Eighteenth St. and Wood -- Oakland Staging
Pineneedle Dr.
Broadway Terrace and Aquarius
San Francisco Command Post
"I was working out at the Plaza Athletic Club gym on Third St. in the City," Chief's Aide McCrystle said, "when I just heard a mention on my way out the door that `Berkeley was on fire.' I left immediately and was driving on the bridge, and thought, `Yea, a pretty good amount of smoke.' I took Highway 80, then 580 eastbound to my house on 35th Ave in Oakland, about four-or-five miles from the Montclair District.
"I got home and began to check my house and on my neighbors to make sure they were okay. I listened to KCBS for a while and then decided there was nothing more I could do there."
Chief's Aide McCrystle then called Oakland Fire Alarm on a non- emergency number, identified herself as an off-duty San Francisco firefighter and told them she wanted to volunteer.
"The Oakland dispatcher said, `Get down here, we need you.'
"Fortunately," she said, "I had my turnouts and all my gear loaded in
my car because I'm in the swing [A duty cycle in which she rotates through
three different battalion districts]. The Oakland dispatcher said to go to
18th and Wood in Oakland, and when I arrived at 2 p.m., I checked in and
identified myself as an off-
"There were a number of other off-duty firefighters from various
departments there, and we sat and watched the fire on television or talked
for a couple of hours.
"Nothing was happening, so I left at 4 p.m., and then ran into Lt.
George Garcia from Radio [assistant watch commander at the San
Francisco Fire Department Communications Center]."
"We didn't know where San Francisco command was," she said, "so
we decided to go through the area around Pineneedle Dr. and help people
evacuate.
"Then, around 5 p.m., we parked my car at Mountain and Thornhill.
Lieutenant Garcia and I put on our full turnouts and walked north on
Mountain Blvd. to the fire line to assist any fire units we could.
"At 5:15 p.m., we met a police officer at Mountain and Broadway
Terrace.
"Lieutenant Garcia and I exchanged friendly conversation with the
officer, then we walked along Florence St. and met up with a crew on a
U.S. Navy fire engine. Lieutenant Garcia and I asked them if they needed
help because the fire was coming in our direction.
"I was standing by when -- at 5:50 p.m. -- the police officer
approached and inquired if I had my Department I.D. with me. I told him
I did not have it on me. At this time, Lt. Garcia was 40 feet away with his
back turned away from us.
"So, the officer ordered me out of the area because he said I was not
Fire Department personnel. I told him I worked for the Department, and
he insisted I was not a firefighter, but a `fire groupie.'
"He again ordered me out of the area. I told him I wanted to get Lt.
Garcia and we would both immediately leave the area. He wouldn't even
let me do that. I had my badge with me. I took it out of my back pocket
and showed it to him.
"He immediately grabbed my badge and put it in his right breast
pocket. I was surprised and tried to take it back. He then said, `I've had
enough,' and took his handcuffs out of his back pocket and put them on me.
He started to swear at me, and I began shouting for Lt. Garcia. The
lieutenant came over, and at first had this look of disbelief and asked,
`What happened?'
"The police officer said, `I don't believe she is in the Fire
Department.' Lieutenant Garcia showed his Department I.D. and identified
me as a San Francisco firefighter.
"The fire was bearing down on us, and the Navy crew was ready to
back out, but that didn't seem to matter. The police officer said he wanted
a battalion chief to come over from San Francisco, identify me and then
take me back to the City.
"Lieutenant Garcia was still talking to the officer when he put me in
the back of the radio car. The officer simply was not listening to what Lt.
Garcia had to say. He then took me to Oakland Fire Station 24, where he
got out of the car and said, `Well, let's be civil about this,' and he took the
`cuffs off.
"He went in to make telephone call, and then came back in 5 or 10
minutes. He didn't say anything, but then drove north on Highway 13
through the fire. He then made the comment, `Well, if you are a real
firefighter, I'm gonna take you where you really belong.'
"We got to San Francisco Command at the Claremont Hotel at about
6:10 p.m. He got out of his radio car and spoke with Battalion Chief
Roybal. I don't know what the chief said to the officer, but he returned
within a few minutes and told me to `Check in with the guy with the white
cap.'
"I reported in to Battalion Chief Roybal, and then asked the police
officer for my helmet. As he was reaching for it, I asked him for his name
and badge number. He said, `Get out of my face, or I'll throw you back in
the car and take you to jail. Next time you want to play firefighter, do it in
your own home.'
"I asked him what he meant by that. He replied, `San Francisco.'
"Two Berkeley police officers overheard the last remark, and both
offered their business cards and told me to call if they could be of any
assistance."
Chief's Aide McCrystle was then assigned to command post duties.
"I then began to assist Chief's Aide Jerry Coghlin, and I was also the
Department's liaison with the Oakland command post. I also assisted in
deploying Capt. Conroy's task force to Fish Ranch Rd. where the fire was
coming over the hill." Chief's Aide McCrystle also helped provide food
service to firefighters returning from the fire lines.
"I was there until midnight," she said, "because I had be on duty the
next day."
Lt. George Garcia
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