IAFF Local 1014

Friday Update 6-30-23

Updated On: Jul 22, 2023

Brothers and Sisters,

Today we mark ten years since the wind-whipped Yarnell Hill wildfire turned suddenly and killed 19 members of Prescott's Granite Mountain Hotshots as they moved to re-engage the inferno 30 miles south of Prescott. The fire raged into Yarnell, a community of about 650 people, destroying more than 120 homes. The blaze consumed 8,400 acres before firefighters, at last, contained it on July 10, 2013.

Kevin Woyjeck, the oldest son of our LA County brother Joe Woyjeck, was a member of the Granite Mountain Hotshot crew and was one of the 19 that perished that day. We ask all our members today to take a moment and remember Kevin and his crew. Although far away, this incident deeply impacted our LA County Fire Family and still impacts us today. We will never forget those who perished, and the impact on their lives continues to have a lasting positive impact on the fire service through the Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life Association and brother Brendon McDonough who has devoted his life to behavioral health in the fire service.

Today as we honored the memory of Kevin Woyjeck and his fellow hotshots with a memorial service at the Los Angeles County Fire Museum.

The program began with a reading of the names of all nineteen hotshots who perished and a moment of silence. The memorial was followed by a celebration of their lives and legacy, especially that of the Woyjecks, who have ensured that Kevin’s legacy lives in in the fire service. Good food and good music brought us together tonight, celebrating the love and friendship of our fire family in LA County. We shall not forget.

Special thank you to the Museum staff and volunteers who made this evening possible.

HELP HONOR KEVIN'S MEMORY

The Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life Association (KWEFLA) is a non-profit organization started by Kevin Woyjeck’s parents, Joe and Anna Woyjeck. KWEFLA helps young men and women participate successfully in fire career-related explorer programs, just like Kevin did. Kevin truly enjoyed the Explorer program and what it offered him to reach his dreams.

Fire explorer programs give young adolescents aged 15-21 years access to tools that help them follow their career goals, while shadowing real firefighters volunteering their time to teach and pass on knowledge. It fosters a priceless on-hand learning environment. They also provide safety equipment and funding for explorer academies.

Click below to donate directly, or click here to view other ways to help honor Kevin's memory. Contributions to the Kevin Woyjeck Explorers for Life Association, Inc. are tax-exempt to the full extent allowed by law. Donations are distributed based on applications submitted by the Explorer Posts and approved by the Board of Directors.

Click here to make a direct donation.

This week, our LACOFD Peer Support Team attended the NEP "We Need To Talk" Conference: A Serious Discussion on Behavioral Health for First Responders. Thank you to the Team at NEP, including Mark Tregglio, and all the distinguished speakers, for an informative and in-depth conference focused on behavioral health.

In Solidarity,

President Dave Gillotte and the Local 1014 Executive Board