Pagosa Fire Protection District
The Pagosa Fire Protection District (PFPD) congratulates Chief Randy Larson on his next chapter of accomplishment — retirement.
Larson began his fire service career Sept. 3, 1981, with the Amarillo Fire Department in Amarillo, Texas. During his time on Amarillo Fire Department, he worked his way from probationary firefighter up to the rank of lieutenant. He held certifications in structural and aircraft firefighting, technical rescue, incident command, driver operator for aerial apparatus, and hazardous materials response, just to name a few. He was also accredited as an Instructor III and Fire Officer II. During that time, he was also an instructor at Amarillo College teaching the Firefighter Academy, Haz-Mat Academy, Fire Protection Technologies Degree Program and Environmental Safety Program.
After leaving Amarillo, Larson worked as the deputy chief of operations and training at Upper Pine River Fire Protection District in Bayfield, Colo. When the opportunity presented itself to follow his dream of living in a small mountain community, he accepted a position with the PFPD.
Originally hired as the assistant chief in August 2015, Larson was appointed as interim fire chief in March 2016. The position became official in January 2017 when he accepted the position of fire chief.
During his tenure with the PFPD, Larson has contributed his skills in a variety of additional organizations, including the president of the 4-Corners Training Officers Association, board of directors for the Volunteer/Combination Officers Section of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC), and board of directors of the Safety, Health and Survival Section of the IAFC. He is currently an instructor with IFAC for Volunteer Workforce Solutions.
While Larson has plans to continue teaching during retirement, his focus will be on his family and spending time with his kids and grandkids. He also plans to travel, get his “golf game back in shape and scare the fishes.”
