Standing United: Local 1014 Members Support USAR Efforts in Texas Flood Response
 

In the spirit of service and solidarity, members of Los Angeles County Firefighters Local 1014 have once again stepped up in a time of national need—answering the call to assist communities devastated by catastrophic flooding in Texas earlier this month.

Since July 9th, three of our dedicated members—Fire Captain Celina Serrano and K9 Prentiss, Fire Fighter Paramedic Jonathan Munguia and K9 Clifford, and Search Team Manager Fire Captain Michael Devine—have been deployed as part of the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) mission alongside Texas Task Force 2. Working within their assigned division, these specialized teams have been focused on intense search and recovery efforts following the July 4th flood event that claimed lives and displaced communities across the state.

As of this week, our LACoFD personnel are en route to Kerrville to support continued operations in the area, where search conditions remain demanding. Both Prentiss and Clifford have been performing at a high operational tempo—tirelessly working through challenging terrain and emotional toll to bring answers to affected families.

This mission reflects not just the strength and professionalism of our members but also the power of partnership between labor and management. Local 1014 remains proud of our collaborative relationship with the Fire Department—ensuring our USAR teams have the training, resources, and support needed to respond quickly and effectively when disaster strikes, whether at home or across the country.

Our thoughts are with the people of Texas, and we are grateful to our members who represent the best of who we are as a fire service family. Their courage and compassion embody our union’s commitment to public safety, mutual aid, and serving with heart—wherever the mission takes us.

International Exchange: Local 1014 Welcomes German Fire Officials for Collaborative Visit

Last week, the Los Angeles County Fire Department was proud to support an international exchange that brought together firefighters from across the globe in the spirit of collaboration and shared learning.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department had the honor of hosting a distinguished delegation from the County of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald—located in the Black Forest region of Germany. Their Department of Fire and Civil Protection participated in a multi-day, immersive tour that highlighted the scope and complexity of LACoFD’s emergency response operations.

The visit included key stops at Fire Station 110, the Air and Wildland Division, 9-1-1 Communications Center, Lifeguard Division, Del Valle Regional Training Center, USAR and Hazardous Materials specialty units, and wildfire-impacted zones in Eaton Canyon and the Palisades. The exchange provided valuable opportunities to share best practices, innovations, and real-world experience in areas ranging from fire suppression to disaster response and public safety communications.

Local 1014 applauds this kind of cross-border cooperation and recognizes the importance of building international bridges in the fire service. These partnerships not only strengthen our global readiness but also bring new insights that ultimately benefit our members, our department, and the communities we serve.

A special thank you to Battalion Chief Jeremy Montgomery for his leadership in coordinating the visit and ensuring a meaningful and successful experience for all involved.

Building Mental Fortitude: LA County Fire Launches Mindfulness Training

Your LA County PEER Support Team has partnered with Unlikely Collaborators and Dr. Amishi Jha, professor of psychology at the University of Miami, for the Mindfulness Research and Practice Initiative.

Dr. Jha has worked extensively with the military to develop an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Attention Training (MBAT) program, which has been shown to increase resilience and mental fortitude under high-stress conditions—similar to those we face in our line of work.

Together with our clinicians, led by Dr. Steve, and our PEER Support Team, we’ve launched an intensive 8-week training and testing program. The training teaches mindfulness-based attention techniques modeled after those used by special operations military personnel to stay calm, focused, and effective under pressure—ensuring clear judgment and sound decision-making when it matters most.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is also participating in this study. Thanks to a generous grant from Unlikely Collaborators, and through a Labor-Management partnership, LA County Fire will now take part in this groundbreaking initiative as well.

This science-based, practical training will soon be introduced to our broader membership. It’s designed to expand our proactive resilience toolbox—helping members recognize stress both on and off the job, and learn actionable methods to reduce it. Elite military units and professional sports teams are using these same strategies, proving that with the right tools, we can train our minds for peak performance under pressure.

A big thank-you to Unlikely Collaborators and to all the PEERs stepping up to participate in this program. Your dedication will help bring lasting mental health tools to our entire membership. 

We would like to extend special thanks to Peer Team Leads Blackburn, Roldan, and Underwood for organizing this event.  You can learn more about Unlikely Collaborators here.

• Fertility & Family Building: Navigate fertility treatment options (IUI, IVF, and egg freezing), choose an adoption and surrogacy agency, and find mental health support while trying to conceive
• Maternity & Newborn Care: Create a birth plan, navigate infant sleep, get support with breastfeeding and bottle feeding, and meet with postpartum mental health specialists
• Parenting & Pediatrics: Get pediatric care and mental health support, learn about the right childcare options, and talk through behavior and dynamics with parent coaches
• Menopause & Midlife: Learning about lifestyle changes to manage high blood pressure during midlife, managing menopause symptoms, and eating healthy to stay strong through menopause and midlife