City officials, employees and community members gathered at the top of the steps of City Hall this morning to pay tribute to its fallen public servants who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty. Master of ceremony Councilmember Tom LaBonge announced, from this moment forward, each Thursday preceding Memorial Day, the City will recognize all of its employees who have given their lives in City service.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) General Manager David Nahai noted, DWP workers are also first responders and the perils they face in the course of their duties often goes unrecognized. Since 1922, 215 DWP workers’ lives have been lost. Deputy City Engineer Clark Robins also acknowledged civil engineer Rory Shaw who the City lost in a tragic sinkhole accident in 2004.
Los Angeles Fire Department Captain Rick Andrade and Los Angeles Police Department Lieutenant Jerry Rodriguez also spoke at the memorial. Lt. Rodriguez said, “Our number one goal is to always provide the best quality service that we can.”
The long overdue memorial also reiterated the need to prioritize City employees’ safety to ensure that
no more lives are lost.
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