Times Independent | 1955-02-24 | Page 76 | Volunteer Fire Dept

Volunteer Fire Dept CORTEZ-Cortez CORTEZ fire fighters are volunteers and the department counts 24 members with Henry Thorpe as chief Although the department department department de de- operates on an allocated city budget of only 1000 per year rear Cortez has the lowest fire loss oss of any town in the state of Colorado According to Chief Thorpe the average per capita loss by fire was three cents per person in Cortez as compared with a national na- na ional average of per pl person Therefore insurance rate rates are low lowIn lowin lown In n Cortez To 10 supplement the budgeted funds the fire department holds a dance once each year and uses use the proceeds to buy small equipment such as gas masks and recently purchased a resuscitator The chief has a long list of Cortez ortez residents who are anxious to o serve on the fire department but ut the maximum number has been fixed at 24 The department is one of the most efficient in the state and won a number of first prizes In n the annual Tri State contests In competition with d departments e par t m e from rom Arizona Colorado and New Mexico H