Firefighting is really hard work. I wanted to write this review to revive some of the attention that have died related to the recent wildfires, in hopes that folks will donate $$ to their foundation and support these firefighters in our city.
LAFD Fire Station 58 is located on a slight bend on south Robertson, south of the Beverly Hills city limits, where traffic can get quite fast if the light is green. It's near the Robertson library and not far from where I work. So when I got a repeat side gig to watch a kid nearby for a couple of hours one early evening, I thought of the fine firefighters down the street, a slurpee at 7-Eleven across the street and the rest of the time at the library for a great time.
9 times out of 10 when I drive by, Station 58's garage door is closed but unlucky for them, they left their garage door open. Aside from hearing the sirens so much that I've kind of tuned them out altogether, I learned that this is a very active fire station not only because of the area of land they cover but also because central Dispatch would send their units all over the city. While we were there, an ambulance had to do a tandem shuffle and then go to LAX in rush hour traffic.
Size-wise, it is nowhere as big as Beverly Hills' Headquarters but comparable to some of the LA fire stations from Brentwood to Koreatown that I have seen. Personnel-wise, here they have a female firefighter! And she is Asian! Doubly rare... and she was pretty cool. I learned that most firefighters will opt to use the stairs at this station if it's not a super duper urgent call because the landing from sliding down the pole hurts their knees and feet. I wonder why they don't install better padding at the bottom?
Anyway, it was a short visit because EVERYONE got called out. At the end, it was me and the boy all alone in an empty fire station garage, so we walked ourselves out.
Anyway, the year is almost over so make a donation to firefighters and write it off on your taxes! read more