Chief Ken Pimlott fell in love with the fire service while still a teenager.

Following in his father’s footsteps, he began working as a seasonal firefighter right out of high school and quickly became addicted to the challenges of saving lives and property from destruction. He also enjoyed the camaraderie of working in a firehouse. “The best part about the fire service is the teamwork,” Pimlott says. “You all look out for each other.”

Even though Pimlott is no longer actively fighting fires, he hasn’t forgotten the lessons of his youth and continues striving to keep California safe from fires, despite the budget setbacks of the last few years. Since his appointment as director of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) in 2011, he’s worked tirelessly to increase wildfire preparedness and educate residents about what they can do if a wildfire strikes through Cal Fire’s Web site, readyforwildfire.org. Pimlott is also proud of the recent completion of Cal Fire’s 2012 Strategic Plan, a 5-year roadmap for improvements including the replacement of the department’s helicopter fleet. Yet for Pimlott, the best part about his job is the opportunity to once again work as part of a team. “It’s an absolute blessing,” he says. “Everybody brings their skill set to the table.”

For more about Ken Pimlott and other local happenings and information, be sure to pick up this month's copy of Style – El Dorado County Foothills edition. Click on the Get Your Copy link on this Web site for some of our newsstand locations; click on the Subscribe link on this Web site to become a regular subscriber, or to order a copy of this issue or one of our back issues, please email  [email protected], or call 916-988-9888.