Aurora Fire Rescue

For the first time, Aurora Fire Rescue will provide NFPA-compliant physicals for firefighters, in addition to comprehensive cancer screenings, through a newly awarded federal grant. The grant totaling more than $420,000 is provided under the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program and is the largest of its kind awarded to AFR in recent years. Cancer is the most dangerous threat to firefighter health and safety today, according to the Firefighter Cancer Support Network. AFR has experienced two line-of-duty deaths caused by cancer, two cancer-related medical retirements and a medical retirement caused by a serious cardiovascular issue. Several AFR members have been treated for cardiovascular-related issues and many are currently battling cancer on the job. While AFR provides entry-level physicals for all suppression personnel as a condition of pre-employment and offers annual physicals and immunizations through its insurance provider, the grant funding enables AFR to provide more comprehensive physicals that meet NFPA 1582 standards and cancer screenings aimed at early detection and prevention of major diseases before they reach catastrophic levels. Retired AFR Firefighter Mike Ackman shared the personal impacts that cancer and other work-related illnesses have had on him and his fellow family members and friends in the fire service. https://lnkd.in/gvp2uxf5

Not many mayors would join in a fire academy workout, but Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman joined in the first-day workout with Aurora Fire Rescue’s newest recruits. These 21 recruits are scheduled to complete the academy at the end of January 2025. This is the first time that the Mayor has joined in an academy workout. After the workout, the Mayor said, "It's tough, but it's got to be tough to prepare them for the job that's ahead of them." City of Aurora https://lnkd.in/gvgVJ5_n

You may see a different ambulance unit around Aurora but it's not being used to pick up patients. The black Aurora Fire Rescue vehicle is a donated ambulance that we've repurposed for use as a mobile training lab for our firefighters and paramedics. The Sim Lab will travel to AFR stations to enable our crew members to practice medical care exercises under real-world prehospital care conditions. Learn more in this story that was featured on Aurora Now. To learn about other news in Aurora, watch the full episode of Aurora Now at https://lnkd.in/gQQC4m7S.

Congratulations to the 16 Aurora Fire Rescue fire academy recruits who responded on approximately 45 simulated but realistic emergencies during Aurora Fire Rescue Night. The call list for the night resembles both the range and frequency of calls that firefighters are called to on any given shift at AFR, one of the busiest fire departments in the nation. A graduation ceremony for these recruits will be held at 6 p.m. MST this Thursday, August 8, to mark the completion of their 22 weeks of training and coursework which began in February. Thanks Performance Code, LLC for the video! https://lnkd.in/ghfPsTTt

On nearly every call that Aurora Fire Rescue responds to, the EMTs and paramedics at our ambulance partner, Falck Rocky Mountain, are right there with us, selflessly caring for others, providing excellent medical care and saving lives. Like our firefighters, these first responders put their lives in danger to protect the community. Yesterday afternoon, the Falck medics who joined us in responding to a call for a structure fire literally dodged a bullet. The structure fire occurred on a single-family home near the intersection of S. Chambers Road and E. Quincy Avenue at approximately 3:20 p.m. yesterday afternoon. The fire was reported by bystanders who called Aurora911. Someone had also called and reported that a man ran out of the house that was on fire, holding a gun.    While AFR was attempting to extinguishing the fire, the Falck medics arrived and was immediately fired upon by this man. The round struck the front windshield and thankfully changed trajectory, not striking any of the three medics. None of the firefighters were injured either.   As Aurora Colorado Police Department officers were coming into the area, they spotted the suspect nearby. After a brief standoff, the suspect was taken into custody after the use of 40mm less-lethal rounds.    The suspect, a 34-year-old man, is currently at the hospital receiving treatment. He is anticipated to be released from the hospital and will be arrested for arson and two counts of attempted murder. A booking photo will not be available until he is booked into the Aurora Detention Center.   AFR Battalion Chief 2 was first to arrive to extinguish the fire and noted smoke and flames coming from the second-floor bedrooms above the garage on the two-story residence.    Prior to other units arriving, the Chief completed a primary search for victims. No victims were found, however a dog was rescued. On arrival, AFR Ladder 6’s crew also searched for victims and did not find any in the house.   The fire was contained and under control at approximately 3:35 pm.    As always, AFR is deeply grateful for the dedicated support that our Falck medics provide in caring for the community. This near-miss is greatly troubling and we are incredibly thankful that no one was injured.

Aurora Fire Rescue's wildland firefighters loaded up our Type 6 specialized Brush Truck and is off to assist with the Alexandra Mountain Fire west of Loveland, Colo. The fire has already scorched over 1,800 acres in the Arapaho/Roosevelt National Forest and remains uncontrolled. Evacuation and warning orders are in effect for nearby communities. AFR's team is one of 2,000 ground units assigned to tackle the blaze. We were requested by the US Forest Service to provide mutual aid and will be assigned to this mission for 72 hours of deployment. Our team doesn't have a specific assignment yet but will work alongside other ground and aviation units in gaining perimeter control, containment efforts and providing structure defense against the fire.

AFR’s recruiters enjoyed meeting with Young Aspiring Americans for Social and Political Activism (YAASPA) members and others in the community at the Black Arts Festival. If you’re interested in becoming an Aurora firefighter, reach out to recruiting@auroragov.org. We’ll post on our social channels when the application process opens!

ICYMI, FOX31 KDVR / Channel 2 KWGN recently went inside our new Hazmat rig and shared how our Hazmat specialty team protects the community in emergencies involving hazardous and chemical substances. Check it out! https://lnkd.in/g6UAmWP4

Following a time-honored tradition, Aurora Fire Rescue's Station 2 C-Shift crew officially welcomed their new engine with a push-in. The new pumper is the first of several new pumpers coming to Aurora this year. Station 2 also received a new Hazmat vehicle earlier this year, and a new engine came online this week at Station 6. New engines will be coming soon to Stations 7 and 9.

Knowing what you want to achieve is integral to having a plan. This week, Aurora Fire Rescue was pleased to host the inaugural Vision 20/20 Data Collection and Analysis Training in partnership with the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention & Control, which instructed more than 30 fire professionals from across Colorado and the United States on how to create a Community Risk Assessment for their community.