People Who Made a Difference:
Roland W. Percey
Roland Percey was born in Los Angeles
in 1902. Two years later he moved with his parents and older
brother, Leslie, to a ranch his family purchased near the
center of Sunland, California. Though Roland and Leslie did
not enjoy ranching, they both loved the great outdoors.
In about 1920, Roland's father donated
a portion of the Percey ranch to the County of Los Angeles
- to be used as the first regional public park. When the County
Forestry Department was given the task of grading and landscaping
the donated land, Leslie Percey joined the department as a
temporary laborer at the rate of 25 cents per hour. He liked
the work enough to sign up for a permanent position as soon
as one became available.
Meanwhile, Roland was working for the
U.S. Forest Service as the weekend horse patrolman in Big
Tujunga Canyon. At the urging of his brother, on May 1, 1923,
he also joined the newly formed and rapidly growing Department
of Forester and Fire Warden. His rate of pay was 50 cents
per hour.
At that time, the main purpose of the
department was the planting and maintenance of all vegetation
on county property. Along with this came the duties of County
Fish and Game Warden and County Fire Warden.
Roland Percey served in all sections
of the department - from cargo truck driver, mule skinner,
relief lookout, fire prevention patrolman (horseback and patrol
truck), and as a "fire suppression man" on Forester
and Fire Warden tankers. He was promoted to the position of
dispatcher, and it was there that his skills as a manager
became apparent.
During his service as a dispatcher in
the old Pasadena Division, Percey coordinated the design and
construction of the first county phone system for his division
and linked that system to Angeles National Forest. The system
connected by way of the Arroyo Seco station and Camp 2 (in
La Canada), over George's Gap and up Mill Creek to the Gleason
Construction Camp (now Camp 16) and on to the Acton Store
(in Station 81's district).
Roland loved the outdoors and was an
avid hiker. He also became fascinated with the science of
wildland fire control, and he qualified for and received additional
responsibilities in the Fire Warden section'. By 1928 he was
named the head of the Verdugo Division, headquartered in La
Crescenta, and he received the rank of senior fire warden,
grade II. In that position, he commanded a small pumper truck,
a combination command car and manpower squad, a motorcycle,
two horse patrol routes, seven men during the fire season,
and two men during the winter months.
There was one fire district station
within the Verdugo Division (Station 19 at the corner of Foothill
Blvd. and Rosemont St.) but Chief Percey had no control over
it. The fire district had been formed in 1924, but it still
was a separate jurisdiction, being supervised by the fire
department division of the county fire warden's office.
During the late 1920s, the City of Los
Angeles annexed the entire San Fernando Valley. For the County
Forestry Department, this meant the loss of the San Fernando
Division and part of the Verdugo Division. As a result, the
Verdugo and Pasadena Divisions were merged to form the new
Arroyo Seco Division. A new headquarters building was constructed
at Foothill Blvd. and Georgian Road in La Canada (the current
site of Fire Station 82). Creation of the new Arroyo Seco
Division resulted in a competition for the position of senior
fire warden. In 1929, Percey was promoted to that position.
His command included a pumper truck, a squad truck, a patrol
truck, a motorcycle, and a fire station ten miles west in
Kagel Canyon.
Between 1929 and 1953, the organizational
structure of the Department of Forester and Fire Warden changed
frequently Eventually, Fire Warden and Fire District crews
and pumpers began to help each other on fires. Percey's career
was affected by the changes, and he always qualified for each
new leadership position that was created. Due to his skill
as a wildland fire fighter, he would often be given command
of the most complex fire problems.
In 1948 the names of the fire warden
divisions were replaced with numbers. Thereafter, they were
called "Mountain Battalions." Percey's division
was designated Mountain Battalion 7. By this time, his work
had earned him great respect among his colleagues. Chief Engineers
Cecil Gehr (1952-1953) and Keith Klinger (1953-1969) occasionally
"loaned" Percey to other fire protection agencies
needing assistance with wildland incidents.
In 1954, Chief Klinger created the position
of chief of fire fighting. In a competitive process, Percey
was promoted to the position. He retained that number three
spot in the Los Angeles County Fire Department until his retirement
in May 1963. In addition to 40 years of irreplaceable knowledge
and experience, Roland Percey left behind the legacy of a
true gentleman and a natural leader. He passed away in 1998
at age 96.
“Senior Fire Warden Roland Percey in 1933”
Photo credit: Los Angeles County Fire Dept.
“Chief Percey discussed strategy with Chiefs Klinger
and Newcombe at the Monrovia Peak fire in 1953”
Photo credit: Los Angeles County Fire Dept.
“Joining Chief Percey at his retirement party in
1963 was Captain Clyde Bragdon, who would
later become chief of the department.”
Photo credit: Los Angeles County Fire Dept.
“Roland W. Percey (1902-1998)”
Photo credit: Los Angeles County Fire Dept.
“Battalion Chiefs Paul Stimson and Fred Morton confer
with Chief Percey at the Pine Crest fire in 1979,
sixteen years after his retirement.”
Photo courtesy Paul Stimson
Note: This biography was adapted from the eulogy composed
and delivered by Captain David Boucher (retired) at a 1998
memorial ceremony for Chief Percey.
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