2022 ANNUAL REPORT

I am proud to present you with the Los Alamos Fire Department Community Development Division to find a suitable site for Annual Report for 2021. Despite the difficulties associated with building a St. 4 replacement. We are coordinating the build- a more than two-year long pandemic, LAFD responders have ing of these new stations with the implementation of a station continued to serve their constituents with the highest level of alerting system for all LAFD fire stations. This alerting system professionalism and care our citizens have come to expect. will be built into the new stations and the older fire stations will be retrofitted to work with the new alerting system. The While much of our community was teleworking from home, new stations will also be designed around cancer prevention LAFD responders staffed our fire stations 24/7 without any in- for our responders. terruption in service. They provided this service while being extremely short staffed. Our hiring process was delayed for As you review this document, please take time to review new nearly 18 months due to covid concerns, so LAFD responders hire/promotions/retirements section. Due to the pandemic, worked countless overtime hours without complaint. The fam- we have not been able to hold ceremonies to recognize our re- ilies of these dedicated responders deserve proper recognition tirees, promotions, and new hires. These recognition ceremo- as they survived this pandemic without their LAFD responder nies are such an important part of our history and proper to at home nearly as much as normal. These family members recognize the efforts of LAFD members who retire, promote, or picked up the slack while their husband or wife spent countless join our agency. I am looking forward to returning to “normal” hours covering staff shortages at LAFD. I would like to person- and again properly recognizing these accomplishments. ally thank our responders and families for sacrificing so much of their personal lives to ensure Los Alamos was well protected If you have any questions or comments regarding this report, throughout this seemingly never-ending pandemic. please don’t hesitate to contact me directly. Thank you for your continued support of LAFD. Since the start of this pandemic, LAFD was able to complete an accreditation site visit and ISO survey. We were accredited for the 5th time, and we improved our ISO rating from 2 to 1. LAFD is the only accredited fire department in New Mexico and the only accredited fire department to serve a Department of Energy National Laboratory. Only three fire departments in New Mexico are classified as an ISO 1. These accomplishments would not be possible without our responders in the field and our administrative staff (which were working from home for a great deal of the pandemic) working together to ensure the ac- creditation and ISO high standards were continuously met and properly documented. Please take some time to read through this report as you will see some highlights of the work done by LAFD. One ongoing project we are completing is the update to our response fleet. Since my arrival as chief ten years ago, LAFD has replaced ev- ery apparatus except for three engines. These engines will get replaced in the next 2 years. We moved up the replacement of some newer ladder trucks and delayed this engine replace- ment due to severe unreliability of the two ladders. This re- sponse apparatus replacement plan would not be possible without the great support we have been given from our DOE/ NNSA and LANL partners. We have been working with LANL for the last two years to be- gin the replacement of two LAFD fire stations that lie within the LANL boundaries. The first station project (St. 5) was just recently awarded and should be completed within two years. Two additional LANL stations will immediately follow the first build and will replace our largest LANL station (St. 1). We are also in the planning stages to replace LAC Fire Station 4 near the golf course. We are working closely with our



Troy Hughes Steve Dawald Kelly Sterna FIRE CHIEF DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF DIVISION CHIEF- WILDLAND James Thwaits Jeff Saiz Benjamin Stone DIVISION CHIEF- TRAINING DIVISION CHIEF- LANL TRAINING BATTALION CHIEF- A-SHIFT Howard Hall Norma Jean Valdez Xavier Anderson SECURITY & ADMINISTRATIVE ADMIN SERVICES TEAM LEADER MANAGEMENT ANALYST/ SERVICES MANAGER ACCREDITATION MANAGER

Wendy Servey Todd Forsythe Chris Bartlett FIRE MARSHAL DIVISION CHIEF-SAFETY DIVISION CHIEF- EMS Steve Saiz Micah Brittelle BATTALION CHIEF- B-SHIFT BATTALION CHIEF -C-SHIFT Marisol Padilla MANAGEMENT ANALYST

OUR MISSION Los Alamos Fire Department is honored to be entrust- ed with the safety and welfare of our community. We are dedicated and proud to provide exceptional ser- vices for the preservation of life, the environment and property. OUR VISION The 2024 Vision is to continue to be widely known as an Internationally accredited fire service agency that serves with PRIDE, while meeting our mission for our community. Looking toward the futurity we seek, we will continue to strive for excellence with all of our pursuits. Our en- hanced communications, both internal and external, will help us further connect with the people of Los Ala- mos, as well as become a more effective and efficient organization. Acknowledging that we value professionalism, we will invest in our greatest asset, our members, through our initiative that focuses on improved leadership. This, along with comprehensive succession planning, will help move the department forward, sustaining and growing the quality that is the Los Alamos Fire Depart- ment. For us to demonstrate our readiness, our training ini- tiative will bolster our ability to safely serve those who entrust us with the responsibility of their safety and wel- fare. Dedication to those we serve and ourselves will be the mainstay in all that we do, while always personifying our traditions and calling by holding each other accountable for fulfilling our mission, living our values, accomplish- ing our goals, and bringing this vision to fruition

STRATEGIC GOALS GOAL 1- Enhance internal communication to foster information sharing among all levels of the department to increase effective service delivery. (Includes 6 identified objectives). GOAL 2- Increase communication with community stakeholders to improve positive relations. (Includes 5 identified objectives) GOAL 3- Maximize effectiveness of the department’s training program to better en- gage the employees with encouraging growth and enhancing customer service. (In- cludes 5 identified objectives). GOAL 4- Create consistency in leadership through training, trust, and accountability for an effective, productive, and unified workforce. (Includes 5 identified objectives). GOAL 5- Create and implement a process of knowledge sharing for position coverage to ensure that employees are recruited and developed to fill keys roles. (Includes 8 identified objectives). CORE VALUES “We Walk With P.R.I.D.E” PROFESSIONALISM- is the foundation of our general culture and guided by our commitment to public relations and external communications initiative ensuring an enhanced interaction with the community we are honored to serve. READINESS- is demonstrated by our training, technology, physical resources, and our commitment to continuous improvement. INTEGRITY- is demonstrated by doing the right thing on and off duty for the benefit of our department and the community. DEDICATION- to the improvement of the community and the safety and well- being of our fellow team members. EXCELLENCE- is at the heart of our individual and department goals, recog- nizing that we are entrusted with the safety and welfare of our community





From left to right: Driver Engineer Michael Montoya, Captain Bert Quintana, Firefighter Keith Garcia, Captain Allen Quintana, Driver Engineer Kevin Kamplain and Captain Ray Gandara. This year IAFF Local 3279 continuously met with LAFD From left to right: FF. Dustin Rogers, Capt. Daniel Garcia, management and Los Alamos County leaders to provide Driver Engineer Matt Austin and Driver Engineer Aron Wil- the best COVID-19 policies and practices for our members. liams pose for a quick picture with 2021 Breast Cancer t- We did this through collaboration in the Labor Manage- shirts. ment Committee to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all fire department personnel. New Mexico State Legislation Update: Local 3279 along with other professional firefighter unions throughout the state lobbied the passage of legislation fixing our PERA pensions. This new legislation now allows for all shi Fire- fighters in the state to report all scheduled hours to PERA. Before this legislation, Los Alamos Firefighters could only report 86% of their scheduled hours. Thanks to the generosity of so many, Local 3279 is able to make significant Charitable Contributions to very impor- tant causes: This year, Breast Cancer Awareness tee-shirt profits were donated to a young woman from Espanola who is battling breast cancer. In November 2021, Local 3279 and LAFD Fire Administra- tion partnered with LAPD and Los Alamos Public Schools to provide Thanksgiving dinners to five local families in need; two families have been selected to sponsor for Christmas this year. From left to right: Driver Engineer Daniel Archuleta and Cap- tain Bert Quintana shop for LAFD’s Thanksgiving family din- ners.

From left to right: Chief Jeff Saiz, Driver Engineer Matt Austin, Captain Tracy Stidham and Fire- fighter Ruben Martinez deliver gifts to one of our Christmas families.

The Fire Department operates with a budget which is developed in accordance with the 10-year Cooperative Agreement (CA) with the Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This agreement began on October 1, 2013 and expires on September 30, 2023. October 1, 2021 was the 9th year of the Year-10 agreement. DOE/NNSA funds 74% of labor and benefits, and overhead costs while the Los Alamos County general fund covers the remaining 26%. The CA budget for FY 2023 is $28,523,841, with approximately 76% coming from labor and benefit expenses, and 16% coming from indirect overheads. In addition to the CA, LAFD participates in the New Mexico Fire Protection Fund Distribution Act. The Department receives funding based on the number of stations protecting the jurisdiction which averages approximately $850,000 annually. In FY 2021, LAFD received a total of $840,000 from the distribution fund. These funds are used to purchase fire supplies and equipment ranging from fire hoses to firefighter training. LAFD also receives funding from the EMS Fund Act annually through the New Mexico Department of Health. The expected awarded amount for FY 2023 is $10,000. This grant is used to pay for paramedic students’ tuition costs. LAFD Funding Source Amount Amount FY23 Funding Source FY22 $100,000.00 $10,000.00 Mitigation - $850,000.00 EMS Grant $ $28,523,841.00 Fire Protection Fund Distribu- $782,000.00 tion DOE-NNSA CA& LAC General $27,895,181.75 Fund

CA Expenditures FY22 Expenditure Type Amount Services $1,135,705.87 Materials & Sup- $1,144,781.88 plies $14,204,848.00 Benefits Indirect $5,003,181.00 Totals $27,895,181.75

2021 Emergency Calls 90% 2021 Call Processing 00:01:47 2021 Turnout 00:01:59 2021 Travel 00:07:30 2021 Total Response 00:10:05 Total Emergency and Non- Emergency Calls (2017-2021) Poplulation Density Pop Density 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 Grand Total Urban Cluster 1119 933 1191 1133 1117 5493 Rural 1166 1047 1162 1131 988 5494 Wilderness 84 44 45 173 OUT 30 25 64 71 73 263 Grand Total 4420 4025 4436 4397 4240 21518 Total Units (Emergency & Non Emergency) Call Type Call Type 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 Grand Total Fire Suppression 131 118 79 107 241 676 EMS 3009 2694 3367 3068 3125 15263 Hazmat 138 167 117 344 291 1057 Rescue 214 160 223 313 403 1313 Wildland 76 98 128 135 109 546 Other 2446 1912 2279 2153 1510 10300

All Calls (Emergency and Non Emergency) Call Type Call Type 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 Grand Total 118 Fire Suppression 28 22 15 23 38 7073 396 EMS 1458 1250 1569 1422 1455 499 114 Hazmat 40 45 36 108 103 2879 11079 Rescue 90 59 79 117 130 Wildland 15 26 20 27 26 Other 768 603 698 682 471 Grand Total 2399 2005 2417 2379 2223 2021 Calls by Population Density Population Density Emergency Non Emergency Urban Cluster 631 488 Rural 737 429 Wilderness 45 39 Out of County 15 15 2021 Calls by Jurisdiction Jurisdiction Emergency Non Emergency Los Alamos County 1173 790 Los Alamos National Lab 240 166 Out of County 15 15

Call Volume by Incident Type 2017-2021 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 Fire Suppression EMS Hazmat Rescue Wildland Other Percent of Calls by Type (2017-2021) Other Fire Suppression 26% 1% Wildland 1% Rescue Hazmat EMS 4% 4% 64% Fire Suppression EMS Hazmat Rescue Wildland Other









Los Alamos High School Class of 2021 Graduation Parade

Aaron McNiff Manuel Pacheco Colorado Cordova TRAINING CAPTAIN EMS CAPTAIN DRIVER ENGINEER/ INVESTIGATOR/ INSPECTOR Howard Hall SECURITY & ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES MANAGER

Norma Jean Valdez Xavier Anderson Marisol Padilla ADMIN SERVICES TEAM LEADER MANAGEMENT ANALYST/ MANAGEMENT ANALYST ACCREDITATION MANAGER Louisa Martinez Marisha Ballew Ana Martinez LeeAnn Salazar TECHNOLOGY SPECIALIST SR. OFFICE SPECIALIST SR. OFFICE SPECIALIST SR. OFFICE SPECIALIST Sara Lujan PAYROLL & ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST

From left to right, top to bottom: Marisol Padilla, LeeAnn Salazar, Sara Lujan, Xavier Anderson, Ana Martinez, Norma Val- dez and Marisha Ballew. Not pictured: Louisa Martinez. A er nearly 15 months of remote working, on June 1, 2021, Highlights and Accomplishments the LAFD AST began re-entry to in-person in-office work- ing once again. During the pandemic, the staff found cre- • Xavier Anderson was been appointed the new Accred- ative and innovative ways to stay motivated, inspired and itation Manager. He will lead the department through connected. Despite the separation, the Team continued to the Tenth Edition Accreditation model in pursuit of ac- provide a high level of customer service. credited agency status for the sixth time in 2025. The Los Alamos Fire Department Administrative Services • In December, Xavier was elected to the position of Team experienced some staffing changes in 2021. Bev- Vice-Chair of the Rocky Mountain Accreditation and erly Purtymun, Management Analyst transferred to Los Professional Credentialling Consortium. Alamos County Information Management Division a er serving LAFD for nearly seven years. Marisol Padilla was promoted to the position of Management Analyst of Busi- ness Operations. Marisol has been with Los Alamos Coun- ty since 2011 having worked in HR for a period. Marisol brings experience and expertise in many areas of adminis- trative services. She is the County’s subject matter expert on complex payroll. In November 2021 the department welcomed Sara Lujan to the Payroll and Administrative Specialist position. Sara worked for the Los Alamos County Department of Public Utilities Customer Care prior to joining LAFD. We are ex- cited to have Sara on this team.

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Los Alamos Fire Department Emergency Medical Services CHRIS BARTLETT (EMS) provides 911 emergency response and non-emer- gency interfacility transport. Emergency medical care is DIVISION CHIEF- EMS available to anyone who calls regardless of their ability to pay. In 2021, LAFD Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics provided care to 1,539 medical and trau- ma patients. In addition to providing prehospital care for the communi- ty of Los Alamos, the EMS Division makes efforts to active- ly engage with local community residents, organizations and the healthcare community through various outreach and training activities. LAFD continues to ensure that our responders are knowl- edgeable, well equipped and protected during the CO- VID-19 pandemic. In 2021 the EMS Division supported multiple vaccine clinics, administered homebound vac- cinations and obtained a CLIA laboratory waiver to offer COVID-19 rapid antigen testing to our personnel. In Octo- ber this offering was extended to the Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) students, staff and family through a pro- gram implemented with the school nurses. The EMS Division has remained dedicated to support- ing the state and local community by utilizing the Ameri- can Heart Association hybrid learning system to provide Healthcare Provider CPR, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED training. In addition, continuing education and AHA instructor courses were delivered to area EMS and healthcare providers through the EMS outreach education program. RICK ACEDO DANIEL SANCHEZ MICHAEL GARCIA A-SHIFT B-SHIFT C-SHIFT

Chief Chis Bartlett and Chief Joseph Baca going over documentation for EMS Captain Manny Pacheco assisted homebond COVID-19 vaccinations. Los Alamos Children’s Dentistry renew their CPR Certifications. 2021 Paramedic Graduation from Santa Fe Community From left to right: Will Lundquist and Aaron Ortega at College. Paramedic Graduation

108 3 BUSINESS LICENSE FIRE WATCHES REVIEWS CONDUCTED INITIATED/ COM- 122 PLETED INSPECTIONS FIRE CODE PLAINTS/ CO INVESTIG 180 24 VIOLATIONS DOCUMENTED FIRE INVESTIGATION CONDUCTED 43 25 PLANS & OTHER RE- VIEWS CONDUCTED PERMITS ISSUED

WATCHES The Office did not experience its heaviest work- WENDY SERVEY TED/ COM- load for inspections for the community until the LETED end of the third quarter of 2021. Work assign- FIRE MARSHAL ments in the beginning of year were slowed due 6 to continued cautiousness for the COVID pan- fire investigators-inspectors: The team wel- demic coinciding with a fire code, office staffing comed Firefighter Michael McElyea and Fire- FIRE CODE COM- and so ware changes. fighter-Paramedic Brett Henry who have PLAINTS/ CONCERNS worked hard to complete their initial certifica- The beginning of the year concentrated prepa- tions. Driver-Engineer Rick Gonzales retired INVESTIGATED ration for a new fire code adoption, and con- from the team, department. Team members struction plan reviews, permitting and inspec- attended virtual, in-state, and courses at the 24 tions for new construction projects. Notable National Fire Academy to maintain continuing ESTIGATIONS projects in the community that involved Fire education hours. Overall, the team members NDUCTED Marshal review were Canyon Walk Apartments, completed 448 hours of new or initial training The Bluffs on DP Road, 195 East Road re-model, and 640 hours of continuing education. Pajarito Ski-Fire Alarm, Starbucks (old McDon- alds) and the Hill Residential site plan. • New inspection so ware: A new so ware program for County fire inspections, pre- Other significant highlights for 2021 include plans and hydrants was evaluated and the following: chosen through the procurement process. First Due, a cloud-based so ware solution • New assignment: Driver Engineer-Para- was implemented in early September and medic Colorado Cordova was interviewed has made an immediate impact reducing and chosen to assist the office in a special time that inspectors spend with adminis- assignment capacity. DE Cordova is well- trative tasks. positioned to help, as he already held cer- tifications in plan review, fire inspector and • Fire Marshal’s order: In September, a Fire investigator. DE Cordova transferred from Marshal’s Order was served to the owners the field in August 2021. of 400 Trinity to address unsafe conditions that exist per fire code that are concern- • New fire code: The International Code ing to safety for the public and firefighters. Council’s (ICC), International Fire Code This process is ongoing, but the property (IFC) 2021 edition was adopted in May 2021. will have to be repaired or demolished on The new fire code works seamlessly with or before March 30, 2022. the adopted building code and better po- sitions the office for reviews and unique challenges in the built environment such as cannabis and food trucks. National Fire Protection Association standards will con- tinue to be utilized as referenced by the IFC and for special applications. Shi • • • • •

A er the COVID-19 pandemic caused such a big mess JEFF SAIZ with our normal routine in 2020, the LANL Training Division had to think outside the box to catch up on DIVISION CHIEF- LANL TRAINING cancelled training the year before. LAFD concentrated on getting the required training finished in January. At the start of February, LAFD had a 100% completion rate. The difficulty came as LAFD needed to make up for the tours that were cancelled in 2020. With a lot of effort from LANL Institutional Training and Emergency Preparedness we were able to squeeze in the three can- celled facility tours from 2020 into 2021. We hit our 65% attendance in all eight facility tours this year. LAFD usually participates in 20 to 25 emergency drills and exercises throughout a normal year. 2021 was a slower year due to the pandemic effects. LAFD did par- ticipate in many live drills, but also improvised to do remote based drills. This was a benefit for controlling social distancing. These exercises and drills encompass numerous components including Incident Command, EMS, Fire, CBRNE, HazMat, Technical Rescue, etc. Prior to each exercise, LAFD participates in numerous plan- ning meetings to assist in exercise development and scheduling. A er each exercise, LAFD also participates in “Hot Washes” and exercise critiques to reinforce posi- tive performance and identify and implement ways to improve customer service. Pre-Incident Planning Hydrant Testing Pre-Incident Planning (PIP) continues to play a strong The Hydrant testing program also resides within this role in operations. LAFD is responsible for 1600 PIPs division. LAFD currently tests hydrants on an annual ba- which are conducted on a 3-year rotation depending on sis; there are approximately 1900 fire hydrants located risk classification. These PIP assignments are distribut- throughout the county and LANL. Field crews began ed monthly to the crews per shi and station to help ed- testing in April and finished hydrant testing in Novem- ucate them during a potential emergency response. ??? ber. LAFD is utilizing ESRI Survey 123, a GIS data gath- PIP’s were completed in 2021. Currently, LAFD is work- ering so ware to collect hydrant testing data. Survey ing with LANL on developing quick access plans for PIPs. 123 collects the hydrant testing data in real time, which These quick access plans will have the most critical, re- reduces overtime costs as personal will no longer be cent, and most commonly needed information such as needed to manually enter data. floorplans and site maps that officers need in the first few minutes of an incident. These PIPs will be available through an iPad making access quick and user friendly. Beta testing on the new devices began in the Fall of 2021 and full activation is expected in the spring of 2022.



The Los Alamos Fire Department has maintained the STEVE DAWALD Insurance Services Office (ISO) Class 1 Classification for 2021. LAFD also maintained its Accredited Agen- DEPUTY FIRE CHIEF cy status with the Commission on Fire Accreditation International (CFAI) in December 2020. This honor is LAFD is honored to provide services for the safety held by only 291 agencies worldwide. and welfare of the citizens and visitors of the county, LANL, and surrounding areas. The proud and dedi- Authorized shift staffing is currently set at 139 com- cated members of LAFD are prepared and equipped bat personnel that are trained to NFPA standards to respond to all calls for service, day, or night, for fire suppression, wildland firefighting, technical 24/7/365. rescue, hazardous materials, and radiological emer- gency response. Highlights LAFD’s combat personnel respond out of five fire • Progress towards the design stations that are strategically located throughout • Eventual construction of three fire stations the county. A sixth station, which is currently not • Delivery of three wildland water tenders, a response staffed, serves as the department’s train- • A handful of promotions, and ing station. Features at the training station include • Multiple fire and rescue responses. a training tower, burn building, confined space and technical rescue props, a burn car, a roof ventilation prop, a classroom, and a fire pump test pit. LAFD saw an increase of 16 % in its total call volume when compared to 2020 statistics. Calls for Emergen- cy Medical Services saw an increase of 238 calls while fire responses decreased by three. 64.5% of LAFD’s responses were medical in nature. LAFD crews re- sponded to 2400 total calls in 2021. LAFD congratulates Battalion Chief Joseph Baca, Captains Heath Sandoval and Dan DeVall, and Driv- er/Engineer Rick Gonzales on their retirements and thanks them for their service.





2021 was a banner year for LAFD; each member provided BEN STONE exemplary customer service, no matter the circumstances. Every firefighter has a set of traits that bind them together, BATTALION CHIEF- A SHIFT make them a team, and build an environment that leads to success. • Engineer Rick Gonzales- Retiring with 25 years. • Captain Heath Sandoval- Retiring with 16 years. Integrity- through integrity, firefighters derive trust. Trust • Firefighter Aron Williams- Promoted to Driver Engineer is of the utmost importance. Firefighters need to maintain community trust to do the job. The community trusts us with 1B. their personal property, safety, privacy, loved ones’ care, • Firefighter Matt Austin- Promoted to Driver Engineer 6A. and even their lives. For the team to function optimally, each The members of A-shi take PRIDE in our integrity, readi- member must also trust everyone on their crew as well. Fire- ness, and dedication. We want to thank our community for fighters rely on each other in every way. Integrity and trust having trust in us. We will continue to provide excellence at within the crew and the shi are essential. every opportunity. Readiness- One of the most critical aspects of a firefighter’s job is to be both physically and mentally ready to complete almost any task. This year, A-shi spent significant effort on physical fitness and training. A majority of our team met their required yearly training hours by August. The efforts of the shi have benefitted both the community and the members. Every day, the crews can safely achieve excellence in every emergency, providing the best service to the community. Dedication- Firefighters should never settle for mediocrity within themselves. We always strive for excellence no mat- ter how trivial the task may be. We are dedicated to the job and all that it entails, the thrilling and not so stimulating, the fun and exciting, and the boring and mundane. A-shi shows dedication daily, both through our members promot- ing and through our members retiring. We want to take this opportunity to congratulate the following A-shi ers for their accomplishments.



We were all hoping to move on from COVID-19 this year, STEVE SAIZ but we are unfortunately still, at the end of 2021, we are battling the pandemic. We’ve adjusted to the “new nor- BATTALION CHIEF- B SHIFT mal” routine. Our daily activities have been modified so that we can continue business as usual, which is providing purchased new electric eDraulic extrication tools for our the best fire, EMS and rescue services to the citizens of Los rescue and heavy rescue apparatus. This new equipment Alamos County, LANL, NNSA and DOE. will replace older electric extrication tools and even older gas engine equipment. We always enjoy recognizing the accomplishments of our Despite the restrictions that this pandemic has placed on own. Captain Daniel Devall retired a er 16 years of dedi- us, we continue to train in a smaller more intimate setting, cated service. We wish him the best in his next adventure instead of large groups. We are currently running an acad- in California. We would like to congratulate Division Chief emy that should alleviate some of the staffing shortages Jeff Saiz, Captain Chris Rondeau, Captain Allen Quintana we are facing. Our personnel continue to provide excep- and Driver/Engineer Kenneth Martinez on their promo- tional service while following all COVID safe practices tions this year. Although not all of them were able to stay on B-shi , we wish them the best of luck in their new posi- tions. We also gained newly promoted Captain Bert Quin- tana and Driver/Engineer Aron Williams from A-shi . They will fit in well and help our shi be successful. This year was a less than eventful year than what were used to. Out of state wildland deployments didn’t happen due to the pandemic and staffing shortages. Our person- nel have stepped up and worked tirelessly to cover our staffing shortage, mainly due to the inability to hire per- sonnel during the pandemic. We’ve had our share of small wildland fires, technical rescues, motor vehicle accidents and medical responses within the county. One area that we have been fortunate to improve on this year is equipment. We were able to purchase all new hand- line nozzles for our frontline engines and trucks. They will enable our crews to fight fire more efficiently and safely. They will also reduce the stress on the apparatus by lower- ing the apparatus needed output. We have also



2021 has been a year of social distancing. The pandemic MICAH BRITTELLE has lasted and affected all of us for much longer than any of us could have imagined. We have been doing our best BATTALION CHIEF- C SHIFT to navigate the “new normal” and get our jobs done safely and efficiently through the ever-changing rules and recom- Throughout the year we conducted numerous trainings to mendations. It appears the only constant this year were maintain our response readiness. One of the most memo- the masks. rable was a joint training with the Bernalillo County Met- ropolitan Air Support Unit (MASU). The MASU unit flew 2021 brought several promotions to C-shi . We welcomed there circa 1970 UH-1 Huey rescue helicopter to Station Captain Chris Rondeau from B Shi , and shortly a er lost 3 for some multi agency rescue training. Members of the Captain Bert Quintana to A shi as they climbed the pro- department learned a lot about helicopter rescue opera- motional chain into their well-deserved Captain positions. tions, and a handful of off duty personnel got to go for a We were able to retain Driver Engineer Kevin Kamplain and ride. It was such an impressive sight that several residents Driver Engineer Andres Madueño a er their hard work and in White Rock called 911 to report it. dedication to be promoted to driver engineer. For half the year, most of the local workforce was working remotely and although we weren’t, we still experienced our own remote issues. In March C Shi responded to a Drone that had crashed and caught fire. Although the fire was out before we arrived it was surprising to hear about the drone crashing out of the sky. At the end of August several crews spent the day looking for smoke reported by a remote pilot. In October the remotes were out to sur- prise us again as we responded to an RV fire at the RC park in white rock. Throughout the rest of the year, we didn’t seem to run as many memorable calls. Through all this so- cial distancing and remote work, it would appear the com- munity had mastered the art of recreating outdoors, as our trail rescues seemed to have decreased this past year. C-Shi had the honor of flying the American flag over NM 502 as World War II Veteran Joe Bergstein took his final ride out of Los Alamos to his final resting place at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. We had that giant flag out again in September as we sup- ported the first annual firework extravaganza for Labor Day weekend at Overlook Park. Los Alamos Fire Department was honored to assist with the funeral procession of World War II Veteran Joe Bergstein. Mr. Bergstein sur- vived both being a Prisoner of War (POW) and the Bataan Death march during World War II. After the war Mr. Bergstein also worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) until 1987 when he retired.

Los Alamos Fire Department was part of a collaborative effort to vaccinate over 700 people. This effort was organized by Nambe Drugs, Los Alamos County Emergency Managers Office and several community volunteers. The Safety Division of the Los Alamos Fire Department TODD FORSYTHE oversees all aspects of firefighter health and safety. In 2021, the Safety Division had a few changes and contin- DIVISION CHIEF- SAFETY ued to face challenges due to COVID-19. Division Chief Joseph Baca led the Safety Division until his retirement Fitness initiative. These annual exams and assessments on October 1st. At that time Division Chief Todd Forsythe are designed to ensure the safety of our firefighters by transitioned from LANL Training to Safety. Chief Baca maintaining a fit and healthy force to be ready to perform and Chief Forsythe both chaired the Occupational Health the essential job tasks of firefighting at a moment’s no- and Safety committees with oversight of the respiratory tice. The Criterion Task Test (CTT) is the physical agility protection program, clothing program, and the Safety test consisting of timed firefighting activities that mem- Division management program. Senior Office Specialists bers must complete in a specific amount of time. Marisha Ballew and LeeAnn Salazar are assigned to sup- port the division and safety programs. The division has Alternative Work Assignment (AWA) operational fire captains assigned to work with respec- tive clothing and SCBA teams which consist of dedicated In 2021, 8 firefighters participated in the Alternative Work department members who help to accomplish respective Assignment (AWA) program. AWA program is initiated program goals and annual requirements. and managed under the direction of Los Alamos Coun- ty administrative policy 1147 Workers Compensation Throughout 2021, LAFD continued to make changes and Guidelines for occupational injuries/illness and return to worked efficiently to ensure the safety of all LAFD mem- work for non-occupational injuries. Assignments of the bers by continuing to support LAFD Peer Fitness Team AWA program are temporary and determined on a case- (PFT), Clothing Team, SCBA Team, and Peer Support by-case bases with approval from the Fire Chief. Team. The teams consisted of members who all work ef- ficiently to remain proactive in many different aspects of the department to promote new and safer fire trends. In addition to being committed to the safety of LAFD fire- fighters, the division works closely with the administra- tive side to provide health and wellness programs to the LAFD firefighters. Health Wellness and Fitness Fitness: The department provides annual medical exams, microfits, and other fitness assessments that meet or ex- ceed NFPA standards and the requirements of the Well- ness and



The Training Division provides over- The Training Division is working to JAMES THWAITS sight for the development and man- get STT members to become adjunct agement for the development, de- instructors through the New Mexico DIVISION CHIEF- TRAINING livery, evaluation and improvement State Firefighters Training Academy of all education and certification to which will allow us to assist trainings paper rosters. With Target Solutions ensure the safety, preparedness, ef- at the State Training Academy there fectiveness, and career development as well as hold more IFSAC trainings We are able to easily compile training of LAFD personnel. within Los Alamos. Some STT mem- data and send out Training Progress bers hold EMS Instructor Level and reports monthly. All required annual Division Chief James Thwaits and AHA Instructor Levels in Heart Saver, training is now tracked through Target Captain Aaron McNiff have shared the Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Solutions. responsibilities of the Training Divi- Life Support (ALS), Paramedic Ad- sion since 2018. We have continued to vanced Life Support (PALS), and Pedi- Continuing Education/Professional strengthen our interagency relation- atric Emergency Assessment Recogni- Development ship with the New Mexico State Fire- tion and Stabilization (PEARS). fighters’ Training Academy (NMFFTA) LAFD has partnered with multiple and work directly with them to bring Our Incident Command System (ICS) Universities to offer degree programs IFSAC (International Fire Service Ac- is based on Blue Card training. This to LAFD personnel. Degrees included creditation Congress (IFSAC) courses command training and certification are in Emergency Management, Fire to Los Alamos and the surrounding system trains our personnel on com- Science, Wildland Fire Science, Wild- counties. mand safety that ensures the high- land Fire Science, and Emergency est level of safety and coordination Medical Services can be achieved. In 2021 we the Training Division con- on emergency scenes. LAFD main- LAFD continues to strive to improve in tinued to work on our Quality Mat- tains this training at 100% complet- all aspects of training. During the con- ters evaluation programs which are ed for the ranks of Driver Engineer tinuing on-going COVID-19 Pandemic designed to improve courses taught and above. Members must initially and social distancing health order, the here at LAFD. We used information complete a 50- hour online training Training Division continued to utilize gathered in 2020 and designed more program and completion of a hands video and recorded trainings in Tar- hands- on realistic trainings that in- on fire simulation evaluation. Af- get Solutions for all field personnel. corporated Fire and EMS. These train- ter successful completion members The Training Division also conduct- ings were well received by the depart- must maintain their certification by ed trainings using MicroSo TEAMS ment. We received a lot of feedback completing 36 hours of strategic and meeting platform was also used to in 2021 that we plan on incorporating command training every 3 years as conduct training as well as conduct- into the trainings in 2022. well as successfully completing their ing hybrid trainings where some of ICS evaluation requirements in order the course material was taught online The Training Division in conjunction to maintain their Blue Card Certifica- with hands on skills instructed at the with the shi Battalion Chiefs oversees tion. LAFD had scheduled to add two Fire Stations. the LAFD Shi Training Team (STT). more internal Blue Card instructors This team consists of 12 members (, 4 in 2021 but due to COVID restrictions on each shi ), that are responsible for these trainer sessions were cancelled. facilitating all department trainings Based on newly promoted personnel, that occur on their designated shi . required Blue Card Training will be as- These trainings include cover all dis- signed Blue Card training completed ciplines – including but not limited to per Fire Chief Directive (FCD) 400.15 – fire suppression, EMS, technical res- Incident Command and Blue Card cue, HAZMAT, fire investigation, and Manual. administrative trainings. All members are certified to the NFPA 1403 Stan- Target Solutions learning manage- dard on Llive Fire Training Evolutions. ment system continues to be a key All members are recertified each year training resource for delivery of train- giving the department four live fire in- ing, records management, ISO Train- structors per shi . This allows for bet- ing compliance, and special program ter utilization of the burn building for training management. We are able live fire training evolutions. to use this system to track real time training data and minimize the use of

Fire Academy #29 Staff includes: Captain Michael Cayton, Firefighter Brian Palmer, LAFD has a structured method of and Firefighter David Baca. training to the rank of firefighter. During the LAFD Academy, new- January - March 2021 - ERRT Ventila- hire personnel are referred to tion and Unique Material’s Training as Recruits. The 24-week fire training academy includes a five- January 2021 - Blue Card SIM Labs week EMS program. Recruits re- ceive formal classroom training January – February 2021 - Respiratory up to the Fire Fighter II level. A er Refresher Training one year of probation, an exam is administered and successful February – April 2021 - Wildland Re- completion will allow advance- fresher/Wildland Pack Test ment to Firefighter I (FFI). A FF I is mentored by senior firefight- March 2021 - FDSOA Incident Safety ers while on probation. This pro- Officer Course bation is for an additional year that includes our a Driver Relief March - April 2021 – IFSAC HAZMAT Program. Successful completion Chemistry Course will allow the advancement to Firefighter II (FFII). The Training May 2021- IFSAC HAZMAT Technician Academy Course May 2021 – Coaching the Emergency Vehicle Operator (CEVO) driver train- ing June 2021 – IFSAC Fire Officer II Course July 26, 2021 – Start of LAFD Academy 29 August 2021 – NFPA 1031 Fire Plans Examiner course October 2021- ICS 300/400 course November – December 2021 – Emer- gency Management Training

It is again my pleasure to give the 2021 Annual Report KELLY STERNA for the Wildland Division. Continually adjusting to CO- VID-19 precautions were a challenge, nonetheless, LAFD DIVISION CHIEF- WILDLAND responded locally and nationally to assist with wildland fire suppression. In 2021, LAFD sent personnel and ap- LAFD Wildland Division was successful in securing addi- paratus to multiple, incident team managed, large fires in tional grant funding in 2021. The department was award- New Mexico in addition to deployments to California, Ari- ed a grant in the amount of $15,000 through the New zona, Oregon, and Montana. LAFD continued to provide Mexico Association of Counties to update its Community mutual aid to multiple agencies across Northern New Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Los Alamos County is Mexico. LAFD crews again assisted Bandelier National one of a handful of counties in NM that have completed Park by providing severity patrols to help supplement re- multiple updates of its CWPP. LAFD also gained county source shortages. council approval for an annual mitigation budget that will begin in 2022. This will allow for continuous treat- This past year, in partnership with LANL, LAFD took deliv- ment of county property to further reduce wildfire risk ery of three Type 2 tactical wildland water tenders. LAFD within the community. expects delivery of the last three Type 2 tactical water tenders in early 2022. LAFD acquired an additional sUAS platform to aid in missions such as search & rescue and wildland fire scouting/size up. This platform also has light detection and ranging (LIDAR) which will aid in proj- ect planning for fuels reduction projects. Through fund- ing of LANL Weapons Facility Operations (WFO), LAFD took delivery of one of two robotic firefighting systems. These systems will supplement LAFD responses that re- quire unique, unmanned firefighting. LAFD is one of only a few departments in the U.S. to have such capabilities.





2021 was a productive year for the Los Alamos Fire Depart- Suit Proficiencies. We are excited to see Covid-19 restric- ment Hazardous Materials Team! This being the second tions decrease so the Hazmat challenge can expand will year with Covid-19 protocols in place made training and more teams this year. We are also excited to continue our responding difficult. Our team really put forth a good ef- training with their team. fort despite this new normal we have been dealing with. We recently obtained a new vehicle that will be our back up The LAFD Hazmat Team is committed to protecting the Hazmat vehicle. We obtained this new truck from Sandia public from hazardous materials incidents and will contin- Emergency Management and look forward to outfitting it ue to hone our skills and take advantage of training oppor- with equipment. This will expand our resources and help tunities to ensure the team is ready to respond to incidents us reach our goal of becoming a FEMA Type 1 Hazmat Entry at LANL, in our community, all of New Mexico, and hope- Team ready for deployed to hazardous materials emergen- fully soon the entire Southwest Region. We will continue cies in our own community as well as regional responses. to upgrade equipment and educate the Department on Having two trucks will allow our team to cover the labs Hazmat equipment and response tactics. with our primary HMT-1 vehicle and this backup vehicle can leave the county to provide mutual aid during large scale events. During 2021 the Los Alamos Hazmat team responding to numerous lab site fires, chemical releases, and motor vehicle accidents, fuel spills, gas leaks, and identification of unmarked containers in the public. The Los Alamos Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team re- sponded to an unidentified object that was dug up along DP road where the new Apartments are being built by Fire Training Station 2. This event allowed our members to uti- lize their skills to identify the material that was unknown. The Los Alamos Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team also assisted in the response of a chemical fire at a LANL contractor lab site. Chemical identification was used on this incident as well. Our team and our sophisticated monitoring equipment proved to be a valuable resource during these responses. The Los Alamos Fire Department Hazardous Materials Team assisted the LANL Hazmat team at several responses on LANL property and continues to work effectively with the LANL Hazmat team. Our relation- ship with that LANL Hazmat team continues to grow as we now have training events with their team to allow us to form closer bonds with the LANL team and increase our skills and knowledge. Training and Education consisted of quarterly training in- volving props, advanced air monitor operation and inter- pretation, Radiation Responses, scenarios, and Level A 2021 HAZMAT INCIDENTS 84