City of Porterville

June 2014 Employee of the Month

Tallen Speck

Fire Department

Directors for the City of Porterville have selected Firefighter Tallen Speck as the June 2014 Employee of the Month. Tallen was selected for this honor on the basis of his strong work ethic, positive attitude, and his cooperation with his superiors and his team of co-workers.

Firefighter Tallen Speck was born in Oklahoma and moved to California with his family at age 5. He attended local schools and graduated from Monache High School in 2000. He then worked in construction, installing granite counter tops, before graduating from the Fire Academy in 2011. Shortly after his graduation, he was hired as a reserve firefighter with the City of Porterville Fire Department. Tallen showed great promise and was hired as a full time firefighter with our Department in December 2012.

Tallen is a team player and immediately volunteered his construction and granite-working skills when the Fire Department decided to renovate the circa 1964 kitchen at Fire Station 1 earlier this year. In short order, he and his crew transformed an outdated eyesore into a modern, functional, and sustainable kitchen with new floors, refinished cabinetry, and granite counter tops. This crew of willing workers saved the Department thousands of dollars in material and labor costs.

Tallen continues to pursue professional development and has recently completed the California Fire Service Training and Education courses for emergency vehicle operations and fire pump operations. He is now assisting in training the department’s newest firefighters.  

In his free time, Firefighter Speck enjoys hunting, fishing and camping. He and his wife, Kaycee, have four sons: Tallen Jr, Gryphen, Owen, and Corben.

 

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