75 years of first responder service

Evergreen Fire/Rescue celebrates its history

BY DEB HURLEY BROBST DBROBST@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Evergreen’s re department has grown exponentially since it started in 1948.

With more stations, more female re ghters, more technology and a busy emergency medical service that merged with the re department in 1986, Evergreen Fire/Rescue of 2023 outwardly doesn’t appear to have much in common with its roots.

But it does.

After 75 years, re ghters from all years are bound together in the brotherhood and sisterhood of service to the community. It doesn’t matter when you were part of the department, you are still family.

Evergreen Fire/Rescue celebrated its diamond jubilee with a barbecue for re ghters past and present over Memorial Day weekend, with veteran volunteers greeting friends old and new, and telling stories about their time as rst responders serving the community.

For current Fire Chief Mike Weege, who went through re ghter train- ing in 2001 and has been with EFR his entire re ghting career, the barbecue was a chance to reconnect with retired re ghters. He said getting involved with EFR in the early 2000s allowed him to get to know some of the founding members and subsequent generations of volunteers.