50 years of History

Station #3 Elpaso County ,Colorado

In 1960 , after  several major natural cover fires, the citizens of the Ellicott area ,being alarmed and concerned about the fire dangers , began talks on some form of organized fire protection.

A group of citizens,headed by local land owners , W.T.Schubert , Everett Handle , Gene Chisman , Ed Thomas , Field Bohart , and several others started the process of forming the Ellicott Volunteer Fire department . Meetings were held and men were recruited as charter members of the department .

On the Third (3rd) Day of October 1960, a constitution and bylaws were drafted :thus the Ellicott Volunteer Fire Department came into legal existence with Gene Chisman as Chief and Steve Mateyka as Assistant Chief , W.T.Schubert as Secretary, and G.R (Jake) Johnson as treasurer, plus sixty (60) charter members .

First order of business was the Fire station . A parcel of land was leased to the new department by the late Scott Chisman. A concentrated fund drive was conducted , and the citizens of the community provided the funds to errect the station .The volunteers made ready the building for the first fire fighting equipment on February 9, 1961.

On March 2, 1961 , the "Old 35" , a Dodge Brush truck was put into service at the station by the late Earl L. Sullivan and the Board of County Commissioners . This truck remained in service until February  7,1966 when the volunteers purchased a 2,000 gallon tanker from the U.S. Forest Serv ice.

The Department continued with this equipment , and an ever  decreasing membership because older members answering their last alarm , and the younger generation leaving the community for the opportunities of the city .

The late 1960's , and early 1970s brought an influx of people and increased fire danger. The membership began to increase and a need for newer and better equipment came into being . The County Sheriff and Deputy Fire Marshal were contacted about rebuilding "old 35" to improve its fire fighting capability .At this time the tanker was being rebuilt by the volunteers to improve its response time and fire fighting  capabilities.

Mr. Victor Boulanger, the Deputy Fire Marshal , in response to the Department's inquiries about 'old 35 ' brought forth the plan of County Fire Stations in the spring of 1974 . The Ellicott V.F.D accepted the plan and took on an additional title : Elpaso Volunteer Fire Department Station #3 . With the new title came a new training program under the direction of Chief Bob Peters , and the Board of COunty Commissioners appropriated money to replace 'old 35' . On  May 31 , 1975 this department took delivery on a new 1975  Pierce Mustang Mini Pumper , which remains in service today with the volunteer's 2,000 gallon tanker at the Ellicott V.F.D under the direction of Chief Gene Chisman .

(information  gathered from The Year Book 1861-1976 Elpaso County Sheriffs Office and published in 1976 )