The full-time Fire Crew—the three paid firefighters employed by the Four Mile FPD—was founded in 2009, and has been providing daytime emergency response coverage and grant-funded wildfire mitigation services to our district since that time.

The crew has extensive experience in wildfire response and administers numerous disaster prevention and recovery programs. The Fire Crew has secured and managed roughly $1.3 million in grant programs, including a staffing grant that provided for the Fire Crew’s salaries for the majority of the crew’s existence.

From the fender bender in Boulder Canyon to the major flood and wildfire disasters, the Four Mile Fire Crew serves our district with dedication and professionalism.

The Fire Crew’s training and experience in all-hazard emergency response allow them to easily step into leadership roles during emergency situations of almost all type, scale and complexity, and integrate effectively with our volunteer resources and other emergency response agencies to save lives and preserve property.

Our three paid firefighters are qualified as structure firefighters, engineers, wildland firefighters (certified in leading crews and serving as engine captains), and medical responders (EMT and EMR).

Other areas of specialization include rescue ropes and knots, low-angle rescue, swift water rescue, search and rescue and extrication techniques.

Non-emergency areas of focus for the Fire Crew include response training for our volunteer firefighters, wildfire mitigation (contact that Fire Crew about grant-funded mitigation opportunities), fire safety public education, and preventative maintenance and repair of our life-saving equipment and apparatus.

Zach Littlefield has worked for the Four Mile Fire Crew since its inception in 2009, and became the crew leader that same year. In addition to serving as an Engine Boss/Captain, and incident commander for most daytime emergencies in our district, Zach administers a wide variety of grant programs, focusing on disaster prevention. He also serves as a personnel director for our entire agency, both paid and volunteer firefighters, ensuring that qualifications, training, and life-saving gear are properly tracked and managed.

Zach lives with his family just outside our district, his wife Mishie, who is a schoolteacher for the Gold Hill School, and their baby daughter, Charlie.

Shanti Leasure also joined the Fire Crew 2009, he is the lead sawyer for the Fire Crew, and the coordinator for maintenance and repair work on everything from fire engines to water sources; Shanti ensures that our life-saving equipment is in proper working order. Shanti is also an Engine Boss/Captain, and has a breadth of wildfire knowledge and leadership experience, on fire engines and hand crews.

Shanti lives in Lafayette with his fiancée, Melissa, and their dog Juno.

Paul Dennison joined the department as a volunteer, and one of his first incidents as a responder was the flood disaster in 2013. After spending a week in the field coordinating evacuations and providing emergency response and care to the stranded residents of upper Fourmile Canyon, Paul was offered a full-time position with the full-time Fire Crew.

Paul is an Engine Boss/Captain trainee, and has completed numerous wildfire assignments in his five seasons with Four Mile. His background as a speechwriter has been instrumental in successfully applying for a variety of grant programs, which he helps to administer as well.

Paul lives in Fourmile Canyon with his lovely girlfriend, Kelsey, and their beloved cat Roo.

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The Fire Crew serves in many roles and fulfills a wide array of duties, please contact them at fourmilefirecrew@gmail.com or call at 303-449-3333 if you would like to learn more about their program!