LAFD Announces May Firefighter of the Month, Slater Davies

LOS ANGELES (CNS) - The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation Friday announced Slater Davies as its May firefighter of the month.

Davies, a firefighter-paramedic at LAFD Fire Station 64 in Watts, has seen incidents including people jumping off the 110 Freeway interchange and surviving and Metro rail rescues.

"You'd be surprised at how resilient the human body can be," said Davies.

One incident that Davies said stood out occurred on July 4, 2023, when fireworks exploded in the hands of a 6-year-old girl. Her hands were severely burned, and she was in shock as she sat on the gurney while tended to by Davies and fellow paramedics.

The victim's mother was comforted by Davies while he did his job to save the girl. He reminded her that the most important thing at the time was keeping her child calm and assuring her that she was going to be okay. The mother listened and the girl survived.

Firefighters often wear multiple hats when responding to calls, especially those for emergency medical services. Davies emphasized that even with extensive and frequent training, they are guaranteed to find themselves in a situation in which they must use their best judgment to deal with all aspects of the incident accordingly.

This ability to pivot and respond effectively to uniquely high-stress situations was reflected in the eight years that Davies spent in the military. After a year of college at Cal State Fullerton, Davies joined as a combat medic in 2013.

He worked with a ground ambulance company and did humanitarian missions in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere, providing medical support for engineers and at schools and clinics.

While in the Army Reserves, Davies decided to pursue the career he says he really wanted and began using his available time to prepare to join the LAFD. He worked with an emergency medical technician company for a year, took several fire science classes and trained physically to be a firefighter.

In 2015, the then 25-year-old passed the entrance exam and started his recruit journey at LAFD Drill Tower 81 while active in the Reserves.

In 2018, he went to paramedic school and received his certification. He had friends in the fire service who were paramedics at LAFD Fire Station 64, and had done some overtime shifts there himself.

Fellow paramedics advised him to initially go to a busy spot to gain experience, learn quickly and be better prepared to rotate to other stations. So, he volunteered to go to Fire Station 64. The high volume of emergency medical service calls made it one of the more challenging fire stations.

Davies said that one of his favorite aspects of working at Fire Station 64 was the diversity of people, communities and calls. "There are actually snakes in Watts," he said.

"The most rewarding calls are those where the victim survives against all odds," said Davies.

He recalled having been in the ambulance with shooting victims, worried that they weren't going to make it, while doing everything he could to save their lives. "There's no greater validation than hearing from the hospital that their efforts were successful and that a life was saved," he said.

Davies said he believes it is the variety and camaraderie that keeps him coming to work everyday.

"Every day is different," he said. "You never know what your first call is going to be, you never know what your last call is going to be."

He attributed his ability to do his job to the best of his ability to his family. He described his wife as his biggest fan and supporter. "She's one of a kind. The hard work she does at home every day to give their 1- and 3-year- old girls the best life possible."

To those considering a career in the fire service, he said, "Just go for it. Believe in yourself, and anything is possible. If you fail, you still learn."