Being a member of the Aspen Fire Department means a lot of things.
For longtime firefighter Fabrizio Brovelli, it means you’re a part of something much bigger than yourself. You’re a part of a team – a team that, no matter what gets thrown your way, you come together to find a way to succeed.
“It’s not about a single individual; it’s about the team. How the team works together and how you make it happen, you do everything you can to make it happen,” he said. “We have a great department, we’re very professional, and we work every day to get better and better to provide the best for our community.”
Recently the brave men and women of the Aspen Fire Department came together as a team to do just that when, on back-to-back days, calls came out for two separate dog rescues. Both of which resulted in happy endings due to the teamwork and quick action of everyone involved.
The first incident took place on the evening of Dec. 12 in the Starwood neighborhood. A small dog named Bailey had gotten trapped deep under a culvert after chasing a skunk. Bailey had been stuck approximately 36 hours before bystanders heard the dog’s cries, and after attempts of calling Bailey out were unsuccessful, they called the fire department.
Firefighters were quick to respond to the scene, and aside from Brovelli, other firefighters included Battalion Chief Jake Spaulding, Chris Lougeay, Jason Lasser, Andy Reid, Eugenia Acevedo, and two-time Locals Choice Best Firefighter Drew Barr. Additionally, several Roto-Rooter technicians, along with Starwood employees were also involved in the rescue.
And what a rescue it was.
Nearing three hours in total, as Spaulding explained, the biggest challenge became snaking the sewer cameras into the pipe in order to locate Bailey and ensure the dog’s safety. That’s when Spaulding said the team came together to do what they do best: listen to all suggestions and find the best solution.
“Nothing is off the table because none of us are experts at this, and none of us have done this before; so any ideas, throw it out there,” he said. “I believe it was one of the Roto-Rooters that was like, ‘Oh man, if we had like an RC car.’ And when you hear something like that, you kind of think like, ‘Would that work? Wait, that might actually work.’”
Spaulding said he then called volunteer firefighter Jason Lasser, who he knew to be an avid RC cars collector, who wasted no time by responding, “I’ve got the perfect one.”
The team then taped a camera to the back of Lasser’s remote-controlled truck, and within no time, they were able to find Bailey and confirm the pup was okay. Once the dog was located, firefighters proceeded to probe around in the snow to find and remove a manhole cover. At that point, with just a little calling from Bailey’s owners, the dog leapt out of the hole and safely into their arms.
Shortly after, it was stated that the family was heard saying, “I know it’s not Christmas yet, but if there was ever a Christmas miracle, this was it!” With cheers from onlooking neighbors Bailey’s owners were able to take her back home healthy and uninjured – but unquestionably “skunked.”
The skunk that Bailey had initially chased, however, was eventually located, and after “moderate to heavy” spraying of the responders, animal control officers were able to remove the skunk safely.
“We try to build diverse teams, so that we’re not all thinking the same, and we can think outside of the box,” Spaulding said. “That’s how we came up with the idea such as using an RC car; I wouldn’t have thought about that, someone else did and it was a great idea. We get put into situations that we don’t have training for, but we have to figure it out because we’re 911. We work together as a team with other public service agencies, and we get it figured out.”
And before the firefighters reportedly even had the chance to wash the smell of skunk from their turnouts, they were once again called out to rescue another furry friend the very next day. On Dec. 13, a Bernese Mountain dog named Berner fell into an icy pond near the Roaring Fork River in the 500 block of North Mill Street.
Once again, fire crews were quick to respond to the call and arrived at the scene wearing special ice-rescue suits. With the assistance of the Aspen Police Department, firefighters wasted no time in jumping into the icy waters in order to successfully reach the young pup and escort him safely back to his owner.
Spaulding and Brovelli were once again involved in Wednesday’s rescue, as well, along with firefighters Terrance Leitch and Seamus O’Malley. Brovelli said that being an owner of two dogs himself, he was full of empathy toward both owners and what they were going through, which made the two successful outcomes that much more rewarding.
“It was awesome because you’re able to reunite the pets with their owners, so you feel you did something really good,” he said. “No matter if it’s a pet or person, it’s the same thing. We operate in circumstances where people or animals are in the worst situation, and we’re able to bring them to safety. It’s just a really cool feeling.”
In a statement, the Aspen Fire Department said it is “deeply grateful” no people attempted to rescue the animals and would like to remind members of the public that leaving recuses to trained professionals is always best advised as each year “many people” are reported each year to have died or been seriously injured while attempting to rescue pets.
Additionally, the fire department said the two back-to-back rescues illustrate not only the “skill and dedication” of the Aspen Fire Department but also the spirit of the holiday season, and remind us of the the “unwavering commitment of our first responders” to not only protect people, but every member of the community, including our beloved pets.
“I am so proud to be a part of this team. Aspen Fire was at its finest these past two days,” said Drew Barr. “Thank you to everyone who came out to help; I am grateful to work with such amazing people.”