The City Council has authorized the Arcadia Fire Department to issue citations for violations of the Uniform Fire Code. Mayor Gail Marshall honored William Barton and Arly Barton as citizens of the month.
A $30 million plan to provide standardized breathing equipment for every fire department in Los Angeles County has been suspended after a lawsuit alleged the contract process was mishandled and firefighters complained about the quality of the equipment. Arcadia-based Allstar Fire Equipment is suing the city and county of Los Angeles, contending the contract process was improperly handled in a manner that ignored firefighter input and unfairly favored the winning bidder, L.N. Curtis and sons.
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.
In a city that is 50 percent Asian, the first Chinese-American and Cambodian-American firefighters--both bilingual--have joined the Arcadia Fire Department. (Photo of Colorguard, Sun, Pheng and their parents).
Arcadia Battalion Chief Don Shawver received a request to report for special duty at the Pentagon six hours after the first terrorist attack on September 11, 2001. He went to help as a safety officer.
A Monrovia firefighter, Fernando Rodriguez, 41, shot his wife, Katherine Rodriguez, and then himself in the parking lot of City of Hope National Medical Center. Arcadia and Los Angeles County fire teams watched over Monrovia after all Monrovia fire personnel were called in to hear the news.
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.
Arcadia Fire Department received Fire Engine No. 343 from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES). The number is significant and it has been specially dedicated by the state to the memory of the 343 New York City firefighters who died on September 11, 2001.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant has voided a $30 million contract that Los Angeles County awarded to L.N. Curtis and Sons for fire equipment. Arcadia-based Allstar Fire Equipment sued the city and county of Los Angeles, claiming the selection process used to award the contract was improperly handled and the judge agreed. The actual funding for the contract came from the federal Department of Homeland Security. The judge's orders require the county to either restart the bidding process or re-evaluate all the bids properly.