Residents Say “Thank You”

On Saturday, November 7, hundreds of residents from the communities of Rancho Palos Verdes and Rolling Hills held a “Thank You Pancake Breakfast” to show their appreciation to first responders of the Palos Verdes Incident. Chief Deputy John Tripp accepted commemorative plaques from the city mayors before a sizeable audience, including Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal, city officials and staff from the cities of Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills Estates and Rolling Hills, firefighters from Redondo Beach, Compton, Culver City, Hermosa Beach, and Torrance, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, the American Red Cross, and our own crews from Fire Stations 106 and 56. The event was held at Del Cerro Park, which had been used as the incident command post. During the presentations, one of the community association board members – also a Los Angeles City firefighter – expressed his gratitude for the firefighters that hiked up the hills behind his home with all of their equipment, tools and hoses to save his property. Battalion 14(C) Chief Carl Flores was presented with a painting by a local resident who lost his home in the 1973 fire in Palos Verdes, but was saved in this fire. He wanted the painting to go to the fire station that saved his home. A collection was also offered for the memorial funds to benefit the families of Fire Captain Ted Hall and Fire Fighter Specialist Arnie Quinones. Due to weather conditions, the helicopter was not going to be able to come to the event but just as the presentations concluded, Copter 18 made a grand entrance, surprising residents with an exciting chance to get close to the type of aircraft used to save their homes. Pictured are (l-r) Flores and Tripp. (Story and photo by CSR Laura Walters)