Annual South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue awards celebration

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue (SLTFR) held its annual awards ceremony on Friday night, celebrating a year of new firefighters, new babies, promotions, and other accomplishments.

SLTFR Chief Clive Savacool led the ceremony with about 60 people filling City Council Chambers. He reflected on 2021 and the challenges the department faced with fires, city evacuations, snowstorms, and power outages, as well as managing the pandemic with sick firefighters and vaccination clinics.

Highlights

There were several people honored for their work, including the winner of the Fire Chiefs Meritorious Award which was given to Jake Reginato who was recognized for his work with the Caldor Fire and vaccination clinics.

Haven Wilvers was presented the Firefighter of the Year Award.

Samantha Williams received the Dispatcher of the Year Award. It was presented to her by her father, who is a retired Battalion Chief.

Sallie Ross, who is the Department Public Information Officer, was presented a badge by Chief Savacool and pinned on by her partner Shellie. Sallie trained at the National Fire Academy in Maryland and at the California Specialized Training Institute in San Luis Obispo.

Union President Al Martinez presented the SLTFR ceremonial bell, which was recently refurbished.

New Firefighter Marty Rider was sworn in by Chief Savacool and was pinned by his wife Alex and 5-year-old daughter Mila.

Battalion Chief Karl Koeppen designed a special challenge coin to commemorate the unity between agencies and their work fighting the Caldor Fire. A coin was given to everyone in the department.