Public Gets Up-Close Look at L.A. Firefighters’ Work

Firefighters throughout Los Angeles opened their station doors Saturday to entertain and educate thousands of Angelenos at their annual Fire Service Day.

The event gave the public an opportunity to mingle with firefighters and watch demonstrations of their work.

Helicopters buzzed overhead and dropped water, while children romped around wearing plastic fire helmets and fiddled with fire engine sirens. Behind Station 88 in Sherman Oaks, people cheered firefighters jumping from a building onto an inflatable air pack. Fire Department staff members also distributed information about disaster preparedness and employment opportunities.

Six-year-old Michael Santos of Studio City waited eagerly for 20 minutes to shoot a stream of water from a fire hose. His tiny hands could barely keep the hose under control, but he managed to douse a patch of grass 40 feet away.

“It’s really powerful,” he said. “You have to be pretty strong to use them. I wish we had one of these in our backyard when it gets really hot.”

The event provides firefighters a rare chance to chat with residents, whom they usually meet only in time of emergency, said Capt. Steve Ruda of the city Fire Department.

“We want to turn a hand wave into a handshake,” he said. “This gives us an opportunity to build a stronger relationship with the community. It’s a great feeling to have people come up to you and tell you how they appreciate our efforts.”

In Hollywood, at Station 27, residents arrived early for a pancake breakfast. Proceeds from the event will go toward a new museum, which will be next door to the station and will chronicle the department’s history. It will also be home to a monument honoring firefighters killed in the line of duty. Work is expected to be completed next year.

“It’s going to be a place where people can learn about the department’s past,” Capt. Thomas Gikas said. “We had a lot of people who wanted to know more about the project, and today we had that chance” to tell them.