NORTH TAHOE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT 

The staff of the North Tahoe Fire Protection District wishes to honor Fire Chief, Duane Whitelaw, upon his retirement effective March 9, 2012.  Chief Whitelaw began his fire service career in 1976 and has served our District for the past 27 years, with 20 plus as the Fire Chief.  Chief Whitelaw has touched countless lives as a firefighter, manager, and mentor.  The District wishes Duane and his family all the happiness in their new adventure.   We will miss him dearly.

Upon action of the NTFPD Board of Directors at a special meeting held March 8^th, Assistant Chief Peter Poe has been appointed to the position of Acting Fire Chief until his anticipated retirement in October, 2012.  Details regarding the recruitment process for a new Fire Chief will be announced at a later date.

The North Tahoe Fire Protection District protects an area of 31 square miles on the north and west shores of Lake Tahoe. This is a popular year-round recreation area featuring snow skiing in the winter and all types of water activities in the summer. A large number of tourists are drawn to the area which results in population changes on a seasonal basis.   The District has 6 stations, 40 full-time and 25 part-time personnel and responds to approximately 2,000 alarms per year.  The varied demographics of the District provide opportunity for its personnel to respond to emergencies in rural, suburban and urban settings. The wide diversity of emergency incidents require firefighters to be proficient in wildland fire fighting, structural fire fighting, back country/technical rescue, swift water rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, and emergency medical services.

The Tahoe Basin has gained considerable publicity for its wildland fire risk. Exacerbated by unseasonably warm, dry summers and over-stocked forests, the District has embarked on programs to reduce hazardous fuels through aggressive defensible space programs and forest fuels reduction projects. These objectives are guided by the Community Wildfire Protection Plan. Our communities are to be congratulated for the work to date and their commitment to creating a safer Tahoe Basin for tomorrow.

The employees of the North Tahoe Fire Protection District pride themselves on customer service and endeavor to provide the highest quality public safety services in the most efficient manner possible. We encourage your input as continuous improvement is vital to our programs and services.