Again, 9-1-1 from a cell phone in Griffith Park gets most of you…. the California Highway Patrol.

See something suspicious? Call the Park Rangers: 323-644-6661

Good Afternoon:

Please join Councilmember LaBonge, Los Angeles fire officials and Griffith Park Rangers tomorrow evening to hear about the suspicious fires in Griffith Park over the weekend. They will present a brief update on the investigation and answer any questions you may have.

Please join us at:

DATE: Tuesday, August 19, 2008
TIME: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Griffith Park Visitors Center, 4730 Crystal Springs Drive

If you cannot attend, please remember to call 9-1-1 if you see any suspicious activity that you believe may be related to the recent fires. Do not attempt to intervene.

Thank you in advance for your support and cooperation.

So rather than freaking out about the cause, let’s all be extra vigilant — if you see anyone doing ANYTHING suspicious, call the Park Rangers dispatch immediately since they’re in the park already: 323-644-6661

And then of course, there’s 911, but in Griffith from cell phones, you usually get CHP and if you are in a park location that does not have a physical address (such as Amir’s Garden), you really want to be calling the Rangers. It’s their territory and they know the places that don’t have physical addresses associated with them. Word I’ve gotten back from people who use 911 in the park is that CHP often tells 911 callers without ultra-serious calls to hang up and phone the Park Rangers.

One excellent way to state physical locations without physical addresses in Griffith Park is by the numbers clearly painted on all active fire hydrants — each has two numbers on it, one is the grid number, one is the hydrant number. It’s only important to read the top and bottom number to dispatch — you don’t have to know which number is specifically which other than top and bottom. Dispatch will go to the LAFD’s excellent fire map and look up the location.

By way of example, the hydrant at Amir’s Garden has a 31 at the top and a 19 at the bottom. For the record, the hydrant location is in Griffith Park fire grid 31, and it is hydrant #19.

So everyone — keep your eyes and ears open, and 323-644-6661 programmed on speed dial in your cell phone!!