Los Angeles County Fire Department

Jul 5 2011

Suspect was driving a dark-colored sport utility vehicle

LENNOX, Calif.—A Lennox neighborhood erupted in gunfire early Monday morning, leaving six people wounded, one of them seriously, a sheriff’s spokesman said.

The shootings took place at 12:43 a.m. in the 5000 block of west 112th Street, said Deputy Jeff Gordon in the Sheriff’s Headquarters Bureau.

May 24 2011

Pending notification of kin

INGLEWOOD, Calif.—A woman riding in an SUV was killed today when her vehicle was involved in a crash with an Inglewood police car.

The crash was at about 12:55 a.m. near Manchester and Prairie avenues, Robert Diaz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

Two officers were driving to the location of a nearby officer-involved shooting in the 600 block of West Venice Way when the crash happened, according to broadcast reports.

The victim died at the scene, Diaz said. Her name was withheld, pending notification of kin.

Mar 21 2011

Safe House Program

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Southlanders were reminded today that all Los Angeles County Fire Department stations are "safe houses'' for any child in a threatening situation.

The reminder coincided with the start of "Safe Communities Week.''

The "Safe House Program'' got its start from the county fire department in 1997 and was later adopted by all municipalities within the county.

Mar 14 2011

Firefighters, paramedics, emergency room doctors, structural engineers,

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—A Los Angeles County Fire Department squad is in Japan today assisting in the aftermath of the destructive 8.9 magnitude earthquake.

A charter jet carrying the county's Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 2 departed LAX about 7:40 a.m. Saturday and landed about 15 hours later in Misawa Air Base in Japan, Los Angeles County fire Inspector Don Kunitomi said.

A separate jet, carrying 74,000 pounds of support gear, flew to Misawa from March Air Reserve Base near Riverside.

Mar 11 2011

After Japan's 8.9 earthquake

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—As the Southland braced for repercussions today from a magnitude 8.9 earthquake that struck Japan, the first waves from a tsunami reaching the beaches of Los Angeles County appeared fairly normal this morning.

The earthquake, which caused a 30-foot tsunami to hit Japan, has killed more than 300 people there. It is believed to be the strongest earthquake ever to strike near Japan.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”