By Michael Davidson
The Daily Camera
BROOMFIELD, Colo. — It was a day before his retirement, but Fire Chief John O’Hayre still was making plans for North Metro Fire Rescue District — just like he has for the 22 years he’s been in charge.
Early Thursday morning, O’Hayre, his successor Joe Bruce and four architects and builders sat in a cramped trailer on the construction site of North Metro’s latest station, at the intersection of Via Varra Road and the Northwest Parkway in Broomfield.
As O’Hayre poured over blueprints and cost estimates, North Metro was planning a surprise farewell tribute for O’Hayre’s last day. Every on-duty firefighter, fire engine and ambulance on Friday was at North Metro’s headquarters in Northglenn to salute the chief, who has been with the district since he became a volunteer firefighter in 1972.
But on Thursday, while the district was thinking about saying goodbye, O’Hayre was thinking about water mains and septic systems.
“I thought the last week would be a wind-down,” O’Hayre said after the meeting.
Instead it was another 50-hour week devoted to the issues that dominated O’Hayre’s tenure as chief — making sure North Metro kept up with the demands of two rapidly growing cities, ensuring the district’s future health and looking out for his firefighters.
O’Hayre will have the rest of his life to sleep in.
“I’m OK with getting up as early as I need to to get something done,” O’Hayre said after scheduling one last 7 a.m. meeting with an architect.
When O’Hayre became a volunteer firefighter in 1972, the district, then known as West Adams County Fire Protection District, had three stations and 12 professional firefighters who would work solo 24-hour shifts. When there was an emergency, the pros would drive the fire truck to the scene. Volunteers would be notified by phone or radio and race to the fire.
“It was a small group and everybody did whatever needed to be done,” O’Hayre said.
Dennis Day knew O’Hayre from his start with the district. When O’Hayre became a professional firefighter in 1977, Day, now an elected member of the North Metro Board of Directors, was his boss.
“He was an excellent firefighter,” Day said. “He always showed leadership skills.”
Now the district has 89 professional firefighters armed with the latest equipment and safety gear. Four fire stations, a state-of-the-art training center and a vehicle maintenance center have been built during O’Hayre’s tenure, and on Thursday the district broke ground on its future headquarters at the corner of First Avenue and Lamar Street.
The small fire department has evolved into a large operation that covers 115 square miles and protects 103,000 people in Broomfield, Northglenn, and unincorporated areas of Boulder, Adams and Jefferson counties. The district’s budget this year is $15.4 million.
Despite the size of the district, O’Hayre knows the name of every rookie, said Kyle Petau, a firefighter in his second year with North Metro.
“It’s been a great place to work, and that’s attributable to him,” Petau said.
Petau and more than 30 firefighters were at the going-away ceremony Friday. O’Hayre fought back tears as he hugged every one.
O’Hayre is proud of the district’s growth, but admits he misses the camaraderie and excitement of life at the firehouse.
Leaving that behind to become chief “was probably the toughest decision on my part, because I still really enjoy being on a rig,” he said.
O’Hayre shouldn’t have any regrets, said Broomfield Police Chief Tom Deland.
Deland has known O’Hayre since they joined their respective forces as professionals in 1977. He admires his counterpart’s vision.
“In order to be a chief as long as John has, you have to be able to adapt and see things coming down the road,” Deland said. “He has an intuitive sense of what needs to be done.”
O’Hayre didn’t plan on overseeing a booming department or have ambitious plans.
“When I became chief, I hoped for two things: That I would never have to lose a firefighter in the line of duty, and that I would never have a multiple-loss-of-life fire,” O’Hayre said.
The latter hope didn’t come true, and it led to the worst day of his career, he said.
An arsonist on Jan. 27, 1997, set fire to the Hacienda Hotel in Thornton. Five people died, and the arsonist was never caught.
Thankfully, O’Hayre never lost a firefighter on his watch, but he knows the pain it would cause. When he helped build the Sept. 11 memorial in Broomfield, he worked closely with firefighters from New York City who saw their battalions decimated when the World Trade Center collapsed.
Finding a way to honor his fellow firefighters is a lasting point of pride for O’Hayre.
“We have done something here in Colorado, 1,800 miles from New York City, and they’re still politicizing and agonizing,” O’Hayre said.
The memorial, at Community Park, was unveiled in 2006 on the five-year anniversary of the attacks. It features collection of bronze statues, red sandstone and bas-reliefs created by New Mexico artist Reynaldo “Sonny” Rivera. It also includes a piece of a fallen World Trade Center tower.
The 9/11 Memorial cost $400,000 to build. Raising the remaining $35,000 to pay for it is one of O’Hayre’s retirement plans.
O’Hayre also has an eye on buying and restoring a vintage fire chief’s car and taking his family to Ireland and Scotland. When he can, he’ll work on the “37-year honey-do list” his wife has compiled.
Tina O’Hayre, John’s wife, said they will stay in Broomfield. She expects her husband will turn to volunteering as a way of feeding his passion to help his community.
O’Hayre said he doesn’t know what he’ll feel like when he wakes up Monday and doesn’t have to report for duty.
Retiring “is a little scary from time to time, but I’m looking forward to it,” O’Hayre said. “The lack of having to go somewhere and be somewhere to get something done ... that will be the biggest challenge.”
Bruce, an eight-year member of North Metro, who until being picked as O’Hayre’s successor was deputy chief, said he expects he’ll have the greater challenge when he tries to fill his boss’ shoes.
“When you look at the core and what he’s been able to accomplish, it’s a humbling thing. To say I’m honored (to replace him) is an understatement,” Bruce said.
Of his longtime friend and fellow chief, Deland said, “He’s the last of a dying breed. A lot of people say that during retirement time, but in John’s case it’s true.”
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