A group of Arcadia firefighters who had gone to New York City to help after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were so profoundly affected that they organized a fundraiser to benefit widows and orphans of the New York Fire Department and Arcadia Fire Department. Those who went were Captain Hutcheson, Captain Trabbie, John Beveridge, Craig Stogner, Cody Cerwin and paramedic Mike MacGregor.
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 city's efforts to save homes beneath the fire-ravaged hillsides from a flood of mud and debris have been praised, but mud and debris are still flowing onto Highland Vista, Monte Place, Vista and Santa Anita Avenues.
Arcadia Police Department officers John Jurman and Jennifer Casillas received life-saving medals, and Stan Flores received the Medal of Merit for helping in the arrest of a kidnapper.
The dead body of 24-year-old Nancy Christina Sanchez, of Baldwin Park, was found in an alley behind Alice Street near Santa Anita Avenue. In an unrelated case, 60-year-old Gisela Fischer died at Arcadia Methodist Hospital after she was found floating in the hot tub at the Elite Westerner Motel at 161 Colorado Place.
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.
With a combined donation of $1500, Arcadia Rotary and Santa Rosa Rotary helped provide a 22-year-old fire truck to the city of Santa Cruz del Quiche in Guatemala.
The Arcadia City Council has voted to request that the Board of Supervisors designate Arcadia fire stations as Safe Surrender sites for newborn babies 72 hours old or younger.
The city has taken a second pumper truck out of service following a July 4 incident in which a water pump failed to engage on a fire truck. The two engines that malfunctioned were bought from Kovatch Mobile Equipment Fire Apparatus. David Contreras died in the July 4 incident. See related story, Arcadia Weekly, July 11, 2002, p. 8.
After months of preparation and more than $300,000 expenditures in the aftermath of the Santa Anita II fires that diverted a wall of mud from homes, the fire-ravaged hillside seemed to be holding despite the rain storms.
Public Services Director Pat Malloy met with the Highland Homeowners Association to update the residents on the work that has been done after the fire that denuded the hillsides above their homes.
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.
The Live Oak County Library at 4153-55 E. Live Oak Avenue is one of 15 county branches that were saved from closure when the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors found an additional $7.7 million for the library department.