We use the acronym WE ARE ACFR to list our organizational values, which are: Wellness, Empowerment, Accountability, Respect, Excellence, Attitude, Communication, Family and Recognition. To learn more about our values, click here.
Recently Firefighters Mike Reader, Brandon Donner, and Adam Turner each received a Meritorious Award for their heroic efforts in helping save two women whose kayak had overturned in the Dolores River. It’s definitely a case of being in the right place at the exact right time!
The crew from Brush Truck 11 was on a Wildland deployment on July 4th, and was assigned to watch out for potential fires in the area. They were driving on a road when they came upon a bystander who waved them down. Two local women had been kayaking in the river and had tipped over when their kayak was snagged on the side of an island. While both women were pulled under the water, they eventually made their way to holding onto a tree branch to stay afloat. Along with the help of a local rancher, our crew helped pull the women to safety. It was a true team effort as Colorado State Patrol and the local Sheriff’s Office were part of the rescue as well.
While the two women are still sore and have a few bumps and bruises, they cannot be thankful enough for the efforts of everyone involved.
The Meritorious Award is given to District personnel who as a crew display extraordinary courage and professionalism while on an emergency incident. And that’s exactly what the crew from Brush Truck 11 did on July 4th!
*Included are pictures of the two women who our crew helped save.
We would like to congratulate Fire Chief Stuart Sunderland on his recent retirement. Chief Sunderland is retiring from ACFR after a 33-year career in the fire service. He began his career with North Washington Fire Department in 1990, and while his accomplishments are too many to list, we are going to try! In his 33-year career, he was a certified fire investigator for ACFR and Adams County Sheriff’s Office, and was named Fire Investigator of the Year in 1998. As our Accreditation Manager, he lead ACFR to become only the third department in Colorado to become ISO 1 and Internationally Accredited. Other accomplishments include serving as the Vice President of Local 2403 and he was the Safety Coordinator when ACFR received the Circle of Safety Award, the largest employer in Colorado to receive it that year, and the only fire department. He also served on numerous Boards, including Colorado Emergencies Services Association, Adams County E911 Authority Board, and the Metro Chiefs Association.
He has mentioned it is time to now follow other passions in life. We are pretty sure that will include spending time in the mountains and fishing! Thank you Chief Sunderland for all you have given to our department, and we wish you the best in your retirement!
Chief Troy Patterson will be serving as our Interim Chief moving forward.
Our crews were recently called to an ice rescue call at Baker Reservoir involving a dog. A 155-pound Saint Bernard named Mumford had gone out onto the ice and fallen into the water. One of Engine 12’s crew members went out onto the ice and pulled Mumford out of the water and brought him safely back to shore to his owner.
Mumford’s owner did the exact right thing by calling 911, staying on the shore, and giving the dispatcher their exact location. Because of those actions, this was a happy ending to a scary situation.
Please remember these tips to stay safe when it comes to ice:
Lithium-Ion batteries are everywhere. In phones, children’s toys, in e-bikes, and even the equipment where we work. If they are not properly cared for, stored, or disposed of, there can be serious and dire consequences. Denver7 reported on a story that affected us right here at ACFR.
There are valuable lessons and takeaways from this story in regard to keeping you and your family safe!
All of our crews have completed our annual ice rescue training just off of 64th and Pecos. This year’s scenario involved a dog going out on the ice, his owner following the dog on the ice, and then falling in. While our firefighters are highly trained in this area, the takeaway is never to go out on the ice. Call 911 immediately and let trained personnel take care of the rescue!
In our latest helmet cam feature, our firefighters battle structure fires and conduct unique trainings for our crew. It also includes probably the most exciting helmet cam footage you’ll ever see! You have to watch to find out what it is.
2022 was quite a year for ACFR. Our firefighters ran 12,103 overall calls in 2022, which is up 20% from 2021, and up 43% over the past five years! Our EMS calls were up 21% from 2021, and 40% over the past five years as well. 2022 was a busy year, filled with every kind of call you can imagine, training of all types, and being part of the community we serve. This video shows just a glimpse of the year that was….
We recently created a recruitment video for prospective members to learn about our department, however, we also wanted to introduce to our citizens the men and women who work hard to serve their community. Take a look!
Listen to the latest episode of The Fire Life by clicking below or jump on over to the Podcasts page for all past episodes!
Our “Cooking with ACFR” series continues as we stop by Station 13 and check in with the B shift crew. While we have some amazing cooks here at ACFR, Firefighter Ben Ramos and his crew explain its not just about the meal, it’s also about “crew-nity.” What in the heck is crew-nity? You’ll have to watch to find out…
If you would like to learn more about what Adams County Fire rescue is all about, please watch our recruitment video.
Have a question that only a firefighter can answer? Ask us below and one of our team members will get back to you shortly!
