Marc Rossello - Captain

Marc Rossello was around five years old when he watched his uncle, a Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) firefighter, graduate from historic Drill Tower 89. He does not remember much, but what stood out was watching his uncle complete the “up and over” on a ladder, a skill that tests firefighters’ strength, stamina, and agility before they enter the field.

But a young Rossello did not fully understand what being a firefighter meant until age 12, when his father passed suddenly, five days before Christmas. LAFD Fire Station 91 responded during one of the most significant tragedies a child could ever experience.

In that traumatic moment, Rossello connected the dots between watching his uncle graduate from the drill tower and what it truly meant to be a firefighter.

From then on, he was determined to help people the same way the crew from Fire Station 91 helped him and his family on their worst day.

Rossello became an Explorer (now the Cadets) at 15, the highest tier of LAFD youth programs for youth serious about a career in fire. As Explorers, firefighter hopefuls were assigned to a local station, where they gained firsthand experience with station life and rode along on calls.

“I looked up to my uncle very much,” Rossello reflected, adding that his uncle became a father figure after his dad’s passing. That admiration and desire to make his uncle proud helped him succeed as an Explorer.

“I would ride out with him now and then,” he shared, a full-circle moment as he grew in his career.

Rossello joined a fire academy right out of high school and completed the program at 21. He then applied to fire departments across California, starting with LAFD. While waiting for his dream opportunity, Rossello worked at a Frito-Lay warehouse and did maintenance for Phoenix House, a local substance use and mental health treatment nonprofit.

“We did all the drywall, fixed electrical problems – which played well coming into the fire department,” he laughed, noting the range of skills firefighters need at the station and in the field.

Rossello put those skills to the test when he was hired in 2007 at 23.

“I told myself that if I wasn’t hired by 25, I was going to go to paramedic school and try again. I was willing to go anywhere, even further east if I had to. But thankfully I didn’t have to do that.”

Rossello remembers his first call being to his uncle, who replied, “Let’s go. It’s game time.”

Firefighter Rossello’s first station was Fire Station 20, where his uncle had served the Echo Park community for 15 years.

“It’s your first time hearing them say, ‘Firefighter Rossello to the front office.’ It’s your first time running drills in front of 14 adults with so many more years on the job than you. It makes you grow up really fast,” he shared.

By the end of his first year, Firefighter Rossello had found his flow state. He remembered how easy it was to follow the basic steps on a particular call at Fire Station 21: his engineer handed him the hose line, and he knew exactly what to do with it. He started the rotary saw, gained access, and put out the fire. All the knowledge he had gained finally clicked into place, and he still had much to learn.

Firefighter Rossello then served at Fire Station 68 in Mid-City and later at Fire Station 94 in the Crenshaw District for about seven years, both busy assignments that kept him on his toes. As a Los Angeles native, he had extended family on the Westside and was grateful for the chance to serve those communities.  

“My grandparents were close enough to stop by and say hi. It was special being in the same area where I grew up as a kid,” he emphasized.

Even when he could have gone elsewhere, Firefighter Rossello always chose assignments with a high volume of calls.

“I like to learn,” he said when asked why. “I like being around people who still have a passion for the fire department.”

While working at Fire Station 26, a captain encouraged Firefighter Rossello to apply for the captain position. After a few years as a young firefighter, he was ready to take on added leadership responsibilities. He went to Fire Station 55, nicknamed “the double nickel,” to study before stepping into his new role.

As a captain, Rossello underscored the importance of keeping the same attitude with the public that he saw in older firefighters, leading by example for his crew. “They really paved the way,” he said of the veteran firefighters who guided him, “and it’s up to us to maintain that respect the community has for the fire department.”

In yet another full-circle moment, Captain Rossello serves at Fire Station 7 in Panorama City, where he grew up. He also now works with fellow Captain Jerry Puga, whom he studied with for the captain’s test.

Fire Station 7 is no easy assignment, which Captain Rossello prefers. He has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

When shifts blur together and calls seem endless, Captain Rossello says his family keeps him grounded beyond debriefs at the kitchen table with his crew. “My wife is an angel,” he said, adding that he would be nothing without her and their children.

For young firefighters like his 15-year-old self, Captain Rossello says the job is worth everything that comes with it, from the high volume of calls and long hours to incidents that hit harder than others. “What this job offers you, what it teaches you, the way it humbles you – every aspect is worth it,” he emphasized.