Valor Awards
Dept. honors 3 for heroic acts in 2024 (prior to the LA fires emergency in January 2025).
Photos and information courtesy LAFD Foundation
Photos by Mike Apodaca, LAFD
On Nov. 20, the LAFD hosted its annual Valor ceremony at BMO Stadium downtown. The ceremony, sponsored and produced by the LAFD Foundation, honored three who performed over and above the call of duty during 2024; celebrated Heavy Equipment as Unit of the Year; and thanked two external organizations for their support.
H O N O R E E S
Medal of Merit
Firefighter III Jake Peters
Apparatus Operator Ethan Ramirez
Letter of Special Commendation
Firefighter III Shedrick Griggs
Unit of the Year
LAFD Heavy Equipment Section:
Capt. Rich Diede
Special Thanks to
Foundation of the Year
Harbor Freight Tools Foundation
Corporate Impact Award
Southern California Gas Co.
Medal of Merit:
Firefighter III Jake Peters
Fire Station 27, Hollywood
On Jan. 17, 2024, the crew at LAFD Fire Station 70 responded to a reported smoke incident, a common call for the LAFD that indicated nothing out of the norm.
LAFD Firefighter Jake Peters was seated next to the window of the truck as the crew arrived at the scene, where smoke was visible from the attic of a single-story home. While the crew observed this, screams and yells caught Firefighter Peters’s attention.
Two civilians ran up to the truck and began shouting for help. They were frantic, asking if anyone had a crowbar because people were trapped inside of the house.
As soon as the truck came to a stop, Firefighter Peters put on his breather, or Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA), grabbed his forcible entry tool and rotary saw, and proceeded to the front of the home.
Preventing entry was a locked, metal security door. With no time to think, Firefighter Peters punctured a hole where he could reach through and unlock the deadbolt. Once he realized that the door was double-locked, he used the rotary saw and was able to get the door open.
A hunched-over man stumbled out of the house, dazed and coughing from the smoke. Firefighter Peters asked if there was anyone else inside and the man pointed inside, indicating that there was another trapped individual. Firefighter Peters crawled about five feet into the house, but could not immediately locate the second victim.
Firefighter Peters began crawling as close to the floor as possible, surrounded by smoke in all directions. After going about eight feet in, a force that Firefighter Peters can only describe as “divine intervention” urged him to turn around and start searching in a different direction.
He came across a door that led into a bedroom, where he found the second individual lying on the floor, unresponsive.
Firefighter Peters scooped the individual and dragged him back to the original point of entry. He called out again, and within seconds his fellow LAFD members assisted with the removal of the unresponsive patient.
Paramedics were on the way, but had not arrived yet; Firefighter Peters ran to the truck to retrieve his medical equipment and performed CPR for five minutes until the ambulance arrived and took over.
Firefighter Peters immediately returned to the house, working until the fire was completely put out. His hard work, experience, sheer instinct, and courage are all factors that contributed to the safety and well-being of the trapped victims, who are both alive today because of him.
Medal of Merit:
Apparatus Operator Ethan Ramirez
Fire Station 64, Watts
On Feb. 5, 2024, Apparatus Operator (AO) Ethan Ramirez and his fellow LAFD Fire Station 64 members were one of the first crews on the scene of the reported fire. It was the midst of Los Angeles’s particularly rainy season, and the torrential downpour occurring on that day was one of the most severe in years.
The initial assessment was a one-story, single-family dwelling with smoke coming from the attic vents. While being pummeled by the rain, a fellow LAFD Firefighter went to the roof and saw a small amount of fire behind the smoke through the attic vents.
AO Ramirez and another LAFD member made their way to the roof to begin fire suppression efforts, visualizing the situation to ensure each other’s safety. Both members quickly noticed a significant sag in the roof. Before either of them could make a move, they both heard a significant crack. Within seconds, the roof had collapsed and the other member fell through the roof, revealing eight-to ten-foot flames that were festering inside the home.
Immediately grabbing the member by the shoulder strap of his breathing apparatus, AO Ramirez issued a Mayday call for assistance while he started to pull him back up. He described the shaky portion of the roof that he was sitting on like being on the edge of a diving board, trying to pull the full weight of his fellow firefighter back to safety. The ensnared firefighter described the situation as being on a pool cover and slowly sinking in but with flames instead of water just below him.
AO Ramirez placed himself in significant danger as the portion of the roof he was sitting on had also begun to slowly break away. Despite it being near collapse, he did everything in his power to ensure the safety of his fellow Firefighter.
He was finally able to fully pull up his comrade, and they both were able to leave the roof and turn off the Mayday call.
AO Ramirez was so concerned about his fellow member’s safety that he had him remove his turnouts so he could physically examine him for injuries. None were sustained, and there was little to no damage to the firefighters’ turnout gear.
It is because of AO Ramirez’s quick thinking, selflessness, and dedication to saving lives that he did not hesitate or consider the danger to his own life when he reached down and pulled his fellow member to safety.
Letter of Special Commendation:
Firefighter III Shedrick Griggs
Fire Station 3 downtown
Apparatus Operator, David Duran
Fire Station 15, University Village
On Jan. 5, 2024, LAFD Firefighter Shedrick Griggs was running errands for local LAFD fire stations, delivering pumps and other tools and equipment in an LAFD pickup truck.
He inched along for a while on the 134 East Freeway in what he assumed was Los Angeles traffic. In the distance, he noticed a large plume of smoke rising high into the sky. As he inched closer, he realized that the slowdown was much more than an average traffic jam.
A semi-truck was turned over on its side and had caught on fire. Firefighter Griggs realized that the accident had just occurred, and he was the first to arrive at the scene.
He immediately radioed Metro Fire Communications (MFC) or Metro dispatch, and began to assess the situation to determine an initial plan of attack without turnout gear, water, a truck or an engine.
Firefighter Griggs was immediately met by a civilian who had witnessed the semi-truck swerve, roll over and catch fire. The woman had a fire extinguisher in her truck and had attempted to put out the blaze, but was unsuccessful. She also told Firefighter Griggs that there was a person inside that she had tried to render care to, but the individual was unconscious and the fire was drawing nearer to the cabin.
As soon as Firefighter Griggs realized that a person was trapped, his fire suppression plans went out the window. His number one priority became the safe extraction of the trapped individual.
Firefighter Griggs pulled the unconscious driver out through the broken windshield and into a safe area away from the flame-engulfed cabin.
LAFD firefighters arrived on scene, and a rescue ambulance was able to provide care and swift transportation to the unconscious individual. Once the patient was safely handed off to paramedics, Firefighter Griggs coordinated with the responding station to continue fire suppression efforts and ultimately put out the auto fire.
After the situation was under control, a fellow LAFD member mentioned to Firefighter Griggs that his leg was bleeding. He had no idea he had even sustained an injury as he was focused on the rescue of the unconscious individual and putting out the fast-moving fire.
Due to Firefighter Griggs’s quick-thinking and unyielding determination, the civilian survived the incident and was given timely treatment and care. Firefighter Griggs’s actions exemplify the selfless decisions that LAFD Firefighters make every day, even at risk to their own safety, to protect those in danger.
Unit of the Year:
LAFD Heavy Equipment Division
Capt. Rich Diede
Rainfall totaled 13.96 inches across Los Angeles during the 2023-24 rainy season, a whopping 98 percent of the normal seasonal rainfall of 14.5 inches. This triggered mudslides, sinkholes and other unique disasters, all of which required the skillsets and tools that are unique to the LAFD’s Heavy Equipment Division.
Heavy Equipment boasts a team of LAFD firefighters who are on call 24/7 and is spearheaded by LAFD Capt. Rich Diede. The heavy-duty tools and equipment that are part of Heavy Equipment’s fleet of machinery can do anything from clearing mudslide debris to fighting major structure fires when it’s unsafe for firefighters to go inside.
The unit engages bulldozers, excavators, and the first robotic firefighting vehicle in the United States, RS3, to go out and accomplish what standard LAFD apparatus and City resources cannot. These vital pieces of equipment are all funded by LAFD Foundation donors and supporters.
In Fall 2023, when rain pummeled the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding area, neighboring communities were inundated with rock slides. Proactively, Capt. Diede and his team filled upwards of 80,000-100,000 sandbags and distributed them to at-risk communities.
During and in the aftermath of the storm, Heavy Equipment was on the scene clearing debris, moving cars, and ensuring that roads remained open for LAFD fire trucks and engines to continue responding to calls for service throughout Los Angeles.
When LAFD Fire Station 109 experienced significant flooding in 2023, the City’s budget did not cover repairs or cleanup. The Heavy Equipment crew went into Fire Station 109 and engaged the bulldozer to push mud and other debris out of the station.
This unit’s unique expertise becomes particularly valuable when fire season encroaches on Los Angeles. For Capt. Diede and his crew, bulldozers and excavators create “dozer lines” in the potential path of the fire. These dozer lines clear several-foot-wide pathways of brush and vegetation to slow down the spread of the fire. Once fire suppression tactics are complete, Heavy Equipment then begins its land maintenance work to restore the environment that was impacted by the fire engines, dozers, and other apparatus.
At the Bridge Fire in 2024, Capt. Diede’s team was hard at work going back over dozer lines to create channels for rainwater and snowmelt to run down the side of the mountain instead of directly on the dirt path. This helps to prevent erosion and potential mud or rockslides.
When flames burst forth from a vacant two-story commercial building in the Sawtelle area in September 2024, Heavy Equipment spent hours assisting with fire suppression efforts. Due to the unsafe nature of the building, Heavy Equipment’s RS3 robot entered the structure and was able to support the firefight from areas that Firefighters could not enter.
From maintaining City fire roads to ensure safe access for emergencies to demolishing old, dilapidated buildings in and around the City, Heavy Equipment’s daily operations even outside of major emergencies include proactive efforts to keep Los Angeles communities safe.
Since 2019, Heavy Equipment has responded to 256 major incidents. The bulldozer has rendered aid on more than 20 incidents, and the RS3 robot has engaged in fire suppression on major fires more than 50 times since its launch in 2020.
Corporate Impact Award:
Southern California Gas Co.
For more than a decade, Southern California Gas Co. (SoCal Gas) has provided the LAFD with more than $375,000 in equipment, resources and programmatic support.
The emergency management piece of SoCal Gas’s work amplifies the synergy between the company and the LAFD. During emergencies, SoCal Gas works hand in hand with the LAFD to keep Angelenos safe. Like the LAFD, SoCal
Gas prioritizes community safety and cites it as the beginning, middle and end of everything that the company does.
SoCal Gas works directly with the LAFD to quickly assess and mitigate natural gas-related emergencies to minimize damages and strengthen public safety. Any natural disaster or major incident that could lead to downed power lines or put gas lines at risk requires SoCal Gas to immediately and strategically align with the LAFD to safeguard communities.
SoCal Gas also takes a proactive approach to ensuring Firefighter safety by providing regular natural gas safety training at local LAFD Fire Stations. Annually, they host a joint training with Los Angeles City and County firefighters, simulating emergencies and mapping out the roles each organization should play.
In addition to the company’s day-to-day connectedness with the LAFD, SoCal Gas has aligned with the LAFD Foundation to understand what LAFD Firefighters need and why. SoCal Gas has worked with the LAFD Foundation to bridge funding gaps and ensure the acquisition of equipment and tools that Firefighters need to do their jobs.
SoCal Gas provided responsive gifts to LAFD Fire Stations 38 and 49 following the Wilmington explosion, or “Alameda Incident,” in February 2024 that left nine Firefighters injured with one in critical condition. SoCal Gas supported the campaign for the purchase of new Fast Response Vehicles (FRVs), which serve as both rescue ambulances and fire suppression vehicles.
SoCal Gas continues to provide ongoing responsiveness to local Fire Station needs through the Foundation’s Adopt-A-Fire-Station program, and supports the next generation of Firefighters through funding for the LAFD’s youth programs.
Foundation of the Year Award:
Harbor Freight Tools Foundation
Eric Smidt, founder and owner of Harbor Freight Tools, has long embraced the vital importance of first responders—Firefighters, Police, and Veterans—by recognizing and supporting courageous people who keep our communities safe.
Harbor Freight Tools Foundation has been an ardent supporter of the LAFD and the LAFD Foundation. What started as a generous gift to support the needs of a local LAFD Fire Station has grown into significant contributions that have helped the LAFD Foundation fund state-of-the-art technology, communications, and equipment for the LAFD.
The Harbor Freight Tools Foundation team recognizes who is doing the hardwork, responding to all calls for service to save lives and protect communities.
This notion is at the center of their mission, and the organization wants first and foremost to salute the Firefighters whose valor deserves all the recognition.
An added value of the Harbor Freight Tools Foundation partnership is the organization’s responsiveness to urgent LAFD needs, especially in times of crisis. The organization stepped up to provide vital funding to the LAFD through the LAFD Foundation during the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Later, when Fire Chief Kristin Crowley identified Fast Response Vehicles (FRVs) as a top funding priority for the LAFD, Harbor Freight Tools Foundation responded and supported the purchase of three new FRVs. These special apparatuses serve as rescue ambulances and fire suppression vehicles, helping them relieve larger resources, mitigate hospital visits, and increase overall LAFD efficiency.
Over the past several years, Harbor Freight Tools Foundation’s contributions through the Adopt-A-Fire-Station program have supported the LAFD’s Metro Dispatch center and other LAFD specialty units. In addition to this funding, Harbor Freight Tools
Foundation’s “Comfort & Joy” gifts have improved living and working conditions at local LAFD Fire Stations, especially those in underserved communities.
Medal of Valor
The Medal of Valor is awarded to sworn personnel who have demonstrated bravery at great risk to their own lives, beyond a doubt and clearly above the call of duty, whether on or off-duty.
Medal of Merit
The Medal of Merit is awarded to sworn personnel who distinguish themselves by performing an act where the individual’s actions, if not taken, would have resulted in serious injury or present imminent danger to life. The individual must have demonstrated a conspicuous act of bravery with calculated personal risk to his or her own life.
Letter of Special Commendation
A Letter of Special Commendation is awarded to department members who perform an act requiring initiative and/or ability worthy of recognition during emergency or non-emergency conditions.
Station/Division of the Year Award
The Station/Division of the Year Award is presented to the men and women assigned to one specific station or division, who collectively exhibit exemplary service, professionalism, bravery and compassion.
Corporate Impact Award
The Corporate Impact Award is presented to a company that exhibits philanthropic excellence in the community, outstanding corporate citizenship, and longstanding support of the Department and its personnel.
Foundation of the Year Award
The Community Impact Award is presented to an organization that provides invaluable service to the community and outstanding support for the people of Los Angeles.
