One found dead in apartment fire on Genoa Street near First Avenue on Sunday, April 7. Arcadia police Lieutenant Kollin Cieadlo said there were no signs of foul play so far. Charlie Tuggle, a battalion chief with Arcadia Fire Department estimated damages to the structure at $10,000 and $1,000 to the contents. Arcadia fire Captain Drew Pryor said the call came in at 9:18 P.M. and the bathroom of the apartment was on fire. By 9:37 P.M. the fire was out. The dead man's identity has not been released.
Chen Suen becomes first Asian American fire chief in Arcadia. He takes over from Barry Spriggs who retired November 8, after 29 years of service. Suen is an Arcadia resident. He emigrated from Taiwan. He graduated from Arcadia High School, and attended Loyola Law School, UC Irvine, and Santa Ana College, before spending the last 18 years with Arcadia Fire Department.
Fire Chief Michael Lang is leaving Arcadia Fire Department to be Fire Chief at Manhattan Beach. He was with Arcadia Fire Department for 21 years, including 5 as chief. He starts at Manhattan Beach Fire Department on June 21.
A recent audit of fire department response times in 12 cities shows San Marino and Pasadena firefighters were the quickest in responding to emergency calls. The report covered April, May and June. San Marino's and Pasadena's average response times were 4:03 and 4:02, respectively. Arcadia's average, in comparison, was 4:21.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
A ceremony was held for the moving of a memorial plaque dedicated to Captain Jerry Broadwell. He is the only Arcadia firefighter to die in the line of duty. The plaque has been moved to Station 2.
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).
City Council will be asked to award a $78,349 contract to Santa Rosa based Special T Fire Equipment for purchase of assorted respiratory protection and air monitoring equipment for use by city firefighters. The apparatus would be paid for by the state under its Homeland Security Grant Program.
Arcadia Rotary Club collected donations to pay for the Guatemala City Volunteer firefighters to drive a donated firetruck from Arcadia to Santa Cruz del Quiche in Guatemala.