FEATURES
Fort Carson FD celebrates the 4th on the 3rd

FCFES Capt. Tom Joyce jokes with firefighters struggling to keep an awning from blowing away in gusty winds prior to the Fort Carson fireworks display. PHOTO BY LINDA HOBBS

By Linda Hobbs
The Fourth of July is not what you would expect for Fort Carson Fire and Emergency Services (FCFES).

As with all holidays, there is no day off, but on the Fourth (actually celebrated on July 3, so soldiers can be with families on the 4th) something happens that doesn’t happen at any other time.

Most major holidays, like Christmas, families are either out of town or at home, but for the Fourth, families of the FCFES come together at the Main Station.

“It’s rained every year for the past four years, which for firefighters is a good thing,” FCFES Capt. Tom Joyce explained. “It didn’t rain in 2003, and we had little spot fires everywhere, so we were kept pretty busy. If it rains a little before the show, it’s great.”

Firefighter Logan Rogers and son, Gavin, 3, celebrated the Fourth together at the Main FCFES Station. PHOTO BY LINDA HOBBS

Joyce has been a firefighter for 22 years. He’s been with Fort Carson Fire Department for five years.

“Fort Carson does the annual fireworks display for the families, and it brings everybody here, and it’s a good thing,” Joyce said.

Upon entering the Main Fire Station, the air is filled with echoes of laughter and chatter. The entire station was alive with giggling, scampering children, as family members shared a scrumptious buffet of Fourth of July cuisine and talk about how they’ve been doing.

Capt. Joyce chided kids to walk in the halls. “Every one of those kids belongs to a firefighter,” he explained, while barking after kids, “Fifty cents! Everybody who runs in the halls owes me fifty cents!”

Capt. Mitch Vandyke first gave his name as Capt. Tom Joyce. Joyce explained, “If you get your name in the paper, you have to buy everybody ice-cream.”

FF/EMT Anne Timchenko was in the kitchen, cooking. She organizes the annual get together, now held at the new, state-of-the-art Main Fire Station, just built over a year ago.

FCFES Capt. Tom Joyce and wife, Kelly, take time to share the Fourth together, before the Captain must return to his duties. PHOTO BY LINDA HOBBS

There are three stations on post: the Main Station, Station 33 on Airfield Rd., Station 34 at Turkey Creek Recreational Area off Hwy. 115, and the Main Station, which houses two engine companies, including two Capt.s, a Haz-Mat truck, Heavy Rescue truck, an aerial ladder truck and brush trucks to be used for fire suppression, emergency medical services, aircraft fire rescue and wildland fire suppression.

FCFES has 75 paid personnel, including 12 active military who are currently deployed overseas.

“We miss them a lot,” said Firefighter Andy Cullan, speaking of deployed friends and coworkers.

The Fourth is a time to work, but it is also a special time of the year to gather family and friends together, unlike any other day of the year, to reconnect and share stories, and gear up for the long fire season ahead.

CONTACT THE WRITER • linda.hobbs@ftnvalleynews.com