TWO ROCK VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPTARTMENT
Chief Lori Anello
Two Rock Fire Chief Lori Anello began her career in the fire service at the age
of 4 when she responded to her first fire, strapped in the passenger seat of a
fire engine with her dad, veteran
firefighter Tony Anello, at the wheel.
Some things have changed since
then, but one thing remains the
same – you will be hard-pressed to
beat an Anello to a working fire.
Lori grew up in Guerneville, CA
riding her horse in the Armstrong
Woods from sunup to sundown and
dreaming of becoming a firefighter
or a barrel racer. Naturally, since
barrel racing was so dangerous, her
parents helped to point her down the
safer career path of fighting fires.
As a young wannabe firefighter,
Lori remembers running to the
window when her dad’s pager
went off to watch her parents work
as a team to expedite her dad’s
response time. While her dad put
on his fire gear, her mom would run
out to start the truck, then quickly
slide out the passenger door as
her dad jumped in the driver side.
At times her mom would barely get
out before her dad sped away.
At age 10 Lori worked at her grandparents’ fish market until her high
school graduation. At 15 she became a fire dispatcher and, at age
16, she joined the Guerneville Fire Department with her father.
During high school she would not participate in any ‘out of the area functions’
or leave town for fear that she would miss a fire call. There are also many stories
of her dad leaving her behind when a call came in because she just wasn’t quick
enough. Lori soon developed quicker response tactics, for she hated to walk that
long mile just to watch over an empty station. She also developed a fierce passion
for her work, and took night courses in fire science at Santa Rosa Junior College.
Lori worked 11 years in the nursing field, mostly on the surgical and emergency
floor. While a nurse, she continued her passion
for firefighting by volunteering at Bodega Bay
Fire and Bodega Fire where she was Captain. In
2001 she was given the opportunity once again
to join her dad in the fire service when she was
hired on as a fulltime paid Firefighter/Engineer with
the Coast Guard Fire Department. Lori and her
dad were the first father/daughter team in a paid
fire department in Sonoma County as well as the
Federal system. They worked together for 4 years.
In 2006 Lori became Two Rock Volunteer Fire
Department’s sixth Fire Chief since 1927. Under her
direction, the department has undergone a major
transformation. Since the Chief’s appointment, the
total collective years of fire service experience has
grown from 20 years to over 100. The total number
of volunteers has risen sharply from 5 to 13.
Under the Chief’s leadership, the Two Rock
Firefighters have quickly developed a kinship, a close
family-like structure that focuses on the safety of all
– with a determined enthusiasm and professionalism
to serve the community well. The Chief’s goal is to
build a new fire station. as well as to build the best
volunteer fire department in Sonoma County.
Chief Lori Anello lives in Two Rock with her
husband Lou and their 10-year-old daughter Ashley.
Two Rock Volunteer Fire Department
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