The men and women of the Los Angeles Fire Department warmly welcome you to join civic and community leaders, including Fire Chief Douglas Barry, at the public dedication and grand opening of the LAFD's newest Neighborhood Fire Station. Saturday, August 16, 2008 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM New Fire Station 43 3690 Motor Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90034 We are pleased to offer an interactive map with driving directions to this new facility, which is now in service protecting the Palms neighborhood and nearby westside communities. Following Saturday's dedication ceremony, there will be food and entertainment as well as a chance to tour Southern California's newest Fire Station. All members of the community are welcomed to this family-themed public event. A Brief History of Fire Station 43... Housing an Engine Company and Paramedic Rescue Ambulance, and protecting a 4.3 square-mile district centered in Palms, new Fire Station 43 replaces a cramped and inefficient facility on National Boulevard that opened in 1942.

Former Fire Station 43 was designed prior to World War II, and built at the height of the battle to house no more than four male firefighters and two limited-role (now antique) fire apparatus to serve a residential neighborhood. Constructed for $35,000 on a 100' x 103' lot, the sixty-six year old former facility was deemed deficient in meeting modern seismic safety, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical, plumbing, Building Code, ADA and separate gender accommodation issues. In fact, when built, the first crew assigned to the former station (some of whom joined the LAFD in 1922) boasted of working in one of the few Fire Stations heated by the modern marvel of "air forced across hot water pipes from a 200 gallon storage tank". LAFD operational and societal advances over nearly seven decades made that 4,885 square-foot station and only slightly larger parcel of land inadequate for providing timely and effective response to a community that now includes sizeable commercial and industrial properties as well as large multi-story apartments and filming industries. A New Fire Station for Palms... The new energy-efficient 15,250 square foot Fire Station 43 is built on a one acre site, and is designed to address modern response needs while bringing efficiency to LAFD's workforce - and therefore convenience and enhanced service to a vibrant neighborhood we've long been proud to be a part of.
View Larger Map (you can also click, grab and zoom the map above!) Los Angeles Firefighters know that neighborhood safety demands community interaction. The ability of Fire Station 43 to now host community functions and training events in the new station's community room will allow Neighborhood Firefighters an even closer and more productive relationship with those they proudly serve. The energy efficient 6-bay facility also features an important "drive through" feature that prevents the need to block traffic on busy Motor Avenue when rehousing Fire Department vehicles. We encourage you to learn more about new Fire Station 43 and the many Fire Department facilities being modernized through Proposition F by viewing a highly detailed on-line Monthly Progress Report. We look forward to seeing you in Palms on Saturday, August 16, 2008. Please don't forget your camera! Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman Los Angeles Fire Department

Wednesday, May 31, 2006 was the last day of duty for a legendary Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman.

Firefighter/Specialist Jim Wells retired after 31 years of service, and we thank our readers, especially active and retired members of the media, for offering their well wishes during his final tour of duty.

Jim spent more than a quarter-century as a Fire Department media representative, talking to staff from 'The Valley News and Green Sheet' before they became 'The Daily News', conveying word of local calamity to the typewriter-filled newsroom at the Herald-Examiner, rallying radio news reporters from then top-rated KMPC, and informing national television newscasters long before there was something called CNN.

How the world has changed...

During his tenure on the LAFD, Jim dealt with countless emergencies and disasters including such noteworthy events as:

- S.S. Sansinena Explosion, December 17, 1976
- Topanga Canyon Fire, November 14, 1977
- DC-10 Crash at LAX March 1, 1978
- Mandeville Canyon Fire, October, 1978
- Kirkwood Bowl/Laurel Canyon Fire, September 16, 1979
- The Dorothy Mae Apartment Fire, September 9, 1982
- Los Angeles Central Library Fire, April 29, 1986
- First Interstate Bank Fire May 4, 1988
- Pan Pacific Auditorium Fire, May 24, 1989
- US Air Boeing 737 Crash at LAX, February 1, 1991
- The Los Angeles Riots, April 9 - May 4, 1992
- Old Topanga Fire, November 2 - 11, 1993
- The Northridge Earthquake, January 17, 1994

...as well as LAFD response to:
- The World Trade Center Attack, September 11, 2001
- The Hurricane Katrina Disaster, August 29, 2005

Jim also had the dolorous task of dealing with the press and public in the line-of-duty deaths of several Los Angeles Firefighters, including:

- Firefighter Jaime Foster
- Captain Raymond Peterman
- Apparatus Operator Michael McComb
- Firefighter Lead Paramedic Eric Reiner
- Firefighter Paramedic Michael Butler
- Captain Joseph Dupee
- Firefighter Benjamin Pinel
- Paramedic James Fitzpatrick
- Apparatus Operator Thomas Taylor
- Firefighter Frank Hotchkin
- Firefighter Lynn Hazlett
- Firefighter Brian Phillips

Jim worked his final shift on Wednesday, May 31, 2006.

A lively and well attended retirement dinner for Jim was held on July 21, 2006.

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

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