When Doug Sporleder retired as chief of the Santa Clara County Fire Department on Dec. 31, he ended a century-old family tradition that spanned three generations and three fire departments. Sporleder's younger brothers, Steve and Bert, are both retired from the fire service--Steve as a Saratoga fire district captain, Bert as a volunteer firefighter with the county. Their father, Louis Jr., was the assistant chief of the Los Gatos Fire Department. So was his father, Louis Sr., who, according to family records, joined the department in 1901. And then there are the uncles and brothers and cousins who were involved in fire service in one way or another.
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Los Gatos, California Since 1881
