Personnel
Our Fire Department Team
Firefighters
The members of the Bennett Firefighters L5090 proudly provide 24/7 EMS and Fire services on behalf of the Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue. This includes a career staff of two full-time Lieutenants, three full-time Firefighter/Paramedics, and four full-time Firefighter/EMTs split across Station 91 in Bennett and Station 92 located in Watkins. The paid staff operate on a "48/96 A/B/C" style schedule, meaning the personnel are at the fire station for a 48-hour shift and then have 96 hours off before their next shift. All full-time firefighters are certified to a minimum of Colorado Firefighter I and Hazardous Materials Operations, as well as EMT, with the opportunity to become certified to Firefighter II, Airport Rescue Fire Fighter, Hazardous Material Technician, Fire Officer I, as well as higher levels of EMS certifications. The Firefighters live at the station while on shift, so you may see our Firefighters out cooking, working out at the local Parks and Recreation Division, washing trucks, or performing general station maintenance while they are on shift. The Firefighters are trained to drop whatever task they are performing in order to quickly and efficiently respond to any emergency.
Admin
Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue has a full-time administrative command staff that also assists in emergency responses throughout the day as needed. The administrative personnel consists of Fire Chief Earl Cumley, Assistant Chief Tim McCawley, and Battalion Chief Caleb Connor. Each administrator has specific responsibilities that ensure that the Fire Department operations run smoothly in order to provide exemplary service to the citizens in our fire district. The administration is assisted in day-to-day duties by three full-time administrative assistants Lani Lee, Kendra Hawes, and Corren Lind. The Life Safety Division also employs one full-time certified fire prevention employe
Fleet Maintenance
Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue is proud to provide in-house vehicle and equipment maintenance and repair. Located at 825 Shari's Court in Bennett, the fleet maintenance shop has a full complement of tools and equipment used to repair, maintain, and protect apparatus and equipment. Gustavo Llanes works as the department's fleet director/ technician and holds numerous certifications in diesel engines, gasoline engines, and emergency vehicle maintenance. Shane Yoder also works alongside Mr. Llanes as a full-time fleet technician. The fleet maintenance shop also provides services to neighboring departments along the I-70 corridor. Including Byers, Deer Trail, and Sable Altura. On-call 24/7, the fleet maintenance division is always ready to respond should an apparatus need repair or service. Along with being the department's mechanic, Mr. Llanes also holds Firefighting, Hazmat Operations, and First Responder certifications, allowing him to respond to emergencies when needed.
Volunteer Firefighters
The volunteer firefighters at Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue are people who choose to donate their personal time to keep others safe. Some volunteer firefighters live within the boundaries of the fire district and choose to run calls from their homes, responding to a station in an emergency to provide additional apparatus when needed. Other volunteer firefighters choose to pull a required amount of shift hours a month, performing the same duties and tasks assigned to the full-time personnel on shift. As a combination department, Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue relies heavily on its volunteer personnel and expects them to perform to the same level of paid personnel on duty. All Firefighters are trained to a minimum of State of Colorado Firefighter I and Hazardous Materials Operations with First Responder certifications. Some personnel choose to pursue higher levels of certification and are certified to a Firefighter II, EMT, or Paramedic Level.
Volunteer EMS Division
The volunteer Emergency Medical Services Division at Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue performs many of the same duties that the volunteer Firefighters perform, however they are limited to EMS-only tasks, such as responding to medical emergencies and assisting with medical operations on a fire scene. The volunteer EMS Division is made up of dedicated volunteers who have no desire to become Firefighters or are eager to join Bennett-Watkins Fire Rescue prior to completing a Colorado State Firefighter I Academy. Personnel assigned to the volunteer EMS Division are given preference to fill slots in the annual fire academy if they wish to pursue a firefighting certification. The EMS division consists of personnel certified to the levels of First Responder, EMT-Basic, EMT-Intermediate, and Paramedic.