New fire chief selected for South Lake Tahoe

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The new fire chief hired for South Lake Tahoe is no stranger to the Sierra Nevada and El Dorado County.

Clive Savacool, the former chief of the Garden Valley Fire Protection District, will be taking the helm at South Lake Tahoe Fire Protection District, a position vacated when Jeff Meston retired in February 2019.

Savacool is originally from San Luis Obispo and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. He began his fire service career with the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District in 1996. Savacool promoted through the ranks from Firefighter/Paramedic to Battalion Chief, serving as the Union Vice President and as the County's Training Chief.

“The experience and dedication Clive Savacool will bring to the Fire Department in South Lake Tahoe is outstanding,” said Interim City Manager Brad Kilger, “Fire safety is a top priority in the City and the expertise Chief Savacool brings to South Lake Tahoe will keep us moving in the right direction.”

In 2016, Savacool was hired as chief of the Garden Valley Fire Protection District in El Dorado County. He has also held positions on several boards and committees, including the National Fire Protection Agency, Office of the California State Fire Marshal, and as President of the El Dorado County Fire Chiefs Association.

“It has been my privilege to work in the fire service my entire adult life,” said Savacool, “I know with my experience and the talented employees at South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue, I’m confident we can accomplish great things together.”

Savacool will start his new position on April 20, 2020.

In February of this year, the 41-year-old Savacool stepped down from his job in Garden Valley to leave room on the payroll for a firefighter who nearly died last summer in an El Dorado County fire. Voters there had defeated a $111 parcel tax increase that would have brought in an extra $400,000 annually to the department. Without it, a firefighter would have to be cut from the payroll.

In addition to his fire service career, Savacool is the founder of Exposure Tracker, a successful startup company focused on firefighter health and safety.

Outside of the fire service, Savacool is also an instructor and competitive motorcycle racer.

In October 2019, Ken Harrison was hired as the new chief but later declined the job offer without starting on the job. During the time without a chief, Bruce Martin has held the job of the interim chief and Battalion Chief Jim Drennan also worked in an interim chief capacity.