Starting tonight, July 15, 2011 through July 18, 2011, the North and Southbound I-405 Freeway and the Mulholland Drive overpass in both directions, will be closed for up to 53 continuous hours. This, due to the demolition of the Mulholland Bridge overpass. The closure may cause widespread and heavy traffic congestion through the Sepulveda Pass and outlying neighborhoods. Consequently, these conditions may impact the response of emergency vehicles into those areas and could have the potential to cause delays in providing medical assistance to residents and passersby.

Our continuous efforts to maintain high standards of service and lower response times, challenge us to be both innovative and consistent. To that end, the LAFD has developed a unique response team for these locations, that will make its debut this weekend. Motorcycle Response Teams ("Motor Teams") will be deployed at two different locations (Fire Stations 99 & 109) to enhance our service to these affected areas. 

Riding Kawasaki  KLR 650 motorcycles (kindly on-loan for the weekend from our friends at Kawasaki Motor Corp.), our Firefighter/EMTs will have the ability to more easily move through traffic enroute to an emergency incident. A two-member team (one team = two motorcycles, each with one Firefighter/EMT) will be strategically placed on both the East and West sides of the I-405 freeway. These teams will also patrol their assigned areas, providing up-to-the-minute intelligence on access and egress issues, as well as continuous monitoring of alternate response routes.

Each Motor Team will be equipped with a cache of Basic Life Support (BLS) equipment, to include an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), oxygen, other essential medical equipment and supplies to handle most medical incidents, until additional assistance arrives. As these motorcycles will be patrolling a largely "brush area," they will also be equipped with "saddle bags" to allow for the stowing of a fire shelter and some brush firefighting personal protective equipment. Each "rider" will also have a GPS unit attached to the motorcycle, a radio and Departmental maps.

Upon an emergency or medical incident, the Motor Team will take appropriate action in managing the incident and rendering basic medical care, as necessary. The Teams offer our response, safe and quick maneuverability, flexibility and the opportunity to render continuous care until a patient is transferred to another LAFD resource for transport. These motorcycles are not equipped with lights or sirens and therefore, will respond with caution. The Motor Teams will be deployed during daylight hours only, from 6:00am - 9:00pm on both Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17.

It should be noted, this is a "pilot program" only and may or may not be continued, based largely on the success of the program over this weekend. Future use of the "Motor Teams" may include deployment at large scale incidents up to and including earthquakes, brush fires and in times of high hazard, extreme weather conditions.

As is always the case, we welcome your feedback.

Submitted by Matt Spence, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - LAFD to Debut Motorcycle Response Teams as Pilot Program During I-405 Closure

By now, most Los Angeles residents (and even some of our visitors) are aware that the Los Angeles County Metro Agency is currently working on a significant project involving the I-405 Freeway. A HOV lane is being added on the northbound I-405 Freeway from the I-10 to the US 101. To accomplish this, the demolition and subsequent reconstruction of the Mulholland Drive Bridge, will require a full freeway closure of both the I-405 Freeway and the Mulholland Drive overpass in both directions for up to 53 continuous hours. This weekend, July 15 through July 18, it is anticipated that traffic may be backed-up as far as 68 miles to the south and 23 miles to the north.

This is what your Los Angeles Fire Department is doing...

A Unified Command (incorporating LAFD, CHP, LADOT & LAPD) has been developed to manage all "issues" associated with this freeway closure. The Los Angeles Fire Department is responsible for Fire Suppression and Emergency Medical Services within, what Unified Command is referring to, as an "Operational Area." This will effectively capture all of the impacted areas up and down the I-405 Freeway.

The LAFD has developed a "response plan" to address the potential for increased response times that may result from the I-405 Freeway closure. The LAFD will strategically pre-deploy and also staff, additional resources consisting of trucks, engines and other Fire apparatus to handle all emergencies throughout the Sepulveda pass area. An additional 200 Firefighters will be deployed as follows:

Mountain Gate - 1 Engine, 2 Rescue Ambulance, Brush Patrol.
Bel Air Crest - 1 Engine, 2 Rescue Ambulance, Brush Patrol.
Fire Station 99 - 1 Truck Company, 3 Engine Companies, 2 Rescue Ambulance, 1 Brush Patrol,
1 Motorcycle Recon Team, 1 Water Tender and 1 Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 109 - 1 Truck Company, 3 Engine Companies, 2 Rescue Ambulance, 1 Brush Patrol, 1 Motorcycle Recon Team, 1 Water Tender and 1 Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 59 -  3 Engine Companies and 1 Battalion Chief.
Fire Station 19 - 1 additional Engine Company.
Fire Station 69 - 1 additional Engine Company.
Fire Station 71 - 1 additional Engine Company.
Air Operations - 1 additional Air Ambulance (helicopter).

As always, the LAFD will work in conjunction with with Los Angeles County DHS to ensure the best possible patient care and will closely monitor any transportation issues, as well as hospital availability.

As a reminder, on-ramp and off-ramp closures are scheduled to begin as early as 7pm on Friday, July 15, 2011. Freeway lane closures will begin, one-by-one, starting at 10pm, in order to achieve a "full closure" by midnight, July 16, 2011. The "full-closure" will remain in effect until Monday, July 18, 2011, until approximately 5am, when I-405 is scheduled to re-open. All ramps and connectors are scheduled to be re-opened by 6am.

Want to stay up-to-date during the 53-hour closure of the I-405 freeway?

Click here for detour maps, closure boundaries, and time lapse photography of the demolition.

Click here for real time traffic conditions on the regional alternate freeways.

Click here for updated messages via twitter.

Submitted by Erik Scott & Matthew Spence, Spokesmen

Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - LAFD & I-405 Freeway Closure - Update

On Monday, June 28, 2010 at 2:49 PM, 18 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 1 LAFD Rescue Ambulance, 1 Arson Unit, 3 Helicopters, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 1 LAFD Water Tender, 1 LAFD Handcrew, 3 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 2 Division Chief Officer Command Teams, a total of 110 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Assistant Chief Michael Little, responded to a Brush Fire adjacent to the northbound lanes of the San Diego (405) Freeway north of Skirball Center Drive in the Sepulveda Pass near Sherman Oaks.

Los Angeles Firefighters arrived quickly by ground and air to discover a half-acre of volatile vegetation burning east of the freeway.

With the assistance of California Highway Patrol Officers cordoning off a lane of the busy interstate, firefighters swiftly anchored the flames as fire spread uphill and eastward toward homes.

A well coordinated air and ground assault brought the terrain driven fire under control in just 53 minutes, but not before the fire had charred nearly two acres of grass and brush.

The swift arrival of LAFD water-dropping helicopters, combined with nearby resident's compliance with strict City of Los Angeles brush clearance regulations, prevented any homes from being damaged.

There were no injuries.

The fire was determined to be criminal in nature. Thanks to a cooperative effort by Investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol, a suspect was identifed and arrested for Arson of Wildland.

The suspect, a 51 year-old male transient, was taken into custody and booked for the felony charge(s) by Investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department's Arson/Counter-Terrorism Section. Bail was set at $75,000.

(photos)

Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Arson Suspect Arrested Following Sepulveda Pass Brush Fire

On Monday, December 14, 2009 at 5:51 AM, 9 Companies of Los Angeles Firefighters, 4 LAFD Rescue Ambulances, 3 Arson Units, 1 Hazardous Materials Team, 1 LAFD Emergency Air Unit, 1 EMS Battalion Captain, 2 Battalion Chief Officer Command Teams and 1 Division Chief Officer Command Team, a total of 67 Los Angeles Fire Department personnel under the direction of Assistant Chief Greg West, responded to a Greater Alarm Structure Fire at 16662 Diamante Drive in the Encino Hills.

Summoned by a private security patrol officer who noted the blaze, firefighters arrived quickly to find very heavy fire throughout the first floor of a vacant two-story single family home.



Forcing entry into the 3,446 square-foot residence, firefighters attacked the wall of fire with handlines as their colleagues ascended the multi-level clay tile roof to perform strategic vertical ventilation of heat, smoke and flame.

Tackling flames on the first floor and pursuing those on the second, interior firefighters soon discovered the home's staircase destroyed by the inferno, forcing them to extend hoselines up a series of outside ladders to gain entry through multiple upper floor windows.

Though fire had moved swiftly to take hold of the attic and portions of the second floor, firefighters were able to extinguish the flames in just 45 minutes.

There were no injuries.

Fire loss to the 36 year-old non-fire sprinklered home is estimated at $202,000 ($200,000 structure & $2,000 contents).

The cause of this early morning blaze remains under active investigation.


Submitted by Brian Humphrey, Spokesman
Los Angeles Fire Department

READ MORE - Fire Scorches Vacant Encino Hills Home