An engine crew from the Big Laramie Fire Department is part of the interagency effort to combat the Beaver Creek Fire in northern Colorado and southern Wyoming.

Rob Sanders, Brooke Thornock and Engine Boss Michael Morin recently had an interesting day working the fire. Below is Morin's account of events, as published on the InciWeb page for the Beaver Creek Fire...

In late June, crews were coming off a day shift when a citizen’s emergency call came through, reporting a rollover accident with a 6-wheel drive UTV near the north end of the fire. Crews heading back to camp rapidly diverted to the reported location and worked diligently to locate and reach the injured person. 

They found the patient with multiple serious injuries and requested a Flight For Life transport. The crews worked to stabilize, package, and extricate the patient to an area where he could be transported to the helicopter. An ambulance was already staged at one of the drop point locations on the fire. 

The patient underwent surgeries and was reported to be off pain medication and walking around within a few days. He then began rehabilitation and physical therapy and was released from the hospital after several weeks.
Recently, while working as a fire lookout, an Engine Boss that had been working the day of the incident was in the same area and saw residents at a home. He stopped to greet them and soon realized this was the same family that had been affected by the accident. They expressed their extreme gratitude for the rapid and professional response of everyone involved in the rescue that night. Because of the number of first responders on scene and the quick, well-executed rescue, the outcome for the victim and his family was a positive one. The family was further grateful that fire crews also worked to retrieve and return the UTV to their home, stating the crew “went above and beyond the call of duty.” Engine Boss Mike Morin replied, "This is what we do, and in our eyes, it's not above and beyond."

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