Board Member Spotlight: Dean Ulrich

Meet Dean Ulrich, LAFD Foundation board member and retired LAFD member. Dean spent three and half decades serving the people of Los Angeles. He held many posts over the course an illustrious career, retiring in 2018 as an assistant chief and the LAFD operations officer for Los Angeles International Airport.

Shortly after hanging up his uniform, Dean joined the Foundation board, and brought a wealth of experience to the LAFD’s official non-profit partner. Dean’s leadership is particularly beneficial in advancing the Adopt-A-Fire-Station (AAFS) program. He has been invaluable in sharing his in-depth knowledge of the department’s needs and operations.

In fact, Dean was a key figure in establishing the groundwork for what would grow into a department-wide program affecting life at all 106 fire stations. In the late 1990s, he was the captain assigned to Fire Station 19 in Brentwood. “At the time, it was not the most desirable post. The station was constructed in 1949. It had been in service for close to fifty years by the time I arrived there. The station was in serious need of repairs and upgrades to basic amenities,” recalled Dean.

“We made multiple attempts to address the station needs, going through the appropriate processes. Each time we received the same response, that there simply wasn’t enough in the budget to handle it,” added Dean. “It was left up to us to try to figure something out.”

Dean and his colleagues reached out to the local newspaper for help. “We called the Brentwood News and told them about our situation, and it took off from there. Local businesses and residents rallied to help us. We ended up raising $250,000 from our community for station improvements.”

News of Station 19’s good fortune spread quickly across the city. It was not long before captains from other stations were contacting Dean to ask for guidance, hoping they might replicate the approach. “It was fascinating to see different communities embracing their fire stations, but this grassroots method also created logistical challenges and some legal concerns.”

An independent non-profit organization was eventually established to help manage community support for fire stations across the city. In 2010, the managing of the AAFS program transitioned to the LAFD Foundation. This past year, the Foundation provided more than $1,700,000 in equipment replacements and improvements to the fire stations.

“It is amazing that 23 years later, the Adopt-A-Fire-Station program is going strong,” shared Dean. “I’m grateful I played a small part at the onset and am grateful that I can continue to help this program grow in my role with the Foundation.”