Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Ralph Terrazas will join Councilmember Mitchell Englander to dedicate a West Hills helicopter landing area in honor of late LAFD Chief Pilot Glenn V. Smith, who passed away in 2011 after a battle with cancer. Smith was twice awarded the LAFD’s Medal of Valor during his long career with the Department and naming one of the City’s 32 helispots is a fitting honor for the pilot. The helispots are landing areas that allow LAFD helicopters to quickly take on fuel and water when fighting wildfires or provide a suitable area from which to evacuate medical patients during wilderness incidents.

Simultaneously, the LAFD will announce the beginning of its annual 150-day contract for the Erickson “Helitanker,” a large helicopter capable of dropping 2,600 gallons of water at a time on wildfires. The Erickson helicopter, normally based at Van Nuys Airport, will be on site at the new Glenn V. Smith Helispot. Media are invited on Monday, August 3, at the helispot, entrance at 8600 Fallbrook Ave., West Hills, 91304, at 9:00 a.m.

• Who: LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas 
• Councilmember Mitchell Englander 
• LAFD Operations Valley Bureau Deputy Chief Daryl Arbuthnott 
• LAFD Air Operations Battalion Chief Peter Benesch 
• Family Members of Glenn V. Smith 
• West Hills Neighborhood Council 

• What: LAFD officials and Councilmember Mitchell Englander will dedicate the West Hills 
• Helispot to late LAFD Chief Pilot Glenn V. Smith and announce the beginning of the 
• annual 150-day seasonal contract for the Erickson “Helitanker” water-dropping 
• helicopter.

• When: Monday, August 3 
• 9:00 a.m. 
• Where: Media entrance off of 8600 Fallbrook Ave. 
• West Hills, 91304