Los Alamos County’s newly appointed Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg. Courtesy photo
COUNTY NEWS RELEASE
The community is invited to attend a meet and greet with newly appointed Los Alamos County Fire Chief Erik Litzenberg from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, at Fuller Lodge, 2132 Central Ave., Los Alamos.
The Los Alamos County Council unanimously affirmed the appointment of Litzenberg as the new fire chief during its regular session on Dec. 16, 2025, following a nationwide search that began in fall 2025. He brings more than 28 years of experience, technical expertise, and leadership to the position, including many years of service in the local region.
Litzenberg will begin with the Los Alamos Fire Department (LAFD) beginning Monday, Jan. 5, 2026 alongside Fire Chief Wendy Servey, who is retiring in early 2026.
“I’m honored to serve the members of the Los Alamos Fire Department and community, including Los Alamos National Laboratory. I look forward to working alongside our dedicated team of fire professionals and county leadership to provide stability and ensure we’re well-positioned to excel in our mission.” Litzenberg said.
LAFD is one of the largest career fire departments in northern New Mexico. The all-hazards emergency response organization provides fire suppression, emergency medical services, technical rescue, hazardous materials mitigation, aviation rescue, fire prevention, fire investigation, code enforcement, public education, and domestic preparedness planning. LAFD serves Los Alamos County, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Bandelier National Monument with a career staff of 177 personnel (166 uniformed/11 civilian) and operates out of 5 stations and a training station.
During his career, Litzenberg has served in leadership roles such as the senior fire advisor for the International Association of Fire Chiefs, chair of the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Executive Board, fire chief for both the City of Santa Fe and Santa Fe County, and city manager for the City of Santa Fe.
Litzenberg has a diverse and comprehensive educational background, with a Doctor of Philosophy in Sports Administration, master’s degrees in Security Studies and Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology. He has also completed the Executive Fire Officer Program at the National Fire Academy, the Executive Academy at the Naval Postgraduate School, and is a New Mexico licensed paramedic and certified hazardous materials technician.
County Manager Anne Laurent stated she is confident in Litzenberg’s abilities and knows he will continue LAFD’s steadfast work serving the unique needs of our community and the broader goals of the public and the Council, focusing on ensuring overall community safety through proactive and sustained implementation of fire and emergency response, as well as continuing to take actions to protect our natural resources.