(All photos are clickable to enlarge)
Recognizing Outstanding Members
February, 2023 – Two team members were proudly honored recently for their dedication and outstanding service. Randy Baarstad, retiring after 24 years with C.E.M.P., was honored and thanked for his decades of service, while out-going President, Mike Panman, was thanked for his last six years serving as head of the team as well as many more years as a member. On hand for the celebration and presentation was L.A. City Councilman Lee and LAPD Captain Burns. Well done, guys, and thank you for your dedication!
Helping LAPD With NYPUM
July, 2022 – Since 2019, LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division has been in partnership with the National Youth Project Using Minibikes (NYPUM) Program. The highly acclaimed program helps reduce crime by fostering positive relationships with our community’s youth. C.E.M.P.’s Becky Dennis has been coordinating C.E.M.P.’s contribution by providing stand-by medical aid throughout the life of each program cycle.
It’s A New Truck!
May, 2022 – C.E.M.P. is thrilled to now be outfitted with an all new Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck as part of our rescue fleet! A sincere and enthusiastic thanks to The Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) for the incredibly generous grant. It’s because of this donation we were able to acquire this new vehicle which will aid us greatly in the events and incidents we respond to.
Devonshire Station Open House
APRIL, 2022 – C.E.M.P. joined LAPD’s Devonshire Division Station for their annual open house in April. This community event is always a highlight for locals, as the station opens up their doors for tours, entertainment displays, demonstrations and more. C.E.M.P. calls Devonshire “home” as we stage our vehicles and equipment there, and hold our monthly meetings in their roll call room.
Wal-Mart Easter Egg Hunt
APRIL, 2022 – Wal-Mart’s Easter Egg Hunt at their Porter Ranch location was a big success. Hosted by the company as a community outreach event, they invited C.E.M.P. to participate. We are very grateful to Wal-Mart for their very generous donations this year. Their generosity has enabled our team to upgrade our equipment and resources.
First Responders Toy Giveaway
DECEMBER, 2021 – C.E.M.P. joined LAPD Chief Michel Moore and L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva by proudly supporting all first responders by bringing a little holiday cheer to the community over the holidays. The event distributed toys to hundreds of kids, city-wide. The 2nd annual giveaway was held at Dodger Stadium and will hopefully be a new tradition for the city of Los Angeles.
Happy Holidays Again
DECEMBER, 2021 – The Granada Hills Holiday Parade was finally back after a year off (due to COVID precautions). The annual event was well-attended and super safe this year thanks to the LAPD and C.E.M.P.’s services. We provided medical response and traffic control for the event. For over 40 years C.E.M.P. has been a part of both the Granada and the Chatsworth parades. It’s a great way to meet the public and kick off the holiday season.
Keeping Riders Safe
OCTOBER, 2021 – C.E.M.P. has been front and center for several bike rides and races across Los Angeles lately. Since the lift of COVID restrictions, many events ran back to back in October, including the Herbalife Los Angeles Triathlon and the Tour de Summer Camps ride in Simi Valley. Both events involved hundreds of square miles of safe riding enforcement, medical emergency response, road closures and traffic control. C.E.M.P. offers medical services in exchange for donations.
Malibu Triathlon
SEPTEMBER, 2021 – For over twenty years C.E.M.P. has been providing medical support and staffing for the Malibu Triathlon. This year, for the first time since its inception, the event was organized and run by a different company, but our involvement remained the same – keeping over 2000 participants safe while enjoying the very high-profile, annual event. The Malibu Triathlon starts in the ocean and then spans up PCH for 20 miles before returning back to the beach for a run.
Monitoring Mullholland
AUGUST, 2021 – C.E.M.P. has once again partnered with The Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) for the summer in order to keep fire danger at bay. The team regularly patrols the Mulholland corridor, from Universal City to Calabasas, providing eyes and ears for safety and/or fire violations. During Red Flag alerts this service is even more important, for obvious reasons. The partnership between MRCA and C.E.M.P. has been a solid one for over two years so far. (click photo for slideshow)
Pasadena Triathlon
AUGUST, 2021 – For the 11th year, C.E.M.P. once again offered medical support for the annual Pasadena Triathlon. The event, produced by Generic Events, is one that draws thousands to the Rose Bowl for a bike, run and swim competition. C.E.M.P. has had a very long relationship with Generic Events and is proud to call them a senior supporter to our team.
Assisting GHCHS
MAY, 2021 – C.E.M.P. assisted the Granada Hill Charter High School with their two-day 2021 Graduation. We joined the LAPD in keeping the students safe, maintaining smooth traffic flow and overall helping the Class of ’21 enjoy what was an historic year to be a senior. It should be noted that GHCHS did an amazing job of sticking with L.A. County regulations and Covid protocols, while giving the kids their first in-person outside assembly in over a year. It was truly a successful event. (click photo for slideshow)
New Recruits Earn Badges
MAY, 2021 – After nearly a year of interrupted recruiting practices due to the Pandemic, C.E.M.P. returned to normal operations in May, and immediately awarded our latest recruits with their well-earned badges. Kathleen Burns, LAPD Captain III, was on-hand to present the badges to our latest class. As with any class, they attended a six month applicant period followed by a three month probationary period. To learn more about the steps to take, visit our Join Our Team Page.
Off-Road VTD Training
MAY, 2021 – C.E.M.P. offers regular medical support for LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division’s “National Youth Project Using Minibikes” program. The training is held every Saturday at the off-road training course in Granada Hills. Officers at the LAPD’s Valley Traffic Division mentor youth ages 10-17 years-old by teaching them to ride minibikes as a way of overcoming their daily challenges. It is seen as a way to help youth develop self-confidence, decision making, teamwork, risk management and other valuable life skills.
LAPD Honor Carlos Sandoval
FEBRUARY, 2021 – LAPD’s Devonshire Station recently honored our own Carlos Sandoval for 20 years of community service: “We would like to thank Carlos Sandoval for his dedicated service to our community and his relentless volunteering for the past 20 yrs. Carlos Sandoval has been a pillar and a key player in the daily operations of the Devonshire Community Police Station. We salute his dedication and commitment.” We mirror Devonshire’s salute and thank him as well. You’re the man, Carlos!
First Responders Honored
DECEMBER, 2020 – C.E.M.P. participated in the First Responders Drive-Thru Holiday Toy Giveaway in December. LAPD, LASD, LAFD and CSPB presented the event which was held at Dodger Stadium. Hundreds of happy kids were presented a toy as their parents drove them through the displays. This unique drive through was a welcome site for everyone in the middle of a rough year and a world-wide pandemic. (click photo for slideshow)
Assisting in Griffith Park
AUGUST, 2020 – C.E.M.P. has been active assisting the City of Los Angeles Park Ranger Division this summer. Our team has been patrolling Griffith Park with supplemental eyes and ears during days designated as excessive heat emergencies. We help out overheated hikers, as well as watch for fire dangers and other heat-related issues. C.E.M.P. has had a long-running relationship with the Park Rangers, helping out over the years in a variety of ways.
Civil Unrest and Protests
JUNE, 2020 – Los Angeles area protesters pushed the Covid-19 pandemic aside and took to the streets to protest law enforcement use of force. Many protests quickly turned violent, as hundreds of businesses were looted and burned. For over a week L.A. County was under a curfew and state of emergency. C.E.M.P. was deployed as part of the city’s response, to help light up command post operations and assist in logistics.
C.E.M.P. Assists MRCA
MAY, 2020 – The Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority (MRCA) recently entered into an agreement with C.E.M.P. – just in time as the need for assistance arose. We offer support, extra manpower and help not only during fire season, but during the Covid-19 crisis as well. As the MRCA faced huge budget cuts and layoffs, our team was able to provide extra eyes and ears in the area parks.
C.E.M.P. Suspends Operations
MARCH, 2020 – For the first time in it’s 58 year history, C.E.M.P. suspended operations to help slow down the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. All volunteer organizations under the LAPD umbrella were grounded out of caution and advice from the L.A. County Health Department. The entire world came to a stop in the Spring of 2020 due to the fast-spreading, deadly SARS-CoV-2 virus. Our team joined California in slowly starting to open back up in late May.
Boney Mountain Trail Race
JANUARY, 2020 – The Boney Mountain Trail Race is an annual event that C.E.M.P. provides primary medical support for. It takes place in the beautiful mountains of Ventura County and splits the participants into two trails – a 10 mile and 25 mile course. This year was relatively quiet, as good weather and solid ground helped to keep the runners safe.
Assisting in Evidence Search
DECEMBER, 2019 – LAPD’s Robbery-Homicide Division requested C.E.M.P. to assist in an evidence and possible human remains search near Tampa Avenue in Los Angeles. The team was briefed by the LAPD, K9 Handler Lori Wells and Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Robyn Parks (also a C.E.M.P. member) before the search (pictured above), then members were tasked with looking for either evidence of a crime or possible human remains that may have been left there months before.
Chatsworth Parade
DECEMBER, 2019 – C.E.M.P. has been providing traffic control, road closures and general first-aid for over 30 years to the Chatsworth Holiday Parade. The annual event runs down Chatsworth Street from Topanga to Zelzah Ave.
Granada Holiday Parade
DECEMBER, 2019 – One of the largest in Los Angeles, the Granada Hills Holiday Parade stretches for two miles and includes up to 200 participating organizations. C.E.M.P. has been providing full operations and staffing to assist LAPD in road closures, traffic, medical and logistics for over 30 years.