Veteran firefighter named new North Las Vegas fire chief
North Las Vegas is getting a new fire chief after going through two temporary leaders over the past year.
Joseph Calhoun, a veteran of the Portage Fire Department in northwest Indiana, was sworn in Wednesday night as head of the North Las Vegas Fire Department, where he will oversee 170 sworn and civilian employees.
Calhoun, 43, was a paramedic before being hired as a firefighter in 1996 for the city of Portage, Indiana, known for its steel production. He went on to serve as a city administrator and emergency manager in Portage, where he oversaw the city’s day-to-day operations, budgets and projects. He stepped down from that job in February, citing differences with the city’s mayor, according to a story by the Times of Northwest Indiana.
North Las Vegas Fire Chief Jeff Lytle retired in October 2016 after serving three years at the helm. He was followed by Acting Chief Ray Kessler, who left North Las Vegas in May to become a deputy fire chief for the neighboring city of Las Vegas.
Acting Chief Travis Anderson took the reins through the summer and will return his previous role as assistant chief.
Contact Art Marroquin at amarroquin@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0336. Follow @AMarroquin_LV on Twitter.