How did Wallace Rawls go from riding in tanks through the streets of Los Angeles during the LA Riots to serving on the Board of the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Foundation?
Relentless work ethic, a desire to have an impact, and a unique perspective on the needs of the LAFD through the lens of being in the military.
Rawls went right into the Army after graduating high school in 1986. After three years of active duty, he joined the California National Guard. He will not soon forget being activated in response to the LA Riots. He recalled toiling with having to do his job as a National Guard member while reconciling with the catalyst of social unrest that added fuel to the riot fires.
After this experience, Rawls sought a shift in career direction. He was already holding down an entry-level distribution position with Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas) while serving in the National Guard. During that time, he also pursued his undergraduate degree in Business, and SoCal Gas paid for him to achieve his master’s degree in business administration.
“I was always pushing the envelope trying to get better even outside of work,” Rawls reflected. For as long as he could remember, Rawls had an entrepreneurial spirit, constantly pursuing opportunities to take on leadership roles. He even ran his own “you buy, we fry” fish market back in the day, dabbling in the business management realm.
Without an engineering degree, an already rare accomplishment in that line of work, Rawls pushed the boundaries and moved through every union position available at SoCal Gas, from field operations manager to director of distribution.
Desiring to learn more about how SoCal Gas positively impacts the City of Los Angeles, Rawls became the director of safety and wellness, providing strategic oversight and guidance on all aspects of the company’s safety programs. Shortly thereafter, he was elevated to director of safety, emergency management, and pipeline safety and compliance.
Stepping into emergency management opened Rawls’s eyes to the synergy between SoCal Gas and the LAFD. After Rawls’s predecessor retired, he stepped in and joined the LAFD Foundation Board to strengthen the alliance between the LAFD and SoCal Gas.
“We have to be plugged in and integrated with the LAFD,” Rawls emphasized. He noted that any natural disaster that could lead to downed power lines or put gas lines at risk requires SoCal Gas to immediately and strategically align with the LAFD.
Rawls recalls the high-level coordination exemplified in SoCal Gas and the LAFD’s collaborative response to the Woolsey Fire in 2018. SoCal Gas emergency management employees worked at the LAFD’s command center, participating in daily briefings and overseeing efforts to shut down all gas meters and main lines that were at risk of coming in contact with the blaze.
“If that communication wasn’t happening, there could have been a fire within a fire or a potential explosion,” Rawls shared.
In the aftermath, SoCal Gas could not restore gas service until LAFD gave the all-clear to do so. And while Woolsey was one of the larger fires that required such an alliance, this level of collaboration is engaged for any major emergency that could affect Angelenos, from wildfires to mudslides and everything in between.
SoCal Gas also takes a proactive approach to ensuring firefighter safety by conducting regular on-site natural gas safety training at local LAFD fire stations. Annually, they host a joint training with Los Angeles County and City firefighters, simulating emergencies and mapping out the roles each organization should play.
Rawls expressed pride in his alignment with the LAFD and the LAFD Foundation. He currently serves on the program, finance, and investment committees. Combined with his military background and broad SoCal Gas expertise, Rawls brings a unique lens to his support of the LAFD.
“Being on the program committee is especially rewarding because I understand, fundamentally, what firefighters are asking for and why they’re asking for it,” he said. “It’s really rewarding to see the Foundation bridge and close the gap with equipment and tools that firefighters actually need to be effective at their jobs.”
In addition to the LAFD Foundation, Rawls serves on the Board of the Los Angeles Urban League. He is most proud of facilitating a workforce development partnership that led to the hiring of 32 new SoCal Gas employees from diverse backgrounds.
