Passing the torch: Aspen Fire Protection District swears in new fire chief on Friday

Jake Andersen will take the reins from Fire Chief Rick Balentine on Friday, Aug. 1, in a ceremony for the Aspen Fire Protection District.

Andersen, who is originally from Newcastle, Colorado, began a career in fire protection early in life.

“I’ve been doing this since before I was even out of high school,” he said. “I always knew this would be what I’d be doing, but I never thought I’d be a fire chief.”

He started as a volunteer for the fire department for Burning Mountain Fire Protection District before working for the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service. He then moved to the Tucson Fire Department in Arizona and worked at the Snowmass Fire District, which became the Roaring Fork Fire Protection District.

Finally, he landed in Aspen and has been here for four years. He is taking over from Balentine, who is retiring after 36 years of service to the district. 

“When I announced my retirement, I told the board that I thought he was the right person for the job,” he said of Andersen’s ascension to fire chief. “He’s been fantastic. He has the support and trust of the troops and everybody at (Aspen Fire Protection District). I couldn’t feel any better about where our department is in general right now.”

Initially, Andersen did not see himself becoming a fire chief because what attracted him to firefighting was the impact he was having on people’s lives, often when they were on their worst days.

However, working in various fire departments across western Colorado showed him how the fire chief enables a fire protection district to operate and function. While they might not be the ones always on the ground responding to emergencies, fire chiefs ensure that the large staff of volunteer firefighters, administrative personnel, career firefighters, and others are trained and effective in responding to emergencies. 

“Our fire chief makes sure that everything is taken care of, ensures that (firefighters) have all the things that they need right from equipment, apparatus, stations, and training,” Andersen said. “We have a rapidly growing demand for both wildfire prevention and mitigation but also then wildfire response. That’s a service gap that I feel exists that I’ll be working hard to address.”

He will be responsible for coordinating and organizing the 80-person staff at the Aspen Fire Protection District. The district is responsible for responding to a broad range of emergencies like ongoing structure fires and wildfires, as well as swift water emergencies on rivers, gas leaks, vehicle accidents, and more. 

“I know that the fire service will evolve over the next decades,” he said. “My focus is going to be ensuring that we rise to meet the demands placed on us and provide whatever the community needs from us.”