When Dax Turner was growing up deep in the Rocky Mountains in the small town of Georgetown, Colo., he said the volunteer fire department was the lifeblood of the community. His dad had a heart attack at the family’s home when Turner was 8, and from that moment he knew he would someday be a firefighter.
“I literally saw them save my dad’s life,” he said.
As soon as the opportunity presented itself, Turner volunteered with Waldens Ridge Emergency Services. A member for two years, he was named Rookie of the Year last year and has completed his Firefighter 1 and first responder training, and is working on completing Firefighter 2.
“It’s the most training I’ve done for any volunteer work,” he said. “It’s definitely worth it. It gives you a sense of community.”
WRES, an all-volunteer fire department, is looking to add five to seven more people like Turner. The only requirements are that one be at least 18 years old and have a good attitude and willingness to participate, said WRES Capt. Jay Heavilon.
“We’re not desperate; we’re well staffed,” he said, explaining that it takes time to get volunteers up to speed with training. “We’re looking for young and exuberant folks to come in and start the process.”
He said a volunteer can become a functional firefighter within three months and fully trained in a year. Rookies can perform tasks such as carrying water or filling air packs until they receive enough training to be involved in an actual incident.
Volunteers need to be able to make the time commitment and to function as a team player, Heavilon stressed.
“To mitigate an emergency or a disaster, they need to be able to function as a team,” he said, adding that volunteers should also be reasonably healthy and able-bodied.
Those interested in becoming a volunteer should contact the fire hall (located next to Ace Hardware) at 886-5974 and come by and meet the members of the department at their Thursday night meetings, held at 7 p.m.
Volunteers will go through an interview process and must be voted in before they are inducted. They must commit to attending the two-hour weekly meetings.
The department currently has a little more than 50 members ranging in age from 18-60, with most active members in their 20s and 30s, said Heavilon.
Mark Sivley joined WRES about four weeks ago.
“I feel like I’ve been in the community here for about 20 years and it’s time to do my part to help the community out,” he said.
New member Tyler Warner echoed his sentiments.
“It’s a way to give back, to help out,” he said.