Palisades Firefighter Honored by Peers

The Los Angeles City Firefighters Association awarded a Pacific Palisades firefighter with its top honor this past week.

Doak Smith, from Fire Station 69 in the Palisades, was named Firefighter of the Year at the association's annual luncheon which was held this past Wednesday at the Kyoto Grand Hotel.

Smith, a 31 year veteran of the department, specializes in training  fellow members to keep them at the highest level of proficiency and performance.

The veteran firefighter also spends a considerable amount of his time off-duty tending to fellow sick and injured firefighters, and to the widows and orphans of those firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

"We are truly blessed in the City of Los Angeles to have the best trained and most professional firefighters and paramedics in the world," said Councilmember Bill Rosendahl who presented Smith with a certificate at the event. "Doak Smith is a shining example of the high caliber members who serve on the Los Angeles Fire Department, where every day they put service above self to protect the citizens of this City."

Smith was first hired by the LAFD in 1980. He was promoted to Apparatus Operator in 1986 and continues to serve in that position today. Smith has served the last eight years at Fire Station 69, which is located in Rosendahl's 11th District.

Each year since 1967, the Los Angeles Firefighters Association selects a firefighter for the award based on character, dedication, and loyalty to the Department, the Fire Service, and to the citizens of the community.