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Los Alamos Fire Department honored for lifesaving rescue; chiefs warn of extreme wildfire risk and urge Ready-Set-Go preparedness
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Summary
Fire officials presented Phoenix Awards to emergency responders and family members who helped save a cardiac-arrest patient, and delivered a Ready-Set-Go briefing stressing extreme drought, home assessments, mitigation work and a move to the Everbridge alert system.
Los Alamos Fire Department recognized crews and family members on Feb. 10 after the department’s resuscitation of a cardiac-arrest patient who later left the hospital with good neurological outcome. The county presented Phoenix Awards — an EMS honor for cases that result in survival and hospital discharge — to firefighters, paramedics and emergency communications staff involved in the incident. Patient Anthony Montoya, who attended the ceremony, thanked the responders and family members who acted before EMS arrived: "This was quite a miracle," he said.
The awards presentation was followed by a detailed wildfire preparedness briefing from wildland Chief Van Leimer and Fire Chief Eric Litzenberg. Leimer described Los Alamos County as being at "extreme" wildfire risk because of ongoing drought and local fuels, and outlined the department’s Ready-Set-Go program: home assessments, defensible-space priorities, evacuation planning, and a public push to register for the Everbridge alert system that replaces Code Red. He noted recent mitigation work, including about 32 acres treated with a Burnbot operation and roughly 200 acres addressed since a 2020 DHS grant made mitigation activity possible.
Officials emphasized household actions as well as public and interagency planning. Leimer advised a 0–5-foot fuel-free zone directly adjacent to homes and recommended a 100-foot mitigated area around residences where feasible to prevent canopy spread. He also described practical measures — clearing pine needles, trimming ladder fuels, keeping flammable outdoor items away from structures, installing spark arrestors on chimneys, and preparing a go-kit with documents and medications. The department said it is coordinating evacuation-route planning with partners including the Forest Service, Bandelier National Monument and Los Alamos National Laboratory and conducting tabletop exercises with schools and the hospital.
Fire officials invited residents to a county wildfire preparedness day scheduled for April 4, and said the county expects to roll out Everbridge registration this spring with QR-code tests and outreach. Leimer said some mitigation techniques and materials are costly — he gave an example of a property where correct mitigation could approach $100,000 — and encouraged residents to seek available community or state funding and to document work for insurers. The department said it will continue home-assessment outreach and will provide written recommendations to residents so they can present mitigation documentation to insurers if needed.
The presentation closed with offers for individual assistance: the fire department said it will continue home assessments, share guidance on mitigation products and make Ready-Set-Go materials available at fire administration and online. Councilors and residents asked about funding for low-income homeowners, options for seasonal restroom and stable-area safety, and how to publicize refuge or temporary survival areas for neighborhoods with limited evacuation routes.
