ARCO, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho National Laboratory’s first female fire chief took the helm today, protecting over 890-square miles of critical nuclear and energy infrastructure in southeast Idaho.
Chief Jennifer Porter will lead a team of 75 firefighters at three stations. She comes equipped with 18 years of experience fighting fires with the department.
“My main priority is to support my team. We are an all-hazards department, so I want to ensure that they have the tools and the equipment to respond safely to any hazards that may be thrown at them for whatever they respond to,” Porter said.
INL’s Fire Department includes five fire engines, a 3,000-gallon water tender, five ambulances, a haz mat truck and a rescue vehicle.
The new chief is an Eastern Idaho native and graduate of Madison High School.
At INL, she served as deputy chief of operations since 2022, and as a battalion chief for five years, including during the largest fire in the site’s history – the Sheep Fire in 2019.
The fire burned 112,000 acres, and firefighters successfully protected all major facilities, although some infrastructure was damaged.
That experience may prove invaluable as she leads the INL Fire Department during what is expected to be a severe fire season.
“We try to plan for the worst case scenarios this year because of low snowpack, warmer than average winter conditions, and the consistent drought,” Porter said. “We are preparing early for those conditions to be extreme fire behavior here on the INL on the desert.”
Firefighters at INL also receive specialized training to handle situations with hazardous or radiological materials.
“We do Hazmat; we respond to radiological emergencies. We do special operations, some rope rescue. We do wildland fires,” she said. “We do structure fires and respond to EMS events.”
Outgoing INL Fire Chief Jim Blair touts the laboratory’s overall safety record.
“Our hazmat team primarily is responding to the same things that you’re seeing in normal industry. You know, laboratory chemicals, fuel spills from semi trucks, semi trucks that have overturned, you know, normal chemicals,” he said. “But as far as radiological, it’s rare at the desert that we respond to radiological emergencies, just because the lab runs a very safe operation.”
Most often, INL firefighters respond to calls that are not related to wildfires.
Porter acknowledges she has big shoes to fill and says leadership “isn’t about a title – it’s about serving others and earning trust over time.”
“I’m really super excited that Chief Porter is taking over for me,” Blair said. “We have really, really super good people – Chief Porter amongst that group. I think that the lab did a very good job of selecting the next fire chief. She’s a strong candidate. She’s a strong leader. And most importantly, she cares about her people.”
To other women and men following in her footsteps, Chief Porter says, “Stay committed to your values, work hard, and be consistent in how you show up.”
