Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department
In the mountains west of Fort Collins, neighbors are more than just the people down the road — they’re often your first line of help in an emergency. That’s the spirit fueling the Rist Canyon Volunteer Fire Department (RCVFD) and keeping it strong for 50 years.
Assistant Chief Carol Dollar, who has served for four decades, sums it up simply: “Somebody had to get together and do it.” She moved to Rist Canyon in 1983 and joined soon after. “Sense of community,” she said when asked why she’s stayed. “It’s part of getting to know your neighbors, too. It’s weird to talk about a fire department as a way to get to know your neighbors, but we are kind of a family here.”
Fire Chief Mark Neuroth shares that connection. After years in other departments, he joined RCVFD because, as he puts it, “I like getting to know the communities and I like helping people.”
It’s the same neighbor-driven spirit that founded Poudre Valley REA in 1939, when 600 local residents came together to bring electricity to rural areas big utilities wouldn’t serve. Both organizations were born from need, built by the people they serve, and remain directly accountable to their communities.
WHO THEY ARE & WHO THEY SERVE
RCVFD is a professional, all-volunteer department covering 110 square miles — over 70,000 acres and 1,400 properties — in rugged terrain where cell service is spotty and outside help can take 30 minutes or more to arrive. Their area includes the Upper and Lower Buckhorn, Crystal Mountain, Stove Prairie, Whale Rock, Redstone Canyon, and more.
About 30 trained residents volunteer and respond to wildland and structure fires, medical calls, and vehicle accidents. Around 75-80% of their calls are medical, often for an aging population. “There are times when, if a person had to wait for a town ambulance, then that person wouldn’t survive,” Carol said.
BUILT BY THE COMMUNITY, FOR THE COMMUNITY
From the start, RCVFD has been funded entirely by donations, grants, and volunteer hours — never taxes. “We’ve always been community supported,” Mark said. “The community has been really good for funding our needs.” That independence means they can respond quickly to local priorities without outside mandates.
RESOURCES FOR HOMEOWNERS
RCVFD offers free home fire safety assessments, CPR and first aid classes, and a wealth of online resources at rcvfd.org. Additional fire safety information is on page 7.
As Carol reminds us, “Be aware that in a rural area, we’re not four minutes away like you are in town.” Remember: plan accordingly, act responsibly, and offer assistance when possible.
A CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY SPIRIT
The department’s largest annual fundraiser, the Rist Canyon Mountain Festival, returns Saturday, September 6, from 10am to 4pm. Admission, parking, and ice cream are free. The event features live music, a car show, 50 vendors, food trucks, local artisans, and a kid zone with animals and activities. The famous book sale boasts over 20,000 titles collected year-round.
“It’s fun, informative, and people get to meet us rather than on what could be one of the worst days of their life,” Mark said.
At PVREA, we understand their story well. Like RCVFD, we were built by the people we serve. Whether delivering electricity or answering emergency calls, it’s all about neighbors helping neighbors — that’s the power of community.
