Carl Weideman - Firefighter/Engineer

Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Firefighter/Engineer (ENG) Carl Weideman was grilling at home with his family on a rare day that he was not at the station or working overtime.

While outside, he heard a boom nearby. He had no idea where it had come from but, true to his nature, wanted to see if anyone needed help. Barefoot and shirtless, he scaled his fence to find his neighbor’s car had exploded. The older gentleman was outside with only his garden hose, desperately trying to extinguish the blaze.  

ENG Weideman wasted no time going over to lend a hand, quenching the blaze within minutes. The neighbors made a point to personally thank ENG Weideman for his efforts, emphasizing that if their home had caught fire, they would have had nothing left.

“When I was growing up, firefighters were the people who would give you the shirt off their back, the $20 in their wallet. They were the ones who would do anything to help,”

ENG Weideman reflected. This moment is one of many that exemplifies the type of firefighter ENG Weideman is and has always aspired to be. He did not grow up in a firefighter family but recalls the first time he saw a fire truck pass by when he was ten years old. That moment was all it took for him to pursue a career in firefighting.

His journey into the Department was an arduous one. After testing with more than 50 departments, Weideman interviewed with the LAFD and received a perfect score of 100. Though he excelled in all aspects of the interview process, Weideman had to advocate for himself even further. He knew that this was his calling and the opportunity of a lifetime. After a wait that felt longer than the eight years he had been pursuing this career, the phone call finally came, and Weideman joined the LAFD in 2008.  

He reflected that his career truly began as a paramedic at LAFD Fire Station 64 in Watts, the third busiest station in Los Angeles. Fire Station 64 was his most memorable station as a rookie firefighter, and after a brief time at Fire Station 14, he was able to return and fully step into his paramedic role.

“64s is where I learned the most about myself, about life,"

he shared. “It’s where I developed my mental fortitude.” Weideman remembered a 14-day back-to-back stint on the rescue ambulance as a paramedic at Fire Station 64. His desire to become a firefighter was rooted in wanting to help others, and he had a prime opportunity as a paramedic.  

From a single mom who accidentally rolled over her child in her sleep to an infant who choked and died before 9-1-1 was called, Weideman experienced some of his most challenging incidents at Fire Station 64. Still, he reflects fondly on the community connections he developed during his eight-year assignment. He even received the title of Paramedic of the Year from Harbor UCLA, recommended by the nurses and staff who witnessed his impact firsthand after multiple hospital transports.  

ENG Weideman waves off any mention of the award or his success as a mentor. He did not join the LAFD for the recognition or the titles. His sole purpose is to make things better than how he found them.

Though a slight change of pace and with a different perspective as an engineer, Weideman loves his current crew at Fire Station 55. He values his unspoken role as a liaison between the captains and his fellow members, and his light-hearted nature and comedic outlook on life are contagious to his crew.  

As someone who feels he was awarded opportunities he did not deserve, ENG Weideman’s career has been defined by a deep desire to give back tenfold what was given to him. “When someone needs help, you help them no matter,” he emphasized.

In 2020, while assigned at Fire Station 2, ENG Weideman and his crew responded to a cardiac arrest. The victim was dead upon their arrival, but Weideman knew he had to try. As the only former paramedic on the engine, he performed 15 nonstop minutes of life-saving work to bring the victim back to life.

“I’m glad I can still use it when I need to,” ENG Weideman said of his paramedic experience.  

His nearly two-decade career exemplifies that firefighting isn’t just a job, but a way of life. And for those who serve alongside him, or have been on the receiving end of his impact, ENG Weideman embodies what it truly means to be a firefighter.