David Mack, Captain I

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Captain I David Mack’s most memorable call, and the call he is most proud of, does not involve something that he did. Rather, it was what he witnessed from his fellow firefighters.

LAFD Fire Station 66 received a medical call, and Captain Mack and two other firefighters arrived to find a mother who had given birth to premature twins. They quickly discovered that the second twin was stuck with the umbilical cord wrapped around the infant’s neck.

Captain Mack assisted while his fellow firefighters led the mission to save the twins and the mother. “That’s true emergency medicine,” Captain Mack emphasized as he reflected on the horrifying incident.

Thanks to the quick thinking and swift actions of Captain Mack and his team, the twins and the mother survived. Captain Mack will never forget the crew fighting for the baby’s life, resuscitating the infant while tending to the mother and twin. To this day, watching his fellow LAFD members do the impossible was his proudest moment on the job.

Captain Mack’s interest in the fire service started shortly after high school when he got injured while playing baseball. He learned that his injury would prevent him from playing at the collegiate level, and was unsure what to do next.

His baseball coach and lifelong friend to this day had also been a firefighter but was injured while on probation and had to leave the service. “Once you get fixed up,” Captain Mack recalls his coach saying, “get into the fire service.”

Captain Mack worked for his coach in construction while he began his path to firefighting. He attended Rio Hondo Fire Academy, and after graduating and testing at different fire departments across the country, he joined the Montebello Fire Department as an auxiliary, or volunteer, firefighter. Captain Mack experienced fire station life firsthand as an auxiliary firefighter, went on calls, and learned how to engage positively with the community.

After testing for the LAFD in 1998, Captain Mack was hired in May 2001, a few short months before the unforgettable September 11th tragedy occurred, leaving the entire country in a state of shock and fear. He and other members of his class who had prior firefighting experience were called to staff an engine in preparation for a potential attack on Los Angeles.

Shortly after, Captain Mack went to his first house at LAFD Fire Station 74. He had the unique opportunity to stay on at his second house, LAFD Fire Station 66, and was promoted to Captain in 2014 while there. He spent two years at LAFD Fire Station 10, and trained new prospective firefighters at the drill tower.

“I enjoyed working with the new recruits and pouring into them,” he emphasized, knowing several who went on to be great firefighters, drivers, and captains. After two years on what’s called “special duty” at the drill tower, a position was opening up back at Fire Station 66. Captain Mack leaped at the opportunity to return to his roots and has been a captain there ever since.

“It still feels like home,” Captain Mack said of Fire Station 66. “This assignment is special because I’ve seen a lot of community growth outside the four walls of the fire station.” As one of the busiest stations in the City, he emphasized that the firefighters who come through its doors have a strong desire to grow and want to help make their community a better place.

“Most people only call us once in their lives,”

Captain Mack shared, highlighting the importance of making a powerful, positive impression on members of the community. “You get to put your skillset to the test to make the situation better.”

For individuals hoping to pursue a career in firefighting, Captain Mack says “Be an owner, not a renter.” He added the importance of taking ownership of every aspect of the job, from taking a leadership role in improving station life to interacting with community members in need. “You need to have a servant attitude,” he emphasized, underscoring the importance of being a hero at home as well as in the field.

Although retirement is on the horizon, Captain Mack does not plan on slowing down any time soon. He loves working with his crew and continuing to learn after more than 20 years on the job.

“Every day, try and master your craft,” he shared. Just as he started working in construction before his firefighting career, Captain Mack emphasized that firefighters are jacks and janes of all trades. They are pseudo-mechanics, mathematicians, scientists, electricians, doctors, and so much more to ensure that they remain sharp and prepared for any scenario, whether fighting a fire that’s consuming an entire city block, or saving the lives of two infants and their mother.

“And they have to cook!” Captain Mack chuckled.