The Fire Within
Portraits From Dedication And Service: 50 Years on Call with the Volunteers of Colorado’s Genesee Fire Rescue
By Avital Romberg
By Avital Romberg
FEATURED FIREFIGHTERS
4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 Joe Auster Ryan Babcock Doug Barenburg Bob Dalton Dorie Dalton Neil Frame Peter Greenstone Dan Hammock Max Herte Fritz Ihrig Hank O’Brien Jason Puffett John Seward Gregg Sheehan
4
5
Deputy Chief Joe Auster
6
Ryan Babcock
7
8
9
Lieutenant Doug Barenburg
10
11
Lieutenant Bob Dalton
12
13
Lieutenant Dorie Dalton
14
15
Captain Neil Frame
16
17
Captain Peter Greenstone
18
19
Lieutenant Dan Hammock
20
21
Lieutenant Max Herte
22
23
Fritz Ihrig
24
25
Lieutenant Hank O’Brien
26
27
Chief Jason Puffett
28
29
Engineer John Seward
30
31
Engineer Gregg Sheehan
Avital Romberg
Venice, Italy, Avital
a photographer and book designer. She can be reached at info@avital.me
Currently based near
is
ABOUT THE BOOK
Dedication and Service masterfully tells the story of Genesee Fire Rescue, a remarkable volunteer company located in the foothills west of Denver.
Through perpetual training, outstanding leadership, and steadfast devotion to community service, the Genesee fire force has earned its place among the top volunteer departments in the state.
This book is an inspiring testament to the enduring spirit of American volunteerism, a beacon that continues to shine in towns and cities nationwide, often with little fanfare.
For half a century, the men and women of Genesee Fire Rescue have confronted perilous situations, combating wildfires, extinguishing home and commercial blazes, aiding and evacuating residents who become ill, and attending some of the worst imaginable motor vehicle accidents, all while placing themselves in life-threatening situations.
For their efforts, the volunteers have won the immeasurable gratitude of those they serve and the priceless satisfaction of knowing that what they give of themselves genuinely matters.
Dedication and Service is a poignant celebration of the heroes next door, those ordinary yet extraordinary individuals who show up for neighbors and strangers in their times of need.
From the Foreword by John Bales
President,Colorado Fallen Firefighters Foundation
DEAN ROTBART is an award-winning former reporter and columnist with The Wall Street Journal, which nominated him for the Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting.
His 2021 book, September Twelfth: An American Comeback Story, was awarded the Gold Medal by the Nonfiction Authors Association.
A Colorado native, Rotbart lives in Denver with his wife, Talya, a children’s book author.
HANK O’BRIEN is a husband, father, grandfather, and volunteer Lieutenant/ EMT with Genesee Fire Rescue.
He resides in Genesee, Colorado, with his wife of 40 years, Carol, an architect.
9 781956 928037 5 3 0 0 0 > ISBN 978-1-956928-03-7 $30.00