Show volunteer are dept CORTEZ cortez fire fin fighters are volunteers and the department counts M 24 members with henry thorpe as chief although me th department part ment operates on an allocated city budget of only 1000 per year cortex cortez has the lowest fire fin rear loss s of any town in the state of colorado according to chief thorpe the average per capita loss by fire fin was three cents per person la in cortez as compared with a national average of per person therefore insurance rates are am low in cortez to supplement the th budgeted funds the fire department holds a dance once each year and uses ws the proceeds to buy small equipment such as gas masks and recently purchased a resuscitator the chief has a long list of cortez residents who are anxious to serve on the fire department but the maximum maximi lm number has been be fixed at 24 the department is one of the most efficient to in the state and won a number of first prizes in the annual tri state contests in competition with departments from arizona colorado and new mexico |