Crested Butte Fire Protection District

10/14/2026

September brought 74 calls for service across the Crested Butte Fire Protection District: 46 EMS responses and 28 fire calls.

Shoulder season generally brings a decrease in call volume, giving crews time to focus on equipment maintenance and continued training while staying ready to respond. September’s EMS calls most often involved chest pain, pain due to injury, and head injuries. Fire calls were mostly false alarms, followed by public service calls, citizen assists, and gas leaks.

Calls by area:
Town of Crested Butte: 22
Mt. Crested Butte: 29
CB South: 5
County: 18

Thank you to our crews for their ongoing work and to our community for your support.

10/14/2026

CBFPD would like to congratulate Paramedic Firefighter Ryan Woods, who was badged during tonight’s Board meeting. Congratulations, Ryan, on this well-deserved recognition! We’re proud to have you serving our community.

10/12/2026

Thank you to Dr. Adelgais, CBFPD’s pediatric medical director, for taking the time to provide a case review and follow-up discussion on a pediatric patient case involving orthopedic injuries. We appreciate her expertise and continued support in helping our crews strengthen their knowledge and care for our youngest patients.

10/08/2026

CBFPD would like to thank Captain Mark Voegeli for completing hose testing on all of our fire hose, including the hose carried on our apparatus and our spare hose.

In total, 18,275 feet of hose was tested, with approximately 55 hours dedicated to the work. The space at our new station made the process especially efficient, allowing Captain Voegeli to test 1,800 feet at a time—six 300-foot lengths—using the high-pressure testing unit.

Testing was completed in accordance with applicable NFPA standards. Thank you, Captain Voegeli, for your time and dedication to keeping our equipment ready to serve the community.

10/06/2026

Congratulations to member Brooke Hoppe for her successful completion of paramedic school.

Congratulations to the September 2026 NMETC Paramedic Graduates! We wish you the best of luck! ⁠ ⁠ ⁠

10/02/2026

September was another busy month of training for Crested Butte Fire Protection District. Crews spent the month sharpening core skills, working through realistic scenarios, and continuing to build familiarity with our district.

🔥 FIRE TRAINING

- Ladders and VEIS
- SCBA and radio operations
- Fire ground accountability
- Hose testing and Firefighter II checkoffs
- Apartment stretch scenarios
- Driver/operator training and JPR preparation
- Cone course and apparatus operations
- Live-fire training
- Ropes and knots
- Building construction
- Preincident planning and district familiarization
-Fire alarm and building system orientation
-Tours of new construction, including sprinkler riser rooms

🚑 EMS TRAINING

- BLS refresher and RQI
- Pit Crew CPR
-ALS medication review
- CVA, cardiac arrest, and Mega Code scenarios
- Field Training Program scenarios and evaluations
-WRETAC case reviews
- Colorado Whole Blood Coalition training
- Austere medicine case review
- Kratom lecture presented by CU Anschutz
- EMS scenarios with new and developing providers

September also included joint Fire/EMS district familiarization and preplanning at several properties throughout the district.

Training is a year-round commitment at CBFPD. Whether we are stretching hose, throwing ladders, running a cardiac arrest, or walking through a building before an emergency happens, the goal is the same: prepare now so we are ready when our community needs us.

10/01/2026

Meet Our Team: Engineer John Bielak

John Bielak joined Crested Butte Fire Protection District in 2023 as a lateral transfer to the rank of Engineer. He recently celebrated 25 years as a career firefighter, following service with Red, White & Blue Fire Protection District and Denver Fire Department.

A proud Colorado native, John comes from a family that homesteaded in Colorado five generations ago. He and his wife, Aime, share deep roots in the Gunnison Valley and are grateful to raise their children, Wyatt and Mia, here.

John attended Colorado Mountain College and Red Rocks Community College, where he earned a degree in Fire Science Technology. At CBFPD, he helps strengthen department readiness as a wildland team Engine Boss, acting Captain for operations, member of the apparatus specification committee, and Field Training Officer for new engineers. He also serves as president of the Crested Butte Fire EMS Foundation.

Outside the fire district, John enjoys hunting, fishing, skiing, mountain biking, and golf. He also coaches his children’s local hockey teams.

We’re proud to have John’s experience, dedication, and knowledge as part of the CBFPD team!

09/30/2026

Training Highlight: Leadership Conference

CBFPD hosted a two-day leadership conference for our officers, acting officers, engine bosses, and aspiring leaders. The conference focused on developing the skills and perspective needed to lead effectively, support our crews, and make sound decisions in the fire service.

We were grateful to learn from Scott Burnette, a retired fire chief with extensive experience leading the Asheville Fire Department, and John Tippett, a retired fire chief and longtime fire service leader known for his work in firefighter safety and leadership. Thank you both for sharing your knowledge and experience with our team, and thank you to everyone who took part in investing in CBFPD’s future leaders.

09/26/2026

Members of the Crested Butte Fire Protection District and Gunnison Volunteer Fire Department spent two days training together on coordinated engine and truck operations. Crews practiced combining fire attack, forcible entry, and search to improve how quickly and effectively they can put water on the fire and search the areas where occupants are most likely to be found.

The training drew on data from the Firefighter Rescue Survey and was led by True Grit Training. These coordinated skills help crews work efficiently and give people the best chance of survival, especially when paired with high-quality medical care.

A special thank-you to Chief Chris James of Denver Fire for sharing his experience and leading the training, and to True Grit Training for helping strengthen our teams’ capabilities.