Larry Jantzen

Larry Jantzen retired in 2019 as an Assistant Fire Chief from the Austin Fire Department with over 33 years of service. He led and managed AFD’s Special Operations/Homeland Security and Logistics/ Communications Divisions and Emergency Management program. He retired from the US Army Reserve in 2006 as a Master Sergeant with 24 years total time in service, having served in an Air Cavalry Reconnaissance Platoon, a Long Range Surveillance Detachment, and multiple training/school units.

Mr. Jantzen is currently serving as the HazMat Training Coordinator for the Jarrell Texas Fire Department, is an Adjunct Instructor at the Emergency Management Institute (EMI) in Emmitsburg Maryland and is working with the University of Texas Center for Research in Water Resources on several flood inundation mapping, prediction and phone application projects. He has responded to or worked in the Austin/Travis County EOC during, virtually every type of incident and event.

Some of the more significant include: Fire Command in Unified Command at all four Austin Serial Bombing Incidents 2018, Mega Shelter Operations Chief Hurricane Harvey 2017, Halloween Flood 2015, Memorial Day Flood 2015, Halloween Flood 2013 and the Central Texas Wildfires 2011. Mr. Jantzen has served on/chaired numerous local, state, and national committees, councils, and workgroups, to include: the International Association of Fire Chiefs’ (IAFC) Hazardous Materials Committee and its Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) sub-committee, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Key Performance Capabilities for HazMat Incident Commanders Workgroup, State of Texas Coordinated Response and Nuclear Sector workgroups, Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) Homeland Security Task Force and its Regional Preparedness, Technical Response, Regional Standardization of Equipment and Training (ReSET) and Regional Exercise Coordination committees, Capital Area Trauma Regional Advisory Council, Travis County LEPC and Austin Community College Emergency Management Curriculum Advisory Council.

He has participated in the design, conduct and evaluation of many exercises, to include the Austin Area Joint Counterterrorism Awareness Workshop Series (JCTAWS), North Central Texas Area Urban Shield, Austin Area Urban Shield and 15 annual CAPCOG Regional exercises. He has been a featured presenter at the IAFC Fire Rescue International, IAFC Hazardous Materials Response Teams, Hot Zone, and Texas Department of Emergency Management conferences.

Mr. Jantzen has an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Fire Protection Technology, is a graduate of the EMI Emergency Management Advanced Academy, and holds the following significant certifications: Master Exercise Practitioner (MEP), Fire Officer IV, Fire Service Instructor III Master, Firefighter Master, Hazardous Materials Incident Commander, Hazardous Materials Technician, Incident Safety Officer, Fire Inspector Basic, Professional Continuity Practitioner, and EMT-B.