LAFD Fire Service Day
DETAILS:
Location: For LAFD Fire Service Day 2019, we visited Station 88 (Sherman Oaks) - 5101 Sepulveda Blvd, Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Hours of Operation: Once a year (typically the 2nd Saturday in May), firehouses throughout Los Angeles host open houses where you can learn about what they do, the equipment and vehicles they use, and to get a behind-the-scenes look at life in a firehouse. LAFD Fire Service Day 2019 was held on May 11th, from 10AM to 4PM. Please see the LAFD website below (under “resources”) for future dates and details.
Parking: For Station 88 - a small free parking lot is located next to the station. Plenty of free street parking is nearby as well. Please observe any posted street signs.
Cost: Free!
Time Commitment: 1 hour.
Miscellaneous: Each fire house offers their own spin to Fire Service Day. For instance, Station 88 conducted drone demonstrations throughout the day and Station 86 hosted a free pancake breakfast.
In a world saturated with comic book movies and TV shows, it’s easy to forget that we’re surrounded by real heroes who put their lives on the line every day to ensure our safety. One such group that literally runs into the fire to keep us protected is the Los Angeles Fire Department. Often tasked with a thankless job, these brave men and women deserve as much praise as we’re able to give since their presence is invaluable, especially for those of us in California living under the constant threat of major wild fires.
If you’re anything like me, you were convinced for a certain percentage of your childhood that you were destined to become a cowboy or fireman. Hopefully you encountered better results since neither of those options panned out for me. Instead, I now wallow away in the less-than-exciting field of television post production. So the closest I’ll ever get to experiencing life in a firehouse is by attending the LAFD’s yearly Fire Service Day and it’s actually a fine alternative. Usually held on the second Saturday of May, each firehouse in Los Angeles opens its doors to the public at large for one afternoon to meet and greet the various communities they guard. It’s a great way to learn about their profession and to see the faces that make up your local fire department. But most importantly, it provides the perfect opportunity to thank them for their service. The whole day is a phenomenal way to celebrate and appreciate our friendly neighborhood fire departments, which quite frankly, should occur more than just once a year.
What was particularly endearing were all the dreamy-eyed children in attendance discovering their very own super-heroes for the first time. It’s not hard to imagine that a whole new generation of firefighters were created on this day thanks to the inspiration of our current group of smoke-eaters. Godspeed to both.
