Update Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Thank you to all the Einsteins that can figure out that this is not a Chevrolet Impala. It is a Ford Crown Vic. Way to go guys, you’ve nailed me!! What happened happened! The Impala reference is simply the way a boy from Western New York State refers to a cop car. And by the way, Mr. la.metblogs.com, Mr. Brian Humphries has informed me of NOTHING up to this point, it is I that is informing him, and you.
Friday a LA Fire Impala ok ok already it’s a Crown Vic tried to pass me at 85 MPH on I-5 in Pacoima, CA. Uhh, no way dude. Aggressively pursuing his misguided ways, he then got a lane below me and tried to push his way through. You di-iint!! Maybe tomorrow, not me, no way. You cannot be a safety officer in this fabulously dangerous city and be driving 90. No way. I will stop you. I will pull YOU over, dumass. I am paying you. For now. You are a safety officer in my city and you are driving extremely unsafely? I call BS on that!
Dave,
To say that I am embarrased and frustrated to learn of your experience with an apparent member of the fire service would be an understatement.
So before I go on, please accept my personal apology for conduct you witnessed.
While you describe actions that took place within our jurisdiction, it is not yet clear what fire agency (of many in the region) that person may have worked for.
Compounding things is that I am not aware of our agency having any Impalas in the fleet!
Yes, we are eager to learn more.
As you know, I-5 is a major freeway used by dozens of regional fire agencies each day. There are also news photographers and others who seek to portray quasi-official status by driving cars that all-too-closely resemble our marked and unmarked fleet.
Regardless of the affiliation or lack thereof, members of ANY Fire Department or other vocation should remain safe and professional at all times.
If and when it becomes necessary for a Firefighter to ask another vehicle to yield, the operator of the fire department vehicle should safely and effectively signal the other driver(s) in accordance with the California Vehicle Code section 21055 et al, by exhibiting a steady burning red lamp and other emergency warning equipment as necessary.
Clearly there is other information that we need to investigate this further, and I will kindly ask you to contact the LAFD Professional Standards Division at your earliest convenience by calling (213)978-3870.
In closing, I wish to reassure you of the LAFD’s unswerving commitment to both service and safety. Even if this driver proves not to be a member of the LAFD - or a firefighter at all, I offer my utmost pledge to do whatever it takes to regain and retain the trust and respect that you once had in the men and women of our agency.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
Dave,
Since my last comment, I see you have added the image of an LAFD sedan to your post.
Is this perchance a stock image added for effect, or is this the very vehicle described in your blog post?
As I mentioned earlier this week…
I can’t find an Impala in our fleet, and am eager to guide you to our Professional Standards Division *if* this person was indeed a member of our agency.
Dave, each and every resident of Los Angeles deserves to have confidence in their Fire Department. As an agency, we are fully committed to safety (first and foremost!) as well as courtesy in all public interaction. Anything you might do to help us in this quest will be deeply appreciated.
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
“Dude!”
Is this where my tax dollars goes to, a LAFD blogger? Oh boy, they can’t drive and they are wasting my tax dollar blogging.
Please save lives and stop blogging.
[...] Byers calls out a fire department official for reckless driving. LAFD’s Brian Humphrey responds, and informs Dave that the make of the [...]
I think Carlos needs to calm down a bit.
Firefighters do have time between calls to do all kinds of stuff, including blogging.
also, Dave, your wordpress install is a little borked, and won’t let me enter my obscenely long (yet legal) domain name, as it has a maxlength=”50″ in the form.
So did the question if the photo in the post was the car in question or borrowed from somewhere else in the net? I would guess it was a borrow as the car in question was on the freeway and no mention was made of the post that he followed it for a posed pic in front of a fire house.
Also, Brian brings up an interesting point regarding cars being close copies. The idiots next door to me by old cop cars and rehab them for their security business. They are often seen using their lights to get through crowded intersections or just to skip lights in the area. Dangerous, illegal but the guy runs with impunity and has no reason to stop. Yet.
a.) That picture is a Ford. Looks like probably a Crown Victoria. Not a Chevy Impala.
b.) Carlos: Brian Humphrey is a valuable member of LAFD, always providing very useful information to the public, among his other duties.
On an only semi-related note, yesterday I was driving down the 110 past Dodger Stadium. An LAPD motorcycle officer got on at Academy Road and cut me off not once, but twice. He was making sudden lane changes across all four lanes and back again. Not a traffic break, not a pursuit, no lights or siren. Just some of the most dangerous motorcycle riding I’ve seen in 10 years of being on a bike myself.
Dave,
With the limited information you’ve made available in this forum, I can only again encourage you to contact the LAFD Professional Standards Division directly at (213)978-3870. It is only through such telephone contact that this matter can be properly investigated and resolved.
Please stay safe and be well!
Respectfully Yours in Safety and Service,
Brian Humphrey
Firefighter/Specialist
Public Service Officer
Los Angeles Fire Department
I find it unbelievable that a ‘taxpayer’ can be so arrogant and stupid to drive dangerously by blocking a car on the freeway, especially an EMS vehicle. Who made you the defender of the public?? How do you know he was not on his way to an emergency?
i have to wonder at the capacity of your brain when you create a far more dangerous situation than just speeding by driving like a moron yourself.
Oh, and the piddling amount of tax you pay probably wouldn’t keep that officer in coffee for a week.
Get off your high horse pal. You are the problem here, not the EMS personnel
I know he was not on his way to an emergency because his EMERGENCY lights were not on. He was driving through traffic just like the rest of us.
I am no defender of the public, I just refuse to be a traffic cone for every idiot in LA, especially my public servants.
Since when did LAFD become EMS?
DK, you’re way off base here.