Reflections 2017 Unsung Heroes

Reflections 2017

FROM THE PUBLISHER

A salute to unsung heroes…

W

hat a wonderful and appropriate topic for our annual Reflections magazine!

Every year we have the honor of showcasing a group of people, a group of businesses, a group of somethings, or a group of nothings — a mixture of all things we think you would like to read about.

But this year, we have the opportunity to feature those incredible firemen throughout our county who gave tirelessly of their time, their talent and their blood, sweat and tears to help with the recent fires that escalated into epic proportions.

Julie Tonsing There are stories about the dispatchPublisher ers, the first responders, the police, the state patrol, the sheriff’s office and believe it or not, the local dive team.

These folks respond in the cold of the night, the heat of the day, the 100 mph wind, the sleet and snow of the season, (or even when it’s not the season.) They jump up leaving their hot meal untouched, leave their child’s very first choir and band concert right before her solo, or just when they had gotten settled in for longed-for warmth on a freezing winter’s night.

We often forget the important role these people play — especially those whose names and faces don’t make it on the front page of this paper. But there truly is no doubt that it would be impossible for these other heroes to complete their jobs without them. Have you ever listened to a scanner? I am constantly amazed at how these folks keep it all straight. I recently came upon a DOA traffic accident and was absolutely in awe of the tasks that those who know best have to complete. They work together like a well-oiled machine, all with the mission of helping the hurt. The list goes on and on.

Many of these folks are volunteers, performing these tasks without compensation, but instead, for the sheer reason of doing their part and helping others.

The next time you see one of the people, tell them you appreciate their service to all, and salute them — the Unsung Heroes of our Community!

Julie Tonsing, Publisher

INDEX

Local fire departments working together............................................................. 3-4 Dedicated Sterling Police officer Jimmy Rank focuses on safety .............................. 6 Sterling Fire crew enjoys close bond ..................................................................... 8 LCSO: Heroic teamwork on display ..................................................................... 12 Logan-Phillips Wildfire memories seared into fire chiefs’ minds............................. 14 Community steps up to assist wildfire victims...................................................... 18 CSP Trooper Marc Bornhoft making a difference on and off the road ...................... 20 New SPD officer Marisa O’Toole finds her niche ................................................... 22 Rural fire departments are well equipped............................................................ 24 Volutneer firefighters needed to protect rural communities ................................... 26 SECC: Help is only a phone call away.................................................................. 30 Logan County Dive Team driven to serve despite dangers ..................................... 32 Fire districts erasing boundaries with MABAS ...................................................... 34

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Lt. Marc Wolf, center in sunglasses, gives pointers to members of the Sterling and several rural fire departments during a recent training exercise.

OUR STAFF

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

A Merino fire engine, left, pumps water from a hydrant up the street to a Peetz engine. The procedure, called relay pumping, simulates a situation in which water must be pumped uphill or over great distances.

Publisher Julie Tonsing Editor Sara Waite News Editor Callie Jones Reporters Jeff Rice Kyle Inman Advertising Vicki Cline Kim Francis Support Staff Heather Thomas Fifty Miles Production Kent Shorrock

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 3

Reflections 2017

Working together

Photos by Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

A recent multi-agency training exercise involving fire crews from around Logan County simulated attacking a residential fire. Classroom time to explain the techniques to be practiced preceded the exercise, which used mixed three-man teams and a relay pumping procedure.

4 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

A mixed three-man team attacks the front door of a simulated house fire in a recent training exercise.

The team includes members of three rural departments working together for the first time.

The fourth man on the right is the training officer.

To those men and women who fight for us every day. Who face the fear and uncertainty, leaving their families every day for work, knowing that the chance of them never coming home is higher than most. Whose uniform not only identifies them, but is their only line of defense against the forces they face.

The only ones left in the evacuation zone, that stay there until the last possible moment.Those that wake up at any time during the night, ready to respond to the call of duty. Whose faces we see breaking through the flames, carrying you to safety, protecting your family.To some of the bravest men and women the world will ever know, risking their lives in the attempt to save others.Those who selflessly run into burning buildings, into dangerous situations, fight epidemics, respond to tragedies, stare death and fear in the eyes, with no hesitation.They are on the frontlines in the war against Mother Nature’s fury, providing the last stand to protect what we love and cherish most. Remember, they have loved ones, they have interests.To the warriors of the people, the fighters, the saviors.

To those who are the bravest among us …

THANK YOU!

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 5

Reflections 2017

LAW ENFORCEMENT

Dedicated officer focuses on safety

Rank enjoys being able to help others in their time of need

By Callie Jones

Journal-Advocate news editor

Sergeant James “Jimmy” Rank, of the Sterling Police Department, has a drive to keep this community safe.

Rank has been with SPD since August 2007; he was promoted to sergeant in May 2014. Prior to joining the police department, he spent eight years in the U.S. Army, during which he was twice deployed to the Iraq war zone.

When he left the military, the Ohio native was stationed in Colorado Springs, so he and his family ended up planting roots in Colorado. Soon after leaving the Army, Rank decided to enroll in the police academy, in January 2007. When he started applying for jobs, SPD had a very quick hiring process, so he ended up here. It didn’t hurt that it’s somewhat close to his in-laws in Ogallala, Neb. Rank said it was a childhood dream of his to become a police officer. He recalled in second grade his class did a time capsule and he was asked what he wanted to be when he grew up; several years later when he opened the capsule, while in the Army, he found one of his goals was to be in the Army and the other was to be a police officer.

“So, I kind of always wanted to do the job of a police officer and here I am today,” he said.

As patrol sergeant Rank, who was named Officer of the Year in 2013, is in charge of a four-person team. He is also the tactical team leader; a clandestine lab technician, meaning he helps disassemble meth labs throughout the region; a level one accident investigator; and supervisor in charge of the training field program for new officers, so he is in charge of their evaluations and making sure they make it through the training program. Plus, just this year he was designated as the 6 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Sgt. James “Jimmy” Rank, who has been with Sterling Police Department for almost 10 years now, has a passion for keeping his community safe.

department recruiter, which is a new position SPD just started this year.

“It is intense sometimes,” Rank said about all of his duties.

As a patrol sergeant he also enjoys being in charge of his shift, guiding and mentoring the officers on his shift, trying to prepare them for their next level. But for him probably the best part of his job is helping other people, “being able to guide them along in hard times, when they’re struggling and down on their luck, or they’re abused, or beaten, or whatever the case may be.” He likes being there for people and being the person that “steps up and goes in” when someone dials 911 and is crying out for help.

“I’m willing to make that risk to myself to help others,” Rank said.

His military experience, with the discipline and structure he learned in the Army, has been helpful to him in this job.

Some might be surprised to learn that while he was deployed to the Iraq war zone twice while in the Army, he actually finds the job he’s doing right now to be more stressful than being in a war zone. For him, it’s different when you’re trying to protect the community you call home, where you live and work, versus being in a foreign country.

“Here I’ve seen anything from children dying, to suicides, to drug overdoses — families affected, real life stuff,” Rank said, explaining that when you’re in a foreign country it’s easier to distance yourself from people, whereas here it’s people from your own community.

There are definite challenges to his job. One challenge that the department is facing that he is trying to help change is maintaining officers. It’s hard to keep officers here in Sterling, when they go to the Front Range and make almost twice as much. Right now, the department is about three or four officers short, and “being a smaller department, that is almost an entire shift,” Rank said.

Now that the department has started a new recruiting position, which he holds, he is hoping he can make a difference in that realm and at least get people to SPD. Along with having difficulty filling the positions that SPD does have, Rank also noted the department hasn’t added many new positions in See RANK, 7

Reflections 2017

RANK from page 6

a number of years. It has grown by about one authorized personnel since the 1970s, even though Sterling’s population has changed significantly.

“Even if we were fully staffed, we are still probably a good five officers short, I would say, to really be able to make a larger impact in the community,” he said.

Another challenge that he sees is that people who don’t work in the profession don’t see the amount of crime that happens here.

“I sometimes feel that the community is almost blinded, doesn’t seem like they’re aware of how much crime happens here,” Rank said.

The crimes he sees the most are property crimes, drug crimes, with methamphetamine being the most used drug, and disturbances.

“I’ve seen everything from a child dying right in front of us, or recently passed away and the family’s crying, to, I’ve seen homicides,” Rank said.

His team was first on scene for the double murder of Charles and Shirley Severance, who were killed by their grandson and his girlfriend in May 2014, and it was his team who responded to the murder of Mikel Haynes by Roger Archuleta at the MacGregor Apartments in December 2012.

He also recalled a case he responded to in the last couple of years, where a man who was part of the Sinaloa Cartel came to Sterling and shot a girl twice in the leg, through a bathroom door. The man fled and was able to go back to Ari-

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Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Then-Officer Jimmy Rank, right, accepts the 2013 Officer of the Year award from SPD Chief Tyson Kerr.

zona, but Rank was able to ping his cell phone and have police in Arizona arrest the man. The criminal was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

More recently, Rank has been involved in taking drug dealers and drugs off the street, from a pound of marijuana in one case to almost two ounces of meth in another case, which is a street value of about $5,000.

After seeing so many tough things, what is it that keeps Rank wanting to do this job?

“It’s just the passion that I have for this community,” he said, adding that he has grown in this community and this community has grown on him. “I have a passion and drive to want to continue to keep it safe, continue those things that I’m doing. It’s why I do them. That’s why I asked to take over the recruiter position: I want this department to be fully staffed, I want us to succeed in what we do and be successful. I want to clean up Sterling and have it a safe community where

these huge crimes aren’t happening.”

There are times when he does want to hang it up, when he’s working 20 hours a day or comes home from work thinking, “oh my gosh, what just happened?”

“But, what keeps me going back is just that passion to keep the community safe and help other, and to try to take the criminals off the street,” Rank said.

Callie Jones: 970-526-9286, cjones@journal-advocate.com

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Reflections 2017 STERLING FIRE DEPARTMENT

SFD crew enjoys close bond Howell, Dowis, Kinoshita dedicated to helping others

By Callie Jones

Journal-Advocate news editor

When you spend a third of your time with someone and rely on them to be there with you when you face dangerous situations it’s only natural that you would form a close bond. That’s the case for the men and women at Sterling Fire Department/Logan County Ambulance, who are basically one big family.

While all play an important role, three standout members in this family are Captain Cody Howell, Lieutenant/Paramedic Brett Dowis, and Lieutenant/Paramedic Troy Kinoshita.

Howell first started at SFD as a volunteer and came on board fulltime at the entry level in October 2001; in 2012, he was promoted to captain. He knew as a child growing up that he wanted to be a firefighter.

“I saw them and what they did, and always thought it was interesting,” Howell said.

After graduating high school, he joined the Marine Corps, where he signed up to do aircraft rescue firefighting, a position he held until he left the Marines and came back to Colorado in 2001.

All firefighters at SFD are also EMT trained at either the basic, intermediate or paramedic level.

Howell is certified as an intermediate EMT, which means he’s an advanced life support provider, but is not as highly trained as the paramedics.

“The reason I went for advanced life support, I saw that there was more stuff that we could do for people. As an EMT basic, you’re kind of limited on the amount of life saving stuff you can do for someone and I saw that there was a chance that I could provide more service... it was 8 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Captain Cody Howell has been with Sterling Fire Department for over 15 years and has a passion for firefighting.

kind of a helpless feeling only being able to go so far, so it was a way to be able to do some of those more advanced procedures,” he said.

Dowis, a Sterling High School graduate, has been with SFD for about five and a half years. Before that he worked as a paramedic for Life Care Ambulance.

After high school, he went to Colorado State University, to pursue a career in medicine and was able to earn a degree in biomedical sciences. After getting wait-listed for medical school, he decided to go to paramedic school and start his career off as a paramedic on an ambulance.

Dowis never really had any plans to become a firefighter as well, but once he joined SFD and entered the call service, he found he had a new

passion for the fire service.

“It was a little bit difficult to go through the fire academy and really understand everything involved with firefighting, but I will say the two very much go hand in hand.

People call us on the worst day of their live and they expect us to help with a fire or help with a medical problem. Regardless of the situation they depend on us to be there for them when they need us the most,” he said.

In addition to his regular duties with SFD, Dowis also serves with Chief Lavon Ritter on Sterling Police Department’s Tactical Emergency Medical Services team.

Kinoshita, who is from Sedgwick, started his career at SFD in October 2011 and just earlier this month

was promoted from engineer to lieutenant. In November the department recognized him as EMS Provider of the Year, for making significant contributions to the department and community.

Kinoshita also received a Unit Commendation Award.

He originally went to college for sports medicine. Kinoshita did that for a couple of years and then worked what he calls “regular jobs” for about three years, before deciding to go to the fire academy, which he found he really enjoyed, and then starting paramedic school, which he also enjoyed.

“When I found out Sterling was hiring, when they were taking over the ambulance, I thought it would See FIRE, 9

Reflections 2017 FIRE from page 8 be the perfect place,” Kinoshita said.

All three men said one of best parts of working at SFD is the large variety of calls the department gets.

Howell noted that while inner city departments might get calls for car wrecks and building fires, and rural departments get wildland fire calls and other calls, SFD gets all facets.

“We get structure fires, car wrecks, emergency medical calls, we get grass fires, we get hazmat calls; you really become a jack-of-alltrades. There’s so many different things that we can help out with here, you get to experience it all,” he said.

“No two days are the same. We see different varieties of patients, a lot of different varieties of calls,” Dowis said, recalling one day not that long ago when he treated a 104 year old and within an hour went on another call to treat 2 year old. “So, you get that spectrum of patients, you get a spectrum of calls — grass fires, structure fires, car fires, structure fires — we’re a multi-hazard department, so we cover kind of everything. So, an average day is unpredictable, but I enjoy that.”

Along with a variety of calls, they also get a high volume of calls.

According to Howell, SFD is in line with some of the busiest departments in the nation. While Denver Fire Department might get 60,000 calls, each of their fire stations only runs 1,500 to 2,000. Right now, SFD is in line for having roughly 3,000 calls this year, which equates to

Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Sterling Fire Department's Lieutenant/Paramedic Brett Dowis, left, and Lieutenant/Paramedic Troy Kinoshita are dedicated to helping people when they need it most.

about eight calls a day. In 2016, SFD ran 2,500 calls.

Though they have a high volume of calls, one of their challenges is resources. Howell noted on the Front Range, they have a lot of

resources available very quickly; for example, a structure fire might solicit 60 to 100 firefighters on scene to help.

“We go to the scene with initially six people minimum and we may do

1

the same size of call that they have with only 15 to 20 personnel,” Howell said, also pointing out that “the area departments out here, instead of being five minutes away, the averSee FIRE, 10

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REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 9

Reflections 2017

FIRE from page 9

age response for an outside department is going to be 20 minutes away. So, I think that’s one of the more challenging things is doing the same level of service with limited resources.”

SFD and other area departments’ resources were tested recently with the Logan/Phillips County Wildfire in March, which burned 32,000 acres, destroyed four homes and claimed at least 200 cattle.

“It was definitely one of the largest wildfires I’ve ever been on,” Howell shared, adding that with the strong wind it was difficult for firefighters to see where all the fire was and get it contained, because of all the smoke and dust.

“I think the biggest thing I took from it is when something reaches that size, the management is very tough, for the fact you have people spread out over miles. I give kudos to the chief for the fact that he had resources spread out over an almost 20 mile distance and he was able to manage all those resources,” he commented.

Howell said having so much assistance from other people was great and it was really nice to see how the communities came together, with people from all over the northeast region helping out. SFD is truly grateful for the community support and appreciation they received both then and over the years when other tragedies have happened.

“To come away from a fire like that, we had a few structures lost, but we didn’t have anyone injured significantly and no loss of life, which is a good outcome,” Howell said.

He hopes the fire served as a reminder to people that they might not always realize how dry it is, which is why it’s critical to check for red flag warnings and not burn if the area is under a warning.

“It may not seem like a big deal to someone, but a very simple act can cause a very large devastating fire,” Howell said.

Dowis was serving as fire lieutenant on the day of the fire, so he spent most of the day managing logistics within the city of Sterling and then that night, he and some

Journal-Advocate file photo

Brett Dowis, Troy Kinoshita and Jeremy Bostron give a demonstration of the AutoPulse, an automated CPR device in 2015.

others went out and staffed a truck to fight the fire overnight.

“It was sad, because it kind of looked like a barren wasteland or kind of a drought stricken area that was covered in sand, and you saw the loss and you felt for the people that been devastated by it. There was nothing we could do — the fire was kind of unstoppable — but you kind of took it as a personal defeat, that people lost their property and their livelihoods, even though we tried and we tried our hardest to try to put the fire out,” he said.

The fire taught him just how unpredictable Mother Nature can be; when there are 50 to 60 mile an hour winds and low relative humidity, the likelihood of a fire is high,

10 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

but it’s hard to predict where it’s going to go or how fast it will move.

“Despite our best efforts, sometimes they just can’t be stopped,” Dowis said.

There have been other calls that stick out for the men. Some of the happier memorable calls for Kinoshita are delivering babies, which he has done both in someone’s house and in the back of an ambulance.

“I think it’s pretty cool, it’s nice seeing that side of the job, it’s usually that happens versus most times when we see them they’re having a bad day,” he said.

One of Dowis’ most memorable calls was a gentleman with a self-inflicted gunshot wound that needed

intubated; he needed a tube put into his trachea and his airway had a lot of trauma, so it was difficult to intubate him. Dowis was recognized by Colorado surgeons, anesthesiologists and ER doctors on how difficult that was to do and he was able to do it successfully.

Some of his happier moments have come from working with children, whether it’s giving them tours of the fire station or doing the public education with them about stop, drop and roll and remembering to change your smoke detector batteries when you roll your clock back or forward for Daylight Savings Time.

“I do enjoy just seeing how much kids look up to and aspire to be firefighters,” Dowis said.

All three agreed one of the best parts of their job is the people they work with and the brotherhood they have with their co-workers.

They spend a great deal of time with their co-workers, as they work a 48hour shift, sometimes longer with staffing shortages, and then have 96 hours off.

“If you spend a third of your life with someone you become very close, they become like family and you kind of become almost like brothers,” Howell said.

“I think the best part (of the job) is coming here and working with friends every single day,” Kinoshita said, adding that he also enjoys being able to help people.

He is also excited about his involvement in getting a CERT (Civilian Emergency Response Team) started up.

“We’re basically going to bring community members that want to help out, so if some sort disaster happens, a tornado, something like that, they can come in with some minimal training to help ease our job,” Kinoshita said.

For those looking to enter the firefighting field there are a number of steps that must be completed.

But, to start off, consider volunteering at SFD for a little while, to see if you really like it.

“We’re always looking for new volunteers here,” Kinoshita said.

Callie Jones: 970-526-9286, cjones@journal-advocate.com

Sara Waite

Callie Jones

Vicki Cline

Julie Tonsing

Kyle Inman

Heather Thomas

Editor

Multi-Media Consultant

Sports Reporter

News Editor

Publisher

Admin/Circulation

Duane “Fifty” Miles Jack of all Trades

Kim Francis

Multi-Media Consultant

Jeff Rice

Staff Reporter

We salute the local emergency responders as Unsung Heroes, and thank them for their sacrifices and dedication in serving the community.

We would also like to thank our readers for allowing us the opportunity to bring local news and happenings of friends & family in Logan County and surrounding areas every day.

www.journal-advocate.com • (970) 522-1990 • www.southplattesentinel.com

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 11

Reflections 2017 LAW ENFORCEMENT

Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Core members of the Logan County Sheriff's Office during the agency's recent staffing shortage: (front row, from left) Inv. Michael Archer, Sgt. J.W. Moser, Dep. Jason Littlefield; (back row, from left) Sgt. Jeff Harris, Inv. Alex Eckhardt, Sgt. Clay Rockwell and Dep. Denis Grischenko.

Heroic teamwork on display With agency at about half staff, team pulls together to cover shifts

away from family. But for a core group at the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the last 18 months or so have demanded more than they could have expected, as they covered for up to nine vacant positions -- about half of the patrol and investigations divisions total -- within the

By Sara Waite department.

Journal-Advocate editor Those law enforcement agents Anyone seeking a career in law enforcement likely knows the job include Sgt. Jeff Harris, Inv. comes with long hours and time Michael Archer, Sgt. J.W. Moser, 12 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

Inv. Alex Eckhardt, Dep. Jason Littlefield, Dep. Denis Grischenko and Sgt. Clay Rockwell.

While they bring varied backgrounds and reasons for serving in law enforcement, the core group has at least one thing in common: they stuck it out when the going got tough.

Harris joined the LCSO in 2013 after six years at the Sterling Police Department. He did a job shadow-

ing in high school where he got to ride along with a law enforcement officer, and “From that moment, I was hooked,” he said. He considers law enforcement his calling.

Archer joined the sheriff’s office in 2009 straight out of the academy.

“I thought I could make a difference in just one person’s life,” he said.

Moser’s law enforcement career dates back to 1996, when he started See TEAMWORK, 13

Reflections 2017

TEAMWORK from page 12

with the Denver Police Department. He took a job with the Wichita, Kan., Police Department in 2005.

He came back to Colorado, starting with the LCSO in 2015, so he could be closer to family and friends. He has always enjoyed solving puzzles, and policing was a lifelong ambition.

Eckhardt also joined the LCSO fresh out of the academy, in 2013.

He jokingly says that he was attracted because of “lights and sirens.”

Prior to that, he explored a different emergency response career, in the fire service. But he found that field just didn’t fit, and he made the change so he could be more proactive.

Littlefield said he, too, got into law enforcement “because it’s a calling.” He worked at the Morgan County Jail for five and a half years before joining the LCSO in 2007.

Denis Grischenko started his law enforcement career at the Department of Corrections before joining the LCSO in 2015. He said he wanted to be on the street “and make the community safer for the next generation.”

For Rockwell, law enforcement is in his blood, as his dad and an uncle are both officers. He started with Washington County in 2009, but joined the LCSO in 2011.

The short staffing demanded hours upon hours of overtime and months on end without vacations and limited downtime of any kind.

Personnel were known to work a 12hour shift, spend a day at court and then turn around and work another shift. They routinely worked stretches of seven to nine days without a day off; for some, there were periods of about three weeks before a break, and even then it was one day, then turn around and do it again.

“Unfortunately, criminal activity didn’t cease in that time,” one said.

As new hires joined the force, the group had to add training to their already overwhelming list of daily duties. That meant 15 to 16 weeks of working with the rookies to give them as much exposure as possible to the variety of tasks a law enforcement officer is called upon to perform, and deal with the extra liabili-

While it wasn’t easy, the group said the experience of keeping the department operating smoothly brought them closer together as a team. ty — and stress — of keeping the trainee (and everyone else) safe in dangerous situations.

Lt. Dennis Aulston, who started full-time with the LCSO in December 2016, said the group that was in place when he came on board put in a lot of hard work and dedication as a whole, and it was impossible to single any one out. “I inherited a great group of guys,” he said.

Aulston added that the LCSO is now nearly fully staffed and he is “glad to … give these guys a break.”

The department will have one new recruit coming out of the acadSterling’s only locally owned pharmacy ...

emy in June to fill another opening.

Aulston said that while he couldn’t pinpoint one particular thing that has made a different in filling the vacancies, the LCSO has recently seen an increase in wages that helped. That push is still a work in progress, as the department seeks to be more competitive with other law enforcement agencies in the area so it can recruit and retain officers.

In addition, the sheriff’s office recruited three of its six jail staff, those who were interested in more hands-on law enforcement, to

attend the academy. “That helped us out a bunch.”

While it wasn’t easy, the group said the experience of keeping the department operating smoothly brought them closer together as a team. When they were fully staffed, it was easy to do the job without seeing everyone on staff on a regular basis. Harris explained that the situation forced them to rely on one another to cover duties in family emergencies. A couple of the officers have had new babies born in the last year or so, adding to the burden. The group also had to cope with the loss of one of their own, when Sgt. T.J. Hunt passed away from cancer last year. The shortage caused a particularly heavy burden on the investigations staff, they said.

But they managed to get through it by pulling together and relying on one another, in more ways than one, to have each other’s backs.

Sara Waite: 970-526-9310, swaite@journal-advocate.com

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Reflections 2017 FIRE

Smoke billows behind a wind farm north of Fleming during the first day of the Logan-Phillips Wildfire in March.

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Wildfire memories seared into fire chiefs’ minds The real heroes were driving tractors and dragging discs

By Jeff Rice

Journal-Advocate staff writer

In the beginning it was Jeff Hunker’s fire. His station got the first call of a grass fire near Proctor late that Monday morning, and with

winds up to 60 miles per hour, the flames were running southeast, across I-76 and toward Fleming and Haxtun. But it didn’t stay Hunker’s fire for very long.

Fleming Fire Chief Ken McCrone overheard people talking about the interstate being closed because of the fire, and called Hunker. After a quick parley with his employer, he was headed for his fire station.

McCrone was a firefighter in

14 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

Arvada, Colo., for 10 years and in the suburbs of Philadelphia before that. But the wildfire that swept across Logan and Phillips counties on March 6 and 7 was like nothing he’d never seen before. Driven by the wind, the grass fire ran helterskelter over open prairie and stubble fields, shrouded in heavy smoke and dust while firefighters in SCAT trucks tried to outrun it, corral it, and snuff it out. It was the supreme

test of not just his department but every department for miles around.

Ultimately 17 agencies would be called on to finally put down “The Big Fire,” but in the early hours it was the lumbering tenders and the agile SCATs of the area rural fire protection districts that fought the blaze, and they didn’t always win.

The most nerve-wracking moments, McCrone said, came earSee WILDFIRE, 15

Reflections 2017

Jeff Rice/ Sterling Journal-Advocate

A giant tracked tractor roars down a county road en route to cut a fire break through grassland during the Logan-Phillips wildfire.

WILDFIRE from page 14

ly in the day.

“We got sent in to the west side of 55 (at around County Road 42) to try to knock down some of the flames that were coming up, and there was another brush truck, I don’t know who it was, and we got in there and started to put water

down on it, and then the wind would kick up and blow the fire back up at us, and at one time Ben (Wolever is) in the back yelling ‘Go, go, go!’ it just lit up everything around us. I had the thing floored and I looked in the rear-view and all I can see is flames, and Ben’s in the back put-

ting water down as best he can. I yelled out the window at him, ‘We’re getting out of here,’ and he said ‘Sounds good to me!’ Jeff Hunker (Crook fire chief) comes flying up in his truck and jumps out and starts cutting fence so we can get our vehicle out.”

McCrone was pulled from the field after 12 hours on the fire lines.

He was scheduled to go on vacation on Tuesday, and with all of the help arriving from all over Colorado, it was time for him to leave. He did not escape unscathed, however.

See WILDFIRE, 16

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Reflections 2017 WILDFIRE from page 15

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Agile SCAT brush fire trucks fill up from a CHS rig hauling thousands of gallons of water.

“It’s not easy on us, either. We’re just people,” McCrone said “We have the same feelings everyone else has. There are things about some of it that just hurts. It catches up with you.”

There is a catch in his voice. He’s talking about what it’s like to tell a young couple that their farm home is a complete loss. The fire was in the basement when they arrived, and then it blew up through the main floor and exploded out one side and then through the roof.

There wasn’t enough water in Colorado to put it out; they could save the garage, but the sheds, the trees, the vehicles were all gone.

“There’s a look on a guy’s face

“There’s a look on a guy’s face when he watches (his house) burn. You never forget that look.”

Ken McCrone Fleming VFD Chief when he watches (his house) burn,” McCrone says, and he fights back tears. “You never forget that look.”

It fell to McCrone to inform a young farmer that there was nothing firefighters could do to save the farmer’s ancestral home. It was an experience McCrone had had

16 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

before, and he knows it will haunt him.

By late Monday the fire had at least been surrounded and so, in that sense, it was contained. But it wasn’t because of the rivers of water that had been poured out on the flames.

“To be honest, water was pretty

ineffective against that fire,” Hunker said. “With the wind we had, the water was just spraying out into the air, it wasn’t even getting on the fire.

There were fire vortexes in the CRP grass that the water just evaporated in because of the wind.”

The people who stopped the wildfire the first day weren’t driving fire trucks at all. They were driving tractors hitched to enormous field discs and they were tearing up firelines of between 30 and 60 feet wide.

“I have to give huge kudos to Schuppe Farms,” Hunker said. “I called Mike Schuppe and he just asked, ‘Where do you need us?’ Mike’s firefighting experience helped a lot, See WILDFIRE, 17

Reflections 2017

WILDFIRE from page 16

too.”

Schuppe said he had four tractors with discs on the north side of the fire early on, and by the time they’d managed to throw fire breaks around it, there were as many as 20 men discing.

Late on Monday afternoon, Hunker said, the farmers had managed to “pinch off” the fire against green wheat fields north of Paoli. Schuppe said the fire had gotten as far as Phillips County Road 13 between Paoli and Haxtun.

“To me, those farmers are the real heroes,” Hunker said. “They’re out there with no protective gear, in that dust and smoke, and they’re just trying to save people’s homes.

They did it because that’s the kind of people they are.”

But having the fire surrounded and, in a sense, mostly contained doesn’t mean the job is done. The firefighters knew they had at least one more and possibly two more days of hard work ahead.

“Fire — especially a wildfire like that — has a tendency to sort of ‘lie down’ at night,” Ken McCrone explained. “The wind was a little less, it got cooler, the humidity went up some, so it looked like we had a handle on it.”

After twelve hours on the fire lines, the local firefighters and their disc-dragging farmer friends were exhausted. But everyone knew there were thousands of acres of grass, hay, and stubble still burning and the wind was still blowing.

Agencies from as far away as the Denver suburbs were called to help with the tedious, dangerous job of stamping out all of the fires.

The fire didn’t burn in a continuous path, either. It ran in rivers of flame, igniting giant bales of dry hay and wood piles from ancient uprooted trees. So there was plenty of fuel left when the sun came up and the wind increased again on Tuesday.

By then there was another challenge. The air was full of blowing sand. The thousands of acres denuded on Monday were now open to serious wind erosion, and travel along the county roads and narrow highways north of Fleming and Haxtun was virtually impossi-

Kathy Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Smoldering hay bales presented a continuing danger even after the fire was contained.

“To me, those farmers are the real heroes. They’re out there with no protective gear, in that dust and smoke, and they’re just trying to save people’s homes. They did it because that’s the kind of people they are.

Jeff Hunker Crook VFD Chief ble. At times the air was so full of blowing sand and dust firefighters said they couldn’t see the front of their truck hoods.

“We’d be creeping along, looking down for the edge of the roadway, and when we’d start to tip a little, we’d steer back the other way,” Hunker said. “At one point the only way I knew where the road was was by looking up at the phone poles.”

It was described as a “brown blizzard,” with pieces of charred material flying through the air. Getting

dead reckoning.

By Wednesday the winds had blown themselves out and firefighters could find their way to the isolated haystacks and weed piles still burning.

“We definitely caught a break when the wind was less,” Jeff Hunker said. “It’s typical Colorado weather, but it was really nice to be able to get ahead of it and stay ahead of it.”

When the wind finally died and the dust began to settle, and the rescue and assistance efforts were under way Wednesday morning, it began to dawn on the volunteers what they’d accomplished.

“It’s been nice to have the guys recognized since the Haxtun fire,” Peetz Fire Chief Steve Schumacher said. “I don’t feel like a hero, but I definitely think there were people out there who were. It feels good that people know our members are giving back to the community; it feels good that they are getting that recognition.”

out of the fire trucks meant trouble breathing in the dust. At one point firefighters were calling for air filters to keep their trucks running.

The howling winds tore into burning haystacks and hurled embers hundreds of yards into previously unburned fields, starting new fires.

The trucks from the Front Range had enough trouble figuring out the county road system, but with the thick dust added to the smoke, they had no landmarks to go by. It was Jeff Rice: 970-526-9283, ricej@jourlike flying at night with nothing but nal-advocate.com

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 17

Reflections 2017 FIRE RELIEF

Community steps up to assist wildfire victims #HaxtunStrong launches in wake of blaze

By Sara Waite Journal-Advocate editor

The Logan-Phillips County Wildfire that blazed from the Proctor area to near Paoli in March did more than burn 32,000-plus acres of pasture, prairie and crop land.

It destroyed four homes, damaged others, burned numerous outbuildings, killed at least 200 head of cattle and countless wildlife.

But it also brought a community together under the banner, #HaxtunStrong.

As news of the fire’s devastation spread, help has poured in, not just from neighboring communities in northeast Colorado, but across the state and even the nation.

Water and food appeared almost immediately for the emergency responders helping during the event itself — enough that volunteers were able to take some excess supplies to a Kansas community also suffering from a wildfire. Relief funds were set up through several organizations, raising thousands of dollars for victims, while GoFundMe accounts for individual victims have neared or met their goals.

The Miracle Letter Program’s fire fund received nearly $30,000 through fundraisers held by Bank of Colorado branches across northeast Colorado, including a $6,000 match the branches put together.

Colorado Farm Bureau’s Disaster Relief Fund received $25,000 from

Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Visitors enjoy hotdogs and popcorn at Bank of Colorado during a March 17 fundraiser to benefit the Logan Wildfire victims. The bank’s fundraising efforts and $6,000 match raised nearly $30,000.

Premier Farm Credit, American AgCredit, Farm Credit of Southern Colorado and CoBank. The Haxtun Community Fire Relief fund established by the Haxtun Chamber of Commerce at the Haxtun Community Federal Credit Union has received an outpouring of support, and a benefit planned April 15 in Haxtun was slated to split the proceeds between the relief fund and local fire departments that responded to the blaze.

Support has come in other forms as well. A Disaster Action Center a

18 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

week after the fire provided resources to those affected from local, state and federal agencies. A call from the Colorado Livestock Association for emergency feed to replace fire- and smoke-damaged hay led to convoys of trucks loaded with bales rolling down the highway bound for Haxtun. Sport Clips Haircut Salons in three locations donated 50 percent of all proceeds from March 23 to the Haxtun fire relief effort.

And other efforts to ensure that the ag producers who lost pasture

and crops have the information and resources they need to recover from the fire damage are also ongoing. The Colorado Conservation Tillage Association held a fire recovery workshop April 15, while the USDA’s Farm Service Agency has issued a physical loss notification for the two counties, making loans available to eligible farmers and ranchers to repair and replace physical property.

Sara Waite: 970-526-9310, swaite@journal-advocate.com

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REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 19

Reflections 2017 LAW ENFORCEMENT

Trooper Bornhoft making a difference on and off the road Haxtun native has spent career giving back

By Sara Waite Journal-Advocate editor

Haxtun native Marc Bornhoft has known since fourth grade that he wanted a career in law enforcement.

His goal narrowed further in high school, when he started doing ridealongs with the local state trooper who became his mentor, Ken Pierce. His first ride included a short pursuit, and while Pierce advised him that most shifts are not as exciting, Bornhoft was hooked — both by the adrenalin rush, and by the professionalism Pierce exhibited even in the midst of the chase.

After graduating from Haxtun High, Bornhoft went to Northeastern Junior College, furthering his education while biding his time until he reached the minimum age (21 years old) to attend the Colorado State Patrol academy.

He completed the program and came back to his roots, spending the last 17 years with CSP Troop 3B headquartered in Sterling. He started at the Julesburg office, then spent six years in Sterling before transitioning to covering the Haxtun area.

While the stress and excitement of high-speed pursuits still hold appeal for Bornhoft, he said that’s not what he finds most rewarding about the job. He enjoys the everchanging environment; “You never know what your day’s going to bring,” he said.

But, he said, the true blessing is

Colorado State Trooper Marc Bornhoft with his patrol vehicle.

what the job is really all about: saving lives. “It’s something you can’t always measure,” he said. It could be giving a seat belt ticket or making a drunk driving arrest, then having those people come back and thank him for it, because it helped motivate them to change their lives.

There have been other highlights, too. In 2008, Bornhoft received the National Instructor of the Year award for the Alive at 25 program and got to travel to Orlando, Fla. for the ceremony. And earlier this year, he was one of 44 from CSP to provide parade route security for the presidential inauguration parade in Washington, D.C.

20 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

“It was really cool,” he said of the experience, adding that the group was very busy. They started their days at 5 of 6 a.m., and on the day of the inauguration met in the hotel lobby at 2:30 a.m. to hit the street by 4:30, then didn’t return to the hotel until 7 that evening. “It was an experience I’ll never forget,” he said.

But the awards and accolades aren’t why he does the job, he’s quick to note.

Working for the state patrol provides a lot of different options. You can live anywhere in the state, and CSP offers a variety of specialties, such as K-9 and hazmat. But Bornhoft is happy with his choice to

Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

spend his career in the area where he grew up. While it may have limited his career advancement opportunities, he said, “You feel like you make that impact.”

The difference between covering rural counties and a metro area is that out here, you have the time to do things like the “Every 15 Minutes” programs at local schools to warn young drivers about the dangers of drunk or distracted driving, without feeling like you’re taking away from your brothers and sisters in uniform, he explained. And you don’t have to run from crash to crash without a break. He said he See BORNHOFT, 21

Reflections 2017 BORNHOFT from page 20 cherishes the chance to spend time with the youth in the community.

The job isn’t without its challenges. Bornhoft said. One of his biggest frustrations is dealing with people who refuse to wear seatbelts or refrain from drinking and driving. Some people just won’t change their thought process, regardless of how much effort goes in to education, enforcement and legislation.

DUI’s are not fun, he said, because there’s a lot of paperwork involved. He said he would be happy to never make another DUI arrest, because that would mean there were no more drunk drivers.

But until then, he said, he’ll keep arresting them, doing that dreaded paperwork and going to court to keep the roads safe.

Staffing shortages have also been a problem at times, Bornhoft said.

He spent two years covering three and a half counties by himself. The Sterling post has made strides to fill the vacancies, and CSP is launching a new program for law enforcement officers already working in rural areas who want to shift jobs to the state patrol to help with recruiting.

It takes a certain kind of person to be successful with the state patrol, Bornhoft said. You have to have good people skills or you won’t enjoy the work, and you have to be able to adapt to different personalities and different situations.

His advice to young people considering a career with the state patrol is to get some life experience first, through college or the military. “It’s not for everybody,” he said.

As a field training officer, he has trained eight recruits and says he can tell pretty quickly if they are going to like the job. He said the ones who are older, in their mid20s, tend to do better. “When you’re ready to settle down... figure out where you want to be,” and then apply, he said.

As a hometown boy, Bornhoft plays an active role in his community outside of work as well. When he and wife Jula are not “chasing” their three kids, ages 18, 11 and 5, from activity to activity, he coaches foot-

ball, serves on the Phillips County Economic Development board and volunteers with the Haxtun Fire Department.

During the Logan-Phillips County Wildfire in March, Bornhoft was on days off at work and was able to respond in his fire gear. He said the blaze was “like something I’ve never seen before.”

“It sucked — people I’ve known my whole life were directly affected by it.”

But there was good that came out of the fire. Bornhoft said lately he’s been discouraged by what he’s seen in the world, and was frightened for his children’s future. But the “outpouring of love” that came from those around the state and across the U.S. in the wake of fire has reminded him that “There’s a whole bunch of good in this world,” he said.

The state patrol recently recognized Bornhoft for his contributions to the community. A narrative provided by Sgt. Kyle Newsome states: “When a crisis or tragedy hits the community, Marc is the first to volunteer or render aid. Marc has done countless fundraisers for those in need. Marc has been the Courtesy photo stalwart and champion of charity Trooper Marc Bornhoft stands in front of the Washington Monument during events throughout the area. Marc his trip to Washington, D.C. in January to provide security for the has put together golf tournaments, presidential inauguration parade. softball games, auctions, bake sales, and fundraisers for many in need. Whether its medical bills for a family or community support, Marc will always be found spearheading the event. Marc doesn’t seek any recognition for any of his selfless efforts.

“Having Trooper Bornhoft wear the badge makes us all safer... Having Marc Bornhoft in our community makes us all better.”

As for Bornhoft, he says he hopes that any recognition he receives simply represents to those he serves that he loves this area and “I plan on being here for the long haul.”

Courtesy photo / Sterling Journal-Advocate Sara Waite: 970-526-9310, swaite@journal-advocate.com

Bornhoft was one of 44 from the Colorado State Patrol selected to provide security for the inauguration parade.

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 21

Reflections 2017 STERLING POLICE DEPARTMENT

New officer finds her niche O’Toole the only female officer on the police force

By Callie Jones

Journal-Advocate news editor

Officer Marisa O’Toole is relatively new to Sterling Police Department, having been sworn in as an officer in Janary 2016 and out of training for about a year now. However, in that time she has proven herself.

O’Toole is from Centennial, Colo., where she graduated from Eaglecrest High School. She originally came to Sterling to work at Sterling Correctional Facility in 2014, but soon found herself wanting to do police work.

Her mom worked for the Arlington Police Department, in Arlington, Texas, for 13 years, and while no in her family has actually worked in law enforcement, she did grow up in what she considers a “law abiding family.”

O’Toole didn’t originally intend to go into police work and says it’s taken a lot to get where she’s at now.

She went to school to become a veterinary assistant and it was there that she started thinking about a career in law enforcement, in 2010, when one of her classes went to Buckley Air Force Base to watch a K9 presentation and she thought it was “really cool.” At that same time, she was taking a class in animal law and ethics, so at that point she started leaning more towards the law side rather than the medical side.

After the presentation, she asked her godfather, who works for the Denver Sheriff Department, about how to get into the K9 program. He told her that first she would need to become certified and serve as a police officer. So, she decided to get trained and was able to graduate in 2012.

Callie Jones / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Marisa O'Toole, who has been with Sterling Police Department since January 2016, is currently the only female officer on the force.

“I still love every minute of it,” O’Toole said. “I can’t see me doing anything else.”

So far, she is enjoying her time at SPD and said all of her supervisors and trainers have been amazing.

One of the unique things she’s found about Sterling, in talking to friends who work at other police departments, is here officers get to do a lot of stuff on their own.

“I would just say you get a lot of experience here,” O’Toole said.

While she originally started to become a K9 officer, now with some time on the job, she is looking more towards the investigations area of police work.

For her, the best part of the job is that no two days are the same.

22 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

“You never know what’s going to come in; it’s always a mystery, it’s a surprise; not one day is the same as any other day,” O’Toole said. “It’s fun; we get to do stuff that other people can’t do. Like the people that drive by the scenes to see what’s going on, we know what’s going on.

It’s fun being behind the scenes.”

Crimes that she typically responds to include a lot of property crime, thefts, vandalism, domestic violence, and drug crimes, with methamphetamine being the most common drug of choice in Sterling.

She also handles a lot of fraud calls, with elderly people being taken advantage of over the phone.

For her right now, the biggest challenge she faces is her limited

experience, only having been on the job for a short period of time.

“There’s a lot of stuff that comes in and you’re like, ‘oh, I’ve never dealt with this before,’ but I guess, let’s just take it a step at a time,” O’Toole said, adding that one of her trainers told her that an officer won’t be fully comfortable with the job for at least three years and she believes that. “Every day I come across a challenge and I’m like well, I’ve never done this before or oh, I could have done that differently. So, I think training is a big thing, just to keep yourself up on training.”

With the retirement of Sgt. Ronda Taylor last June, O’Toole is the only female officer at SPD. She said it See O’TOOLE, 23

Reflections 2017 O’TOOLE from page 22 was challenging at first to essentially step into a man’s world.

“Having to prove myself and gain trust with the other guys — I wouldn’t say it’s been a big struggle, it’s just been a challenge,” O’Toole said.

She received a warm welcome from her trainer though, who told her he was excited to have a female on his shift, because it can be helpful when police have to arrest a female or if a sex assault victim comes in and is more comfortable talking with a female officer.

“I find that sometimes, I can really alleviate some high pressure moments just showing up on the scene. I’ve seen it more than once,” O’Toole said, but was quick to add, “I wouldn’t say that I’m like the golden ticket or anything, but it helps to some extent.”

Her advice for females and anyone looking to enter the field is to not be afraid.

“Take it one day at a time; be

Journal-Advocate file photo

Officer Marisa O'Toole takes the oath of office in January 2016.

patient with yourself,” O’Toole said.

“Just because you’re a girl doesn’t mean you’re not allowed cry when things get scary or things get bad. I think a lot of guys grow up saying

like if you cry, you’re weak, but I don’t think that’s the case.”

Callie Jones: 970-526-9286, cjones@journal-advocate.com

“Every day I come across a challenge and I’m like well, I’ve never done this before or oh, I could have done that differently.

So, I think training is a big thing, just to keep yourself up on training.”

Officer Marisa O’Toole Sterling Police Department

THAN NK YO OU!

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 23

Reflections 2017 FIRE

Apparatus from four rural fire departments and Sterling Fire are lined up prior to a training exercise in Sterling recently.

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Rural fire departments are well-equipped

But there’s always a need for updated apparatus

By Jeff Rice

Journal-Advocate staff writer

There is a saying that a carpenter is only as good as his tools. If the same holds true for fighting fires, then the rural fire departments in Logan County are very good, indeed.

Although limited by funding — all are supported by special fire protection taxation districts — the departments manage to maintain respectable arsenals of weapons to use against fire and other calamity.

First, however, a note about terminology. Almost every fire truck can pump water onto a fire in some capacity, so in that way all fire trucks fight fires. But different vehicles have different functions. In

rural fire districts, one of the most important pieces of equipment is the brush truck, also called SCAT, which stands for self-contained attack truck. These nimble little trucks can traverse almost any kind of terrain, but hold only a few hundred gallons of water, at the most.

Two of Merino’s SCATs, by the way, are much larger than most and can hold more water than normal.

Both are surplus military trucks with custom-built tanks on them; one is a 5-ton truck and one is a twoand-a-half-ton, also known to veterans as a “deuce-and-a-half.” The trucks have greater clearance than most SCATs but still sport their military paint jobs.

Supporting the SCATs, and other pumpers, is the tender, a huge tank truck that can hold as many as 4,000 gallons of water. Besides supporting SCATs, the tenders also haul water for structural engines where hydrants aren’t available. Tenders

24 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

often are equipped with collapsible water “pools,” which allow a tender to dump its entire load into a pool other trucks can pump from while it goes for another load. Some also can suck water from reservoirs and even irrigation ditches, if necessary.

By the way, never make the mistake of calling a tender a “tanker.”

Tankers have wings and attack fires from the air.

The third kind of truck is the structural engine, and is what most people think of as a fire truck. It’s used to fight fires in buildings, such as houses, barns, and other buildings, and carries all of the required gear for that purpose.

All departments have what they call “rescue” trucks. These are actually ambulances, but because some departments don’t have qualified emergency medical technicians on their rolls, they cannot actually transport patients in the trucks.

They can, however, administer first

aid and then turn the truck over to EMTs from another agency for transport. An alternative is to use the truck’s resources to treat patients, and then let another agency transport in their own ambulance.

Different departments have various other vehicles, depending on the needs of individual communities. One thing they don’t have is what’s called a “ladder truck.”

There just isn’t a need for one in Logan County, outside of Sterling.

Should anyone need a truck that reaches beyond two stories, Sterling is always happy to roll theirs out.

With that background, here’s the breakdown of firefighting vehicles available in Logan County’s rural departments: The Fleming fire station houses three SCATs, one structural engine, two tenders, one rescue vehicle and See RURAL, 25

Reflections 2017 RURAL from page 24 one chief’s car. The department is in the market for a second engine, and is building a new fire house to contain all of the wildfire equipment.

The Peetz fire houses boasts three SCATs, two structural engines, one rescue and one water tender. Chief Steve Schumacher said he’d like to get a second tender of larger capacity.

Merino has three structural engines, two Type-4 SCATs (those are the big military surplus trucks) one Type-6 SCAT, one tender, an ambulance (Merino has EMT-qualified personnel) and a command vehicle. The department also houses a 1950s-era American LaFrance engine that is more a museum piece. Chief Dan Weibers insists, however, that it still works as well as it ever did and, if needed, could perform as well as any truck in the fire house.

In Crook, the 10-year-old fire house contains two rescue/structural engines, four SCATs, two tenders, two ambulances and a command truck. One of the SCATs is often loaned out to fight wildfires in other states across the West.

Chief Jeff Hunker is in the process of procuring a third structural truck, which is the twin of Engine 37. The trucks have consecutive serial numbers.

All but one of the districts own their own equipment. The exception is Merino, which operates under a complex agreement with the Sterling department. Both the Sterling Rural and Merino Rural Fire Districts are funded by the

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Firefighters prepare to connect two feed lines from a hydrant into a Merino engine during a training on April 8. The engine will then relay the water to another pumper down the street.

Sterling RFP district. The equipment is owned by the city of Sterling and the town of Merino, respectively, and leased to the fire departments. It can make things complicated when it comes to financing new equipment, as Merino Fire Chief Dan Wiebers recently pointed out to the Merino Town Board, where he also is a trustee.

Wiebers cautioned his fellow trustees that the town needed to protect itself, should the district need to buy new equipment and thus take on a large debt. Wiebers said that

the town would be indemnified against the district defaulting on that debt.

All but Fleming also have inhouse air tank compressors. Previously, backpack air tanks had to be brought to Sterling to be refilled, a time-consuming task. At Fleming, Chief Ken McCrone said an air tank compressor is on his shopping list, along with new communications gear.

Every fire chief has a list of things he wishes his department had, and

a big part of any rural fire chief’s job is finding equipment and the funding for it. Trucks and equipment wear out and break down, and always when they’re needed most.

Staying updated is a constant chore.

For now, however, Logan County’s rural departments are pretty well-equipped, boasting nearly 30 firefighting trucks and a dozen support vehicles.

Jeff Rice: 970-526-9283, ricej@journal-advocate.com

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REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 25

Reflections 2017 FIRE

Volunteers needed to protect rural communities Firefighting requires a certain kind of person, chiefs say

By Jeff Rice

Journal-Advocate staff writer

The plea is posted right on the Sterling Fire Department’s website: “Throughout rural Colorado, citizens and current firefighters are at risk because of the lack of volunteer firefighters to adequately protect people and property from fire and fire-related hazards. As call volume increases, more departments depend on volunteer firefighters.

Throughout Colorado, over 3 million citizens are protected by volunteer or combination departments.

In order to comply with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards, the Colorado fire service must increase each department by 10 volunteers. With a total of 418 fire departments, Colorado needs to recruit approximately 3,500 additional volunteer emergency responders to be fully protected.”

While they may be pretty wellequipped to handle almost any firerescue emergency, Logan County’s rural fire departments are woefully undermanned. Only Sterling has any full-time paid firefighters and EMTs, but it still depends on volunteers to fill its ranks. And the four small-town departments rely entirely on volunteers, including those in the chief position.

“We have 15 people, including three women, but we could easily use five more,” said Merino Fire Chief Dan Wiebers. “We’re supposed to have 14 people on a structure fire but ...” He didn’t finish the sentence, but shrugged, thought for a moment, and then added, “It’s

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Fleming Fire Chief Ken McCrone

not just a local issue. It’s a national issue. Everyone is hurting for people.”

Wiebers’ department is somewhat fortunate because one-third of his volunteers work for Wisdom Manufacturing in Merino, just a few hundred yards from the firehouse.

But the chief himself, who works for a telecommunications company, is often as much as two hours away.

“I can’t make most of the stuff that happens between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays,” Wiebers said, “but emergencies don’t just happen during business hours.”

In Crook, Chief Jeff Hunker is able to adjust his work schedule at

26 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

nearby East Cheyenne Gas Storage so he can participate in training exercises and help cover the station during most days. But the nature of his work doesn’t allow him to leave work to respond to emergencies.

Many of his volunteers are farmers who have to respond from miles away when their pagers go off.

Over in Fleming, Chief Ken McCrone has a similar situation with his job at Sterling Correctional Facility; because of security, McCrone cannot drop everything to go fight fires, although his schedule does allow some flexibility. Even so, he had to leave a mandatory

training session in order to help fight the Logan-Phillips wildfire.

Administrators at the prison were understanding, however, and the chief was allowed to make up the training later.

Fleming has 16 volunteers now, and three more people have expressed interest. McCrone said the department’s bylaws call for up to 30 volunteers.

In Peetz, Fire Chief Steven Schumacher farms with his family, and it can be problematic shutting down a complex farming operation to respond to an auto accident or a See VOLUNTEERS, 27

Reflections 2017 VOLUNTEERS from page 26

Crook Fire Chief Jeff Hunker

fire. In fact, all four departments are partially staffed by farmers — some more than others — but still manage response times that rival those of the full-time department in Sterling.

To compensate, the volunteers in the small departments have become good at prioritizing the needs of a call and phasing in help as it arrives. Whoever is first to the firehouse — and there are usually two or three who arrive fairly quickly — take the most essential vehicles that they can with the people

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Peetz Fire Chief Steve Schumacher with his son Kason.

they have. That usually means a pumper-rescue truck and an ambulance, depending on the nature of the call. Later arrivals will bring support and command vehicles.

All of the fire chiefs praised their volunteers for the amount of training they attend, often overlapping with neighboring departments so they get an idea of how their colleagues work.

“We have capable and well-trained manpower,” Hunker said, “but we just don’t have enough of it.”

Ask the fire chiefs and their vol-

unteers why they do it and they’ll invariably give two answers. The first is obvious: somebody has to do it, and these people are driven to serve. Chief Wiebers and two of his firefighters, Jared Davis and Julian Gonzales, also are on the Merino Town board.

“I just can’t say no,” Wiebers said with a shrug.

In Fleming, Chief McCrone put his hat in the ring recently when a town board seat opened up.

Hunker said he just can’t imagine doing anything else. “It was my des-

tiny,” he said. He comes from a firefighting family; his father, Glenn, and his uncle, Charles Miner, both retired from the Sterling Fire Department, Miner as the fire chief.

Jeff Hunker served for more than two decades before leaving.

“It was time to do something different,” he said. That “something different” was taking over as parttime chief of the Crook department where his son, Zach, also is a volunteer.

See VOLUNTEERS, 28

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 27

Reflections 2017

Jeff Rice / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Merino Fire Chief Dan Wiebers poses with some of his firefighters in front of one of the department's engines. From left are Rachelle Davis, Jared Davis, Wiebers, and Chad Wettstein.

VOLUNTEERS from page 27

At Peetz, Steve Schumacher also is following in his father’s footsteps as a firefighter, and on the day he was interviewed for this story, his son was with him in the fire house.

Ken McCrone joined his hometown volunteer fire department when he was 16 years old.

“My dad was a volunteer, and in my hometown it was a thing you do – you turn 16, you join the fire department,” he said.

But there’s something else, too.

The firefighters we talked to confessed that there’s just a little bit of the adrenaline junkie in all of them.

They agreed that there is something that draws them to doing a job

that other people just aren’t cut out for.

“We don’t go rushing into fires just for fun,” Wiebers said. “We do a lot of training, and I wouldn’t do this without the training. But there is something that makes you feel good about knocking down a fire.”

“My mom always said she thought I was an adrenaline junkie,” McCrone said. “Maybe I was, just a little at first.”

And yet, there still aren’t enough of them. The hours are terrible and long, danger is a constant companion, and the compensation doesn’t come close to making up for the family and personal time they sacri-

28 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

fice for the privilege of serving others.

They do some recruiting, as time and circumstances allow. All of the departments work with local schools to plan for emergencies, and when the Fleming department held a full-scale drill at Fleming School last fall, McCrone took the opportunity to do some public relations with the students. Hunker also hopes to be able to plant some seeds in the minds of Caliche students.

“The NFPA standards say a firefighter can be continuously fighting a fire for only 30 minutes and then you have to pull him out,” Wiebers said. “On a big fire like the Foote

Building in Sterling (in 2002) we were there for four hours. You can imagine how many people that would take.”

The requirements for being a firefighter in Colorado are pretty straightforward. You must be at least 18 years old (21 for some departments); have a Colorado driver’s license; be in good physical condition; have no criminal record; and complete a basic fire and EMS training program.

It wouldn’t hurt if you had a compelling need to serve you community, too.

Jeff Rice: 970-526-9283, ricej@journal-advocate.com

A MESSAGE FROM ALLEN BOELTER, GENERAL MANAGER, CARGILL FORT MORGAN …

Agriculture truly is the “Heartbeat of the Plains.” When I start thinking about all the ways in which ag plays a part of our everyday lives, it is beyond amazing. I cannot think of even one activity that we do every day that does not have its roots in ag.

That is how it is for us here at Cargill, too.

Our very existence relies on the agriculture producer. Without them, our circle of life would be broken. We work together, hand in hand. They supply the cattle, we supply the venue for that beef to find its way on to your table. Together, we can then help better the lives of our friends and families, as well as our community.

Cargill values community, of giving back. We are proud supporters of people and events in our community in order to make things better.

Cargill values agriculture and its farm and ranch producers for helping create the quality of life that we all hold so dear. They work so hard to produce those commodities that we have come to rely upon and cherish.

On behalf of the 2,100 employees of the Fort Morgan Cargill, Thank You, to these producers and suppliers of cattle. They grow the finest quality beef and have forged a strong working partnership with Cargill that is meaningful and profitable for all.

Thank you Northeast Colorado Beef Producers – You are Quite Simply – the

BEST!

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 29

Reflections 2017 TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Help is a phone call away Director, staff at Sterling Emergency Communications Center driven by desire to aid others

By Sara Waite Journal-Advocate editor

The Logan-Phillips County Wildfire in March served as a good reminder to Valicia Serl why she is so glad to have the job she does.

The director of the Sterling Emergency Communications Center said that while the 32,000-plus acre grass fire that destroyed numerous structures and killed at least 200 cattle was of course tragic, it was a day she went home and thought, “I really love this job.”

“I’m fortunate to be able to help people on the worst day of their life,” she said.

That quality — a desire to help those in crisis — is something Serl says her staff shares.

Serl’s career in emergency communications started 10 years ago.

At 18 years old, she was planning to attend nursing school, but needed a job until she could go. She says she pestered Walt Hardesty, then director of WY Comm, the dispatch center for Washington and Yuma counties, until he hired her. And then she fell in love with it, so much so that when she did get the opportunity to go to nursing school, she turned it down.

Serl started moonlighting for Sterling in 2012, helping cover as the center was struggling to find employees. Then, while she was out on medical leave, Hardesty took over as director of the Sterling center.

When she came back to work, she decided that she wanted to find someplace where she could climb

Dispatchers at work in the Sterling Emergency Communications Center.

up the career ladder, and applied for the supervisor position in Sterling, starting July 2015. After Hardesty retired last year, Serl was promoted to director.

Serl said being a dispatcher is “oftentimes a very thankless job.”

“But at the end of the day... we know we’re helping,” both the community and the agencies that serve it.

“You don’t get that fulfillment other places,” she said.

In last month’s fire, Serl said every one of the dispatch center staff called or came in to see what they could do to help. While normal operations is to have two of the consoles manned -- sometimes three during the busier times of day -- during the fire all four were manned.

“Nobody missed a beat,” she said.

30 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

The dispatchers worked together as a team, and accomplished the ultimate goal in emergency communications: everybody went home safe at the end of the day. “I couldn’t ask for better employees,” Serl said.

Sterling, like other dispatch centers across the nation, has struggled with employee retention. Dispatching is a high-stress job without a lot of positive feedback. As a dispatcher, “you never hear about when things go right; you always hear when things go wrong,” Serl said. And people don’t realize it could be a career path.

While Serl has been working in the field for 10 years, many dispatchers last only about two years before they decide they want, or need, to take a different path. The characteristics needed to succeed

Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

include an ability to multi-task, managing stress well, having thick skin (“People yell at you,” Serl said), understanding how to operate computers quickly and accurately. And above all, a desire to help people.

The dispatchers work 10-hour shifts. The center employs nine fulltime dispatchers, one part-time (with an opening for a second parttimer), a supervisor and a lead dispatcher, in addition to Serl’s position as director. New hires are put through a 12-week training program, working through the training manual and taking tests on topics like geography, equipment and programs. Later in their training, the trainer will shadow the new dispatcher as they handle calls until they are ready to start working regSee HELP, 31

Reflections 2017 HELP from page 30 ular shifts on their own. The rookie dispatchers are then subject to monthly reviews through a yearlong probationary period.

that police and fire personnel get about dealing with a bad accident, so how will they cope with viewing it in a live video?

They are also implementing new procedures to help ensure that they have the most critical piece of information: “location, location, location.” That means they’ll ask for callers’ address or location and their phone numbers, and then verify that information a second time.

And the training doesn’t end there. Serl said Sterling has recently become more involved in national dispatch organizations, increasing training and networking opportunities. Ten years in, there are still trainings that she says she would be thrilled to get to attend, because of the benefit it could provide to the Serl said it’s important for people community. to realize that the dispatchers don’t Her staff also willingly undergoes ask questions to “pester” the calltraining without complaint. The ers; they need to collect information center has recently gone through so they can help prepare the emersome extensive equipment gency responders to serve you. upgrades, and the dispatch team “There is a method to our maddoes what they need to do “to make ness,” she said. “We’re there to help them,” and have to ask the questhis place go.”

Sterling’s struggles to find and tions to do that.

The center is also making a big retain dispatchers have improved somewhat since Serl started — she push on raising awareness of the said there was a lot of turnover right new Code RED system, which is an before she joined the staff — but emergency phone notification systhe two-year cycle is still the norm. tem. The system is similar to the Some of the dispatchers now on one the center previously used; the staff are approaching four years cost for the old system tripled, forcwith the center; others have come ing the change. Those who had regin with experience from other dis- istered their phone numbers on the patch centers. And they are all old system should go back and sign always looking for ways to improve up for Code RED. Serl said hardtheir service. “We have people who wired land lines should automaticalwant to work here. It’s not just a job ly be registered in the system, but it doesn’t hurt to register those numto them,” she said. bers too. Links to the online regisOne of the things the staff is focused on now is striving for pro- tration are available on the Logan fessionalism and always being County Sheriff’s Office website, polite. Serl said she cues calls fre- and the Sterling Emergency Comquently to ensure that goal is being munications Center page on the city of Sterling website as well. The met.

Code Red system enables the comAnd equipment changes — and munications center and other agenthe accompanying policy changes cies to notify residents in Logan — are a pretty constant thing. Last County of emergency situations, year, the center implemented a new like grass fires, weather events, gas dispatch system. Now, Serl said, leaks or manhunts. The system they are working toward getting a allows them to pinpoint the area new 911 system to replace the sys- needing to be notified, then sends tem that has been in use for as long out recorded messages to the as Sterling has had a dispatch. They phone numbers registered in those are moving toward a system that locations. Anyone needing help will be more compatible with “next- with registration can contact the gen tech,” such as texting to 911 center’s non-emergency line, 970and even video. But those capabili- 522-3512. ties come with a lot of “scary” considerations, Serl said. For example, Sara Waite: 970-526-9310, dispatchers don’t have the training swaite@journal-advocate.com

Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Sterling Mayor Dan Torres, right, presents a proclamation of National Public Safety Telecommunications Week to Sterling Emergency Communications Center Director Valicia Serl (left) and dispatcher Paula Nall during the Sterling City Council meeting April 11.

(970) 522-7515 522-7515 (970)

Salutes the Men & Women who use their Time & Talents to keep us Safe.

Thank You!!

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 31

Reflections 2017

Dive team driven to serve despite dangers

Seven of 11 members work in law enforcement at Sterling Correctional Facility

By Sara Waite

Journal-Advocate editor

Jim Trum can talk at length about the challenges of leading one of the few dive teams east of the I-25 corridor in Colorado.

Local funding is almost non-existent. The work is strictly volunteer, and in fact costs members money as they must supply personal equipment, not to mention the time required for training and response.

When calls come in, the information provided rarely matches what responders find on scene. And many of the calls turn out to be false alarms, meaning team members have dropped what they are doing, experienced a rush of adrenaline, all for nothing.

Then there is the personal toll that can come from the calls that are all too real. Frustration, when residents in a flooded-out home refuse to get in the boat after team members risked their lives crossing raging river waters to rescue them.

Horror while collecting evidence in a murder case after a body is dumped in the river. The tragedy of recovering a missing father’s body from the lake — on Father’s Day. But clearly there is something about performing rescues that keeps Trum, and the other members of the team, coming back.

While Trum says “half the people in town don’t even realize we have a dive team,” the group now boasts 11 members — thanks to recent additions that have about doubled their numbers. Seven of those members, including Trum, work at Sterling Correctional Facility. Serving with him from SCF are Glen VanMeter, Brian Barnhill, Darney Swingle, Robert Camilleri, Andrew Paugh and Chris Scavarda.

Sara Waite / Sterling Journal-Advocate

Sterling Correctional Facility employees serving on the Logan County Dive Team (front row, from left) Chris Scavarda, Robert Camilleri, Andrew Paugh; (back row, from left) Brian Barnhill, Jim Trum, Glen VanMeter and Darney Swingle.

Camilleri, Paugh and Scavarda are rather recent additions to the team. Camilleri has been a member for about a year. He received his scuba certification while serving in the Marine Corps, and when he heard about the dive team felt it would be a way to keep diving. He enjoys being part of a team that has a common interest in giving back to the community.

Paugh and Scavarda have only been members for about a month.

Paugh also started diving while serving in the Marines, and says he never would have thought he’d be able to continue doing it in Colorado. He said he enjoys serving on a small team that is like a “band of brothers,” where members help each other outside of their work on the team.

Scavarda, who has been in Sterling for 15 years, volunteered with

32 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

SCF’s special teams before joining the dive team so she could serve the community. She says the other members of the team provide the “muscles — but I hope they have a spot for me.”

Trum’s career in rescue goes back about 22 years, when he was a volunteer with the Kimball, Neb. fire department. After six years there, he came to Sterling, and two years later joined the Logan County dive team. After moving up from the training leader to assistant team leader, he became team leader about 10 years ago.

He says he has always enjoyed emergency services, and he was “hooked” on diving “the first time I got on the bottom of the pool.”

VanMeter serves as assistant team leader and has been on the team for 11 years. Barnhill, the training officer, has nine years with

the dive team, while Swingle has been an active team member for five years.

SCF recently nominated the four long-time dive team members for a Community Service Award, and shared comments from the nomination. “Their leadership in the team and volunteerism is remarkable.

They truly embody what it means to be a volunteer,” it states. “Their choices to act, without any regard for financial reward for the common good, are a display of their high personal values. They are outstanding citizens of the city of Sterling and positively represent Sterling Correctional Facility and the Department of Corrections.”

Trum says recruiting volunteers for the team is a challenge in part because there is no compensation for the time they donate. He and See DIVERS, 33

Reflections 2017 RESCUE

DIVERS from page 32

VanMeter donate over 240 hours a year; other team members might give 144-plus hours. That includes team meetings, training, specialized classes and call outs. And, in the end, Trum says, “it’s dangerous work.”

The team members go through certification as classes are available.

Those classes typically run 3 to 5 days each, but can take up to a week. And they are intense, putting the trainees in real life situations.

“It’s not pretend at all,” Trum says.

In addition, the team tries to run two trainings a month year-round.

Simulating the conditions of a real water rescue or recovery can be challenging, VanMeter notes, but it starts by mastering the basic tasks involved, and that can be done in a number of ways. In the winter months, the team trains at the indoor pool at the Sterling Recreation Center. In warmer weather, they use local waterways, such as North Sterling Reservoir, the South Platte River and the Overland Trail Recreation Area fishing pond. But they can also practice skills like managing ropes on dry land, and they sometimes get strange looks when conducting training in full gear at local parks.

The regular training is necessary to keep their skills sharp when a call comes in -- the “use it or lose it” philosophy at work. They don’t want to have to flip through a manual to remember how to operate a piece of equipment when they are on scene at a rescue, Trump noted. And regardless of the role an individual member plays on the team — diver or shore support — it’s important that everyone knows how to do all of the tasks involved, because their job might change as the situation evolves.

According to Trum, the team typically is involved in just a couple of incidents a year, although they get more calls than that from false alarms such as when a person believed to be lost in the water is found safely on shore. They also are sometimes put on standby for inci-

Sara Waite / Journal-Advocate file photo

Rescuers complete a scenario at the Overland Trail Recreation Area fishing pond during a two-day ice rescue training with Dive Rescue International in Sterling in 2014.

dents like floods, in case they are needed. And they participate in community events like the Lions Club’s annual Tri on the Plains at North Sterling.

As one of the only dive teams in eastern Colorado, the Logan County team covers an area from Julesburg to about Wiggins, and has aid agreements with other teams further west. The county provides a limited budget through the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, but only $3,500 a year — and that’s an increase over what it used to be, Trum said. Most of the team equipment is purchased through grants, which also help cover costs for specialized trainings such as classes with Fort Collins-based Dive Rescue International. The team has hosted some classes in Sterling, drawing participants from around the U.S. The equipment situation has improved from Trum’s early days on the team, he said — for a while they had a trailer to haul their boat but no vehicle to tow it with.

They were able to acquire a vehicle through the LCSO, and are hoping to receive another in the near future. But there are still things

they could use.

The long-time team members are glad to have some new recruits on board, noting that at 12 members, they are about double in size from the crew they had during the South Platte River flood in 2013. They always welcome new members, who go through a 90-day trial period to ensure that the team is a good fit.

“If it was easy, everybody would do it,” Trum said.

VanMeter noted that a drive to serve the community is at the core of why all the team members join.

“Some of the trainings are cool and fun, but you have to weigh it against the bad days,” he said.

Bad days in recent years have included a suicide investigation, murder investigation and drowning victim. During the last flood event in Crook, a car tried to cross flood waters after the bridge washed out and had to be rescued, but the boat got stuck in a downed tree, putting the rescuers at risk of becoming victims themselves. Careful maneuvering broke them free, and the incident ended well.

The long-time team members are full of stories from each of the inci-

dents they have responded to.

There was the group of ice fishermen who found themselves trapped in the middle of a lake after the ice shelf broke apart, and the man who got trapped on a sand bar in the river and removed his wet clothes, trying to burn them to keep his naked body warm.

Despite the challenges, Trum said, “we don’t want to miss a call.”

The others agreed that for the most part, when they are responding to an incident, there’s no place they’d rather be.

Fortunately, they said, SCF’s administration has always been good about letting them go. During the 2013 flood, the team spent days following the crest along the river and performing rescues as well as monitoring the city of Sterling for danger. Not only did the facility give them the time away from work they needed, they still received pay.

In addition to the seven team members employed at SCF, the team includes four members from the community: Rick Cullip of Sterling, Brandon Neilson of Fleming, James Vanderford of Crook and Andrew Flores of Yuma.

REFLECTIONS • APRIL 19, 2017 • 33

Reflections 2017 MABAS

Districts ‘erasing boundaries’ Formalized ‘alarm box’ system close to reality for rural fire districts

By Jeff Rice Journal-Advocate staff writer

That Fleming Fire Chief Ken McCrone got into the fight against the Logan-Phillips County Wildfire as early as he did was something of a fluke. An officer at the Sterling Correctional Facility, he was in training at the prison on that Monday and scheduled to go on a muchneeded vacation the next day. But on his lunch hour he stopped in at the Logan County Visitor’s Center to pick up a map and heard the visitor center volunteers directing people who had come off of the interstate on how to get around the closure on I-76. That was a little before noon, and the first he heard about the fire.

That is the one weak point McCrone and his fellow fire chiefs identify in their coverage of rural northeast Colorado — communications in the opening minutes of an incident — and it’s one they’re close to solving.

The command protocols are in place and, McCrone said, on “The Big Fire” they worked well.

“The people who were in command at first, (Sterling Fire Chief Lavon) Ritter and (Crook Fire Chief Jeff) Hunker did a fantastic job of moving people around,” he said.

The departments do work well together, thanks in large part to the efforts of the Logan County Fire Chiefs Association. Some of the chiefs even have served together in the rank and file of firefighting.

“Chief (Lavon) Ritter was on my shift when I was on the Sterling Fire Department,” Hunker said. “We’re always on the same page. And we’ve sort of erased the borders, so everybody can play in everybody else’s sandbox.”

Merino Chief Dan Wiebers agrees with the “erasing the bor-

Logan County is covered by six fire districts, although the Merino district is part of the Sterling Rural Fire Protection District.

“We’re always on the same page. And we’ve sort of erased the borders, so everybody can play in everybody else’s sandbox.”

Chief Jeff Hunker Crook Fire ders” analogy.

“We’ve had mutual aid for a long time,” he said, “but you didn’t go unless you were asked.”

And therein lies the problem: everyone may be on the same page, but that page pretty much has to be rewritten each time an alarm goes off.

“What we need, what we’re very close to having on paper, is a box alarm system,” McCrone said.

The “box alarm” isn’t a box or a piece of equipment. In formal fire-

34 • APRIL 19, 2017 • REFLECTIONS

try.

With MABAS, firefighting equipment, command, and expertise at the independent rural fire protection districts across northeast Colorado would be able to act as one large department if needed, putting resources where they are most needed when they are needed.

Merino and Sterling already do that because Merino is actually part of the Sterling Rural Fire Protection District. Any time the Merino department is called out, Sterling automatically sends equipment and people to backstop Merino, and vice-versa. Fire chiefs in the area make an effort to communicate and offer assistance whenever they hear neighboring departments called out.

MABAS would make that automatic across Logan County, McCrone said; Fleming would automatically dispatch whatever resources were needed to assist Crook or Haxtun as soon as alarms were sounded, depending on the nature of the alarm, and vice-versa.

“It’s something the chiefs have been working on for some time, and we’re very close to having it done,” he said.

In Peetz, Chief Steve Schumacher is optimistic that a MABAS will be a reality soon.

“It’s just a matter of hammering out the details,” he said. “We have to be able to supply the people and the equipment that’s needed when they’re needed. But I think we’ll get it done pretty soon.”

“The goal is to include all of the neighbors we touch,” Wiebers said.

“And that could even mean the fire districts covering Haxtun to the east and Sidney, Neb., to the north.”

fighting terminology it’s a MutualAid Box Alarm System or MABAS, and it was developed in 1968 by the Chicago Fire Department. According to Fire Engineering Magazine, MABAS is “based on the Chicago box alarm cards that preassign the engines, trucks, squads, ambulances, and chiefs (and any other specialized equipment) to respond on a given level of alarm.” Chicago Fire still uses the same basic structure today, and it has been adopted by Jeff Rice: 970-526-9283, ricej@jourfire departments across the coun- nal-advocate.com