Firefighter of the Year and other honors awarded at South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue ceremony

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF. - South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) had their annual awards ceremony on Friday January 27 to celebrate their accomplishments in 2016 and honor staff and volunteers.

Firefighter of the Year - Brenan Davis
Paramedic of the Year - Kim George

Fire Chief Jeff Meston's Meritorious Awards went to Tyler Jack for his work on the department's social media accounts and to the City's Press Information Officer Tracy Franklin.

Family is important to SLTFR, and to show that the department is "one big family," Meston and his team honored the following special moments of 2016:

Karl Koeppen, Tim Spencer and Jim Drennan were promoted to battalion chiefs.
Al Martinez, Kim George and Steve Monday were all promoted to captain.
Mike Taormina was promoted to engineer.
Justin and Jessica Keys were married.
Dustin and Sara Winter were married.
New baby sons for Holt and Andria Cawelti, Mike and Celeste Taormina, and Scott and Raina Blasser.
The retirement of Capt. Marty Creel and Capt. Kenin Farley.

Chief Meston also highlighted a few of the department's accomplishments during the year:

-A year of reorganization with a transition out of ambulance transportation system and passing those duties to the Cal Tahoe JPA.

-Public education remained important with Wildland Fire Expo, Firefest, school visits, fire extinguisher training, fire station open houses and South Tahoe Action Team (STAT) participation and training.

-Replacement of aging fire engine approved. The replacement engine will be in SLT in about a year.

-Participation in a number of wildland fire assignments through the state.