LYONS FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
We will be publishing a full profile article (Community Resource) on the fire department, as part of our series of informational articles about town services this month.
In the meantime, we wanted to share with you more timely information:
First, that they have a Fire Fund that you can contribute to, to help them in their mission to protect the residents of Lyons and the surrounding communities.
Second, they have announced that they got delivery of their new “wildland” or “brush” truck, called a Type 6, 4031 this week! They are especially important in a Wildland Urban Interface district (such as Lyons). It took them a year to get the order done. They are currently getting it outfitted, before taking it out on a service mission. (The photo above is the old one.)
Third, =new Fire Chief= UPDATE 11/18/20: There is an interim Fire Chief, and there is an ongoing search for a new one. Contact the Fire Board for more information. There is also an ongoing search for new volunteer recruits.
FINAL REPORT ON DONATIONS:
Thank you to Letia Alton Grosser, Pinewood Springs, who collected donations to buy needed (power) snacks and drinks for the firefighters in October, which she took to a food trailer on the fire front lines. The final amount was $4,723 (the remainder $1,180 was donated to the Pinewood and Glen Haven Fire Departments). Thank you for your devotion to helping ease their long days of hard work! AND, to all the people who generously donated!
PROFILES OF FIREFIGHTERS
Thank you to Sue Nichols-Painter who is doing interviews of all the firefighters in Pinewood Springs Fire Protection District. They are top-notch, in-depth interviews, reflecting the personalities of the volunteers and descriptions of the missions that they go on. It gives you great confidence in the people who fight our fires.
Here is a part of one interview:
Name: Andrew (Andy) Lucas
Position on Department: Assistant Chief, Commander/Coordinator of regional Rapid Intervention Team (RIT is a firefighter rescue group)
Years (months) of service: 38.5 years total, 28.5 with Pinewood Springs Fire Protection District (Asst. Chief since 1993)
Why did you decide to volunteer? It was in my blood as a ski patrol medical responder, as a teen, then graduated to corporate medical response team and CPR instructor, and becoming a firefighter was a natural progression in upping my game at the time. My initial focus was emergency medical response and the rest of firefighting was a surprise bonus at the time.
What was your most memorable call? (see Facebook for this long story about the 2013 Flood).
What do you think most people don’t know about being a volunteer Firefighter? How much time commitment there is. How much it becomes a lifestyle and part of who you are, not just something you do. Also, how personal we take the difficult responses that we never forget.
If you are interested in doing the same thing for the LYONS Fire Department, please contact us and/or the Fire Department communications officer.
WILDFIRE UPDATE: as of November 10th,
1. The Fire Ban in Boulder County has been changed to Level 2. I have published the full details of what is prohibited and what is allowed. It’s always hard to remember those details, so I thought it would be a good idea to just publish what is the official wording as to what you can and cannot do.
2. More forest closures are being lifted across the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests with all Stage 3 restrictions rescinded. Closures will remain in place around areas that experienced wildfire in Grand, Boulder and Larimer counties. These fire areas present a public safety threat as burned trees can fall unexpectedly, hot spots are still burning, and new hazards can be hidden under snow.
3. There is pretty much no big news on the remaining fires expanding and endangering homeowners now or in the near future in the greater Lyons area.
FIRE OPERATIONS UPDATE:
This information has been printed each week on the FLASH NEWS page.
==Calwood fire remains at: Size: 10,106 Acres, 85% contained.
==East Troublesome fire is Size: 193,804 Acres, Nov. 4th: 37% Contained. As of Nov. 10th: 60 percent contained.
==Cameron fire is Size: 208,913 Acres, Contained: 92 percent! (containment remains the same for this week)
See our new page “October Fires Wrap up Report.”
