Thursday, March 17, 2011

LACFD: Fraudulent e-mail with Logo / “Acid Rain Precautions”

Posted by Robert O'Connor

County of Los Angeles

Fire Department

NEWS RELEASE

CAPTAIN SAM PADILLA

PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE (323) 881-2411

Date: March 17, 2011

FIRE CHIEF DARYL L. OSBY
1320 N. Eastern Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90063

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: LACoFD Public Affairs

(323) 881-2411

FRAUDULENT E-MAIL UTLIZING THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT LOGO

Los Angeles – March 17, 2011 – A fraudulent e-mail containing the heading “Acid Rain Precautions” and the County of Los Angeles Fire Department logo has surfaced, warning residents that radioactive particles released from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant in Japan could mix with rain and “cause burns, alopecia or even cancer.”

“The County of Los Angeles Fire Department has not issued this statement nor do we believe the statements within the e-mail to be factual”, says Public Affairs Battalion Chief Jon O’Brien. Residents within Los Angeles County seeking information on the potential impact from the release at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant are advised to obtain their information from a reputable agency. Additionally, individuals are reminded to use caution when viewing e-mails and to always verify the source of their information.

For information relating to the potential impact on the U.S. from the release at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant visit:

County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health

California Department of Public Health

Environmental Protection Agency

United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission

# # #

County of Los Angeles Fire Department

Public Information Unit

(323) 881-2411

info@fire.lacounty.gov

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

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