Critical Message to LA CERT members about Hurricane Hilary
From Captain Rico Gross, LAFD & Disaster Preparedness Officer, Homeland Security Division
Dear CERT Los Angeles,
I am reaching out to provide important information regarding Hurricane Hilary and the tropical storm watch. First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for your dedication and commitment. Your safety is our utmost concern, especially during this historic event. Please prioritize your safety and the well-being of your family.
LAFD Weather Update:
Los Angeles is under a Tropical Storm Watch. Prepare for possible tropical storm-force winds within 48 hours. This is a first-time issuance of a Tropical Storm Watch for the City of Los Angeles.
In my role as the Disaster Preparedness Officer and CERT […]
LAFD Names 2023 ‘Fire Service Day’ Honorary Fire Chiefs
On Saturday May 13, 2023 the Los Angeles Fire Department celebrates Fire Service Day with an open house at all neighborhood fire stations. With varied activities that include station tours, demonstrations, fire/life safety information and pancake breakfasts, the annual citywide event seeks to create lasting memories while strengthening the vital bond between members of the LAFD and the communities they proudly serve.
To best celebrate this day, four community members are chosen as Honorary Fire Chiefs in each of LAFD’s four geographic bureaus, based upon their public service and heartfelt support of the LAFD mission.
This year, we are pleased to introduce four exceptional individuals chosen as the our 2023 Fire Service Day Honorary Fire Chiefs, all of whom are civilians associated with our Community Emergency Response Team.
OPERATIONS CENTRAL BUREAU: Patrick Botz-Forbes
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In Memoriam – Katy Carlson
From LAFD CERT South Bureau Coordinator, Chin Thammasaengsri – 9/24/22
Today, we celebrated the life of long time Battalion 6 Coordinator Katy Carlson. Katy passed on recently after suffering an illness. She led our Harbor/San Pedro area for almost two decades in addition to service to the LAPD, CRT, and Harbor Lights. She was eulogized today in the chapel of Green Hills Memorial Park by those who gathered there. Officiating the ceremony was one of the LAPD Chaplains who was joined by speakers from all of the aforementioned organizations including your CERT Team. In the presence of her family and friends, Battalion 15 Coordinator Pat Hall spoke on our behalf and gave a wonderful & thoughtful eulogy that spoke of Katy’s large personality and passion to serve others. He also looked back at some CERT happenings where Katy really stood up and stepped forward. This was the only tribute that really evoked reaction […]
In Memoriam – Linda Pruett
From LAFD Valley Bureau Newsletter – 5/9/22
Linda Pruett, who passed away last June of 2021, was the longest-serving member of the Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council (LBNC) and was widely known and respected in the San Fernando Valley and beyond. She helped form LBNC and its Emergency Preparedness Committee and remained a board member and EP Chair from its inception until her death. (Please go to https://lakebalboanc.org/2022/05/linda-pruett-memorial-event-fire-service-day-2022/ to view details about the Linda Pruett Memorial Event to be held 5/14/22 at Fire Station 88.)
Linda became known citywide for her efforts to prepare for “the Big One,” and other Neighborhood Councils have since followed her lead. One of her biggest accomplishments was her motion to spend the equivalent of an entire year’s budget ($50,000) to procure, place and stock two shipping containers filled with mass-casualty supplies to serve the community of Lake Balboa in the event of a disaster. Although […]
Kristin M. Crowley sworn in as 19th Fire Chief of the LAFD
Kristin M. Crowley is the 19th Fire Chief of the LAFD, shown being sworn in on March 25, 2022. Kristin M. Crowley is the 19th Fire Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD). With her wife and children by her side, Chief Crowley took the oath of office on March 25, 2022, becoming the first female, first LGBTQ, and first paramedic to hold the office of Fire Chief of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Chief Crowley leads a large all-risk department – approximately 3,400 sworn and 350 civilian employees – in protecting more than four million people in Los Angeles – the nation’s second most-populated city. From the ocean to the mountains, the Valley to the Port of Los Angeles, the LAFD responds to more than 1,300 emergency calls a day.
As a 22-year veteran of the LAFD, Chief Crowley […]
Welcome Captain Gross & Captain Gates
Please join the LAFD CERT Unit in extending a huge welcome to our new CERT Commander, Captain Dustin Gates. We also are excited to welcome the new Disaster Preparedness Captain, Rico Gates. The past few years has been hard on us all. We look forward to restarting the program, the training, the refreshers, and having the Captains at the helm of the Los Angeles CERT program, which as Captain Gates states, “…is a model for other programs worldwide.”
Rico Gross, Captain II, Disaster Preparedness Officer (DPO)
Captain Rico Gross Captain Rico Gross is the Disaster Preparedness Officer (DPO) for Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD). He serves in the LAFD’s Homeland Security Division as a leader and liaison to various departments and partner agencies. He also oversees the LAFD CERT Program – the Community Emergency Response […]