By Joanna Putman
Police1
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — In rural eastern Arapahoe County, where vast farmlands and dry grasses dominate the landscape, the first responder to a fire is not always a firefighter.
Deputy Zack Ervin of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has become a critical first line of defense against grass fires in the area, having arrived first to at least seven fires this summer, CBS Colorado reported.
“We’ve been having a lot of grass fires. So oftentimes—part of our job is—we respond to all emergencies, and fire being one of them,” Ervin told CBS Colorado.
Given the challenges of patrolling a rural area that spans more than 600 square miles, speed is crucial, according to the report. The sheriff’s office cruisers and SUVs can often arrive faster than fire trucks, allowing deputies like Ervin to take immediate action.
“When we get the call for a fire, we can just immediately put our vehicle in drive and go to wherever we have to go. Oftentimes, we’re faster than the firefighters,” he said.
Ervin’s role as an impromptu firefighter has led him to go through eight fire extinguishers this summer alone, a sharp increase from previous years, according to the report.
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Despite his efforts, Ervin acknowledges that the real firefighting work is done by the local volunteers and fire departments.
“I’m grabbing my fire extinguisher, and I’m trying to do as much as I can while I wait for the fire department to show up and do their job. They’re better equipped for it, but we do as much as we can to try and help and save people from losing not only their lives but their property and land that they have out here.”
In many cases, local residents are already on the scene when Ervin arrives, using tractors to cut fire lines and protect their properties, according to the report.
“If there is an emergency, we’re going to go,” Ervin said.
