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Staff

Administration 

Richard Lasky

Fire Chief

Onboarding in March 2024

Chief Rick Lasky is a 40-plus year veteran of the fire service. Rick followed in his father’s footsteps beginning his career as a firefighter in the suburbs on the southwest side of Chicago and has been a line firefighter, firefighter-paramedic, company grade officer, training officer, and command-level officer.

While in Illinois he received the 1996 International Society of Fire Service Instructors “Innovator of the Year” award for his part in developing the “Saving Our Own” program, a program designed to teach firefighters how to save firefighters that have become trapped or lost in a burning building. Throughout his 40-plus years in the fire service, he has served as a career and volunteer firefighter. Rick is a long-standing editorial advisory board member for Fire Engineering Magazine, serves on the FDIC International conference advisory board, and as an author has written over 200 technical articles that have been published in national fire-rescue journals. These magazine articles relate to fire department operations, administration, training, and firefighter safety. He is the author of the best-selling books “Pride and Ownership-A Firefighter’s Love of the Job” and “Five Alarm Leadership: From the Firehouse to the Fireground” published by Fire Engineering Books and is the co-host for the podcast “The Command Post” heard on FireEngineering.com as well as the podcast “Old School.”

Rick has also served as a police officer and was wounded on several occasions, once while defending a victim of family violence, and has received numerous fire and police awards and commendations. He was also honored in 2011 as an inductee into the Chicago Softball Hall of Fame. He is a Lewisville Honorary Police Officer and Honorary Battalion Commander in the 18th Battalion of the FDNY (New York City Fire Department). In 2017, he was the recipient of the Tom Brennan Lifetime Achievement Award.  He lives in Estes Park, is married to his best friend Jami and they have two children Rick and Emily.

 

 

Erika Goetz, PHR, SHRM-CP

Chief of Staff

Staff Photo of Chief of Staff Erika Goetz

Erika has worked in the Human Resource field for 17 years. She has an Associate Degree in Human Resources and holds both a PHR and SHRM-CP certification. Prior to working at the fire district, she worked in the Office of Human Resources with the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Erika joined the Fire District as an Administrative Assistant and has since been promoted to Chief of Staff due to the high level of competence and value she brings to the organization. Erika also serves as the District's Public Information Officer (PIO), managing social media and communications. 

​Erika joined Estes Valley in February 2015. She lives in Estes Park.

 

 

Marinda Baxter

Administrative Assistant

Photo of Marinda Baxter

Marinda recently joined the Fire District as an administrative assistant.  She was born and raised in Northwest Arkansas where she attended the Sam Walton College of Business.  Marinda has worked in various administrative and customer service positions over the last 15 years.  She relocated to Colorado in 2014 and has lived in Estes Park for the past 5 years working in Real Estate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operations 

Paul Capo, CTO

Interim Fire Chief

Division Chief of Operations & Training

Staff Photo of Division Chief of Operations Paul Capo

Chief Capo has been a firefighter since 1996. He  achieved his B.A.S. in Public Safety Administration, Masters in Biblical & Theological Studies and instructs on all levels and topics of firefighting.  Paul Capo holds his National Registry Paramedic Certification and is the Founder of When Things Go Bad, Incorporated where he develops a vast compliment of firefighter curriculum and training. His diverse teaching includes, but not limited to: FDIC (Fire Department Instructors Conference), Fire House Expo, Orlando Fire Conference, Fire Rescue East, Wichita HOT, etc. where he trains on multiple subjects in fire service academia. In addition, he frequently instructs and consults in areas of firefighter self-preservation – the physiological changes during firefighter survival. Chief Capo was recognized as the 2022 Colorado Fire Training Officer of the Year  

Chief Capo joined Estes Valley in October 2017. He lives in Estes Park with his wife, Kristie, and two children.

 

Christopher Thomas

Training Captain & Volunteer Coordinator

Staff Photo of Training Lieutenant and Volunteer Coordinator Christopher Thomas

Lieutenant Thomas joined the Estes Valley Fire District as a volunteer in 2018. He became a volunteer lieutenant in 2020, and was hired to the full time staff in 2021. In this role he supports Operations through the development and delivery of fire training, recruitment and training of new members, and support for all volunteer functions. 

Lieutenant Thomas joined Estes Valley as a volunteer in 2018 and full time in 2021. He lives in Estes Park with his wife, Aracely, and two children. 

 

Support Services 

Jon Landkamer

Photo of Chief Jon Landkamer

Division Chief of Support Services

Chief Landkamer joined the Estes Valley Fire District as a volunteer firefighter in 1991. He has held many positions throughout his volunteer career with the District, culminating with his designation as Volunteer Assistant Chief from 2014 until March of 2022. Chief Landkamer has been a full time resident of Estes Park since 1986, having spent almost thirty years of his career living and working at YMCA of the Rockies, Estes Park Center, in the Buildings & Grounds Department. His last twenty-three years of that career were spent as the Superintendent of Buildings & Grounds, in a leadership role for all things facility and safety related for the YMCA.  In 2015, Chief Landkamer transitioned to the Town of Estes Park where he developed and led the new Facilities Division, as part of the Public Works leadership team.

Chief Landkamer joined Estes Valley full-time in March 2022. He lives in Estes Park.

 

 

Stacey Sutherland

Fire Safety Assistant

Stacey is a Firefighter/EMT who brings fifteen years of emergency medical experience and twenty years of management and customer service to serve the Estes Valley community. Stacey is passionate about public safety. She was an instructor for the EMT certification program at Front Range for five years, and did outdoor recreation education and mentored youth through a counseling program for twelve years, and has spent the last eighteen years using her management and emergency medical skills to help mitigate disaster relief. Her love for nature, community and public safety inspired her to be a firefighter and work in fire prevention.

Stacey lives in the Estes Valley with her family. She joined the department in 2022.

 

Wesley Keller

Wildland Specialist

Wesley comes to us after spending twenty-one years as a Forest Fire Specialist Supervisor with the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, where he supervised the operation of a wildland fire station. He began his service as a seasonal employee for ten years, before gaining full-time status. Wesley also served thirty-five years as a Forest Fire Warden for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Wesley was the Northeastern Area State’s Representative to the NWCG Risk Management Committee, he also served on the NWCG Mental Health Subcommittee and was a member of the NFPA Wildland Fire Standards Committees. Wesley currently serves as a member of the Forest Service’s Community Mitigation Assistance Team.

Wesley worked a combination of nine seasons with the Forest Service and Park Service.

In 1978 Wesley became a Volunteer Firefighter/EMT in his hometown combination department and served as the Borough of Dunmore’s Emergency Management Director.

He was also a member of the Covington Volunteer Fire Department, serving as Firefighter/EMT.  

Wesley joined Estes Valley in February 2023. He lives in Estes Park.