Firefighters

Nearly 20 firefighters put out a fire at a home in the 2900 block of Rounsevel Terrace around 10:30 p.m. Monday. Flames were seen blowing through the ceiling of a garage, and the fire was contained to a laundry room near the garage, Laguna Beach Fire Department Division Chief Dan Stefano said in an email. Firefighters were able to knock down the blaze before it spread to other structures. The damage is estimated at $100,000, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation, he said.

The Orange County Health Care Agency honored Laguna Beach firefighters and lifeguards Thursday for rescuing a man who collapsed while working out at Laguna Beach High School. The agency recognized lifeguards Scott Diederich and Casey Parlette and firefighters Thomas Padden, Scott Hammond, Patrick Cary, Chris Kent, Robert Abijay and Jeff White who rescued the man in December, Nicole Stanfield, the agency's public information officer, wrote in an email. Diederich and Parlette were with the man when he collapsed and immediately started CPR until firefighters arrived, according to the Laguna Beach city manager's report.

Laguna Beach firefighters rescued a mountain biker who crashed while racing down the Telonics Bike Trail on Saturday, according to a news release from the Fire Department. Another biker found the injured man and called 911 at 10:02 a.m. Saturday. Once on scene, firefighters had to hike down the trail head to reach the victim. Due to the victim's injuries and the terrain of the area, an Orange County Fire Authority helicopter was requested to airlift the victim to Mission Hospital in Mission Viejo.

The City Council voted 4-1 on Nov. 21 to approve an agreement with city firefighters for raises, benefits and programs through June 2011. Pay increases were made retroactive to Nov. 6, three days after representatives of the firefighters union signed the memorandum of understanding. Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider voted against the agreement because she wanted the raise made retroactive to June 30. "I hoped it would be a five-year contract," Pearson-Schneider said.

Firefighters extinguished a fire inside a home in the 1100 block of Noria Street on Wednesday morning after a gas heater caused a piece of plastic to ignite. The home is going through a remodel, and the fire began just outside the master bathroom in the two-story home, Laguna Beach Fire Capt. Andrew Hill said. No one was hurt, he added. A contractor inside the house attempted to put out the fire, but there was too much smoke and the person called 911, Hill said. Four engines from Laguna Beach Fire Department and one Orange County truck responded to the home shortly before 9 a.m. "There was heavy smoke upstairs," Hill said.

Laguna Beach firefighters want Planning Commissioner Robert Whalen on the City Council. The Orange County Professional Firefighters Assn., to which Laguna firefighters pay union dues, notified Whalen by mail of the endorsement Saturday. "Of all the candidates, incumbents and challengers alike, Bob has articulated the strongest commitment to improving public safety, in particular, disaster preparedness," according to the association's Political Director Tony Bedolla's press release.

The Firefighters of Laguna Beach Little League racked up a trio of one-sided victories in recent Juniors Division play. On Monday, the Firefighters routed the Laguna Hills Red Sox, 18-5, to mark the third straight outing they had scored a mercy rule victory. In notching their eighth victory in 11 games this season, the Firefighters batted through their order in the first inning. They scored six runs, yet managed only one hit in the frame but took advantage of seven walks and a sacrifice fly to grab control early.

Firefighters rappelled down a cliff to rescue three people trapped between the cove and the incoming tide Wednesday night at Tablerock Beach in South Laguna. Laguna Beach firefighters received a medical emergency call at 8:55 p.m. from Ti Amo Ristorante. Firefighters found a woman and two men in their early 20s, according to Deputy Fire Chief Jeff LaTendresse. The three adults were trapped at the bottom of a steep cliff. “When we got there and saw them, we saw that swimming was not an option and we saw that climbing down the cliff was not an option,” LaTendresse said.

Still fuming over orders to stand in the background of a gubernatorial news conference while brush fires raged around the county, Burbank and Glendale fire departments came out in opposition Thursday to a ballot proposition they claim would stifle their political involvement. If approved by voters in the special Nov. 8 election, Proposition 75 would require unions representing public employees to get permission from members before spending dues for political purposes.

The Orange County Health Care Agency honored Laguna Beach firefighters and lifeguards Thursday for rescuing a man who collapsed while working out at Laguna Beach High School. The agency recognized lifeguards Scott Diederich and Casey Parlette and firefighters Thomas Padden, Scott Hammond, Patrick Cary, Chris Kent, Robert Abijay and Jeff White who rescued the man in December, Nicole Stanfield, the agency's public information officer, wrote in an email. Diederich and Parlette were with the man when he collapsed and immediately started CPR until firefighters arrived, according to the Laguna Beach city manager's report.

Laguna Beach sent three fire engines and seven firefighters to help combat a fire in Ventura County, according to an official. The first unit left Laguna at 9:30 a.m. Thursday, with those firefighters working 24 straight hours, Laguna Beach Fire Department Chief Jeff LaTendresse said. Firefighters, under Division Chief Dan Stefano's direction, protected structures and helped lay hose lines, LaTendresse said. "They got an incredible experience protecting structures and doing what we train them to do," he said.

Firefighters extinguished a fire inside a home in the 1100 block of Noria Street on Wednesday morning after a gas heater caused a piece of plastic to ignite. The home is going through a remodel, and the fire began just outside the master bathroom in the two-story home, Laguna Beach Fire Capt. Andrew Hill said. No one was hurt, he added. A contractor inside the house attempted to put out the fire, but there was too much smoke and the person called 911, Hill said. Four engines from Laguna Beach Fire Department and one Orange County truck responded to the home shortly before 9 a.m. "There was heavy smoke upstairs," Hill said.

Nearly 20 firefighters put out a fire at a home in the 2900 block of Rounsevel Terrace around 10:30 p.m. Monday. Flames were seen blowing through the ceiling of a garage, and the fire was contained to a laundry room near the garage, Laguna Beach Fire Department Division Chief Dan Stefano said in an email. Firefighters were able to knock down the blaze before it spread to other structures. The damage is estimated at $100,000, and the cause of the fire is currently under investigation, he said.

Laguna Beach firefighters want Planning Commissioner Robert Whalen on the City Council. The Orange County Professional Firefighters Assn., to which Laguna firefighters pay union dues, notified Whalen by mail of the endorsement Saturday. "Of all the candidates, incumbents and challengers alike, Bob has articulated the strongest commitment to improving public safety, in particular, disaster preparedness," according to the association's Political Director Tony Bedolla's press release.

Firefighters quickly put out a home fire early Sunday morning in the 900 block of Santa Ana Street, in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood, according to Laguna Beach Fire Division Chief Dan Stefano. No one was in the home at the time and there were no injuries, Stefano said in an email. The fire department responded to the call just before 6 a.m., and the first engine arrived on the scene to "heavy, dark smoke coming form the multi-level structure, with floors above and below street level, " he said.

The cause of a 4-acre fire that broke out at Coast Highway and Nyes Place on Sunday was still under investigation, according to Laguna Beach Fire Department Division Chief Dan Stefano. "At this point, the fire investigation continues and a final report is not anticipated for at least another week or more," Stefano said in an email. When asked about downed power lines in the area, he said investigators are looking closely at everything, but that there are no speculations until the final report is done.

Firefighters have a good handle on a several acre fire that broke out at Coast Highway and Nyes Place on Sunday, according to Orange County Fire Authority spokeswoman Lynnette Round. About 150 firefighters battled the three- to five-acre blaze that was above Ruby's Diner, 30622 Coast Hwy., said Round, who was dispatched about 11:50 a.m. to the area. Firefighters will keep an eye on the area throughout the night, she added.  “There are no active flames; they are doing a great job foaming and putting water on hot spots,” Round said.  Round said police told her that a voluntary evacuation by authorities will be lifted around 8 p.m. Sunday.

Employee contracts: The article “CalPERS contract amendment approved,” Feb. 10 should have said that the city will save $400,000 in the next two years due to changes in both the firefighters and police employees contracts, not just from changes in the police contract.

City employees will now be able to defer until their retirement income taxes on salary deductions for contributions to their pension funds. Under the terms of a resolution approved Tuesday by the City Council, employees would pay their contribution to the city, essentially reimbursing the city's outlay to the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS), City Manager John Pietig said. The Internal Revenue Code considers pension deductions from salaries to be employer contributions, but only for tax-reporting purposes.