The new year brought new beginnings for Los Angeles County Fire Station No. 71 in Point Dume. Capt. Vincent Martinez, a 25-year veteran firefighter, joined the station’s crew on Jan. 1. And on Jan 24, the station put into service a new engine, which replaced an engine that was built in the 1980s and had around 150,000 miles on it.
The new engine can carry up to 50 gallons of foam and 500 gallons of water. The engine has a closed cab for the firefighters, while the old one had a “cabriolet” cab that exposed firefighters to the elements.