Fire District's Longest-Serving Board Member Calls It Quits

MENLO PARK, CA -- Someone must have lit a fire of civic duty under Peter Carpenter more than 15 years ago when he decided to serve on the Menlo Park Fire Protection District.

But like every flame, there's always a time to leave the landscape -- which is precisely what the district's longest-serving board member in its 102-year history plans to do. Carpenter officially stepped down at the board’s monthly meeting this week to make way for newly-elected member Jim McLaughlin.

Carpenter was elected three times and appointed twice to the five-member board. He chose not to run again this year. Both he and McLaughlin live in Atherton, and both have prior experience in public safety and emergency first response.

The fire district is responsible for essential fire and emergency services covering Menlo Park, Atherton and East Palo Alto as well as the unincorporated county areas of North Fair Oaks and under contract with the SLAC National Laboratory.

Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman said: “During director Carpenter's multiple terms on the fire board over 15 years, he prided himself on service to the community, support for the organization - especially to those who directly serve the community, planning for the future and supporting technological advancements for the fire service."

Carpenter told the district he believes his greatest contributions to the 136 member organization involved supporting careful fiscal oversight and policies that included balanced budgets; an aggressive pay-down of pension liabilities; rebuilding of critical infrastructure at fire stations No. 2 and 6; and positioning the district for future expansion with land acquisitions.

“He’s always been very helpful and supportive of our work force, its mission and to me personally. As one of my five elected bosses, he doesn’t hesitate to let me know his personal position on any topic, expectations and often suggested outcomes. He’s a no nonsense person, and I’ve come to appreciate his straight-forward candor. I’m going to miss him,” Schapelhouman said.

--Images courtesy of Peter Mootz, Menlo Park Fire Protection District