A message from Chief Gibson
Grace Miller
Hi Everyone
Please see the letter below from Chief Bret Gibson to the residents of the Fourmile Fire Protection District…. (copy of letter is also attached).
FOUR MILE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
May 27th 2025
To the Four Mile Fire Department Community,
It is time for a changing of the guard so to speak. I have been volunteering since 1990 and as Fire Chief from 2000 to the present. It has been a 35 year journey, one that I will try to put into words.
When I joined the department, it was a small neighborhood firefighting agency whose direction was primarily fires. Margaret Hansen as chief directed the growth from one truck and one fire barn to three fire barns, five trucks, and most exciting was adding medical response to our skill set. As such the department began responding to our neighbors in need as well as auto crashes and fallen climbers. We all acquired a whole new skill set and the new equipment to meet this ever-growing need.
From there and with the help of so very many I took the fire department to where it is today. One full service fire station, four fire barns. Housing three fire engines, two brush trucks, one tender, and one hybrid tender / engine. My most rewarding addition was and is the “Fire Crew”. Starting as a fuels reduction team it grew into a full fledged emergency response team. A team that funds itself primarily by fuels mitigation in and around our community. Additionally, it provides a base for our out of county Dispatch Program. The program enables members to get tremendous real life fire experience in a wide variety of fuel types and situations. While at the same time earning money for the department. This model has given us five days a week responder coverage while doing fuels reduction work and so much more.
As a community we have experienced a wide variety of large and small disasters. I have been constantly amazed at the strength, generosity, and quick willingness of our community to help in these times. This fire department could not be where it is today as a standout fire department in the county without the steadfast support of all those that call our district home.
Time to bring in new blood. A new vision, energy, and perspective. What should the community expect during this time? A smooth transition and lots of communications both from the new chief but also the Fire Board members. A team of really great people, some who have served the community longer than I have. And new Board members as well bringing along with them new ideas and energy. I will be staying on not as Fire Chief but as Fire Marshal. This will reduce the workload of the new Chief but also allow me to support the Chief with history, system knowledge and community contacts. Plus, I can spend more time keeping things fixed and doing the Chiefs bidding to free her time up for larger scale items and future planning. Personally, I could not have created from scratch a better candidate to fill the Chiefs role. Her energy is contagious as is her desire to engage the community in working with the fire department in our mutual goals.
Caroline Wockner was born in Boulder and lived the first few months of life in a cabin in Jamestown. She grew up in Fort Collins and then attended Evergreen State College for her undergraduate degree. Caroline found the first responder career path after college and worked for Forest Service in central California and SW Colorado. She obtained an EMT certification through Front Range Community College in Fort Collins and later a Paramedic certification through St. Anthony's Paramedic Academy in Lakewood. She attended Colorado Mountain College in Leadville for Fire Academy. Caroline comes to Four Mile with 7 years of professional structure fire experience and over a decade of EMS and wildfire response knowledge and training. Caroline has lived in the district with her partner, Ty, for 3 years. She enjoys trail running, gravel biking, cooking, hunting, and spending time with her horse and other critters. Caroline looks forward to supporting the risk reduction and response needs of this unique community in the role of Fire Chief.
Timeline for this exciting change. Carloine will begin work on June 16th 2025 and we will take a few weeks to getting up to speed in our new roles and responsibilities. Becoming Fire Chief has some state statues that need learning and community members to meet prior to becoming the “Official” Chief. Chief Wockner will decide how and when to meet our community.
It has been a humbling and rewarding experience, scary, educational, heartwarming, exhausting, and simply amazing to be involved in an organization filled with people willing to get up at 3 am, leave their home and family to help others in a time of need. To train, plan, maintain and develop all the skills and tools needed to always be ready to again help those in need.
Deeply grateful,
Bret Gibson
Bret Gibson
Four Mile Fire Chief
Thanks,
J. Grace Miller
720-244-6712; jgrace...@msn.com