Retiring Los Alamos Fire Chief Wendy Servey during Thursday’s celebration of her 19 years of service to LAFD in Council Chambers at the Municipal Building. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Chief Servey is joined by her wife, Liz, right, and her sister Cricket Thursday during her retirement celebration. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
LAFD Capt. Jason Block presents Chief Servey with the traditional retirement ax from Los Alamos Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 3279. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
LAFD Acting Deputy Chief Tim Johnson, right was the emcee for Thursday’s event. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Members of the El Dorado Volunteer Department joined in the celebration for their long-time volunteer and elected chief Wendy Servey. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
When Los Alamos Fire Chief Wendy Servey retires Friday, Mar. 27 after more than 19 years of service to Los Alamos Fire Department, her plan is to have “no plan”. She will end her last day at LAFD with her retirement parade to LAFD Station 4 on Diamond Drive, where she began as a probationary firefighter in 2006.
“I was on the 4B Shift then, with Justin Grider, Scott Lucido, Brian Martinez, Jeff Wetteland and Jerry Adair,” Servey said. Grider, who retired from LAFD as Deputy Chief in 2016, holds Chief Servey in high esteem.
Moving up through the ranks of any fire department requires a great deal of hard work, continuing education and strong leadership. Originally from near Cleveland, Ohio, Servey earned a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Science in Design & Visual Communication at Bowling Green State University and worked in that field before taking night classes in fire and emergency medical services.
Servey’s “first first” was when she joined a fire department in Coventry Township near Akron, Ohio as their first female fire medic and worked her way up to shift leader.
“I was being scripted for a desk job and wasn’t ready to get off the street,” she said. So she accepted a job as firefighter/paramedic with Santa Fe County where she worked for two years. She applied to Los Alamos Fire Department in 2006 because she decided she liked the structure of a “career department” and that’s when she went through her third fire academy!
Servey was promoted to captain in 2009 and had earned an Associate’s Degree in Firefighting & Fire Science before being promoted to Battalion Chief in 2014. She spent three years as Chief of the Safety Division before becoming Battalion Chief for B Shift.
It was at this point that the Reporter first got to know Servey as her new Operations position put her in charge of five firehouses and 37 personnel. Servey loved being back in operations with 48 hours on duty followed by four days off.
Other “firsts” in Servey’s career, of course, included first female LAFD Deputy Chief and then Chief. She is only the third person in LAFD history to graduate from the National Fire Academy Executive Fire Officer program.
Wendy and her partner Liz live in El Dorado where they are both long-time volunteers for She El Dorado Fire and Rescue Service where Servey was the elected District Chief for seven years.
Servey is looking forward to spending more time on her favorite hobbies, which include hiking, fishing, art and photography, as well as traveling by RV and camping with Liz! First of all, she would like to enjoy getting up later in the mornings for a while!
County employees join Chief Wendy Servey for a group shot. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Chief Wendy Servey chats with County Project Manager Sobia Sayeda. The two have been working on the new LAFD Station 4 Project. Photo by MaireO’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Chief Wendy Servey poses with County colleagues. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Deputy Los Alamos County Manager Juan Rael, left, reads from the plaque he presented to Fire Chief Wendy Servey on the occasion of her retirement. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com
Chief Wendy Servey and Los Alamos County Public Utilities Manager Philo Shelton. Photo by Maire O’Neill/losalamosreporter.com