two Modesto firefighters remain hospitalized after being injured fighting a weekend house fire. Engineers Jim Adams and Jason “JD” Clevenger fell through the roof of a well-involved central Modesto. Adams suffered serious burns over 40-45% of his body, but his airway was undamaged and he suffered no other injuries. Clevenger suffered burns over 10% of his body, but is expected to be released within a few days. 

When Vincent J. Bollon became a New York firefighter and IAFF member, Ike was in the White House, Elvis was in the army and Barack Obama hadn't been born. Today, General President Harold Schaitberger announced that Bollon was retiring from his post as IAFF General Secretary-Treasurer, effective January 15. Bollon served more than two decades as IAFF's chief financial officer, and nearly 35 years as an active IAFF leader.

Years of neglect, complicated by undocumented modifications, are believed to have played a role in the disastrous Modesto fire which left two firefighters injured ... one of them with burns over nearly half of his body. 

The story of property loss to major fires in the United States begins and ends in California. In its annual report on Large Loss Fires in the United States, NFPA says that California wildland fires caused a collective property loss of nearly $950 million in 2008. That means 40 cents of every dollar of major fire loss in the US in 2008 occurred in the California wildlands. 

California’s firefighters and other hard-working public employees have a new voice for retirement security on the CalPERS Board of Administration. In a close runoff election, CalPERS investment officer J.J. Jelincic won the election for the CalPERS Board seat being vacated by retiring Charles Valdes. 

Sacramento Area Firefighters Local 522 and the Cosumnes CSD Fire Department are deeply saddened to announce the loss of firefighter Richard Emmanuel Ibarra due to a sudden illness, considered job-related by the department.  He was 42 years old.

After extensive interviews with dozens of contenders in both parties, CPF has identified a bipartisan list of candidates it believes would be the strongest firefighter choices for statewide office in this June’s Primary Election.

Riverside City Firefighters Local 1067 and the City of Riverside Fire Department are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Eric Botkin from brain cancer on December 27th.  He was 41 years old.

On January 13, 2010, California Professional Firefighters will debut CPF Firevision, a twice-monthly Web video update on the issues and stories that affect the lives of front line firefighters, available through YouTube, iTunes and at www.cpffirevision.org. CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO

On the front lines, firefighters and police are trained to work as a team. This past weekend, however, Ventura County’s firefighters and law enforcement officers were mixing it up … for a good cause … in their first-ever “Battle of the Badges” boxing match. 

 Firefighters have a reputation for being “Boy Scouts” – always doing good deeds. This year, California’s first responders are helping Bay Area Boy Scouts do their own “good deeds” by contributing to the annual Scouting For Food program.

 United Firefighters of Los Angeles City Local 112 is joined by CPF and the entire fire labor community in mourning the loss of one of UFLAC's "founding fathers." Brother Jim Perry served the citizens of Los Angeles and the members of Local 112 for close to half a century, as a front line firefighter, founding UFLAC member and longtime board member, and as an award-winning photographer and editor of UFLAC's newsletter.

Santa Barbara County Firefighters Local 2046 and the Santa Barbara County Fire Department mourn the loss of Fire Heavy Equipment Operator Dean Moore. Brother Moore passed away on Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 51 years old. His active duty death was a result of a hard fought battle with cancer.  

With the flu pandemic upon us, the state EMS Authority has set in motion a plan to allow local paramedics to administer the influenza vaccine. Under the plan, the LEMSA and the local health department may decide to temporarily expand the paramedic scope of practice to include administration of the pandemic vaccine, thereby enhancing community mass vaccination programs.  

 Vallejo's firefighters showed their holiday spirit by digging into their pockets to feed the hungry. Voting to allocate a portion of their dues, members of IAFF Local 1186 distributed food to more than 50 families in their economically-strapped city. Vallejo's decision to declare bankruptcy has delayed the economic recovery in the city. Families who received the food called it "a blessing."

 The brown-out at a fire station in Sacramento City added three minutes to the response time for a November 1st house fire. City fire officials say the blaze was closest to a fire station whose engine company was browned out, forcing crews to wait until the engine from the next-closest station arrived. Nobody was injured.

In a move that underscores fire service solidarity on core public safety issues, CPF President Lou Paulson and CalChiefs President Sheldon Gilbert have signed an agreement outlining guiding principles for labor-management collaboration. The Labor-Management Initiative Guiding Principles is California’s implementation of the IAFF/IAFC Labor-Management Initiative.

The new rules are in, and November 16th is the day that applications will open for the newly-expanded SAFER grants. The SAFER Grants can be used to rehire laid off fire fighters and birng back positions that have been left vacant due to the financial crisis.

Every year, California Professional Firefighters honors those who capture what it means to be a first responder. Send us your photos of heroism on the front lines and you could be one of our photo contest winners. Photos must be submitted by November 22, 2009.

 If you're a firefighter, chances are you're exhausted at the end of the day. That's the conclusion of a new study conducted by the job-rating firm CareerCast.com. In it's annual Jobs Rated Report, the organization lists "firefighter" as the most demanding job in the US, ahead of surgeon, corporate executive and police officer.

In order to properly respond to terrorist attack, irefighters need to know what to expect. In pursuit of that realism, Roseville streets were transformed into the scene of a nightclub car-bomb attack, as video crews with FireStar Productions shot the scenario for a new Web-based version of CFFJAC's Terrorism Consequence Management.  

More than 1,700 firefighters continue to make headway in the Sheep Fire, located in the San Gabriel Mountains. Calmer winds and colder temperatures helped aid firefighters Tuesday, as new record low temperatures were set in the region, specifically in Lake Arrowhead, Lancaster and LAX Airport. The fire is 75 percent contained and full containment is expected by Saturday.

Fire investigators working with Vallejo are probing whether that city's bankruptcy-related cutbacks may have contributed to fire deaths. A weekend blaze that killed a woman and her daughter happened within the coverage area of one of two closed fire stations, reportedly causing a delay of one to two minutes in response. Area residents say the delayed response to the fire is typical of the eroded fire protection since the city closed two fire stations.

This past Sunday marked Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s bill-signing deadline for 2009. Among the bills approved was CPF legislation -- five years in the making -- that won firefighters and many other injured workers the right to see their own doctor when injured on the job.  

Earthquakes. Fires. Floods. For Fresno's senior citizens, these are just a few disasters that can strike at any moment and Fresno Firefighters Local 753 has launched its latest program to reach this vulnerable community with disaster preparedness help. The program was created by the California Fire Foundation, which brings public service announcements and evacuation planning materials to elderly individuals.

CAL FIRE is deeply saddened to announce the death of CAL FIRE captain Chaloa Lora Champion, who died of a brain aneurysm on September 2, 2009. She was 33 years old. 

 More than 1,000 uniformed firefighters, family members and dignitaries from throughout California gathered this weekend to pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect the lives and property of Californians. In a solemn ceremony featuring honor guards and the traditional pipe and drum salute, 82 firefighters who fell in the line of duty – some from as far back as 1899 – were added to the California Firefighters Memorial.

Despite a furious last-minute lobbying effort and a direct telephone pitch from firefighters across the state, the California Legislature adjourned early Saturday without approving desperately needed first responder legislation. But a unified California fire service is vowing to keep working to pass the Emergency Response Initiative, which would pump hundreds of millions into local and state fire protection services.

This year's California Firefighters Memorial Ceremony will commemorate 82 individuals who paid the ultimate price to keep our state safe. The annual Memorial Ceremony honors firefighters who died in the line of duty, either from traumatic injuries in the field or from job-related causes.

Please bookmark this page for updated information on the event as it becomes available.

On a sun-splashed morning at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the fire service gathered to say goodbye to the two of its finest … men who were, by any measure of the word, heroes. At a somber but inspiring ceremony, some 8,000 people paid tribute Saturday to fallen Los Angeles County firefighters Captain Ted Hall and Specialist Arnie Quinones. 

At a time when the retirement security of California families is under attack, CalPERS firefighters can make their voices heard by participating in the CalPERS Board of Administration election. The California Public Employees' Retirement System has mailed out ballots for its 2009 election activities to fill two "Member at Large" seats on the CalPERS Board of Administration.

Despite our current economic crisis, California's endangered mutual aid system can be saved, through passage of the Emergency Response Initiative (ERI). This is the message that CPF President Lou Paulson and California Fire Chiefs Association President Sheldon Gilbert hammered home this week at the Joint Legislative Committee on Emergency Management hearing in San Diego.

Each year, the IAFF Media Awards recognizes the reporting, photography and other media that embody what it means to be a first responder in the United States and Canada. This year, CPF was honored with four IAFF Media Awards.

They gave their lives trying to save dozens of others from a terrifying burnover. Now they are part of the  mournful pantheon of firefighters who have paid the ultimate price to protect families like those they leave behind. Los Angeles Fire Captain Tedmund "Ted" Hall and Specialist Arnaldo "Arnie" Quinones, who lost their lives in the line of duty in the Station Fire, are being remembered for their commitment, caring and, most especially, their courage under fire. 

Fire officials are watching the skies in Southern California, hoping that increased humidity levels will continue to slow the march of the Station Fire. The blaze has now burned more than 127,000 acres, and stretches over nearly 200 square miles, but cooling temperatures have aided firefighting efforts in the Angeles National Forest, and the blaze is now 22% contained.

 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today joined fire service labor and management in calling on the Legislature to revive and approve his Emergency Response Initiative. At a news conference in San Bernardino County, the governor joined CPF President Lou Paulson and CalChiefs President Sheldon Gilbert in urging passage of the measure, which would provide hundreds of millions of dollars to support the state's mutual aid disaster response.

Firefighters on the front lines of the Station Fire will pause later this week at the IC to honor two fallen LA County firefighters, as planning continues for a larger formal memorial sometime next week. Fire Captain Ted Hall and Specialist Arnie Quinones died Sunday trying to save dozens of others from a fire camp burnover. CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST.

 As cautious optimism builds in the battle against this week's fires, concern continues to grow about the state fiscal crisis and its impact on California's world-class mutual aid system. As part of an ABC News report, CPF President Lou Paulson makes the case for a new state Emergency Response Initiative.

Oxnard firefighters Graham Dunbar and Guillermo Garay are being hailed as heroes after rescuing an injured motorist from his disabled vehicle seconds before it was struck by a fast-moving Metrolink train.

Two Tujunga Canyon residents were hospitalized after they tried to ride out the explosive growth of the Station Fire by hiding in a hot tub. Thousands others have been safely evacuated as the Angeles National Forest blaze grew to over 35,000 acres Sunday -- nearly seven times its size 24 hours earlier. Two LA County firefighters died Sunday battling the blaze. Nearly 2,000 firefighters are on the front lines protecting more than 12,000 homes.

Residents are returning to their homes in Santa Cruz County as the Lockheed Fire is now more than 80% contained. The blaze, which erupted Wednesday evening about 10 miles south of Santa Cruz, had burned more than 7,000 acres by Tuesday. Evacuation orders have been lifted for all but a handful of residents of Bonny Doon and Swanton. Evacuation orders have also been lifted in Yuba County in response to the Yuba Fire, which has charred more than 3,600 acres and destroyed five homes. And firefighters are also corralling the Central California LaBrea Fire, which has burned nearly 90,000 acres.

Los Angeles County Firefighters and the California fire service and our state grieves the loss of two LA County firefighters in the line of duty. The two were on the front lines at the Station Fire in suburban LA County area with heavy smoke with zero visibility when their vehicle crashed.

More than 2,400 Santa Cruz Co. residents were forced to evacuate Thursday, as the fast-moving Lockheed Fire threatens more than 1,000 homes in two communities. The blaze, which erupted Wednesday evening about 10 miles south of Santa Cruz, had burned close to 3,000 acres by Thursday, and remained at 0% containment. The fire is one of more than half a dozen that are burning at various levels of containment throughout Northern California.

The three-day-old La Brea Fire continues to build strength in the Los Padres National Forest in Central CA. The fire has consumed more than 20,000 acres at last report, with containment still listed at 0% and hot, dry conditions expected to continue.

California City Firefighters Local 3903 has partnered with the California Fire Foundation to bring public service announcements and evacuation planning materials to elderly individuals at their hosted disaster preparedness workshops. 

A new study shows that firefighters are at high risk for developing cancer. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati said firefighters have a 100 percent higher risk of developing testicular cancer, a 50 percent higher risk for multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and 26 percent increased risk for prostate cancer.

Have you been recently laid off by your department? You may be wondering how to let other fire departments know that you are available for work. The Displaced Firefighter List is a list of state and local firefighters who have been or will be laid off in California that departments use to locate and hire career firefighters. CLICK HERE to find out more and to download an application form.

Firefighters and first responders up and down the state have been training for terrorism incidents since the California Fire Fighters Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC) rolled out its new Terrorism Consequence Management (TCM) Train-the-Trainer course earlier this year. The CFFJAC is co-sponsored by CPF and the California State Fire Marshal.

A united California fire service task force called on the state EMS Authority to take steps to increase fiscal and public accountability in the outsourcing of EMS services to private, for-profit providers. In a white paper issued July 22, California Professional Firefighters, CalChiefs and the League of Cities Fire Chiefs unanimously concluded that some Local EMS Agencies (LEMSAs) were overstepping their statutory authority in fashioning contracts with private ambulance companies. 

The US Forest Service mourns the loss of Thomas Marovich, 20, of Hayward, who was fatally injured in an accident at the Backbone Helibase in Willow Creek on Tuesday morning. Marovich, a second year apprentice with the Forest Service at the Modoc National Forest, was performing a routine rappel proficiency skill training from a helicopter when he fell and sustained fatal injuries.

The California Legislature has ended an all-night session and a months-long budget standoff with the approval of an $84 billion spending plan for California - over 18 percent lower than last year's budget. For first responders, the news is mostly bad, but there are slivers of good news mixed in.

In the classic holiday movie “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Jimmy Stewart’s guardian angel showed him that he was the “richest man in town.” Ventura County Firefighter Greg Chavez’ “Guardian Angel” has made him a rich man, too. Chavez, a member of Ventura County Firefighters Local 1364, has won the nationally broadcast American Inventor contest – and a $1 million prize – for his holiday fire safety device disguised as a Christmas tree ornament. His “Guardian Angel” design beat out five other finalists and literally thousands of entries to with the contest, which aired on ABC television on Wednesday nights.

California's first responders will be better prepared to meet the challenges of domestic terrorism thanks to CPF-backed legislation signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. The CPF-backed legislation, AB 587, authored by Assemblywoman Betty Karnette (D-Long Beach), earmarks $2.5 million for firefighter anti-terrorism training -- half of the $5 million allocation made out of proceeds from a special 9/11 license plate fund.

In a solemn ceremony featuring a procession of uniformed firefighters and presentations to family members, 29 firefighters who fell in the line of duty were added to the California Firefighters Memorial. Located in historic Capitol Park, adjoining the California State Capitol in Sacramento, the Memorial carries the names of nearly 1,000 firefighters who died in service since California became a state in 1850. This year, the Memorial marks its fifth anniversary by honoring, among others, two Contra Costa firefighters killed in a San Pablo house fire in July and five U.S. Forest Service firefighters who died in the deadly Esperanza Fire last fall in Riverside Co.

For 25 years, the California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC) has remained steadfast in its mission to ensure that California’s first responders receive the highest quality of education and training. Sponsored by the Office of the State Fire Marshal and California Professional Firefighters, the mounting success of the CFFJAC and its firefighter training and education programs is due in large part to the collaborative effort of fire department management and local union labor representatives. The CFFJAC's unparalleled legacy was celebrated this past month at the CFFJAC's Biennial Conference in Palm Springs.

The fires of 2007 exposed a key deficiency that has made the battle for resources difficult: There are no standards of coverage for firefighting in the urban-wildland interface. California Professional Firefighters is on the front lines to bring such groundbreaking standards to California. In conjunction with CalChiefs, CPF has formed a Standards of Coverage Committee to fully explore critical tasks needed for effective fire management in wildland-urban interface. The concept behind the Standards of Coverage Committee is to create an NFPA 1710 equivalent for wildland firefighting.

The unprecedented natural disaster risk facing California has prompted the California Blue Ribbon Task Force to recommend  increases in permanent state and local emergency services, building additional response to meet catastrophic needs, and a new commitment to fire-safe construction and land-use planning.

State lawmakers proposing opening up the CalPERS retirement system to private sector employees have won the support of Governor Schwarzenegger. The plan would let private employees have retirement accounts managed through CalPERS. CPF is watching the proposal, but has no position to this point.
 

California firefighters and fire departments can now obtain the latest in online EMS training from the National Paramedic Institute (NPI) at a discount, thanks to a new partnership agreement between IAFF, NPI, and California Professional Firefighters.

Would-be California firefighters converged on the CPAT testing centers in Orange and Dublin for the second California Firefighter Recruitment Fairs. Presented by CPF co-sponsored California Fire Fighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CFFJAC), the fairs gave candidates an “up close and personal” look at what it takes to be a first responder. Nearly 600 people attended the two sessions -- April 12th in Orange, and April 19th in Dublin.

In anticipation of another blistering fire season, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued an Executive Order to allocate additional resources to protect the state. The governor's order authorizes additional staffing "as warranted, based on fire threat conditions" and urges expanded enforcement of defensible space and fireworks laws. 

Want to win some cool cash for those hot-shot fire line photos? Then enter CPF's 2008 Photo Contest. Whether you're a serious photographer or a weekend shutterbug, you can win up to $1,500 for your best shots of fires and firefighters, whether they're in the hot zone or working at the station. Deadline for submitting photos is June 15th. CLICK HERE FOR RULES AND DETAILS

As it has in the past, CPF again enjoyed an enviable success record in the June 3rd Primary Election. The CPF-endorsed candidates won more than 90% of the time, including several high-profile contests on both sides of the political aisle. In addition, voters backed the CPF position on the two statewide propositions on the ballot.

CPF affiliates report success in their local election efforts. Whether it's a city council or supervisor's race or assisting in the election of a local legislators, CPF locals find that making their voices heard at election time helps insure their voices will be heard when public safety policy is made.

In a ceremony held June 3rd at San Diego Fire Station 47, five local fire agencies took delivery of an OES Type 3 Engine to boost local firefighting capabilities and pre-position assets for fire season. The new apparatus is a “down payment” on one of the core recommendations made by the CPF co-sponsored Blue Ribbon Fire Task Force. 

Newport Beach Firefighters Local #3734 is saddened to announce the loss of one of their brother firefighters, in the line of duty. Firefighter Kevin Patrick Pryor , 31, suffered a fatal brain aneurysm shortly after returning home from a strike team at the Humboldt Fire June 15.. Memorial services are set for Tuesday, June 24th at 12:00 noon at St. Maximilian Kolbe Catholic Church in Westlake Village. CLICK HERE for more info.