Firefighters

A specially designed torch has been traveling throughout the City of Los Angeles since June 14. Carried by men and women representing the LAFD’s 103 fire stations and other fire facilities, the torch honors firefighters who have died protecting homes and businesses. It will arrive in Pacific Palisades on Friday, August 5. The Memorial Torch Relay is designed to raise community awareness of the need to develop a fitting memorial for fallen L.A. firefighters. The torch will travel through every community served by the LAFD en route to lighting the eternal flame at the Firefighter Festival of Hollywood on October 1. The relay will begin in the Palisades at 9 a.m. at Fire Station 69 (corner of Sunset and Carey), and will include a procession of fire apparatus and LAFD Fire Hogs motor escort in addition to the runners. LAFD members are seeking pledge donations for each one-mile segment of the relay course. By making a pledge to a local firefighter who carries the torch, Pacific Palisades residents, businesses and organizations can say a personal ‘thank you’ and pay tribute to these men and women who make our communities a safer place to live and work. All proceeds will be deposited into the LAFD Fallen Firefighters Memorial Fund. The completion of a memorial will provide an appropriate and dignified setting for reflection and remembrance, as well as a fitting site for life-size bronzes. Donations are tax-deductible. A pledge form, available at Fire Station 69, must accompany all pledges. Checks must be made payable to LAFDHS, and mailed to: LAFD Historical Society, 1355 N. Cahuenga Ave., Hollywood, CA 90028. Online donations can be made at www.lafd.org. Contact: (213) 978-3810.