In the Beginning              

Golden Fire Department 1906

The Boston Company established Golden City in 1859 at  the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon in the territory of Colorado.  The original Golden City town site of 1,280 acres was organized on both banks of Clear Creek.  Its location made it a natural supply point for the miners heading into the mountains, looking to stake their claims in the gold and silver camps of Gilpin and Clear Creek counties.

Mountain communities of the time were built of wood and other combustible materials.  With fire used as a source of heat, for power and for cooking, devastating structural fires were a common occurrence. Water for fighting fires was scarce.  There were no municipal water supply systems as we know them today.  Water generally could only be brought to the fire via a bucket brigade in the early days, and only if a creek, pond or cistern was available as a water supply.

While Golden experienced several big fires, some of which caused considerable destruction, no formal fire brigade was established until 1872.  On January 16, 1872 the Town Council enacted "An Ordinance Concerning the Fire Department".  This Ordinance provided for the appointment of one or more fire wardens charged with making inspections to reduce fire hazards.  On October 2nd 1872, interested citizens formed Golden Hook and Ladder Company.  This was a fire company in name only, as the group had no equipment.  Despite its name, this hook and ladder company, "embraced the theory that the first duty of a fire department was to save property directly rather than by the destruction of other property."   To this end, the Golden Hook and Ladder Company began to do all in its power to obtain a hand fire engine. 

Apparently, not every member of the organization agreed that trying to raise money for a pumper was the best use of the group's resources.  In 1873 the membership split.  Those who left the Golden Hook and Ladder Company formed a rival group: the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company.  By October 1873 the Rescue Hook and Ladder Company purchased a used hook and ladder truck for $150 out of their own pockets.

In answer to this challenge, the Golden Hook and Ladder changed its name to the Excelsior Fire Company.  The group continued its search for a hand fire engine, hose, and hose carriage.  By 1874, the Excelsiors purchased a used engine known as the "Fire King" from the City of Omaha, Nebraska.

Despite the initial rivalry, Golden's two fire companies both responded to fire in the city at this time.  Because of their different equipment and focuses, the companies complemented each other in their firefighting activities much as engine companies and truck companies do on present day departments. 

Three Fire Companies Merge

Golden Fire Department 1958

By 1877, the two fire companies reorganized.  The Excelsior Fire Company became the Excelsior Hose Company. The Rescue Hook and Ladder Company became Everett Hook and Ladder Company.  Another group, the Loveland Hose Company, organized in 1879.  "This hose company was an independent organization, but it was stated that, ' at the same time, it would actively cooperate with the other companies at all fires.' "At the end of 1879, all three companies joined together to establish what we now know as the Golden Fire Department.

Through the good times and bad, the one thing that remained consistent was the community perception of the professionalism displayed by the members of the department.  That concept remains an essential focus of today's fire department members. 

Moving Into the Modern Era 

Just as the first fire related ordinance created by the Town Council in 1872 was to hire a fire warden, the first city employee of the modern era fire department, hired in 1979, was a fire inspector who was responsible for basically the same tasks as the original fire warden.  Over the years, the daily responsibility of the fire chief increased and was more than a volunteer fire chief could effectively perform.  The department created a position titled Fire Department Manager.  In February 1990, Tom Young was promoted from Fire Inspector to Fire Department Manager.  In July of 1990, Tom was critically injured in the line of duty.  The position was temporarily filled until 1996, when the first career fire chief was hired.

Today, a majority of the firefighting staff consists of volunteers; however, the Golden Fire Department is complemented with a small but effective paid staff.  The career staff includes; Fire Chief, John Bales, Executive Assistant, Debbie Testroet, Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal, Jerry Stricker, Acting Training Division Chief/Volunteer Recruiter, Gene Quador, Fire Safety Education Specialist, Robert Ipatenco, Fire Inspector, Paul Berens, Fire Mechanic, Kent McCreary and Media Services Assistant, Anna Trzeciak

Lead by Acting Division Gene Quador, the mission of the Golden Fire Department Training Division is to prepare firefighters from - probation through retirement - to serve as safe, effective and efficient team members that save lives and protect property.  The Fire and Life Safety Division beleves that a proactive educational approch to fire code.

Although the fire service is full of tradition, the 21st century Golden Fire Department faces change and challenges. In 2005 the fire department responded to 1100 incidents compared to 798 in 1999.  These 1100 incidents include structural fires, wildland urban interface fires, vehicle fires, hazardous materials, service, medical and a vast array of technical rescue calls.  The Golden Fire Departments’ technical rescue team specializes in steep slope and low angle evacuations, swift water rescue, ice rescue, auto extrication, and industrial rescue.  Since September 11, 2001, the approach to each incident has changed dramatically.  Volunteers must now be prepared for the unimaginable.  The apparatus are now stocked with Weapons of Mass Destruction kits to evaluate and control a variety of terrorist attacks.