Never far from the busy engines of Los Angeles’s Fire Station 9 on Skid Row is a man known by everyone in the area as 'Mango.'
Even though he can often be found wearing an LAFD cap and jacket designating him as the “Fire Traffic Officer,” he is not an official member of L.A. City Fire. But when the calls fire off at Station 9, Mango springs into action, just like the crews.
“This is the number one busiest fire station in the nation," said Mango. "My job is helping my guys here.” The biggest way he knows how to help is clearing a safe path for the fire engines and ambulances to get where they need to go.
“What I do is I stop the traffic, so they can have enough time to get off the truck, secure themselves," Mango said.
Whether it’s late at night or early in the day, Mango is there to offer a hand or sometimes even a hug to the crews.