Green Mountain Falls and Chipita Park say ‘thank you’ to firefighters
On Saturday, June 14, families and other community members are invited to say “Thank you” to past and present Green Mountain Falls (GMF) and Chipita Park (CP) volunteer firefighters at a FREE event.
The Firefighter Appreciation Day will be hosted by the town of GMF and the Fire Mitigation Advisory Committee (FMAC), alongside volunteers from the community.
“We have amazing firefighters,” says Kelly Hunter, FMAC member and a co-organizer. “We want to get as many folks as possible at the event to show them how much they’re valued.”
Each Thursday, while most people are at home eating dinner or watching TV, the GMF-CP Firefighters spend their evening training to protect our families and homes. They do this every week: drilling to respond to structure and wildland fires, medical and hazardous materials emergencies, and performing truck/equipment checks.
Even though we have a smaller population here, we face the same issues as a large city. – GMF-CP Firefighter Eric Kelly
And this is just ongoing training. Initial certification requires months of intensive training on nights and weekends, followed by challenging state and national tests. Firefighters invest a lot in their community, often paying out-of-pocket expenses for extra gear or training – not to mention their willingness to respond at all hours of the day or night, any day of the year.
The location of Green Mountain Falls and Chipita Park makes this more than a small town fire department. Nearby Highway 24 calls on them to respond to vehicle accidents, and the forested mountain environment requires wildland fire and Search and Rescue response, with some highly technical rescues on Pikes Peak.
“Even though we have a smaller population here,” says GMF-CP Firefighter Eric Kelly, “we face the same issues as a large city.”
With only 15 volunteer firefighters in the department, the crew is busy, with 80-90% of calls involving medical, drug/alcohol abuse, and other domestic problems. In addition, they provide automatic aid to Cascade and mutual aid to Teller and Manitou fire departments.
“People call us on their worst day,” says GMF-CP Firefighter Lauren Bishop. “Firefighters respond to calls that are severe and traumatic in nature.” Yet “the rewards of helping others and the sense of family within the department” is what leads these volunteers to give so much of themselves.
“Their selflessness is why we need to show our appreciation,” says Lisa Huizenga, FMAC member and a co-organizer. “Living with the continual threat of fire as we do, it’s important for our town to know we are in this together – neighbors and firefighters alike.”
Everyone is invited to drop in and enjoy the celebration, which includes kids’ games/activities, photo ops with Sparky the Fire Dog, fire station tours, touch-a-truck, fire education, food, and a fun time getting to know our volunteer firefighters.
Residents are expressing their support for the event.
“I have a son with the Pike IHC hotshots and a family of both active and retired firefighters and EMTs,” says Randy Lewis with the Red Cloud Foundation. “I take great delight in supporting any events in their honor.”
Firefighter Appreciation Day is Saturday June 14. Drop in anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. The Green Mountain Falls Fire Station is located at 2 Carsell Way in GMF, behind Town Hall.
Red Cloud to host annual yard sale July 3-6
Donations are being accepted for Red Cloud’s annual yard sale fundraiser.
The Red Cloud Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to providing financial support to the Red Cloud Serenity club, supporting individuals in their journey to recovery from addiction. You can help by donating gently used, salable items to their annual summer yard sale. Please bring donations (no TVs or large furniture) to the Red Cloud Serenity Club, 10040 Ute Pass Trail Ave. in Green Mountain Falls at 11:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. daily starting June 1.
