Menlo Park Gets New Fire Chief

Written by Ursula Herrick:

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District is appointing Daniel Belville, currently the District’s Interim Deputy Fire Chief, as the interim fire chief. Belville assumed the interim fire chief role on Aug. 30 when the term for Interim Fire Chief Douglas Sporleder expired.

Sporleder stepped in as interim fire chief after MPFPD Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman had an off-duty fall on May 11. The fire district’s board has approved Schapelhouman’s request for an unpaid leave of absence until Jan. 5, 2014 to allow him to focus on his continued recovery. 

Prior to joining the Menlo Park Fire Protection District in June, Belville was Fire Chief for the Cities of San Mateo and Foster City. Starting as a fire fighter in 1977, Belville joined the San Carlos-based South County Fire Authority in 1980, where he spent 24 years in a variety of positions including the position of Acting Fire Chief. 

The Menlo Park Fire Protection District (MPFPD) provides emergency, medical aid and fire prevention services to the Town of Atherton, Cities of East Palo Alto and Menlo Park and portions of unincorporated San Mateo County.