In May 1975, U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War had just ended. The Rolling Stones were preparing to launch their North American tour. And the Falcon Volunteer Fire Department was founded.Back then, Falcon consisted of a small number of homes, a school and abundant prairie shared with cattle and pronghorn antelope. County firefighters from a station near what is now Woodmen Road and I-25 responded to fires. According to an account written by Phyllis Anderson for the departmentís 10-year anniversary, a fire on Owl Lane that destroyed a home prompted some Falcon residents to form their own all-volunteer fire department.The group of concerned citizens first met Jan. 27, 1975, and established a charter the following May. The department became operational in July, with 20 members and the arrival of the first fire apparatus: a wrecked 1953 Dodge ìopen airî truck obtained from the U.S. Forest Service. Volunteers repaired the truck and were still outfitting it for operations, when the first alarm came in for a grass fire along the railroad tracks near Highway 24.Looking back on the 40-year history of the department and its service to Falcon residents, Chief Trent Harwig said it is important to remember the grassroots effort that brought the department into existence. ìYou donít know where you are at or where you are going unless you know where you came from,î he said.Then and now: Four decades of progressThen: Falconís fire apparatus and equipment were housed in an old mule barn near Highway 24 and Cottontail Drive. Using salvaged building materials, money from fundraisers and help from community members, volunteers built Falconís first fire station at the corner of Highway 24 and Meridian Road.Now: Four fire stations serve the Falcon community. Two are staffed 24/7 and have living quarters for firefighters, office space and community rooms. Planning is under way for a fifth station, which will also be staffed, near Constitution Avenue and Marksheffel Road.Then: Falcon volunteer fire department members relied on donations and fundraisers to purchase firefighting equipment and fund operations. They did their own repair work on apparatus and facilities.Now: Realizing that sufficient funding could not be obtained through donations and fundraising events alone, the Falcon Fire Protection District (a special tax district) was formed in December 1981. The fire department is now funded almost solely through tax revenue.Then: The firefighters and emergency medical technicians who responded to emergencies in the Falcon area were all unpaid volunteers. They attended training for firefighting and emergency medical services on their own time and provided an invaluable service to their community without a paycheck.Now: As Falcon grew and calls for service increased, so did demands on the volunteers. The first paid fire chief was hired in 1997, and the first paid firefighters/EMTs were hired in 2000. Today, Falconís fire department is known as a combination department, which includes both paid staff and volunteers. FFPD currently employs 18 full-time and six part-time firefighters/EMTs, a chief, a deputy chief, a fire marshal, two support staff and a part-time fleet technician. However, the district still relies on volunteers (now called reservists) to provide needed staffing.Then: Falcon volunteers initially provided only firefighting services. As time went on, some members became trained in advanced first aid and eventually received certification as EMTs. The department did not provide ambulance transport.Now: All Falcon firefighters are also required to be EMTs who can provide basic life support to medical patients. A few are paramedics authorized to provide advanced life support procedures for critically ill or injured patients. An AMR ambulance is also housed at Station 1 and provides basic and advanced life support and transport services on a contract basis.Looking to the futureHarwig said none of the departmentís accomplishments happened overnight. ìIt took 40 years to get where we are,î he said. ìIt wasnít that long ago when volunteers had to do fundraisers just to put fuel in the trucks, or stay up all night to repair them. I donít think anyone envisioned where we would be today.îBecause of funding, many small rural fire departments, including some that provide mutual aid resources to Falcon, still operate the way Falcon volunteer fire department did 40 years ago, Harwig said. ìItís good to have that background. It certainly makes us appreciate what we have now.ìWithout a crystal ball, no one can say what the next 40 years will bring. However, Harwig said there is no doubt things will change as the Falcon area continues to grow. The future development of the Banning-Lewis Ranch will also affect the community and the fire department. ìWeíll still be here,î he said. ìThere will be a lot more people and a lot higher call volume. It wonít look anything like it does now.îOne change is the loss of some of the departmentís founding members and early volunteers. A few still participate by serving on the board of directors or attending meetings, and retirees are invited to attend the annual membersí picnic and Christmas dinner. ìI think itís important to still have that part of the community active,î Harwig said. ìWe still have those people involved, but one day theyíll no longer be here.îDeputy Chief Jeff Petersma, whose father was a founding member of the department, also acknowledged the importance of remembering the past, as the department heads into the future. ìWe ride on the shoulders of those who came before us,î he said.Volunteers wantedFFPD will host a volunteer (reservist) training academy this summer. Applicants are encouraged to apply at Station 3/HQ at 7030 Old Meridian Road in Falcon. For more information, visit http://falconfirepd.org.Follow the Falcon Fire Protection District on Facebook (Falcon Fire Department) and Twitter (@FalconFireDept).
