Not many folks can say they stuck with it for 50 years. Even fewer can boast such a tenure as a firefighter. And only a very few can proudly brag of being a fire chief for 34 of those 50 years. Central City’s Gary Allen can lay claim to all of these!

On March 29, an appreciative and humbled crowd gathered at the Elks Lodge in Central City to celebrate a lifetime of achievements, dedication, determination, and successes. The room was adorned appropriately, with a huge banner on the wall proclaiming congratulations and many mementos of a storied career, right down to the rubber ducky fire chiefs on the tables.

As guests entered, they were handed a blank card on which they were encouraged to share their personal memories, congratulations and good wishes. Many fond memories were shared of the incredible, selfless and oftentimes challenging career of Chief Allen while a presentation showcasing the many years of service played on the big screen in the corner.

The festivities commenced with an opening by Mayor Jeremy Fey, who shared with the crowd that he was still in diapers when Chief Allen went on his first fire call back in 1974. He winked while saying he was looking forward to the next 10 years of Chief Allen being in the thick of things.

Mayor Fey was followed by City Manager Daniel Miera, who gave a heart-felt celebratory speech. Miera touched on many of Chief Allen’s milestones, including how he became fire chief at the tender age of 25. He also recanted how Chief Allen assisted a grieving widow in getting her truck and trailer back to town following the unexpected loss of her husband, his vital role during the blizzard of 2003 (where he worked an amazing 120 hours in a single week because it was what was needed of him), and his endurance in December of 2018 where he worked 22 hours straight to restore water service to Central City after a water main break on Christmas Eve. Miera reminded us “Chief Allen has proven that leadership is not about authority, but about taking action when it is most needed.”

Miera handed the podium spotlight to Fire Chief John Benson of the Boulder Mountain Fire Protection District. Chief Benson shared many memories of working with Chief Allen over the years. Benson then took the opportunity to walk the attendees through “The Life and Legacy of Gary Allen,” a delightfully humorous presentation and slideshow depicting the early years of Chief Allen garnering awe and appreciation from pterodactyls to dinosaurs. He drew many laughs from the crowd, and called special attention to the fact that Chief Allen had miraculously and meticulously preserved his trademark denim blue shirt throughout the millennia.

As the thundering applause rocked the old building, Danny Braning and Jack Beard of the Central City Volunteer Firefighter Foundation made their way to the podium to present Chief Allen with an award commemorating his incredible achievement. As a hush fell on the room, they presented a gently wrapped offering of gratitude and appreciation. A look of astonishment appeared on Chief Allen’s face as he uncovered a beautifully engraved, custom-made rifle honoring his decades of selfless contributions.

As guests dined on a generous taco bar and dessert feast, Captain Phil Headrick called attention and asked that glasses be raised in a toast in honor of Chief Allen. As beverages were raised high, Captain Headrick began to speak. “Chief – they say that older truckers and fire chiefs never die, they just get a new Peterbilt! Well, we have the new Peterbilt up at station two. We are wishing for another one – but – a quote I believe from Leslie Neilsen might be more appropriate. ‘You can’t turn back the clock – but you can wind it up again!’ Your commitment, dedication and determination to your department has shown all these years, no one can take that away. I hope you find this ceremony re-energizing you and we have your leadership for many more years. Cheers!”

The sounds of clinking glasses and robust applause filled the air as Chief Allen humbly took to the podium. With tears in his eyes, he offered words of appreciation and gratitude.

The evening concluded with a door prize drawing for a uniquely appropriate token – a Chief Allen bobblehead! The crowd roared with laughter!

Chief Allen – the appreciation and gratitude is ours for five decades of selfless service. We salute YOU!