The second Saturday of each May is designated “Fire Service Recognition Day” by the Los Angeles Fire Department, which was created to bolster community relationships. On that day each year all neighborhood fire stations throughout the City open their doors for tours, learn about the services they offer, interact with firefighters, promote fire safety knowledge and enjoy some family fun.
Twelve years ago the Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce helped promote this concept to the local Community by hosting a Pancake Breakfast at Fire Station 86. Each year over 1000 guests enjoy a nice day with their family, including lots of activities for their children. This concept has become so popular, other fire stations have followed suit.
Fire Station 86 serves the local community, including Toluca Lake, which bears its name on the fire trucks. According to Captain Neil Romine, there are 1500-2000 incidents per day throughout the City which the LAFD respond to, up from around 1000 incidences just a few years ago. Because of fire safety improvements, in large part due to smoke alarms in residences, casualties have been greatly diminished. Because of these safeguards only around 15 percent of their calls are now due to fires, with a preponderance of calls due to medical emergencies.
Unbeknownst to most people, it is the firefighters, and not the City, who pay for their supplies at the fire station. Captain Romine explained that all the food, laundry, and other ancillary supplies are in fact paid for by the firefighters. It was with this in mind that the proceeds from the Pancake Breakfast in large part go directly to Fire Station 86 to provide capital items for their use.
Some of these items have been an outdoor storage container, washer and dryer, lounge chairs, treadmills, coffee makers, landscaping and an electric generator, to name just a few. The balance of the proceeds go to the Widows, Orphans and Disabled Firemen’s Fund: WODFF.org.
The Annual Old Fashioned Pancake Breakfast is truly a community event, having support from the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association, Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council, Councilmember David Ryu, and NBC Universal. For pictures from this year’s event and for a complete list of sponsors visit TolucaLakeChamber.com and click on the photos tab.
Everything Toluca Lake!
The Everything Toluca Lake column appears periodically in The Tolucan Times newspaper. It is intended to keep you informed on
local events and news relating specifically to Toluca Lake, thus the “Toluca” in The Tolucan Times.
Steve Hampar is a 20+ year resident of Toluca Lake and helped create the Toluca Lake Neighborhood Watch. He is past President of the
Toluca Lake Chamber of Commerce and currently serves as Vice President of the Toluca Lake Homeowners Association.
He is also Broker/Owner of Hampar Properties real estate brokerage. Contact him with newsworthy
tips relating to Toluca Lake at steve@hamparproperties.com.