To say the late Joe Young cared about the community is an understatement.
The career Los Angeles City firefighter spent 25 years meeting residents, mostly on their worst day. He gently handled the calls, to ease the situation.
In 1971, Joe retired from the LAFD, but in lieu of taking it easy, he and his longtime friend, Captain Les Reynolds, started Fire Safety Service, Inc. According to Joe’s daughter, Janet, it “has been a tremendous success and blessing.”
Fire Safety Service, Inc. provides training in the areas of life safety and disaster readiness, primarily in the nursing and health care industries.
“He recognized that the fire department didn’t have the wherewithal to do fire drills,” says Janet, the company’s vice president.
“He had an idea to start a business that would help people get their drills taken care of. He took a chance and talked to some of the facilities they knew.”
That was in 1972; Fire Safety Services, Inc. has since celebrated its 50th anniversary. Joe and Les have died, but Joe’s children are continuing the business.
“We go into these activities and perform fire drills with the staff, teach them what to do in case of a fire and teach them what to do in case of a major disaster, earthquake, or flood — something beyond an internal situation,” Janet says.
His son, Steve, an Idaho resident, and the company’s president, says most of the business is conducted in California, the Tacoma, Washington area, and in Nevada.
“We blew through 52 years,” he says with a laugh. “He wanted to supplement his pension, and it blew up. The National Fire Protection Association and Title 22 in California require that nursing homes and assisted living facilities have quarterly drills on each shift.
“The issue is their safety. About 90% of our trainers — who are independent consultants, retired firemen — know how to effectively get across what we’re trying to share.”
Initially, Joe’s wife, Elsie, ran the office and Joe recruited, hired, and trained consultants to provide and offer the company’s services throughout California, Janet says. Now the success is bittersweet, as Joe died in 1993. Steve was running the company on his behalf prior to that.
Fire Safety Service, Inc. is still family-owned and operated. Janet says she and Steve are dedicated to continuing their parents’ legacy and look forward to providing the needed services required by state and local codes.
“As a result of their hard work and dedication, the company grew and continues to expand,” Janet says. “Fire Safety Service, Inc. provides training services to just under 800 facilities. We have worked with more than 100 consultants. Some of those have worked with Fire Safety Service, Inc. for upward of 20 years.”
The Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund helped the family as their mother died of cancer. Supporting the charity and its mission of heling firefighter families in times of need, the family committed to giving back as a Presenting Gold sponsor of the LAFD Invitational charity golf tournament.
“When my mother had cancer, the whole [Los Angeles Firemen’s] Relief Association helped,” Steve says. “We have deep feelings for the Relief Association and the Widows, Orphans & Disabled Firefighter’s Fund. We never donated money at the level we participate now. We donate on behalf of our dad.”
To learn more visit firesafetyserviceinc.com
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski