TGB Appoints Interim Chief for LCO Fire Department

LCO Tribal Government

Press Release

On October 24, 2022, The Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Governing Board appointed Marvin Mullet as interim Fire Chief for the Lac Courte Oreilles Fire Department. Mullet has over 20 years of experience in fire training and department leadership. He started in the fire service field in 2005 with the Bass Lake Fire Department. Notably, Mullet is a state-certified emergency medical responder, with credentials for water and ice rescues. Mullet has served as a fire fighter and fire chief in the area for several years and is excited about the opportunity to serve the Tribe as the interim Fire Chief.

The LCO FD has a storied history of protecting our reservation, with the modern efforts dating back to the 1970s when Monte Diamond and Mahlon Nickence led efforts to establish our very own LCO-led fire department. Over the subsequent decades, LCO has been at the forefront of developing fire prevention, providing search and rescue, while also working to protect our sacred sites and respecting our communities. The TGB is committed to meeting the needs of the Tribe and ensuring that the LCO FD is staffed with qualified and properly trained professionals who support and respect the integrity of our people and our communities.

The Tribal Governing Board’s primary concern is the health, safety and wellbeing of our members and our land. Recently, the TGB used CARES Act funding to build a new fire hall to house the Tribe’s LCO FD. The building was dedicated to Mahlon Nickence for his service in developing the LCO FD over the years. His passion was to protect our people and our communities regardless of who they were or where they came from. To ensure that the LCO FD maintains the highest training and quality service, the TGB met with the new interim fire chief and directed him to develop a comprehensive plan to recruit and train tribal members to fully staff the LCO FD. The TGB was given assurances that all LCO fire fighters will be trained and certified in fire prevention training with emergency medical assistance safety certifications. Mullet assured the TGB that the LCO FD will make every effort to respond to emergencies. His commitment to engage in the community and ensure the Fire Department is ready for all the needs of the tribe.