Fire Service Day Tomorrow

A few quick words about "Fire Service Day":

As a boy, I always loved FSD, the one day of the year when the apparatus bay doors are wide open and the local LAFD engine was pulled halfway out of the station into the driveway. The years of visiting the single-engine house in my parents' neighborhood definitely pushed me towards an eventual stint in public safety.

One year when I was about 18 or so, I embarked on my own "FSD Challenge" and tried to visit as many LAFD stations as possible during the official hours of FSD. Though I knew reaching the 103 stations in one day was impossible, I hoped to hit at least 20 or so--mostly stations I heard so often on my Bearcat Scanner, but never actually visited. I think I did about 10 to 15, or so.

Though it was many years ago and my memory is faded, I distinctly remember getting a later start than I had hoped (I think I hit the road around 10 instead of the 8 a.m. start I had visualized during the week before).

I remember driving by a bunch of stations but not stopping in. They included FS2 on the Eastside; FS17; FS3 and FS9 both Downtown; FS15 next to USC and then I headed west. I'm pretty sure I cruised by FS29 in Mid-Wilshire; FS61 near Miracle Mile; FS92 on Pico Boulevard in Rancho Park--I might have even stopped at Marty's for an "Original Combo."

The most vivid memory is ending the day at FS37 in Westwood and talking to a bunch of LAFD Explorers, where I realized that I had belatedly missed out on the opportunity to participate in the program as I was heading to college the next Fall and would be out of state!

Anyway, enjoy Fire Service Day (Even though I live in the city of Beverly Hills these days and their FSD open house is impressive), I might stop by old FS58 on Robertson Boulevard, which is the closest LAFD house--and likely part of the LAFD mutual aid contingent that gets in on it when my 1936 stucco fourplex eventually burns to the ground!

If anyone embarks on their own FSD Challenge and hits a bunch of stations, let me know!