Sending love and prayers on this sad anniversary. Love to all
You are missed Martin!❤️❤️

Hey Marty, your light still shines on your birthday and every day.

May Best Regards to the Garza Family on today’s celebration of his Birth 8-23-2023. I am Grateful to have known Marty on the LAFD and been blessed with his friendship. Rest Well in the Lord, Marty!

Marty was a trailblazer during his career in the LAFD. I first crossed paths with Marty in the late eighties when he was newly assigned to the Legal Liaison Unit. During his early tenure in the Unit we attended many enforcement seminars on our own time and self funded. After the Burlington fire the Legal Liaison Unit was tasked with formulating an enforcement program to deal with issues associated with the existing fire prevention practices within the LAFD.

Our collective seminar experiences provided a framework to make cogent recommendations to fire department administration in an effort to beef up enforcement of the fire code. The results were the adoption of the following databases: Lexis/Nexis, Accurint, property records, access to DVV records, DWP confidential records, City Tax and Permit, and other pertinent databases. This was a massive paradigm change to the existing fire prevention enforcement model.

The following is a partial list of programs that were established as a result of the above recommendations: Slum Housing Task Force, Inter-Agency Housing Task Force, Franchise Tax Board Housing Enforcement, Environmental Strike Force, Public Assemblage Night Club Enforcement, LAPD Commission Investigation referrals , Rave Party Task Force, and City Attorney Hearing Program.

Martin was also a past president of Los Bomberos, LAFD’s latino fire department association. Under his leadership Los Bomberos with other stakeholders: Stentorians, Women in the Fire Service, and LACECA (Los Angeles City Employees Chicano Association), ushered in monumental structural human resource changes within the LAFD. Issues addressed were diversity within the upper management ranks, recruitment and hiring of underrepresented groups, disciplinary procedures, diversity training, and sexual harassment protocols.

Los Bomberos under Martin’s leadership in conjunction with the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) introduced the first bi-lingual (Spanish) “ Learn Not To Burn “, fire prevention program to local area schools in Los Angeles City. Other community based programs included: entry level firefighter mentoring, elementary school literacy program, annual Christmas pancake breakfast and toy give-away, and Los Bomberos Golf scholarship Tournament. Los Bomberos participated in civic community events and worked with local, state, and federal entities on issues that were fire department related.

On a personal note Marty was a mentor and a friend. We spent countless hours on and off the job brainstorming and talking story. Marty even though you are not with us now, your energy and spirit is with your family and all the countless people you touched throughout your life. You made a difference.

I met Marty when he promoted to Inspector and was assigned to the High Rise Unit in the Bureau of Fire Prevention and Public Safety. He was such an easy guy to talk to and we conversed daily not only about fire prevention but also finance and world affairs. But the main topic was always about family and especially his daughters.
I'm sure that his memory will live on through the "Garza Girls" and I hope you find peace in knowing that he left his mark on everyone who had the opportunity to know him. RIP Marty.

Marty and I were long time friends on the LAFD. He was a solid Fireman, Medic, Inspector, and Friend. He always conducted himself as a true professional. Never without a smile on his face, his corny jokes still got laughs. RIP, Marty.

We enjoyed so many good times with Martin and Yoly, Vivi, Christina and Julianne. Rest in peace dear Martin. May God bring peace and healing to the family. 
Praying for you all! All our love, Christina and Danny Wasson