Monica LaSalle, Nederland.   Valor: Showing strength of mind or spirit that enables a person to encounter danger with firmness.

This is an award Chief Rick Dirr hands out to specific fire fighters in specific instances, like the Arapahoe Pass search and rescue, performed by Iain Irwin-Powell and Andrew Joslin this past year.

Putting themselves in danger, risking their lives to save a hiker who was injured, lost, it remains unclear. She didn’t make it, after hours of searching in the 10 inches of early season snow at the end of October.

Despite the dangers involved in being a fire fighter, Nederland has a dedicated crew that have never let the community down in their efforts to keep people safe, responding when people need them at all hours of the day and night in often perilous situations. They leave their families and loved ones wondering if and when they will see them again.

So, it’s no wonder that when you come to the Ned Fire Awards Banquet in December, it is very much like a family holiday get together. Everyone is excited at the rare opportunity for some time to relax with each other.
Dressed in their best, firefighters and their loved ones come through the door looking for a cocktail and a good time after another year of the kind of hard work that can take an emotional toll on even the thickest of skins.

Chief Rick Dirr sets up the awards on stage and explains all the achievements his department has managed this past year. “It’s really been a year of training, training, training,” he says, as he lists all the staff that have achieved EMT, Firefighter I, II, Hazmat, Instructor I, State Proctor and Fire Inspector statuses. Even the volunteers are honored for a number of attended trainings. Most are new achievements, others are renewals.

As they mingle and munch on the delicious hors d oeuvres, they watch the slide show thoughtfully put together by Rick and Capt. Eric Abramson. There are scenes of training sessions, of actual calls showing flames reaching high out of homes that were met with unfortunate circumstances, and scenes of vehicular accidents. One is of a four-wheeler that someone drove off the road and caught air, smashing to an abrupt end.

Soon after, Chief Dirr begins handing out accolades. David Femmer is honored for 10 years length of service, and Ken Kehoe is honored for serving 5 years. Volunteer Iain Irwin-Powell is honored for 208 call responses this year, while Andrew Joslin responded to 123 and the third place was very close, but David Femmer came out on top with 102 calls. To make that happen, volunteers work standby shifts.

Fred Fialco worked the most in 2018, logging 610 hours, while George Newell logged 368, Kent Coghill did 156 and Anthony Desalvo 119. It is a wonder that volunteers have time to attend training, but Lindsey Sweeney had 47 hours, Kent Coghill had 46 and Andrew Joslin 41.

That being said, there is also an award for “Best Rested Fire Fighter” for the most hours on standby that resulted in only 3 actual calls all year long…it looks like Kent Coghill raked that one in as well. Two fire fighters received recognition for responding to over 1,500 calls: Charlie Schmidtmann and Iain Irwin-Powell.

Some cheering erupted in the restaurant when the chief commented on having replaced the ladder truck and Command 1&2, as well as for voters’ approval of the tax continuance.

Rest assured, Chief Dirr and his fantastic team of dedicated fire fighters, volunteers, staff and families have got our backs covered, for it’s clear they are committed not only to maintaining but improving constantly. For all their hard work, tonight they got some rest and relaxation, for a few hours anyway.

(Originally published in the December 27, 2018, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)