East Fork Battalion Chief celebrates 27 years of service

East Fork Battalion Chief Troy Valenzuela shared information about the East Fork Fire Protection District with the Minden Rotary Club who celebrated his 27 years of service and just six more weeks to go until retirement.

The Fire District covers 680 square miles - from Topsy Lane to Topaz and ridge to ridge. Twenty-seven full-time firefighters are employed and a contingent of volunteers provide logistical support. The department handles 7,000 calls per year and provides Fire, EMS, and hazardous materials services as well as tactical response with the Sheriff’s department.

Four ambulances are part of the fire district rather than a separate service and transport patients to local facilities as well as Reno and Tahoe. “The allure of the job is the variety” stated Valenzuela, “Every call is so different.”

Fire services used to be under the Douglas County umbrella. In 2014-15, East Fork established their own fire board and are now completely separate from the County. The Fire District is funded by ad valorem taxes, sales taxes, user fees for ambulance transportation and sometimes fire services.

In the Q&A, questions were raised regarding the Ruhenstroth Fire building, the new tender fee and insurance companies dropping homeowners. Valenzuela stated that the Ruhenstroth building is now leased out to the Forest Service as the local volunteer numbers diminished. Ruhenstroth is serviced by the fire station in the Ranchos. The Forest Service can be pulled in to assist with wildland fires.

The new tender fee involves a push towards in-home fire suppression sprinklers. This would entail inclusion of a fire suppression system or a $5,000 fire tender fee to cover the cost of bringing a fire tender with water to homes where a fire hydrant is too far away.

Valenzuela indicated that some homeowners are receiving letters from insurance companies indicating their home insurance policies are being dropped because their “heat zone has been reevaluated.”

These letters seem to be infrequent but are happening.

“Happy Retirement Chief Venezuela,”

The Minden Rotary Club meets at noon every Thursday in the COD Casino Garage. Join to learn and get involved in the community.