In May of 1992, Los Angeles City Firefighter Ron Harmon founded the Los Angeles Football, Inc., a non-profit organization composed of Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County Firefighters. Harmon met with Los Angeles Police Officer Tom Hazelton and agreed to put a game together between the LAPD Centurions and the not yet formed Los Angeles Heat. The LAPD played the role of the lead agency in setting up the game.

During the late 80’s a group of firefighters from the Los Angeles, Orange County and South Bay area played a one game season for a designated charity against with police agencies from the South Bay Police Departments.
The Los Angeles HEAT team was formed utilizing only Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County firefighters for the team. Harmon selected the “Children of the Night” as the first designated charity of the Los Angeles HEAT.

A bit of history had preceded the first Los Angeles HEAT game with the LAPD Centurions. Approximately 30 years prior there had been a tackle football game between a Los Angeles City Fire Department and a Los Angeles City Police team. In 1927, in front of 80,000 fans, the Los Angeles City Fire Department football team defeated the Los Angeles Police officers by a score of 20-0.

In 1993 the newly formed Los Angeles HEAT football team played its first game and gained their first victory against the Corona Regional Corrections officers on January 30th. The second game of the season was played against a group of Los Angeles Cleveland High School All-Stars that had gone on to play Division 1 Football and some to the NFL. The HEAT prevailed 14-7 in that game. The third game of the season was against the LAPD Centurions at El Camino Junior College before a near capacity crowd of 20,000 screaming supports for both teams. Fire Chiefs from Los Angeles City Fire, the Los Angeles County Fire, the LAPD Police Chief, Los Angeles City Mayor and many Los Angeles City Council members were in attendance at this inaugural game throwing their support behind the Los Angeles teams. The HEAT was playing against defending 5 time National Police Champions Centurions, undefeated for 5 years, and shocked the Centurions with a 20-0 shutout duplicating the score of some 30 years earlier. The HEAT finished the 1993 three game football season undefeated as the mythical “1993 National Public Safety Champions”. Armando Hogan, a Los Angeles City Fire Inspector was the first Head Coach of this Los Angeles HEAT team.

The 1994 football season was led by Head Coach Scott Graham, a then Los Angeles Firefighter/Paramedic. The following 1995 season, Chris Ferragamo, a then Los Angeles high school coaching legend guided the HEAT as their Head Coach. The HEAT continued as the premier west coast public safety team defeating the LAPD Centurions during these two seasons.

In 1996 Harmon contacted Jim Costello, who was the Head Coach of the Orange County FIRE Football team. The two agreed to merge these two football programs into a single fire department team. The HEAT and Orange County FIRE had been competing for the same fire department players for the past three seasons. The merger of the two teams in 1996 produced a 4 game undefeated season with the HEAT not being scored on by any opponent. The 1997 season was also an undefeated 4 game season sweep by the HEAT football team.

1998 produced the first loss for the HEAT coming at the hands of the visiting FDNY “Bravest” football team in overtime in a driving rainstorm at Santa Monica City College, 14-7. This was the first game for the HEAT to host an out of state team and set in motion the team moving towards membership in the National Public Safety Football League. 1998 also introduced the addition of the first police officers and sheriffs to the HEAT football team roster. The team maintains a designated ratio of sworn firefighters and law enforcement officers for its team makeup.

The 1999 season was the first for the HEAT as part of the newly established NPSFL. The league had been composed of all police teams until Fire Department teams to be part of their membership. FDNY and the Los Angeles HEAT were the first fire department teams to play in the newly created National Public Safety Football League (NPSFL).

Former HEAT player Tom Richards (L.A. County Fire) took over the job as President for the 1999 and 200 seasons. Tom brought in financial support for the team and organizational skills to the program. Jack Bauerle was named the team’s new head coach succeeding Ron Harmon who had been the coach from 1995-1998. The HEAT made their first road trip out of state in this inaugural season of the NPSFL to East Lansing, Michigan playing a police team.

Jack Bauerle continued as Head Coach and became the HEAT’s new President in 2000. Jack continued building the Los Angeles HEAT into the status of the nationally recognized football program that it currently enjoys to this day. Jack reorganized the teams Board of Directors to assist in the everyday operation, planning and fundraising activities for the Los Angeles HEAT.

Jack brought in Chapman University Head Trainer Craig Bennett and his student trainers to the team in 1996. Many of the Head Trainers that have served the HEAT since that time were once part of Craig’s student training staff. Craig is nationally recognized for his expertise in the athletic and injury care field. These dedicated trainers have attended every practice, scrimmage and game providing player taping, injury care, and rehabilitation for the HEAT players. Each season the HEAT players reward two volunteer trainers by paying for their flight and hotel expenses for the annual travel game out of state. The HEAT’s training staff has set the standard for athletic trainers in the National Public Safety Football League.

Dr. Gary E. Brazina, M.D., began providing game day medical care for our injured players and follow-up care for injuries sustained in practice or on game day. Dr. Brazina is also known as the “Joc Doc”. He specializes in arthroscopic surgery and sports medicine with over 20 years of surgical experience. Dr. Brazina has treated some of the nation’s top athletes. He has been featured in articles in Sports Illustrated, Women’s Fitness magazines and appeared on CNN, “L.A. Today” and “Skiing America” television. Dr. Brazina travels routinely with the team to road games around the country and attends all home games. The Heat is fortunate to have Dr. Brazina caring for all of our players since 1999.

During the 2003 season, Jeff Eastman (Culver City Fire Chief) joined Jack Bauerle as co-head coach of the Los Angeles HEAT. Jeff wrote the by-laws that guide the HEAT. Jeff had been a former player for the early South Bay Fire teams and had also been an assistant coach for the HEAT. Vast numbers of new as well as former key players joined the HEAT in 2003 bringing a resurgence of talent to the team. The HEAT program was unique in that it was the only public safety team to have an active Fire Chief as its head coach. A key highlight of the 2005 season was the HEAT’s win over the defending National Champion FDNY “Bravest” in New York, in a 24-21 overtime victory. The HEAT missed a chance for playing in the NPSFL Championship game in a heartbreaking 45-42 loss to their arch rival, LAPD Centurions. Jack Bauerle and Jeff Eastman left the team in October of 2005.

The Los Angeles HEAT played in the NPSFL Division II Championship game in Las Vegas against the Houston Gunners in 2005. They qualified to play once again in the NPSFL Division II Championship game against the DFW Panthers in 2007 but declined the invitation.

Ray Mayo was elected as the HEAT’s new team President in 2006. Ray had been a player from the original HEAT football program in 1993. Ray had been a member of the coaching staff as defensive line coach once his playing days were completed in 2001. Ray became the logical choice to lead the HEAT with his outgoing personality and charisma. A new Board of Directors was elected and the HEAT named Jim Costello to become the new Head Coach of the HEAT. Jim had been the former defensive coordinator for the HEAT from 1996 through the 1998 season. Ray and Jim served as the HEAT’s President and Head Coach from 2006 through the 2009 season.

The HEAT has traveled to New York to play the FDNY in 2005 and 2008. They have played NYPD in New York in 2000 and 2004. The HEAT made their first trip to Florida in 2003 playing the Orlando Guardians, in Orlando. The HEAT has played the former NY Corrections team in New York in 2001. Other travel games have included the original road game to East Lansing, Michigan in 1999, and South Florida (Palm Beach/Miami) in 2006. In 2006 the team traveled to Charlotte, N.C. to play the Charlotte Cobras. In 2007 the HEAT played the Philadelphia Blue Flame in Philadelphia. In 2009 the HEAT travels for the first time to Texas, playing the Houston Gunners.

The HEAT played to host the FDNY “Bravest” in the world famous Pasadena Rose Bowl on May 2nd, 2009. This was the largest venue that a NPSFL game has been played in to date. The HEAT forged to a 2nd quarter lead before falling to the defending Champion FDNY “Bravest. The 2009 season saw the HEAT defeat their arch rival LAPD Centurions 35-30 at Glendale College. A new coaching staff comprised of Offensive Santa Ana College coaches and a Defensive staff from many of the Orange County high school powerhouses helped with this historic year for the HEAT.

The 2010 season brought in a newly elected Executive Board, with Jose Rodriguez elected as the Heat’s President. 2010 also saw Ken Visser, an Orange County coaching legend; take over the Head coaches’ position for the HEAT. The HEAT is hosting their second game at the Pasadena Rose Bowl against the San Diego Enforcers on April 10, 2010 and plays their toughest season to date. Two road games are scheduled in 2010 against the powerful Phoenix “Thunder” and the 2009 defending NPSFL Champions, the NYPD “Finest”.

The Los Angeles HEAT Football team continues to raise money as a 501C3 charity for its designated charity, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, located in Glendale, California. From its inception, the firefighters, police officers, and other public safety professional who play for the Los Angeles HEAT Football team do so on their own time and at their own risk. These dedicated public safety professionals and volunteer Board members contribute their time and efforts to raising money for the Burn Foundation. Neither the players nor the Board members are compensated for their time. The HEAT players pay annual player dues to assist in covering team operating expenses (practice field, game fields, officials, etc.). The players purchase all of their own football equipment. The HEAT players collectively pay for their coaching staff to travel to the annual road game. The Los Angeles HEAT Football team is a true extension of “Family” that establishes life-long friendships among players, Board members and coaching staff.