Arcadia police officers Robin Letorneau and Matt Kraut were given Life Saving Medals and Citations for saving the life of a 54-year-old man in a smoke-filled room at the Santa Anita Inn.
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) recently evaluated the Arcadia Fire Department and reconfirmed its designation as a "Class 1" department. This is the second time Arcadia has been so honored. Only 41 fire agencies in the country have this elite distinction.
Arcadia City Council has authorized the Arcadia Fire Department to spend $184,682 to buy an urban search and rescue truck and $64,408 on 100 ballistic vests for the Arcadia Police Department.
The City Council amended the Municipal Code to specify that violation of handicapped parking restrictions on private, off-street parking facilities is an infraction of the Code.
Citing lap dancing and other violations, the City has revoked the business permit of Golden Eyes Gentlemen's Club. Under the Arcadia Municipal Code, that decision is final.
The Arcadia City Council has agreed to create new positions for deputy fire chief and fire division chief in the fire department. The salary range is $93,000-116,000 for the deputy fire chief and $85,000-105,000 for the fire division chief.
Allstar Fire Equipment Inc., located on Lower Azusa Road in Arcadia, sells firefighting equipment to fire departments throughout California. Joe Sposato, president of the company, is providing supplies to fight the Williams fire.
Fire Chief Gene Mahoney, with City Council approval, is instituting an apprentice fireman program, in which the men will take training classes at PCC while actually employees of the Arcadia Fire Department.
A plan for a joint fire dispatch center to serve the cities of Arcadia, Monrovia, El Monte and Sierra Madre was unanimously voted down by the Arcadia City Council.
Pasadena Fire Department officials spent more than $320,000 to purchase breathing apparatus from distributor L.N. Curtis and Sons, which is at the center of a lawsuit filed by rival equipment company, Arcadia-based Allstar Fire Equipment against the city and county of Los Angeles. 57 self contained breathing apparatus remain unused at Pasadena Fire Station 34 pending a judge's ruling next month.
Two local fire safe councils, the Sierra Madre and Big Santa Anita councils, each received $1000 of a grant from Farmers Insurance Group. The grant will help residents protect their homes.
Charles Cooper continues his Arcadia city centennial series "Memories of Arcadia" with a story about Arcadia's mayors. A. N. Multer was the first person to be given the title of mayor of Arcadia. City founder Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin was the city's first presiding officer, but he held the title of president of the Board of Trustees. The title of mayor was not adopted until 1927, when the Board of Trustees changed to the City Council. Arcadia will have 4 mayors this year to mark the city's centennial. Each city council member will rotate into the position. More interesting facts: Floretta Lauber was the first woman to serve as mayor. She paved the way for Mary Young, Barbara Kuhn, and Gail Marshall to follow. Other history of mayors is recapped. The first city manager was William J. Richards in 1951, when a charter was adopted. The longest serving city official was City Clerk Christine Van Mannen, who held the job for 32 years. See hard copy in VF Arcadia (City) History.
Arcadia City Councilman Gary Kovacic will take over as mayor at the next City Council Meeting. He will serve through October 21 and then the position will rotate to John Wuo (October 21-January 4), Mickey Segal (January 4-April 20). Gail Marshall was mayor through April 15 of this year. All council members are rotating to the position of mayor during the city's centennial.
Arcadia Fire Department's annual Strategic Plan received unanimous approval Tuesday night by Arcadia City Council members. Fire Chief Pete Bonano presented the plan which outlines the department's major goals and provides the road map of resources, ensuring the department meets the city's fire and safety needs.